Low Level Of Financial Literacy Research Articles

Financial literacy among Mexican high school teenagers

Financial literacy has become an increasingly important ability in today’s complex world. Young people are among the least financially literate demographic groups. In this paper we present the results of a financial literacy survey conducted among high school students in Mexico City, the first effort to measure financial literacy among teenagers in Mexico. The survey is based upon the instruments developed by OECD and Lusardi and Mitchell’s approach. Our results show low levels of financial literacy: 60% of the students surveyed understood the concept of inflation, 34.1% correctly answered the question about risk diversification, and only 31.7% correctly answered the question about compound interest. The OECD questions showed that less than 1 in 5 students understands basic financial concepts, around 57% get high scores on financial behavior, and about 70% have positive financial attitudes. We did not find generalized gender differences, though women score a bit higher on the OECD measure mostly due to a better financial behavior. We also did not find differences between private and public schools, or by household income.

Financial literacy in Tunisia: Its determinants and its implications on investment behavior

Given the dynamic changes in the economic environment, especially in financial markets, a need is felt to improve investors’ financial knowledge. Financial literacy entails informed financial decisions. The present study investigates the determinants of financial literacy and its impact on investment behavior. A questionnaire has been developed to elicit the study's variables and it is divided into three parts. The first part covers the demographic variables; the second deals with the financial behavior of the Tunisian households, and the third part is devoted to financial literacy.The study's findings are two fold: First, individuals with a low level of financial literacy are less likely to invest in the stock market. Second, the financial literacy level is found to be affected by age, education level, and the annual income.

Current Estimates and Problems of Financial Literacy Measurement in the World Practice

In recent years, the problem of low level of financial literacy of the population has become evident in many countries. On the one hand, it leads to a slowdown in the retail financial segment, on the other hand, it could trigger instability in the financial market. In an attempt to solve this problem, authorities of different countries have begun to develop national strategies on improving financial literacy. The starting point for working on the strategy is assessing the current level of financial knowledge among the population. However, an overview of existing approaches to assessing financial literacy of the population shows that a variety of methods is used worldwide and research is conducted unsystematically, making it difficult to monitor financial literacy at the national level and make international comparative analysis.

How Financially Literate Are Women? An Overview and New Insights

We document strikingly similar gender differences in financial literacy across countries. When asked to answer questions that measure knowledge of basic financial concepts, women are less likely than men to answer correctly and more likely to indicate that they do not know the answer. Both young and old women show low levels of financial literacy. Moreover, women for whom financial knowledge is likely to be very important—for example widows or single women—also know little about concepts relevant for day‐to‐day financial decisions. The gender differences are present for very basic as well as more advanced measures of financial literacy. This is important because financial literacy has been linked to economic behavior, including retirement planning and wealth accumulation. Women live longer than men and are likely to spend time in widowhood. Thus, improving women's financial literacy is key to helping them prepare for retirement and promoting their financial security.

Older adults and fraud: Suggestions for policy and practice

In this study I examine the issue of the vulnerability of older adults especially with regard to be a potential victim of economic fraud. A general review of current facts and figures suggest that financial fraud against older adults is rising across U.S.A totaling $36 billion. Unfortunately, most of the older adults are the baby boomers’ generation, who grow up in a relative peace and prosperity condition while facing much difficult financial realities in their old life. Result also suggest the intensity of facing financial frauds by older adults are correlated with their low level of financial literacy. Given the wider context of this phenomenon, I propose some policy measures to safeguard the financial interest of the older adults.

Performance implications of financial capital availability on the financial literacy – performance nexus in South Africa

The need for making optimal financial decisions is very important in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) especially as most SMEs are always financially constrained. Consequently, there has been an increasing interest from researchers to determine how well financial literacy skills can enable entrepreneurs to make decisions that result in optimal financial outcomes and possible enhance the performance and growth of their businesses. This study had as objectives to find out the impact of financial literacy on firm performance, as well as to examine the moderating effect of financial capital availability on the financial literacy – performance relationship, amongst SME in the Free State province of South Africa. The results showed that on average SME have low levels of financial literacy and financial capital availability. It was also observed that financial literacy positively influenced SME performance, and that the relationship is positively moderated by financial capital availability. It is, therefore, necessary for SME owners to develop financial literacy skills as an essential part of entrepreneurial activities. Likewise, since businesses rely on financial capital to invest, develop and grow, policy makers should put in place measures on how to bridge the access to finance gap, and, thus, ensure that entrepreneurs are relieved from financing constraints

Evaluating financial education initiatives in South Africa: The importance of multiple evaluation approaches

Background: Given the low levels of financial literacy in South Africa, financial education projects have a significant role to play in reducing some of the demand side barriers to financial inclusion. Measuring the impact of a financial education project is important to assess whether the project achieves its ultimate objectives, for justifying scaling up and for policy design. However, impact evaluations alone are not sufficient in describing the success or failure of a project.Objectives: This study aims to show that, particularly in a South African context, where investment in financial education interventions is mandated by the Financial Sector Codes, impact should not be the only criterion assessed when evaluating financial education projects.Research method and design: This study was informed by a literature review, a synthesis of team experience on a range of financial education projects in South Africa and the development of case studies.Results: Describing the success or failure of a project needs to go beyond impact and explore factors such as project relevance, design and quality. In order to verify these other factors, different types of evaluations are necessary at the various stages of the project’s life-cycle.Conclusion: Expanding the learning objective beyond the exclusive identification of whether financial behaviour was achieved is particularly important where financial education projects, and the monitoring and evaluation thereof, is mandated. In the African context, where resources are scarce, money for monitoring and evaluation should be selectively channelled into determining project relevance, effectiveness, efficiency and then only impact.

ALFABETIZAÇÃO FINANCEIRA: UM ESTUDO POR MEIO DA APLICAÇÃO DA TEORIA DE RESPOSTA AO ITEM

O presente estudo teve por objetivo mensurar o nível de alfabetização financeira dos discentes do curso de Administração de empresas de uma Instituição de Ensino Superior (IES) Federal, sendo conduzida, para tal, uma survey com 307 alunos. Para análise dos dados, foi utilizada a Teoria de Resposta ao Item (TRI). A título de resultado, foram obtidos indícios que permitem concluir pelo baixo nível de alfabetização financeira e pela existência de um perfil conservador de investimento por parte dos discentes. Esse cenário, alinhado aos estudos empíricos anteriores realizados no país, mostra-se preocupante dado o potencial de externalidades negativas decorrente de más decisões financeiras, sobretudo, relacionadas ao financiamento da casa própria e à preparação para a aposentadoria. O presente estudo contribui ao testar empiricamente, no contexto nacional, a utilização da TRI à estimação da alfabetização financeira, permitindo concluir que a TRI é uma opção metodológica importante na estimação desse traço latente, que possibilita a comparabilidade dos conhecimentos financeiros através de uma medida consistente e confiável, através de estudos, populações, realidades e programas distintos.

Financial Literacy, Broker–Borrower Interaction and Mortgage Default

This article examines the relationship between broker–borrower interaction in the origination process and subsequent mortgage performance. I show that face‐to‐face interaction between a mortgage broker and borrower before the loan funds is associated with lower levels of ex post default. The relation between face‐to‐face broker–borrower interaction and mortgage performance holds only for borrowers that have characteristics associated with low levels of financial literacy. Specifically, face‐to‐face interaction is negatively related to default for minorities, borrowers located in areas with low levels of education, low‐income borrowers and borrowers with low FICO scores. My results suggest that face‐to‐face interaction between the mortgage broker and borrower may reduce problems associated with financial illiteracy.

Are you financially literate? Discover in the Financial Literacy Thermometer

This study had as its objective to develop an indicator for the financial literacy of individuals, called Financial Literacy Thermometer. To achieve this objective, a survey with 1.572 inhabitants of the state of Rio Grande do Sul was done. Based on the answers to the survey, a confirmatory factor analysis was used to build the financial attitude and financial behavior constructs. Next, the financial knowledge construct was calculated. With these three constructs in hand, two clusters were obtained by means of cluster analysis. The first cluster represents individuals who have low financial literacy and the second one those who have high financial literacy. Based on the squared Euclidean distance in relation to the center of each cluster, the proposed indicator allows us to classify any individual as having low or high level of financial literacy. The results also suggest that the majority of respondents have a low level of financial literacy. Such findings ratify the urgent need to develop effective actions in order to reduce financial illiteracy and thus minimize the problems associated to it. Keywords: thermometer, financial literacy, cluster analysis.

The Sources of Raising Money as the Factor Influencing the Level of Financial Literacy and Degree of the Financial Inclusion

The effectiveness of the financial education may be measured by the level of financial literacy. Repeatedly proven the low level of financial literacy requires the analysis of factors influencing the improving the results of the educational actions. The one of very important factor seems to be the source of raising fund. It influences the attitude toward money and associated risk as well as the motivation to study different financial concepts and mechanisms. The aim of the paper is to examine the influence of the source of money on effectiveness of financial education represented by level of financial literacy as well as by the very closely related degree of financial inclusion.

How Does Financial Literacy Affect the Savings Decision?

Savings decisions are essential in reallocating income across periods but understanding this concept may be mired by low levels of financial literacy. We survey individuals to identify the role of financial literacy in savings rates. We note differences in financial literacy and savings rates between genders and across age groups and income levels. We show that in each income group, people with low financial literacy save significantly less than others. We examine specific components of financial literacy and show that understanding diversification is associated with increases in savings rates in several income groups.

Financial Inclusion, Regulation, and Education in Germany

Germany’s bank-based financial system provides a high level of financial inclusion, measured by bank outreach and use of financial services. However, the most vulnerable individuals and small enterprises in Germany tend to be excluded or credit constrained. The quality of financial inclusion is impaired by a low level of financial literacy, which is also concentrated among specific population subgroups. The high level of financial inclusion can be attributed to relationship lending by public savings banks, credit cooperatives, public promotional banks, and guarantee banks using the “housebank” model, and financial consumer protection and credit reporting regulations and institutions. Programs involving microfinance institutions have been stopped. Financial inclusion of consumers with the aim of responsible finance may be improved by implementing the right to a basic bank account with an overdraft facility and protection against attachment, establishing public credit bureaus, redirecting banking regulation toward the protection of borrowers in long-term credit relationships, and strengthening financial education in schools. To foster entrepreneurship and access to funding for start-ups and innovative SMEs, entrepreneurship education and the venture capital market need to be further developed.

On a Need-to-Know Basis: Divergent Trajectories of Financial Expertise in Couples and Effects on Independent Search and Decision Making

Many consumers suffer from low levels of financial literacy, and attempts to increase this dimension of consumer expertise via educational interventions are typically unsuccessful. We propose that many of these apparent deficits in literacy and learning may be caused by a cognitively efficient distribution of responsibility for knowledge and decision-making in different domains between relationship partners. New relationship partners adopt specialized domains of responsibility quickly and intuitively in a process guided more by circumstantial factors than by matching tasks with aptitudes (study 1). Cross-sectional data from consumers in long-term relationships provide evidence that distributions of responsibility for financial decision-making between partners may give rise to differences in financial literacy, such that the financial specialist develops expertise in this area while the non-specialist does not (study 3). This ever-growing gap in financial literacy is generally unrecognized by consumers (studies 2, 4), despite being linked to corresponding differences in both financial decision-making (studies 5, 6) and financial information search (study 6). Consumers seem to develop expertise on a “need to know” basis. We argue that offloading responsibility to a relationship partner may eliminate this need in the present, while simultaneously creating barriers to developing expertise if and when it is needed in the future.

Making the Case for Customer Prototyping for Financial Planners to Increase Savings Behavior

Evidence has shown that personal savings behaviors are at low levels for individuals within the United States, with the problem only being enhanced by low levels of financial literacy among the general population. Failure to properly plan for retirement, unemployment, poor borrowing strategies, and debt are all attributed to ignorance of basic financial concepts. While steps have been taken to analyze effectiveness and promote financial education and literacy, it solves only one facet of improving savings behavior. Thus, privatesector financial planning firms need to implement customer prototyping on the microeconomic level to improve savings behavior of individuals of varying market segments.

Analysis of Financial Literacy Level of Retail Individual Investors of Gujarat State and Its Effect on Investment Decision

This study attempts to assess the financial literacy level of retail individual investors in the state of Gujarat, India and its effect on their investment decision. The data collection instrument consisted of a performance test and questionnaire. The performance test was used to measure the financial literacy level of investors. The median percentage of correct answer of the sample was considered to frame the financial literacy level. Forty-four variables of investment decision were studied. Out of a total of 385 respondents, 39.20% of the respondents are considered investors with a higher level of financial literacy and 60.80% of respondents are considered investors with a relatively lower level of financial literacy. This study found that financial literacy does have a statistically significant effect on the investment decision of investors.

Financial Literacy and High-Cost Borrowing in the United States

In this paper, we examine high-cost methods of borrowing in the United States, such as payday loans, pawn shops, auto title loans, refund anticipation loans, and rent-to-own shops, and offer a portrait of borrowers who use these methods. Considering a representative sample of more than 26,000 respondents, we find that about one in four Americans has used one of these methods in the past five years. Moreover, many young adults engage in high-cost borrowing: 34 percent of young respondents (aged 18-34) and 43 percent of young respondents with a high school degree have used one of these methods. Using well-tested questions to measure financial literacy, we document that most high-cost borrowers display very low levels of financial literacy, i.e., they lack numeracy and do not possess knowledge of basic financial concepts. Most importantly, we find that those who are more financially literate are much less likely to have engaged in high-cost borrowing. Our empirical work shows that it is not only the shocks inflicted by the financial crisis or the structure of the financial system but that the level of financial literacy also plays a role in explaining why so many individuals have made use of high-cost borrowing methods.

The influence of consumer socialisation in the home on gender differences in financial literacy

AbstractThe lower level of financial literacy amongst females relative to males has been well documented in the literature. There has however been a less than compelling argument constructed as to why this discrepancy occurs. This article introduces findings showing the influence the home, particularly financial discussions in the home, has on the financial literacy levels of children and young adults. A key finding is that males have their first financial discussion in the home at a younger age than females on average, with this differential statistically significant across students of differing socioeconomic status. For males, the age of the child when they have their first financial discussion in the home influences their financial literacy levels some years later at university, even accounting for other variables such as socioeconomic status. The findings of this article suggest that financial socialisation in the home may be subject to a gender bias, which over time contributes to differential financial literacy knowledge levels between the genders.

РОЗРОБЛЕННЯ СТРАТЕГІЇ ЯК ПЕРЕДУМОВА ПІДВИЩЕННЯ РІВНЯ ФІНАНСОВОЇ ГРАМОТНОСТІ НАСЕЛЕННЯ УКРАЇНИ

У статті окреслено чинники низкої ефективності заходів з підвищення рівня фінансової грамотності. Зосереджено увагу на необхідності системного підходу для вирішення окресленої проблеми. Визначено концептуальні підходи при розробленні стратегії підвищення рівня фінансової грамотності населення.

Lisans Eğitim Programlarının Finansal Okuryazarlık Düzeyine Etkisinin Araştırılması: Türkiye Örneği

This study examines the effects of undergraduate program content on financial literacy. The main assumption of the study is that financial literacy is a vital competence that can be attained through education programs. The study compares financial literacy levels of undergraduate students from Economic and Administrative Sciences Faculty, who are more exposed to financial concepts and techniques, with those of Engineering Faculty whose education content is more favored towards quantitative analysis. Data was collected from five universities in Turkey, which is a developing country. Recent developments in Turkey has placed increased responsibility on university students in terms of financial and risk management decisions. This highlights the importance of studies on financial literacy. The financial literacy of university students was measured using financial literacy scale developed by OECD. The study found 31.7% of the students to have a high level of financial literacy while 30.1% had medium and 16% had low levels of financial literacy. A significant relationship between University students’ level of financial literacy and field of study (quantitative vs. social) was also observed.