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Subjective Financial Literacy and Retail Investors’ Behavior

Author

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  • Bellofatto, Anthony
  • D'Hondt, Catherine
  • De Winne, Rudy

Abstract

This paper investigates the relationship between subjective financial literacy, i.e. self-reported by investors, and trading behavior. In particular, we use the level of financial knowledge and experience reported in the MiFID tests by retail investors. Such tests are implemented in the EU from the so-called Markets in Financial Instruments Directive since November 2007. We show that subjective financial literacy helps explain cross-sectional variations in retail investors’ behavior. Investors who report higher levels of financial literacy seem to invest smarter, even after controlling for gender, age, portfolio value, trading experience and education. They trade more and are less prone to the disposition effect. They tend to concentrate their portfolios on a small set of stocks and achieve diversification through investment funds holding. Their trading behaviors allow them to display higher gross and net returns as well as higher excess Sharpe ratios. Our findings are relevant for both policy making and understanding retail investors’ behavior.
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Suggested Citation

  • Bellofatto, Anthony & D'Hondt, Catherine & De Winne, Rudy, 2018. "Subjective Financial Literacy and Retail Investors’ Behavior," LIDAM Reprints LFIN 2018004, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain Finance (LFIN).
    • Handle: RePEc:ajf:louvlr:2018004
    Note: In : Journal of Banking and Finance, Vol. 92, no.1, p. 168-181
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    Cited by:

    1. Christophe Desagre & Catherine D'Hondt, 2020. "Googlization and retail investors' trading activity," LIDAM Discussion Papers LFIN 2020004, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain Finance (LFIN).
    2. Bernd Hayo & Kentaro Iwatsubo, 2022. "Who Is Successful in Foreign Exchange Margin Trading? New Survey Evidence from Japan," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-14, September.
    3. Hennig, Jan Christoph & Hullmann, Rieke & Rau, Holger A. & Wolff, Michael, 2021. "The hidden cost of profit sharing on participation in employee stock purchase plans," University of Göttingen Working Papers in Economics 414, University of Goettingen, Department of Economics.
    4. D’Hondt, Catherine & De Winne, Rudy & Merli, Maxime, 2021. "Do retail investors bite off more than they can chew? A close look at their return objectives," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 188(C), pages 879-902.
    5. Sonali Bhattacharya & Aradhana Gandhi, 2021. "Does India Want to Invest in Its Daughters: A Critical Analysis of Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana," Business Perspectives and Research, , vol. 9(3), pages 399-414, September.
    6. Desagre, Christophe & D’Hondt, Catherine, 2021. "Googlization and retail trading activity," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance, Elsevier, vol. 29(C).
    7. Baeckström, Ylva & Marsh, Ian W. & Silvester, Joanne, 2021. "Financial advice and gender: Wealthy individual investors in the UK," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    8. Sun, Hongyan & Yuen, Desmond C.Y. & Zhang, Jiahang & Zhang, Xu, 2020. "Is knowledge powerful? Evidence from financial education and earnings quality," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 52(C).
    9. Marie-Hélène BROIHANNE, 2021. "Testing the gender gap in subjective financial literacy of spouses," Working Papers of LaRGE Research Center 2021-08, Laboratoire de Recherche en Gestion et Economie (LaRGE), Université de Strasbourg.
    10. D’Hondt, Catherine & De Winne, Rudy & Ghysels, Eric & Raymond, Steve, 2020. "Artificial Intelligence Alter Egos: Who might benefit from robo-investing?," Journal of Empirical Finance, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 278-299.
    11. Gerrans, Paul, 2021. "Undergraduate student financial education interventions: Medium term evidence of retention, decay, and confidence in financial literacy," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 67(C).
    12. Basha, Shabeen Afsar & Bennasr, Hamdi & Goaied, Mohamed, 2023. "Financial literacy, financial development, and leverage of small firms," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 86(C).
    13. D’Hondt, Catherine & McGowan, Richard & Roger, Patrick, 2021. "Trading leveraged Exchange-Traded products is hazardous to your wealth," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 287-302.
    14. Baeckström, Ylva & Marsh, Ian W. & Silvester, Joanne, 2021. "Variations in investment advice provision: A study of financial advisors of millionaire investors," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 188(C), pages 716-735.
    15. Pendleton, Andrew & Robinson, Andrew, 2021. "Why walk away from an easy gain in wealth? Evidence from a UK stock option plan," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance, Elsevier, vol. 31(C).
    16. Brunen, Ann-Christine & Laubach, Oliver, 2022. "Do sustainable consumers prefer socially responsible investments? A study among the users of robo advisors," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 136(C).
    17. D’Hondt, Catherine & Merli, Maxime & Roger, Tristan, 2022. "What drives retail portfolio exposure to ESG factors?," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 46(PB).
    18. D'Hondt, Catherine & Elhichou Elmaya, Younes & Petitjean, Mikael, 2020. "Retail Investing in Passive Exchange Traded Funds," LIDAM Discussion Papers LFIN 2020013, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain Finance (LFIN).
    19. 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).
    20. Tsung-ming Yeh & Yue Ling, 2022. "Confidence in Financial Literacy, Stock Market Participation, and Retirement Planning," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 43(1), pages 169-186, March.
    21. Bellofatto, Anthony & Broihanne, Marie-Hélène & D'Hondt, Catherine, 2019. "Appetite for information and trading behavior," LIDAM Discussion Papers LFIN 2019002, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain Finance (LFIN).

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • G11 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Portfolio Choice; Investment Decisions
    • G28 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Government Policy and Regulation
    • G40 - Financial Economics - - Behavioral Finance - - - General

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