IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/inrvec/v72y2025i1d10.1007_s12232-025-00489-8.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Perception of financial freedom: is financial literacy a relevant background?

Author

Listed:
  • Kelmara Mendes Vieira

    (Federal University of Santa Maria)

  • Ani Caroline Grigion Potrich

    (Federal University of Santa Catarina)

  • Taiane Keila Matheis

    (Federal University of Santa Maria)

  • Mayara Puhle

    (Federal University of Santa Maria)

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the impact of financial literacy and its dimensions on the individual’s perception of financial freedom. In addition, we aimed to evaluate how both are perceived by different genders and races. The survey was carried out with 2920 respondents over 18 years old. As analysis techniques, we used confirmatory factor analysis, structural equation modeling, and mean difference tests. Results demonstrated the positive impact of financial literacy and its dimensions on the perception of financial freedom. Respondents had moderate levels of financial knowledge, financial behavior, and financial attitude, and sometimes feel financially free. Difference tests indicate that women and black and brown individuals are less financially literate and have a lower perception of financial freedom. It is essential that public administrators and financial agents adopt strategies to guarantee the expansion of financial literacy levels and financial freedom and, at the same time, the reduction of inequalities.

Suggested Citation

  • Kelmara Mendes Vieira & Ani Caroline Grigion Potrich & Taiane Keila Matheis & Mayara Puhle, 2025. "Perception of financial freedom: is financial literacy a relevant background?," International Review of Economics, Springer;Happiness Economics and Interpersonal Relations (HEIRS), vol. 72(1), pages 1-22, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:inrvec:v:72:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1007_s12232-025-00489-8
    DOI: 10.1007/s12232-025-00489-8
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s12232-025-00489-8
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s12232-025-00489-8?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. 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.
    2. Neha Garg & Shveta Singh, 2018. "Financial literacy among youth," International Journal of Social Economics, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 45(1), pages 173-186, January.
    3. Zandri Dickason-Koekemoer & Suné Ferreira, 2019. "A conceptual model of financial well-being for south african investors," Cogent Business & Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 6(1), pages 1676612-167, January.
    4. J. Michael Collins & Carly Urban, 2020. "Measuring financial well-being over the lifecourse," The European Journal of Finance, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 26(4-5), pages 341-359, March.
    5. Patrick Opoku Asuming & Lotus Gyamfuah Osei-Agyei & Jabir Ibrahim Mohammed, 2019. "Financial Inclusion in Sub-Saharan Africa: Recent Trends and Determinants," Journal of African Business, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 20(1), pages 112-134, January.
    6. 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.
    7. Balasubramnian, Bhanu & Sargent, Carol Springer, 2020. "Impact of inflated perceptions of financial literacy on financial decision making," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 80(C).
    8. Adeline Delavande & Susann Rohwedder & Robert Willis, 2008. "Preparation for Retirement, Financial Literacy and Cognitive Resources," Working Papers wp190, University of Michigan, Michigan Retirement Research Center.
    9. Nikolaev, Boris & Bennett, Daniel L., 2016. "Give me liberty and give me control: Economic freedom, control perceptions and the paradox of choice," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 45(S), pages 39-52.
    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. Vieira, Kelmara Mendes & Matheis, Taiane Keila & Potrich, Ani Caroline Grigion & Puhle, Mayara de Carvalho & Bressan, Aureliano Angel & Klein, Leander Luiz, 2024. "Financial Freedom Perception Scale (FFPS): Construction and validation," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance, Elsevier, vol. 41(C).
    2. 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.
    3. Long She & Lan Ma & Saeed Pahlevan Sharif & Sitara Karim, 2024. "Millennials’ financial behaviour and financial well-being: the moderating role of future orientation," Journal of Financial Services Marketing, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 29(4), pages 1207-1224, December.
    4. TAVARES Fernando Oliveira & ALMEIDA Luís Gomes & SOARES Vasco Jorge & TAVARES Vasco Capela, 2022. "Financial literacy: an exploratory analysis in Portugal," Studies in Business and Economics, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, Faculty of Economic Sciences, vol. 17(2), pages 252-269, August.
    5. Laureane du Plessis & Yolanda Jordaan & Liezl-Marié van der Westhuizen, 2024. "Psychological needs and financial well-being: the role of consumer spending self-control," Journal of Financial Services Marketing, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 29(4), pages 1197-1206, December.
    6. Naseem Al Rahahleh, 2023. "Determinants of the Financial Capability: The Mediating role of Financial Self-efficacy and Financial Inclusion," International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues, Econjournals, vol. 13(6), pages 15-29, November.
    7. Bucher-Koenen, Tabea & Lamla, Bettina, 2014. "The long Shadow of Socialism: On East-West German Differences in Financial Literacy," VfS Annual Conference 2014 (Hamburg): Evidence-based Economic Policy 100585, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    8. Francisco Gomes & Michael Haliassos & Tarun Ramadorai, 2021. "Household Finance," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 59(3), pages 919-1000, September.
    9. Jasmina Okicic & Meldina Kokorovic Jukan & Mensur Heric, 2021. "Some Insights Into Financial Literacy Among Undergraduate Students: A Case of Bosnia and Herzegovina," International Journal of Financial Research, International Journal of Financial Research, Sciedu Press, vol. 12(3), pages 103-115, May.
    10. Choung, Youngjoo & Chatterjee, Swarn & Pak, Tae-Young, 2023. "Digital Financial Literacy and Financial Well-Being," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, issue Journal P, pages 1-1.
    11. Carole Comerton‐Forde & John de New & Nicolás Salamanca & David C. Ribar & Andrea Nicastro & James Ross, 2022. "Measuring Financial Wellbeing with Self‐Reported and Bank Record Data," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 98(321), pages 133-151, June.
    12. Annamaria Lusardi & Olivia S. Mitchell & Noemi Oggero, 2020. "Debt and Financial Vulnerability on the Verge of Retirement," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 52(5), pages 1005-1034, August.
    13. 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.
    14. Oscar A. Stolper & Andreas Walter, 2017. "Financial literacy, financial advice, and financial behavior," Journal of Business Economics, Springer, vol. 87(5), pages 581-643, July.
    15. Putra Hilmi Prayitno & Sheerad Sahid & Muhammad Hussin, 2022. "Social Capital and Household Economic Welfare: Do Entrepreneurship, Financial and Digital Literacy Matter?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(24), pages 1-16, December.
    16. Sunwoo T. Lee & Kyoung Tae Kim, 2022. "A Decomposition Analysis of Racial/Ethnic Differences in Financial Knowledge and Overconfidence," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 43(4), pages 815-831, December.
    17. Di Girolamo, Amalia & Harrison, Glenn W. & Lau, Morten I. & Swarthout, J. Todd, 2015. "Subjective belief distributions and the characterization of economic literacy," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 1-12.
    18. Sajid, Muhammad & Mushtaq, Rizwan & Murtaza, Ghulam & Yahiaoui, Dorra & Pereira, Vijay, 2024. "Financial literacy, confidence and well-being: The mediating role of financial behavior," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 182(C).
    19. Davoli, Maddalena & Hou, Jia, 2018. "Financial literacy and socialist education: Lessons from the German reunification," SAFE Working Paper Series 217, Leibniz Institute for Financial Research SAFE.
    20. 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.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Financial freedom; Financial literacy; Gender; Race; Behavioral finance; Personal finance;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G40 - Financial Economics - - Behavioral Finance - - - General
    • G53 - Financial Economics - - Household Finance - - - Financial Literacy
    • I31 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - General Welfare, Well-Being

    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:spr:inrvec:v:72:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1007_s12232-025-00489-8. 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: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    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.