Abstract
This research uses data from the 2018 National Financial Capability Study to investigate the attributes of households that engage in higher levels of family financial planning. Greater levels of financial planning are evidenced when households report more positive responses in planning for retirement, saving for emergencies, and establishing a will. Based on an ordinal logistic regression, various demographic attributes, objective and subjective financial knowledge scores, frequency of participation in financial education, and the frequent use of financial websites or apps to help with financial tasks are positively related to higher levels of family financial planning. The results have implications for financial literacy education and the development and marketing of websites and apps for personal finance.
Similar content being viewed by others
Data Availability
The FINRA National Financial Capability Study datasets are available from Financial Capability Study: Data and Downloads (usfinancialcapability.org).
Code Availability
Custom code was used to run the analyses in SAS and is available upon request.
Notes
For a more complete description of the National Financial Capability Study, see Mottola and Kieffer (2017). Understanding and Using Data From the National Financial Capability Study. Family and Consumer Sciences Research Journal. 45(1): 31–39.
References
Adams, G. A., & Rau, B. L. (2011). Putting off tomorrow to do what you want today: Planning for retirement. American Psychologist, 66(3), 180–192. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0022131
Allgood, S., & Walstad, W. B. (2015). The effects of perceived and actual financial literacy on financial behaviors. Economic Inquiry, 54(1), 675–697. https://doi.org/10.1111/ecin.12255
Amagir, A., Groot, W., Maassen van den Brink, H., & Wilschut, A. (2018). A review of financial-literacy education programs for children and adolescents. Citizenship, Social and Economics Education, 17(1), 56–80. https://doi.org/10.1177/2047173417719555
Babiarz, P., & Robb, C. (2014). Financial literacy and emergency saving. Journal of Family and Economic Issues, 35(1), 40–50. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10834-013-9369-9
Bhushan, P., & Medury, Y. (2014). An empirical analysis of inter linkages between financial attitudes, financial behaviour and financial knowledge of salaried individuals. Indian Journal of Commerce and Management Studies, 5(3), 58–64.
Brand, A. M., Hogarth, J. M., Peranzi, N. J., & Vlietstra, A. D. (2011). Emergency funds and savings among service members. Proceedings of the American Council on Consumer Interests, Washington, DC, 57, 15–25.
Browning, M., & Lusardi, A. (1996). Household saving: Micro theories and micro facts. Journal of Economic Literature, 34(4), 1797–1855.
Burke-Smalley, L., & Wheatley, K. (2015). Mission-centric learning: Developing students’ workplace readiness skills. Organization Management Journal, 12(1), 34–44. https://doi.org/10.1080/15416518.2015.1004965
Cao, Y., Gong, F., & Zeng, T. (2020). Antecedents and consequences of using social media for personal finance. Journal of Financial Counseling and Planning, 31(1), 162–176. https://doi.org/10.1891/JFCP-18-00049
Carlson, M. B., Britt, S. L., & Goff, B. N. (2015). Factors associated with a composite measure of financial behavior among soldiers. Journal of Financial Counseling and Planning, 26(1), 30–42.
Chatterjee, S., Fan, L., Jacobs, B., & Haas, R. (2017). Risk tolerance and goals-based savings behavior of households: The role of financial literacy. Journal of Personal Finance, 16(1), 66–77.
Clark, R., Lusardi, A., & Mitchell, O. S. (2017). Employee financial literacy and retirement plan behavior: A case study. Economic Inquiry, 55(1), 248–259. https://doi.org/10.1111/ecin.12389
Cochran, W. G. (1977), Sampling techniques (3rd ed.). New York: John Wiley & Sons.
Despard, M., Friedline, T., & Martin-West, S. (2020). Why do households lack emergency savings? The role of financial capability. Journal of Family and Economic Issues, 41(3), 542–557. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10834-020-09679-8
DeVaney, S. A., Sharpe, D. L., Kratzer, C. Y., & Su, Y. (1998). Retirement preparation of the nonfarm self-employed. Financial Counseling and Planning, 9(1), 53–60.
Elder, H. W., & Rudolph, P. M. (1999). Does retirement planning affect the level of retirement satisfaction? Financial Services Review, 8(2), 117–127. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1057-0810(99)00036-0
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. (2018). 2017 FDIC National Survey of Unbanked and Underbanked Households, Washington, DC.
Friedline, T., & West, S. (2016). Financial education is not enough: Millennials may need financial capability to demonstrate healthier financial behaviors. Journal of Family and Economic Issues, 37(4), 649–671. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10834-015-9475-y
Fulford, S. L. (2018). Demand for emergency savings is higher for low-income households, but so is the cost of shocks. Empirical Economics, 58, 1–27. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00181-018-1590-9
Gjertson, L. (2016). Emergency saving and household hardship. Journal of Family and Economic Issues, 37(1), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10834-014-9434-z
Kim, K., Anderson, S., & Seay, M. (2019). Financial knowledge and short-term and long-term financial behaviors of millennials in the United States. Journal of Family and Economic Issues, 40(2), 194–208. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10834-018-9595-2
Kim, K. T., Lee, J., & Hanna, S. D. (2020). The effects of financial literacy overconfidence on the mortgage delinquency of U.S. households. The Journal of Consumer Affairs, 54(2), 517–540. https://doi.org/10.1111/joca.12287
Kimmons, S. (2017, Jan 5). Army partners with finance guru to offer free financial advice to soldiers. Retrieved from https://www.army.mil/article/180289/army_partners_with_finance_guru_to_offer_free_financial_advice_to_soldiers
Kish, L. (1965), Survey sampling. New York: John Wiley & Sons.
Kolb, D. A. (2014). Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development. FT Press.
Kuntze, R., Wu, C. K., Wooldridge, B. R., & Whang, Y. O. (2019). Improving financial literacy in college of business students: Modernizing delivery tools. International Journal of Bank Marketing, 37, 976–990. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJBM-03-2018-0080
LeBaron, A. B., Holmes, E. K., Jorgensen, B. L., & Bean, R. A. (2020). Parental financial education during childhood and financial behaviors of emerging adults. Journal of Financial Counseling and Planning, 31(1), 42–54. https://doi.org/10.1891/JFCP-20-00021
Lohr, S. L. (1999), Sampling: Design and analysis. Pacific Grove, CA: Duxbury Press.
Lusardi, A. (2012). Financial literacy and financial decision-making in older adults. Generations: Journal of the American Society on Aging, 36(2), 25–32. https://doi.org/10.1177/0963662514564516
Lusardi, A. (2015a). Financial literacy: Do people know the ABCs of finance? Public Understanding of Science, 24(3), 260–271. https://doi.org/10.1177/0963662514564516
Lusardi, A. (2015b). Financial literacy skills for the 21st century: Evidence from PISA. Journal of Consumer Affairs, 49(3), 639–659. https://doi.org/10.1111/joca.12099
Lusardi, A. (2019). Financial literacy and the need for financial education: Evidence and implications. Swiss Journal of Economics and Statistics, 155(1), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41937-019-0027-5
Lusardi, A., & Mitchell, O. S. (2007). Financial literacy and retirement preparedness: Evidence and implications for financial education. Business Economics, 42(1), 35–44. https://doi.org/10.2145/20070104
Lusardi, A., & Mitchell, O. S. (2008). Planning and financial literacy: How do women fare? American Economic Review, 98(2), 413–417. https://doi.org/10.1257/aer.98.2.413
Lusardi, A., & Mitchell, O. S. (2011). Financial literacy and retirement planning in the United States. Journal of Pension Economics & Finance, 10(4), 509–525. https://doi.org/10.1017/S147474721100045X
Lusardi, A., & Mitchell, O. S. (2014). The economic importance of financial literacy: Theory and evidence. Journal of Economic Literature, 52(1), 5–44. https://doi.org/10.1257/jel.52.1.5
Lusardi, A., Mitchell, O. S., & Curto, V. (2010). Financial literacy among the young. Journal of Consumer Affairs, 44(2), 358–380. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-6606.2010.01173.x
Lusardi, A., Mitchell, O. S., & Curto, V. (2014). Financial literacy and financial sophistication in the older population. Journal of Pension Economics & Finance, 13(4), 347–366. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1474747214000031
Lusardi, A., Schneifer, D., & Tufano, P. (2011). Financially fragile households: Evidence and implications. Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, 42(1), 83–134. https://doi.org/10.1353/eca.2011.0002
Military OneSource. (2020, Dec. 16). Writing a last will and testament. U.S. Department of Defense. https://www.militaryonesource.mil/financial-legal/legal/estate-planning/estate-planning-the-essentials/
Mottola, G. R., & Kieffer, C. N. (2017). Understanding and using data from the national financial capability study. Family and Consumer Sciences Research Journal, 45(1), 31–39.
Munnell, A. H., Webb, A., & Golub-Sass, F. (2009). The national retirement risk index: After the crash. Issue in Brief, 22.
Nam, Y., & Loibl, C. (2021). Financial capability and financial planning at the verge of retirement age. Journal of Family and Economic Issues, 42(1), 133–150. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10834-020-09699-4
Pontiff, M.E. (2018). Readiness for blended retirement: A descriptive analysis of financial literacy among young American military members. Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. Retrieved from https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/1923
Quinn, B. (2007, Feb 12). Financial planning: Wills and other ways. Newsweek, 149, 61.
Skimmyhorn, J. (2016). Assessing financial education: Evidence from boot camp. American Economic Journal, 8(2), 322–343. https://doi.org/10.1257/pol.20140283
van Rooij, M. C. J., Lusardi, A., & Allessie, R. J. M. (2012). Financial literacy, retirement planning, and household wealth. Economic Journal, 122(560), 449–478. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-0297.2012.02501.x
Wagner, J. (2019). Financial education and financial literacy by income and education groups. Journal of Financial Counseling and Planning, 30(1), 132–141. https://doi.org/10.1891/1052-3073.30.1.132
Walmart announces creation of new fintech startup (2021, Jan 11). Retrieved from Walmart Announces Creation of New Fintech Startup
Wann, C. (2017). The impact of teaching financial literacy to college students. Journal of Economics and Finance Education, 16(2), 98–109.
Wolter, K. M. (1985), Introduction to variance estimation. New York: Springer-Verlag.
Xiao, J. J., Chatterjee, S., & Kim, J. (2014). Factors associated with financial independence of young adults. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 38(4), 394–403. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijcs.12106
Funding
No funding was received for conducting this study.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Contributions
Both authors contributed to the study conception and design. The introduction, literature review, and conclusion sections were written by Dr. Lisa Burke-Smalley. The methodology and results sections were written by Dr. Christi Wann. Both authors contributed to the discussion section and commented on previous versions of the manuscript. Both authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The authors have no relevant financial or non-financial interests to disclose.
Research Involving Human Participants and/or Animals
This article does not contain any studies with human participants performed by any of the authors.
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Wann, C.R., Burke-Smalley, L.A. Attributes of Households that Engage in Higher Levels of Family Financial Planning. J Fam Econ Iss 44, 98–113 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10834-021-09805-0
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10834-021-09805-0