How motivations and costs affect financial knowledge learning? Evidence from a large-scale FinTech experiment in China

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Utilizing the launch of mobile wealth management services in China in 2013 as a shock to financial education, we analyze a panel of 16,440 households through a difference-in-differences strategy to examine how learning motivations and costs affect financial knowledge learning. Results show that using mobile services encourages risky asset holdings and enhances the self-discipline to learn, which, coupled with low-cost and personalized learning tools provided through the services, increases financial knowledge. We contribute by utilizing a large-scale experiment beyond the classroom to show the role of learning motivations and costs in financial knowledge learning, therefore help clear the controversy on the effectiveness of financial education.