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Trust and Financial Advice

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  • Jeremy Burke
  • Angela A. Hung

Abstract

Trust plays an important role in financial decision-making, particularly regarding financial advice. In fact, investors cite "trust" as the most important determinant in seeking a financial service professional for advice (Hung et al., 2010). In this paper, we explore the relationships between financial trust and behaviors, attitudes, knowledge and preferences related to utilizing professional financial advice. Using survey and experiment data from the RAND-USC American Life Panel, we find that financial trust is correlated with advice usage and likelihood of seeking advisory services. Analysis of the experiment shows that trust is an important predictor of who chooses to receive advice, even after controlling for demographic characteristics and financial literacy. However, providing unsolicited advice has little impact on behavior, even for individuals with high levels of trust.

Suggested Citation

  • Jeremy Burke & Angela A. Hung, 2015. "Trust and Financial Advice," Working Papers WR-1075, RAND Corporation.
    • Handle: RePEc:ran:wpaper:wr-1075
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    3. Annamaria Lusardi & Olivia Mitchell, 2007. "Financial Literacy and Retirement Planning: New Evidence from the Rand American Life Panel," Working Papers wp157, University of Michigan, Michigan Retirement Research Center.
    4. Annamaria Lusardi, 2008. "Household Saving Behavior: The Role of Financial Literacy, Information, and Financial Education Programs," NBER Working Papers 13824, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
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    6. Berg Joyce & Dickhaut John & McCabe Kevin, 1995. "Trust, Reciprocity, and Social History," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 10(1), pages 122-142, July.
    7. Sondra G. Beverly & Marianne A. Hilgert & Jeanne M. Hogarth, 2003. "Household financial management: the connection between knowledge and behavior," Federal Reserve Bulletin, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.), issue Jul, pages 309-322.
    8. Gino, Francesca, 2008. "Do we listen to advice just because we paid for it? The impact of advice cost on its use," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 107(2), pages 234-245, November.
    9. Bonaccio, Silvia & Dalal, Reeshad S., 2006. "Advice taking and decision-making: An integrative literature review, and implications for the organizational sciences," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 101(2), pages 127-151, November.
    10. Mitchell, Olivia S. & Lusardi, Annamaria (ed.), 2011. "Financial Literacy: Implications for Retirement Security and the Financial Marketplace," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199696819.
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    Cited by:

    1. Stephen G. Dimmock & William C. Gerken & Tyson Van Alfen, 2021. "Real Estate Shocks and Financial Advisor Misconduct," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 76(6), pages 3309-3346, December.
    2. Lu Fan, 2021. "A Conceptual Framework of Financial Advice-Seeking and Short- and Long-Term Financial Behaviors: An Age Comparison," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 42(1), pages 90-112, March.
    3. Seiler, Volker & Fanenbruck, Katharina Maria, 2021. "Acceptance of digital investment solutions: The case of robo advisory in Germany," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 58(C).

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