IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/ecolab/v22y2011i1p99-114.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

University Students' Financial Literacy Levels: Obstacles and Aids

Author

Listed:
  • Michelle Cull
  • Diana Whitton

Abstract

In the last decade, the increased complexity of, and levels of access to, financial products and services, together with rising household debt and the funding of an ageing population, have prompted the State to place increased focus on financial education, with the dual objectives of regulating to enhance market efficiency and mitigating social welfare issues attributed to poor financial decisions. Financial literacy is crucial for young adults as they embark on life events involving major expenditure and debt, particularly for university students who have already accrued a debt based on Higher Education contribution scheme liability and who are making labour market decisions. This paper investigates the determining factors of personal financial literacy levels among a sample of university students at different stages of study and across diverse study areas including business, education, arts, humanities and the sciences; with some interesting findings for policy makers. It also provides indicative evidence of students' preferred method of learning more about personal finance to facilitate the effective design of personal financial literacy programs.

Suggested Citation

  • Michelle Cull & Diana Whitton, 2011. "University Students' Financial Literacy Levels: Obstacles and Aids," The Economic and Labour Relations Review, , vol. 22(1), pages 99-114, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:ecolab:v:22:y:2011:i:1:p:99-114
    DOI: 10.1177/103530461102200106
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/103530461102200106
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1177/103530461102200106?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
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Diana J. Beal & Sarath B. Delpachitra, 2003. "Financial Literacy Among Australian University Students," Economic Papers, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 22(1), pages 65-78, March.
    2. Lusardi, Annamaria & Tufano, Peter, 2015. "Debt literacy, financial experiences, and overindebtedness," Journal of Pension Economics and Finance, Cambridge University Press, vol. 14(4), pages 332-368, October.
    3. Annamaria Lusardi & Olivia Mitchell, 2006. "Financial Literacy and Retirement Preparedness: Evidence and Implications for Financial Education Programs," Working Papers wp144, University of Michigan, Michigan Retirement Research Center.
    4. Chen, Haiyang & Volpe, Ronald P., 1998. "An Analysis of Personal Financial Literacy Among College Students," Financial Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 7(2), pages 107-128.
    5. Fama, Eugene F, 1970. "Efficient Capital Markets: A Review of Theory and Empirical Work," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 25(2), pages 383-417, May.
    6. Therese Jefferson & Alison Preston, 2005. "Australia'S "Other" Gender Wage Gap: Baby Boomers And Compulsory Superannuation Accounts," Feminist Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 11(2), pages 79-101.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Süleyman Uyar & Işıl Atalay, 2021. "Financial Literacy and The Effect of Courses on University on Financial Literacy," Muhasebe Enstitusu Dergisi - Journal of Accounting Institute, Istanbul University Business School, vol. 64(64), pages 1-17, January.
    2. Tanya L. Thwaite & Penny Heidke & Susan L. Williams & Corneel Vandelanotte & Amanda L. Rebar & Saman Khalesi, 2020. "Barriers to healthy lifestyle behaviors in Australian nursing students: A qualitative study," Nursing & Health Sciences, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 22(4), pages 921-928, December.
    3. Miguel Angel Peñarreta-Quezada & Eulalia-Elizabeth Salas-Tenesaca & José Álvarez-García & María de la Cruz del Río-Rama, 2024. "Variables sociodemográficas y niveles de educación financiera en jóvenes universitarios de Ecuador," Remef - Revista Mexicana de Economía y Finanzas Nueva Época REMEF (The Mexican Journal of Economics and Finance), Instituto Mexicano de Ejecutivos de Finanzas, IMEF, vol. 19(1), pages 1-15, Enero - M.
    4. Tracey West & Michelle Cull, 2020. "Future Expectations and Financial Satisfaction," Economic Papers, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 39(4), pages 318-335, December.
    5. Paul Gerrans & Richard Heaney, 2019. "The impact of undergraduate personal finance education on individual financial literacy, attitudes and intentions," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 59(1), pages 177-217, March.
    6. Steffen Westermann & Scott J. Niblock & Jennifer L. Harrison & Michael A. Kortt, 2020. "Financial Advice Seeking: A Review of the Barriers and Benefits," Economic Papers, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 39(4), pages 367-388, December.

    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. Süleyman Uyar & Işıl Atalay, 2021. "Financial Literacy and The Effect of Courses on University on Financial Literacy," Muhasebe Enstitusu Dergisi - Journal of Accounting Institute, Istanbul University Business School, vol. 64(64), pages 1-17, January.
    2. Kiliyanni, Abdul Latheef & Sivaraman, Sunitha, 2016. "The perception-reality gap in financial literacy: Evidence from the most literate state in India," International Review of Economics Education, Elsevier, vol. 23(C), pages 47-64.
    3. Bruhn, Miriam & de Souza Leao, Luciana & Legovini, Arianna & Marchetti, Rogelio & Zia, Bilal, 2013. "The impact of high school financial education : experimental evidence from Brazil," Policy Research Working Paper Series 6723, The World Bank.
    4. Zaheer Ahmed & Umara Noreen & Suresh A.L. Ramakrishnan & Dewi Fariha Binti Abdullah, 2021. "What explains the investment decision-making behaviour? The role of financial literacy and financial risk tolerance," Afro-Asian Journal of Finance and Accounting, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 11(1), pages 1-19.
    5. Yiing Jia Loke, 2017. "Financial Vulnerability of Working Adults in Malaysia," Contemporary Economics, University of Economics and Human Sciences in Warsaw., vol. 11(2), June.
    6. Angela Boatman & Brent J. Evans, 2017. "How Financial Literacy, Federal Aid Knowledge, and Credit Market Experience Predict Loan Aversion for Education," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 671(1), pages 49-68, May.
    7. Rayenda Khresna Brahmana & Ritzky Karina Brahmana, 2016. "The Financial Planning and Financial Literacy of ex-Malaysia Indonesian Migrant Workers," Acta Oeconomica Pragensia, Prague University of Economics and Business, vol. 2016(5), pages 47-59.
    8. Hanson, Thomas A. & Olson, Peter M., 2018. "Financial literacy and family communication patterns," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance, Elsevier, vol. 19(C), pages 64-71.
    9. Oanea Dumitru-Cristian & Dornean Adina, 2012. "Defining and Measuring Financial Literacy. New Evidence from Romanian’ Students of the Master in Finance," Scientific Annals of Economics and Business, Sciendo, vol. 59(2), pages 113-129, December.
    10. M. A. Milioli & L. Poletti & B. Ronchini, 2011. "L’educazione finanziaria degli studenti universitari: misurazione e analisi delle determinanti," Economics Department Working Papers 2011-EF01, Department of Economics, Parma University (Italy).
    11. Azra Zaimovic & Anes Torlakovic & Almira Arnaut-Berilo & Tarik Zaimovic & Lejla Dedovic & Minela Nuhic Meskovic, 2023. "Mapping Financial Literacy: A Systematic Literature Review of Determinants and Recent Trends," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(12), pages 1-30, June.
    12. Beshears, John & Choi, James J. & Laibson, David & Madrian, Brigitte C., 2011. "Behavioral economics perspectives on public sector pension plans," Journal of Pension Economics and Finance, Cambridge University Press, vol. 10(2), pages 315-336, April.
    13. Kamer Karakurum-Ozdemir & Melike Kokkizil & Gokce Uysal, 2019. "Financial Literacy in Developing Countries," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 143(1), pages 325-353, May.
    14. Noviarini, Jelita & Coleman, Andrew & Roberts, Helen & Whiting, Rosalind H., 2023. "Financial literacy and retirees' resource allocation decisions in New Zealand," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    15. Florian Deuflhard & Dimitris Georgarakos & Roman Inderst, 2019. "Financial Literacy and Savings Account Returns," Journal of the European Economic Association, European Economic Association, vol. 17(1), pages 131-164.
    16. Alfonso Arellano & Noelia Camara & David Tuesta, 2014. "El efecto de la autoconfianza en el conocimiento financiero," Working Papers 1427, BBVA Bank, Economic Research Department.
    17. J. Collins, 2011. "Mortgage Mistakes? Demographic Factors Associated with Problematic Loan Application Behaviors," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 32(4), pages 586-599, December.
    18. Lusardi, Annamaria & Mitchell, Olivia S., 2011. "Financial literacy around the world: an overview," Journal of Pension Economics and Finance, Cambridge University Press, vol. 10(4), pages 497-508, October.
    19. Nur Alya Afiqah Binti Mahat & Wei-Theng Lau, 2023. "Financial Literacy, Experience, Risk Tolerance and Investment Behavior: Observations during Pandemic," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 7(10), pages 558-573, October.
    20. Marco Nieddu & Lorenzo Pandolfi, 2018. "Cutting Through the Fog: Financial Literacy and the Subjective Value of Financial Assets," CSEF Working Papers 497, Centre for Studies in Economics and Finance (CSEF), University of Naples, Italy.

    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:sae:ecolab:v:22:y:2011:i:1:p:99-114. 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: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    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.