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Development of Financial Capacity in Adolescents

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Abstract

This study aims to check whether the framework of developing financial capacity of adolescents is similar as that of college students, as well as whether adolescence, compared to college age, is the better age for objective financial knowledge to trigger the positive cycle of developing financial capacity. Using a convenience sample of 967 adolescent students from five Hong Kong secondary schools, this study conducted structural equation modeling to evaluate the development of financial capacity. Both subjective and objective financial knowledge in adolescents can be internalized into financial self-beliefs. Subsequently, these self-beliefs influence their financial behavior. The effect of objective financial knowledge on the financial self-beliefs, which is weak for college students, was much stronger for adolescents. The framework of developing financial capacity of adolescents is similar as that of college students. Adolescence, compared to college age, is the better age for objective financial knowledge to trigger the positive cycle of developing financial capacity.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the survey respondents for their valuable participation in this research.

Funding

This study was supported by grants from the Research Grant Council Strategic Public Policy Research (HKIEd 7001-SPPR-11).

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Correspondence to Alex Yue Feng Zhu.

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The authors declare no potential conflict of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

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Zhu, A.Y.F., Chou, K.L. Development of Financial Capacity in Adolescents. Child Adolesc Soc Work J 35, 309–315 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10560-017-0521-5

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