Life Abroad at Risk: New Update

Certainly the most important event of the week was the re-escalation of the situation in the Middle East after the attack on Iran by the United States and Israel. The growing geopolitical tension is not only a military issue, but also an economic issue: the markets are already pricing in the rise in energy prices and the effects on the world economy. In several of our articles, we dealt with the clarification of the geopolitical situation and the expected economic crisis – you will find these articles of ours collected here, in chronological order.

If you don’t feel like reading, but you want to get a picture of all aspects of the Middle East crisis, then we recommend the latest episode of CashTag, in which we examined with the help of experts how the conflict got to this point, what scenarios could come up, and what all of this could mean for Europe and Hungary. It is certain that the stake is not only the stability of the Middle East. A possible escalation could affect energy prices, financial markets, and even Europe’s security and economic situation.

Hungarians in Austria and Germany received devastating news: if this happens, their life abroad could end immediately

For a long time, Hungary’s exit from the EU was considered a theoretical proposition, but in recent years it has appeared more and more often in public discourse. But to what extent can either a voluntary or an involuntary departure be considered a realistic scenario in the medium term? We talked about this, as well as the economic, social and public law aspects of the decision, with Tamás Dezső Ziegler, lecturer in International Studies at ELTE.

A new frenzy has started on the real estate market: the money tap has opened for these houses

From January 2026, properties in the outskirts were also included in the Otthon Start program, which triggered a rapid price increase and a spectacular increase in demand in the private garden market. According to Duna House analyst Péter Szegő, the 3 percent loan eliminated the previous financing disadvantage, while Gábor Vasárus, ELTE KRTK researcher, warns that legal and technical pitfalls still pose a serious risk. Discounted credit has opened up the market for many, but due to classification problems, infrastructure gaps and banking rigor, buyers need to be well prepared.

These are the most recognized, highest paying professions in 2026

When choosing a career, it is not only how easy it is to find a job in the given profession, whether it is possible to find a well-paying job with the given education, but also how respected the profession is. On the other hand, how much a certain profession is valued in general can be examined from several points of view. This year, Pénzcentrum examines from different points of view, based on the opinions of our readers, what the perception of workers in certain professions is like, and how much their perception has changed over the past years. We present the latest research results.

The shopping habits of Hungarians could change forever: the Hungarian head of WOLT confessed

With HUF 26.3 billion in sales, decreasing profit in the 2024 business year. Today, there are nearly 2 million monthly orders, more than 300 Hungarian cities, an active courier base of ten thousand and a spectacularly growing retail branch. In just a few years, Wolt Hungary not only turned from a food ordering platform into a complex digital commercial infrastructure, but also became an increasingly prominent player in the domestic retail ecosystem. We spoke with Orsolya Hartyányi, the company’s head in Hungary, about profit margins, the courier model, platform regulation, consumer protection fines, and how long growth can still be scaled in a domestic, increasingly labor-scarce market.

Orsolya Hartyányi also spoke about several topics raised in the interview at the Portfolio RETAIL DAY 2026 conference on March 4. You can read our coverage of the event here!

New gold rush or overpriced crap? The truth about the 2026 blockbuster investment has been revealed

Investors turned spectacularly on the AI ​​story, but the picture is much more nuanced than what the initial hype suggested. While companies built around artificial intelligence have been pulling global stock markets, a growing number of experts are warning that not all “AI stocks” are the same, and that in many cases we’re talking about infrastructure rather than companies developing real AI products. Pénzcentrum asked several market players how real the public’s interest is, whether there is overpricing in the market, and whether investors are really sitting in a bubble, or whether we are rather at the beginning of a longer technological transformation.

This is how the results of Hungarian students deteriorated over the course of 20 years

The results of the latest PISA survey brought a historic decline worldwide, and the results of Hungarian students also deteriorated significantly. In mathematics, the domestic scores fell to an unprecedented low in 2022, while reading performance also fell short of the best results of previous years. Many people explain the decline with the consequences of the Covid-19 epidemic and online education. At the same time, the longer-term trends show that the performance of Hungarian students has been showing a downward trend since the 2010s. Although some correction is visible in the natural science results, this does not mean a clear turnaround for the time being. Social differences continue to strongly influence the results, in Hungary the gap between well-off and disadvantaged students is larger than average. The domestic competence measurement in 2025 has already indicated improvement in several grades, which may give hope for recovery. However, the question is whether this is the beginning of a lasting trend or just a partial correction after the previous downturn. The PISA results to be published in 2026 will therefore be of particular importance in assessing educational processes.

Budapest is fighting and soaring at the same time: it is now decided on which shelf the capital will be priced

Today, Budapest is not only a “hidden gem” on the tourist map, but a city that simultaneously enjoys growing international attention, while also struggling with seasonality, the Airbnb explosion, the lack of luxury retail and the limitations of air connectivity. In the meantime, it has fought its way up to the world’s top food destinations, hosts the Champions League final, Formula 1, and hosts world star concerts. Operating in the Drechsler Palace, W Budapest tries to use this complex formula to build a cultural meeting point, experience-based luxury and an international career springboard for both guests and employees. Igor Buercher, the general manager of W Budapest, gives an insight behind the scenes of this fine balance.

This is the salary of Hungarian police officers in 2026

The salary of police officers is basically determined by the law on the professional service relationship, and its amount depends on several factors: the rank, the position, the number of years of service, as well as allowances are also important. According to the latest data from the KSH, the average gross salary of full-time police officers was over HUF 751,000, but individual salaries can vary greatly. Based on the salary calculator of the National Police Headquarters, the net salary of a junior officer is around HUF 300,000, while with decades of service and a higher rank, a net amount of over HUF 600,000 is available. In our article, we present detailed examples of how police salaries will develop in 2026 and under what conditions someone can become a police officer in Hungary.

In a few days, we saved a lot with the Lidl, Tesco, Spar, DM applications

The wave of inflation in recent years and the period of margin caps fundamentally transformed retail strategies. Large chains increasingly direct customers to their own digital interfaces: app-exclusive coupons, points collection systems, personalized discounts and digital blocks await those who are willing to register.

Between March 3rd and 5th, we tested the application of six grocery stores, Tesco, Aldi, Lidl, Penny, Spar and Auchan, as well as three drugstores, dm, Rossmann and Müller. We were wondering: how much administration would the customer receive in exchange for savings?

The serious truth about Paks II was revealed. about investment: this has not been talked about much so far

In recent years, nuclear energy has once again become the focus of attention. Climate targets are getting stricter, the energy demand of data centers and artificial intelligence is increasing, while energy security has become a geopolitical issue. The recent episode of CHART by Pénzcentrum examines the role that nuclear energy plays in the European Union today and how decisive it is in Hungary.

Serious result in the 2026 summer tire test: the truth about the cheap Chinese Linglong tires was revealed

Which tire is worth starting the 2026 summer season with? ADAC tested 16 tires of size 225/50 R17 – a typical size for mid-range cars. Most tires can be used, but some models are best avoided.

Emergency signal at Lake Balaton: the water is record low, the shores are covered with algae – could the summer season be in danger?

We are at the beginning of spring: despite the thaw and heavy rainfall, the water level of Lake Balaton is close to a record low, which causes concern for many. What is happening to the Hungarian sea? What effect could all this have on summer tourism, shipping and water quality? We followed up on what the Hungarian experts had to say, and we also looked at: according to a recent research, what kind of future Hungarians imagine for Lake Balaton.

This is the salary of pharmacy assistants in Hungary today

They play a key role in the supply of medicine, yet their salary is significantly lower not only than that of pharmacists, but also the average salary in Hungary. The salary of pharmacy and drug supply assistants is influenced by several factors: geographic location, professional experience, education and type of employer are all decisive. But what are the exact numbers? Our article shows what the salary of pharmacy assistants is today.

This brand exploded to the top of the Hungarian car market, crushing everyone else

In February, 10,729 new passenger cars received Hungarian license plates, and the total data for the first two months of the year hardly differed from last year’s level, meaning that the market shows a stable picture at first glance. Significant rearrangements can be seen in the ranking of brands and models, while some manufacturers recorded spectacular growth and others a serious decline. Behind the favorable statistics, however, there is still the question: how many cars actually remain on the Hungarian market, and how many are taken abroad in a short period of time?

NGM: fraudulent online stores will be shot down, ROSTA will be launched soon, thousands of retailers will receive a risk rating

The rapid rise of e-commerce and the growing presence of foreign webshops necessitates new regulatory responses – stressed Bence Gerlaki, State Secretary responsible for tax affairs, consumer protection and trade at the Portfolio Retail Day 2026 conference, emphasizing that the goal is to protect consumers and create a level playing field at the same time. Gerlaki spoke about the need for state involvement, which is why the Ministry of National Economy and the NKFH are responding to the situation with new policy tools, one of the key elements of which is the ROSTA (Reliable Online Store Analyzer), which examines online stores in four main categories and provides feedback to consumers in a few seconds.

A dramatic population decline is expected, 150 million Europeans may soon disappear

Europe could lose more than 150 million people by 2100. This is nearly 20 percent of today’s population. In the latest episode of CHART by Pénzcentrum, we take a look at how the population of the EU has developed in recent decades, why the population is temporarily increasing now, and in which countries a dramatic decrease is expected by the end of the century. The data also reveal how Hungary is on the verge of a demographic turning point and what economic consequences the continent’s aging and weight loss may have.

Despite the tariff war, China is getting rich from where no one would think: has Trump held himself accountable?

Despite geopolitical tensions and tariff war measures, the figures show that China’s foreign trade continued to expand in 2025, while the United States maintained its leading role among its most important trading partners. The near-record trade surplus of around 1.2 trillion dollars, strong high-tech exports and rapid opening to Southeast Asian markets simultaneously indicate the adaptation of the Chinese economy and the permanent dependence of global supply chains on Chinese production.