IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/jeborg/v232y2025ics0167268125000721.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Evaluating the effects of a low-cost, online financial education program

Author

Listed:
  • Clark, Robert L.
  • Lin, Chuanhao
  • Lusardi, Annamaria
  • Mitchell, Olivia S.
  • Sticha, Andrea

Abstract

We provide evidence on how a low-cost, online, and scalable financial education program influences older participants’ financial knowledge. We test the program using a field experiment that includes short stories covering three fundamental financial education topics: compound interest, risk diversification, and inflation. Two surveys are administered eight months apart to measure the effects of those stories on middle-aged and older (45+) participants' short-term and longer-term knowledge and financial behavior. We show that the risk diversification story is the most effective at improving participants' knowledge, in both the short and longer terms. In the short term, reading the risk diversification story significantly increased the likelihood of correctly answering the related knowledge questions by 17–18 percentage points. The compound interest and inflation stories significantly increase participant knowledge in the short term, but the gain in financial literacy declines over time. Furthermore, timestamp data was used to show that the inflation story increased the time participants spent answering the related knowledge questions suggesting that exposure to our story boosted participants’ attentiveness and interest in the topic. Over just an eight-month time period, the stories do not seem to have a significant effect on financial behaviors as measured by four financial distress indicators and a financial resilience index. Nevertheless, higher financial literacy is positively linked to better financial decision-making. The eight months might be too short to measure significant behavioral change; thus, further research is needed to prove the intervention's effect on financial behavior in the long run.

Suggested Citation

  • Clark, Robert L. & Lin, Chuanhao & Lusardi, Annamaria & Mitchell, Olivia S. & Sticha, Andrea, 2025. "Evaluating the effects of a low-cost, online financial education program," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 232(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jeborg:v:232:y:2025:i:c:s0167268125000721
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jebo.2025.106952
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167268125000721
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.jebo.2025.106952?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. Samek, Anya & Kapteyn, Arie & Gray, Andre, 2022. "Using vignettes to improve understanding of Social Security and annuities," Journal of Pension Economics and Finance, Cambridge University Press, vol. 21(3), pages 326-343, July.
    2. Meier, Stephan & Sprenger, Charles D., 2013. "Discounting financial literacy: Time preferences and participation in financial education programs," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 95(C), pages 159-174.
    3. 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.
    4. 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.
    5. Aileen Heinberg & Angela Hung & Arie Kapteyn & Annamaria Lusardi & Anya Savikhin Samek & Joanne Yoong, 2014. "Five steps to planning success: experimental evidence from US households," Oxford Review of Economic Policy, Oxford University Press and Oxford Review of Economic Policy Limited, vol. 30(4), pages 697-724.
    6. Annamaria Lusardi & Olivia S. Mitchell, 2023. "The Importance of Financial Literacy: Opening a New Field," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 37(4), pages 137-154, Fall.
    7. Annamarie Lusardi & Olivia S. Mitchell, 2005. "Financial Literacy and Planning: Implications for Retirement Wellbeing," Working Papers wp108, University of Michigan, Michigan Retirement Research Center.
    8. Christiana Stoddard & Carly Urban, 2020. "The Effects of State‐Mandated Financial Education on College Financing Behaviors," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 52(4), pages 747-776, June.
    9. Lusardi, Annamaria & Samek, Anya & Kapteyn, Arie & Glinert, Lewis & Hung, Angela & Heinberg, Aileen, 2017. "Visual tools and narratives: new ways to improve financial literacy," Journal of Pension Economics and Finance, Cambridge University Press, vol. 16(3), pages 297-323, July.
    10. Meta Brown & John Grigsby & Wilbert van der Klaauw & Jaya Wen & Basit Zafar, 2016. "Financial Education and the Debt Behavior of the Young," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 29(9), pages 2490-2522.
    11. Sconti, Alessia, 2022. "Digital vs. in-person financial education: What works best for Generation Z?," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 194(C), pages 300-318.
    12. Tabea Bucher-Koenen & Rob Alessie & Annamaria Lusardi & Maarten van Rooij, 2021. "Fearless Woman. Financial Literacy and Stock Market Participation," Working Papers 708, DNB.
    13. John Gibson & David McKenzie & Bilal Zia, 2014. "The Impact of Financial Literacy Training for Migrants," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank, vol. 28(1), pages 130-161.
    14. Maarten C.J. van Rooij & Annamaria Lusardi & Rob J.M. Alessie, 2012. "Financial Literacy, Retirement Planning and Household Wealth," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 122(560), pages 449-478, May.
    15. Silvia Helena Barcellos & Leandro S. Carvalho & James P. Smith & Joanne Yoong, 2016. "Financial Education Interventions Targeting Immigrants and Children of Immigrants: Results from a Randomized Control Trial," Journal of Consumer Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 50(2), pages 263-285, July.
    16. Melody Harvey, 2019. "Impact of Financial Education Mandates on Younger Consumers' Use of Alternative Financial Services," Journal of Consumer Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 53(3), pages 731-769, September.
    17. Annamaria Lusardi & Pierre-Carl Michaud & Olivia S. Mitchell, 2017. "Optimal Financial Knowledge and Wealth Inequality," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 125(2), pages 431-477.
    18. John Gibson & David McKenzie & Bilal Zia, 2012. "The Impact of Financial Literacy Training for Migrants at Destination," World Bank Publications - Reports 12415, The World Bank Group.
    19. Collins, J. Michael, 2013. "The impacts of mandatory financial education: Evidence from a randomized field study," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 95(C), pages 146-158.
    20. Tobias Börger, 2016. "Are Fast Responses More Random? Testing the Effect of Response Time on Scale in an Online Choice Experiment," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 65(2), pages 389-413, October.
    21. Yoko Doi & David McKenzie & Bilal Zia, 2012. "The Impact of Financial Literacy Training for Migrants and their Families," World Bank Publications - Reports 16952, The World Bank Group.
    22. Urban, Carly & Schmeiser, Maximilian & Collins, J. Michael & Brown, Alexandra, 2020. "The effects of high school personal financial education policies on financial behavior," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    23. repec:ecj:econjl:v:122:y:2012:i::p:449-478 is not listed on IDEAS
    24. Lusardi, Annamaria & Michaud, Pierre-Carl & Mitchell, Olivia S., 2020. "Assessing the impact of financial education programs: A quantitative model," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    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. Lusardi, Annamaria & Kaiser, Tim, 2024. "Financial literacy and financial education: An overview," CEPR Discussion Papers 19185, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    2. Lührmann, Melanie & Serra-Garcia, Marta & Winter, Joachim, 2015. "Teaching teenagers in finance: Does it work?," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 160-174.
    3. 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).
    4. 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.
    5. 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.
    6. Pan, Xuefeng & Su, Qin & Lei, Haibo, 2024. "How motivations and costs affect financial knowledge learning? Evidence from a large-scale FinTech experiment in China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    7. Sconti, Alessia, 2022. "Digital vs. in-person financial education: What works best for Generation Z?," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 194(C), pages 300-318.
    8. Galariotis, Emilios & Monne, Jerome, 2023. "Basic debt literacy and debt behavior," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    9. Entorf, Horst & Hou, Jia, 2018. "Financial education for the disadvantaged? A review," SAFE Working Paper Series 205, Leibniz Institute for Financial Research SAFE.
    10. Nocito, Samuel & Venturini, Alessandra, 2025. "Inter-institutional cooperation and migrants' financial education: An Italian case study," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 110(C).
    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. Francisco J. Oliver-Márquez & Almudena Guarnido-Rueda & Ignacio Amate-Fortes & Diego Martínez-Navarro, 2024. "Regional Comparative Analysis on the Determinants of the Spaniards’ Financial Knowledge," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 15(1), pages 4203-4238, March.
    13. Oberrauch, Luis & Kaiser, Tim, 2024. "Digital Interventions to Increase Financial Knowledge: Evidence from a Pilot RCT," IZA Discussion Papers 16811, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    14. Luis Oberrauch & Tim Kaiser, 2024. "Financial Education or Incentivizing Learning-by-Doing? Evidence from an RCT with Undergraduate Students," CESifo Working Paper Series 11187, CESifo.
    15. Fong, Joelle H., 2025. "Financial literacy and household financial behavior in Singapore," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    16. Tim Kaiser & Lukas Menkhoff, 2018. "Active Learning Fosters Financial Behavior: Experimental Evidence," Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin 1743, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
    17. Kaiser, Tim & Menkhoff, Lukas, 2018. "Active Learning Improves Financial Education:," Rationality and Competition Discussion Paper Series 131, CRC TRR 190 Rationality and Competition.
    18. 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.
    19. Giovanni Gallo & Alessia sconti, 2023. "Could financial education be a universal social policy? A simulation of potential influences on inequality levels," Center for the Analysis of Public Policies (CAPP) 0182, Universita di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Dipartimento di Economia "Marco Biagi".
    20. Sara Lamboglia & Noemi Oggero & Mariacristina Rossi & Massimiliano Stacchini, 2024. "Financial knowledge and career aspirations among the young: a route to entrepreneurship," Questioni di Economia e Finanza (Occasional Papers) 838, Bank of Italy, Economic Research and International Relations Area.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Financial literacy; Financial education; Financial behavior;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G53 - Financial Economics - - Household Finance - - - Financial Literacy
    • D1 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior
    • I3 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:jeborg:v:232:y:2025:i:c:s0167268125000721. 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/jebo .

    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.