IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/finlet/v67y2024ipbs1544612324008845.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Do heuristics matter for financial literacy? The impact of better heuristics awareness to financial literacy

Author

Listed:
  • Pitthan, Francisco
  • De Witte, Kristof

Abstract

Policymakers are increasingly focused on improving citizens’ financial well-being through better financial literacy. Traditional strategies emphasize financial education to boost financial knowledge, while recently behavioural-based education focus on issues like behavioural biases and emotional influences. This paper suggests a randomized controlled-study to assess if financial education including lessons on heuristics (availability and gambler’s fallacy) enhances financial literacy. Results showed that traditional financial education significantly improved financial literacy, while adding heuristics had effect close to zero. This suggests expanding curricula to address rules-of-thumb may not necessarily improve financial literacy, challenging the notion that more complex financial education is always beneficial.

Suggested Citation

  • Pitthan, Francisco & De Witte, Kristof, 2024. "Do heuristics matter for financial literacy? The impact of better heuristics awareness to financial literacy," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 67(PB).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:finlet:v:67:y:2024:i:pb:s1544612324008845
    DOI: 10.1016/j.frl.2024.105854
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1544612324008845
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.frl.2024.105854?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Alejandro Drexler & Greg Fischer & Antoinette Schoar, 2014. "Keeping It Simple: Financial Literacy and Rules of Thumb," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 6(2), pages 1-31, April.
    2. Pitthan, Francisco & De Witte, Kristof, 2021. "Puzzles of insurance demand and its biases: A survey on the role of behavioural biases and financial literacy on insurance demand," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance, Elsevier, vol. 30(C).
    3. Lauren E. Willis, 2011. "The Financial Education Fallacy," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 101(3), pages 429-434, May.
    4. Iterbeke, Kaat & De Witte, Kristof & Declercq, Koen & Schelfhout, Wouter, 2020. "The effect of ability matching and differentiated instruction in financial literacy education. Evidence from two randomised control trials," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    5. Carpena, Fenella & Zia, Bilal, 2020. "The causal mechanism of financial education: Evidence from mediation analysis," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 177(C), pages 143-184.
    6. David S. Lee, 2009. "Training, Wages, and Sample Selection: Estimating Sharp Bounds on Treatment Effects," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 76(3), pages 1071-1102.
    7. Matthias Sutter & Michael Weyland & Anna Untertrifaller & Manuel Froitzheim & Sebastian O. Schneider, 2023. "Financial Literacy, Experimental Preference Measures and Field Behavior – A Randomized Educational Intervention," ECONtribute Discussion Papers Series 229, University of Bonn and University of Cologne, Germany.
    8. Adele Atkinson & Flore-Anne Messy, 2013. "Promoting Financial Inclusion through Financial Education: OECD/INFE Evidence, Policies and Practice," OECD Working Papers on Finance, Insurance and Private Pensions 34, OECD Publishing.
    9. Annamaria Lusardi & Olivia S. Mitchell, 2014. "The Economic Importance of Financial Literacy: Theory and Evidence," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 52(1), pages 5-44, March.
    10. Matthias Sutter & Michael Weyland & Anna Untertrifaller & Manuel Froitzheim, 2020. "Financial literacy, risk and time preferences - Results from a randomized educational intervention," Working Papers 2020-27, Faculty of Economics and Statistics, Universität Innsbruck.
    11. De Beckker, Kenneth & De Witte, Kristof & Van Campenhout, Geert, 2021. "The effect of financial education on students’ consumer choices: Evidence from a randomized experiment," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 188(C), pages 962-976.
    12. Chalmers, John & Reuter, Jonathan, 2020. "Is conflicted investment advice better than no advice?," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 138(2), pages 366-387.
    13. Shefrin, Hersh & Nicols, Christina M., 2014. "Credit card behavior, financial styles, and heuristics," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 67(8), pages 1679-1687.
    14. Annamaria Lusardi, 2019. "Financial literacy and the need for financial education: evidence and implications," Swiss Journal of Economics and Statistics, Springer;Swiss Society of Economics and Statistics, vol. 155(1), pages 1-8, December.
    15. Kaiser, Tim & Lusardi, Annamaria & Menkhoff, Lukas & Urban, Carly, 2022. "Financial education affects financial knowledge and downstream behaviors," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 145(2), pages 255-272.
    16. Sanjit Dhami & Ali al-Nowaihi & Cass R. Sunstein, 2019. "Heuristics and Public Policy: Decision-making Under Bounded Rationality," Studies in Microeconomics, , vol. 7(1), pages 7-58, June.
    17. Falak Khan & Muhammad Ayub Siddiqui & Salma Imtiaz, 2022. "Role of financial literacy in achieving financial inclusion: A review, synthesis and research agenda," Cogent Business & Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 9(1), pages 2034236-203, December.
    18. Forbes, William & Hudson, Robert & Skerratt, Len & Soufian, Mona, 2015. "Which heuristics can aid financial-decision-making?," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 199-210.
    19. repec:eme:mfppss:mf-10-2015-0269 is not listed on IDEAS
    20. Kamran Quddus & Ashok Banerjee, 2021. "Understanding heuristics-based financial decision-making using behavioral portfolio strategies," Review of Behavioral Finance, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 15(2), pages 121-137, November.
    21. Ye, Xiang & Yue, Pengpeng, 2023. "Financial literacy and household energy efficiency: An analysis of credit market and supply chain," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 52(C).
    22. Colin F. Camerer & Howard Kunreuther, 1989. "Decision processes for low probability events: Policy implications," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 8(4), pages 565-592.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Kaiser, Tim & Menkhoff, Lukas, 2022. "Active learning improves financial education: Experimental evidence from Uganda," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 157(C).
    2. Kaiser, Tim & Lusardi, Annamaria, 2024. "Financial Literacy and Financial Education: An Overview," IZA Discussion Papers 16926, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    3. Mequanint B. Melesse & Amos Nyangira Tirra & Yabibal M. Walle & Michael Hauser, 2023. "Understanding the Determinants of Aspirations in Rural Tanzania: Does Financial Literacy Matter?," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 35(6), pages 1294-1321, December.
    4. Sholevar, Maryam & Harris, Laurence, 2019. "Mind the gap: A discussion paper on Financial Literacy, Financial behaviour and Financial Education : Is there any Gender Gap?," OSF Preprints b7zd6, Center for Open Science.
    5. Ginevra Buratti & Alessio D'Ignazio, 2024. "Improving the effectiveness of financial education programs. A targeting approach," Journal of Consumer Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 58(2), pages 451-485, June.
    6. Tim Kaiser & Lukas Menkhoff, 2017. "Does Financial Education Impact Financial Literacy and Financial Behavior, and If So, When?," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank, vol. 31(3), pages 611-630.
    7. Panu Kalmi, 2018. "The Effects of Financial Education: Evidence from Finnish Lower Secondary Schools," Economic Notes, Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena SpA, vol. 47(2-3), pages 353-386, July.
    8. Boyd, Chris M. & Díez-Amigo, Sandro, 2023. "Effectiveness of free financial education provided by for-profit financial institutions: Experimental evidence from rural Peru," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 97(C).
    9. Paraboni, Ana Luiza & da Costa, Newton, 2021. "Improving the level of financial literacy and the influence of the cognitive ability in this process," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    10. Kaiser, Tim & Lusardi, Annamaria & Menkhoff, Lukas & Urban, Carly, 2022. "Financial education affects financial knowledge and downstream behaviors," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 145(2), pages 255-272.
    11. Kaiser, Tim & Menkhoff, Lukas, 2020. "Financial education in schools: A meta-analysis of experimental studies," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    12. Veronica Frisancho, 2023. "Is School-Based Financial Education Effective? Immediate and Long-Lasting Impacts on High School Students," The Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 133(651), pages 1147-1180.
    13. Sconti, Alessia & Caserta, Maurizio & Ferrante, Livio, 2024. "Gen Z and financial education: Evidence from a randomized control trial in the South of Italy," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 112(C).
    14. Marco Angrisani & Sergio Barrera & Luisa R. Blanco & Salvador Contreras, 2021. "The racial/ethnic gap in financial literacy in the population and by income," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 39(3), pages 524-536, July.
    15. Blanco, Luisa R. & Hernandez, Isaias & Thames, April D. & Chen, Lucia & Serido, Joyce, 2023. "Mind your money: A community-based digital intervention for improving financial capability among Hispanics," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 212(C), pages 629-643.
    16. Entorf, Horst & Hou, Jia, 2018. "Financial education for the disadvantaged? A review," SAFE Working Paper Series 205, Leibniz Institute for Financial Research SAFE.
    17. Adam Steen & Chris Graves & Steven D’Alessandro & Henry X. Shi, 2024. "Managing digital assets on death and disability: An examination of the determinants of digital asset planning literacy," Australian Journal of Management, Australian School of Business, vol. 49(4), pages 561-580, November.
    18. Bucciol, Alessandro & Quercia, Simone & Sconti, Alessia, 2021. "Promoting financial literacy among the elderly: Consequences on confidence," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
    19. Delis, Manthos & Galariotis, Emilios & Monne, Jerome, 2021. "Economic condition and financial cognition," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 123(C).
    20. Panu Kalmi & Gianluca Trotta & Andrius Kažukauskas, 2021. "Energy‐related financial literacy and electricity consumption: Survey‐based evidence from Finland," Journal of Consumer Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 55(3), pages 1062-1089, September.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:finlet:v:67:y:2024:i:pb:s1544612324008845. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/frl .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.