Financial education: from better personal finance to improved citizenship

by Elsa Fornero and Anna Lo Prete; CeRP WP 213/23

Abstract
Financial education is a crucial determinant of informed decisions, in both the private and social spheres. From a life cycle perspective, it improves personal finance. From youth to retirement, basic economic and financial competences, including specific pension literacy, help to plan for the future and to make better choices, thus reducing the probability of financial fragility, particularly in old age, and increasing economic independence, particularly for women. In the social sphere, a growing literature is demonstrating that basic financial education also affects public choices, influencing voting behaviour, economic reforms, policy outcomes, and, more generally, the workings of our democracies.

Published March 2023

WP_213