Financial Literacy and Financial Planning: Evidence from India

45 Pages Posted: 20 Dec 2010

See all articles by Sumit Agarwal

Sumit Agarwal

National University of Singapore

Gene Amromin

Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago

Itzhak Ben-David

Ohio State University (OSU) - Department of Finance; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

Souphala Chomsisengphet

Government of the United States of America - Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC)

Douglas D. Evanoff

Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago

Date Written: December 20, 2010

Abstract

In this study we report findings about financial literacy and financial planning behavior based on a financial advisory program in India. We evaluate survey responses to three standard questions previously used to measure financial literacy. We then break down the data across particular demographic and socioeconomic groups and compare responses. Finally, we examine the investment behavior, liability choice, risk tolerance and insurance usage of program participants. We find that the vast majority of respondents appear to be financially literate based on their answers to questions concerning interest rates (numeracy), inflation, and risk/diversification. However, we do find variation across demographic and socioeconomic groups. We are also able to obtain additional information about the financial tendencies of the program participants (including risk tolerance, investment preferences, investment goals, etc.) and to relate those tendencies to financial literacy.

Keywords: Financial Literacy, Financial Education, Checking Account, Savings, Nudge, Saving Account, Insurance, Personal Finance, Gender, Age, Education, Household Finance, Consumer Behavior, Consumption, India, Financial Counseling, Numeracy, Inflation, Risk, Diversification, Risk Tolerance, Investment Prefe

JEL Classification: D1, L8, R2

Suggested Citation

Agarwal, Sumit and Amromin, Gene and Ben-David, Itzhak and Chomsisengphet, Souphala and Evanoff, Douglas D., Financial Literacy and Financial Planning: Evidence from India (December 20, 2010). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1728831 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1728831

Sumit Agarwal (Contact Author)

National University of Singapore ( email )

15 Kent Ridge Drive
Singapore, 117592
Singapore
8118 9025 (Phone)

HOME PAGE: http://www.ushakrisna.com

Gene Amromin

Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago ( email )

230 South LaSalle Street
230 S. LaSalle
Chicago, IL 60604
United States
3123225368 (Phone)
3123226011 (Fax)

Itzhak Ben-David

Ohio State University (OSU) - Department of Finance ( email )

2100 Neil Avenue
Fisher 700D
Columbus, OH 43210-1144
United States
773 988 1353 (Phone)

HOME PAGE: http://https://u.osu.edu/ben-david.1/

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) ( email )

1050 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138
United States

HOME PAGE: http://fisher.osu.edu/fin/faculty/Ben-David/

Souphala Chomsisengphet

Government of the United States of America - Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) ( email )

400 7th Street SW
Washington, DC 20219
United States

Douglas D. Evanoff

Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago ( email )

230 South LaSalle Street
Chicago, IL 60604
United States
312-322-5814 (Phone)

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