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Does Citizens’ Financial Literacy Relate to Bank Financial Reporting Transparency?

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  • Justin Jin
  • Kiridaran Kanagaretnam
  • Y. I. Liu
  • Maoyong Cheng

Abstract

In this study, we examine the relationship between financial literacy and bank financial reporting transparency for a sample of banks from the U.S. Following prior literature, we employ discretionary loan loss provisions (DLLP) as our primary measure of bank reporting transparency. We argue that the financial literacy of their customers can influence bank managers’ behaviors with respect to both the mechanics of the loan loss provisioning and their opportunistic actions. Financially literate customers represent more stable sources of funding and have more predictable loan loss provisioning that contributes to more persistent earnings. Financial literacy could also enhance customers’ ability to indirectly follow and monitor bank performance and risk-taking. Therefore, bank managers will be less likely to engage in opportunistic earnings manipulation. Following these arguments, we predict that citizens’ financial literacy is positively associated with bank financial reporting transparency. Consistent with our prediction, we find that the magnitude of bank DLLP is negatively related to state-level financial literacy. Moreover, the association between financial literacy and DLLP is higher for banks with more retail deposits and larger consumer loans, the two channels through which financial literacy could influence bank transparency.

Suggested Citation

  • Justin Jin & Kiridaran Kanagaretnam & Y. I. Liu & Maoyong Cheng, 2021. "Does Citizens’ Financial Literacy Relate to Bank Financial Reporting Transparency?," European Accounting Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 30(5), pages 887-912, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:euract:v:30:y:2021:i:5:p:887-912
    DOI: 10.1080/09638180.2021.1965897
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    Cited by:

    1. José M. Moneva & Sabina Scarpellini & Alfonso Aranda‐Usón & Igor Alvarez Etxeberria, 2023. "Sustainability reporting in view of the European sustainable finance taxonomy: Is the financial sector ready to disclose circular economy?," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 30(3), pages 1336-1347, May.
    2. Moritz Sefried & Jan Riepe, 2023. "The benefits of banks’ IT investments in times of trouble: evidence from loan loss accruals during the COVID-19 pandemic," Journal of Business Economics, Springer, vol. 93(1), pages 149-171, January.
    3. Małgorzata Iwanicz-Drozdowska & Łukasz Kurowski & Bartosz Witkowski, 2023. "Resolution and depositors’ trust empirical analysis of three resolution cases in Poland," Qualitative Research in Financial Markets, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 16(2), pages 239-265, May.

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