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The impact of high school financial education : experimental evidence from Brazil

Author

Listed:
  • Bruhn, Miriam
  • de Souza Leao, Luciana
  • Legovini, Arianna
  • Marchetti, Rogelio
  • Zia, Bilal

Abstract

This paper studies the impact of a comprehensive financial education program spanning six states, 868 schools, and approximately 20,000 high school students in Brazil through a randomized control trial. The program increased student financial knowledge by a quarter of a standard deviation and led to a 1.4 percentage point increase in saving for purchases, better likelihood of financial planning, and greater participation in household financial decisions by students."Trickle-up"impacts on parents were also significant, with improvements in parent financial knowledge, savings, and spending behavior. The study also finds evidence that the program affected students'inter-temporal preferences and attitudes.

Suggested Citation

  • 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.
    • Handle: RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:6723
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    Cited by:

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    2. Kondratjeva, Olga & Roll, Stephen P. & Bufe, Sam & Grinstein-Weiss, Michal, 2021. "Using financial tips to guide debt repayment: Experimental evidence from low- and moderate-income tax filers," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    3. Berry, James & Karlan, Dean & Pradhan, Menno, 2018. "The Impact of Financial Education for Youth in Ghana," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 102(C), pages 71-89.
    4. Geert Van Campenhout, 2015. "Revaluing the Role of Parents as Financial Socialization Agents in Youth Financial Literacy Programs," Journal of Consumer Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 49(1), pages 186-222, March.
    5. Maria De Paola & Francesca Gioia & Fabio Piluso, 2020. "Does Reminding of Behavioural Biases Increase Returns from Financial Trading? A Field Experiment," International Journal of Economics and Finance, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 12(2), pages 1-1, February.
    6. Bover, Olympia & Hospido, Laura & Villanueva, Ernesto, 2018. "The Impact of High School Financial Education on Financial Knowledge and Choices: Evidence from a Randomized Trial in Spain," IZA Discussion Papers 11265, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    7. 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.
    8. Zhu, Alex Yue Feng, 2020. "Impact of school financial education on parental saving socialization in Hong Kong adolescents," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
    9. Theodos, Brett & Stacy, Christina Plerhoples & Daniels, Rebecca, 2018. "Client led coaching: A random assignment evaluation of the impacts of financial coaching programs," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 155(C), pages 140-158.
    10. 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.
    11. Laura Hospido & Ernesto Villanueva & Gema Zamarro, 2015. "Finance For All: The Impact Of Financial Literacy Training In Compulsory Secondary Education In Spain," Working Papers 1502, Banco de España.
    12. Zhu, Alex Yue Feng, 2019. "School financial education and parental financial socialization: Findings from a sample of Hong Kong adolescents," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 107(C).

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    Keywords

    Tertiary Education; Financial Literacy; Education For All; Secondary Education; Primary Education;
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