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on Financial Literacy and Education |
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Issue of 2026–09–14
five papers chosen by Viviana Di Giovinazzo, Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca |
| By: | Irawan, Yenny; , Diana; Fajri, Heri; , Mariana; Aini, Zahriatul (Politeknik Kutaraja); AR, M Yazid |
| Abstract: | This study investigates the influence of BSI Mitraguna financing on the development of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in Aceh, with particular attention to the role of financial literacy. Using a quantitative explanatory research design, the study focuses on active BSI Mitraguna financing recipients in Aceh. Respondents were selected based on specific criteria, including a minimum duration of financing engagement and ongoing MSME operations. Data were gathered through a structured questionnaire using a Likert scale and analyzed using the Structural Equation Modeling--Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS) method with SmartPLS software. The results reveal that BSI Mitraguna plays a significant role in fostering MSME growth. It not only provides financial capital but also contributes to improving the financial literacy of MSME actors. Furthermore, financial literacy serves as a crucial intermediary, enhancing the effectiveness of financing in driving business development. These findings suggest that microfinance programs are more impactful when integrated with financial education tailored to the specific needs of local entrepreneurs. Ultimately, this study contributes to the growing body of knowledge on Islamic microfinance by demonstrating that the synergy between financing and financial literacy is essential for sustainable MSME development. It also provides practical implications for policymakers and financial institutions to design integrated financing models that not only support capital access but also strengthen entrepreneurial capacity, thereby enhancing long-term economic resilience and inclusive growth |
| Date: | 2026–07–06 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:osf:socarx:pr45w_v1 |
| By: | Jha, Manjari; Mishra, Mukesh Kumar |
| Abstract: | The transition from a financial (proficiency) hereafter literacy to Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the centre of debate in know a day among financial institutions, practitioners and scholar. The literature suggests that individual freedom emphasize financial literacy is crucial for decision-making in monetary strategies, investments, and planning. Rural communities face financial illiteracy challenges, but AI integration offers a breakthrough. Few studies investigate the relationship between financial literacy and artificial intelligence performance in emerging economies, focusing on stable, uncertain environments. This study examines trends in Financial Literacy in the era of artificial intelligence in Saharsa district, in Bihar. Financial literacy aims to improve capital formation, save and invest among rural households, and improve financial management and policymaking. This descriptive-correlational study, with the help of ANOVA to analyze AI's impact on financial literacy, focusing on demographic groups and banking channels, to compare the effectiveness of AI-driven initiatives, aimed to examine the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on financial literacy improvement in the banking sector and to compare the significance of each variable in relation to financial literacy outcomes. The research sample consisted of 384 rural households. Findings revealed that AI interventions significantly enhanced financial literacy, particularly among younger users, and that AI-driven tools embedded in mobile applications were more effective compared to those implemented in physical banking branches. |
| Abstract: | La transition vers l'intégration de l'intelligence artificielle (IA) dans le domaine de la culture financière est au cœur des débats actuels parmi les institutions financières, les professionnels et les universitaires. La littérature souligne que la culture financière est essentielle à la prise de décision concernant les stratégies monétaires, les investissements et la planification. Si les communautés rurales sont confrontées à des défis liés à l'analphabétisme financier, l'intégration de l'IA offre une avancée majeure. Peu d'études examinent la relation entre la culture financière et les performances liées à l'IA dans les économies émergentes, qu'il s'agisse d'environnements stables ou incertains. Cette étude analyse les tendances en matière de culture financière à l'ère de l'IA dans le district de Saharsa, au Bihar. La culture financière vise à favoriser la constitution de capital, l'épargne et l'investissement au sein des ménages ruraux, tout en améliorant la gestion financière et l'élaboration des politiques. Cette étude descriptive et corrélationnelle - qui a recours à l'analyse de la variance (ANOVA) pour évaluer l'impact de l'IA sur la culture financière en fonction des groupes démographiques et des canaux bancaires, afin de comparer l'efficacité des initiatives fondées sur l'IA - visait à examiner l'incidence de l'IA sur l'amélioration de la culture financière dans le secteur bancaire et à comparer l'importance de chaque variable par rapport aux résultats obtenus en la matière. L'échantillon de recherche était composé de 384 ménages ruraux. Les résultats ont révélé que les interventions fondées sur l'IA ont considérablement amélioré la culture financière, en particulier chez les utilisateurs les plus jeunes, et que les outils d'IA intégrés aux applications mobiles se sont avérés plus efficaces que ceux mis en œuvre dans les agences bancaires physiques. |
| Keywords: | Artificial Intelligence, Financial Literacy, Personal Finance, Classification Methods |
| JEL: | G53 O33 D14 G41 C38 |
| Date: | 2026 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:esrepo:343026 |
| By: | Coleman, Winnie |
| Abstract: | A persistent gender gap in inflation expectations, i.e., women systematically reporting higher expected inflation than men on average, has been documented across countries and over time, yet its underlying causes remain under debate. Using more than half a million responses from the ECB Consumer Expectations Survey and a double machine learning framework that provides valid inference on many dimensions of heterogeneity at once, I show that there is no single gender gap: individualized gaps range from roughly -1 to +5 percentage points. This heterogeneity is shaped primarily by subjective belief-formation variables, such as forecast uncertainty and the rounding of inflation beliefs, and only to a much lesser extent by objective ones, such as financial literacy. When inflation is high enough to attract consumers' attention, the average gap narrows, but the distribution of individual gaps fans out, widening precisely for economically vulnerable women. Since the women who diverge most from men hold the most imprecise beliefs, communication that reduces ambiguity, rather than solely providing information, is a promising policy lever. |
| Keywords: | Consumer Inflation Expectations, Expectation Formation, Gender, Double Machine Learning, Big Data |
| JEL: | C55 D84 E31 E58 |
| Date: | 2026 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:fubsbe:343048 |
| By: | Koundouros, Andreas; Nautz, Dieter |
| Abstract: | Inflation misperceptions of consumers complicate the conduct and communication of monetary policy and can undermine the credibility of the central bank's inflation target. This paper empirically investigates the determinants of inflation misperceptions by extending a rational inattention model to incorporate distorted signals from salient prices. We estimate the model using rich micro-level panel data for the euro area drawn from the ECB Consumer Expectations Survey. We find that consumers misperceive inflation both because they are inattentive to inflation and because they overweight food price inflation relative to headline inflation. In contrast, distortions stemming from energy prices are not significant. Financially literate consumers exhibit lower inflation misperceptions and greater attention to inflation, while women have more pronounced inflation misperceptions and place larger weights on salient prices. Finally, we show that attention to inflation is higher and misperceptions are lower in response to inflationary than to disinflationary news. |
| Keywords: | Inflation misperceptions, rational inattention, salient prices, inflationary news, financial literacy, gender differences, ECB Consumer Expectations Survey |
| JEL: | E31 E58 E71 |
| Date: | 2026 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:fubsbe:343039 |
| By: | Tiessé Traoré (USSGB - Université des sciences sociales et de gestion de Bamako); Mohamed Traoré (USSGB - Université des sciences sociales et de gestion de Bamako); Salifou Konimba (USSGB - Université des sciences sociales et de gestion de Bamako); Ibrahim Sanogo (USSGB - Université des sciences sociales et de gestion de Bamako) |
| Abstract: | Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) play a central role in Mali's economic fabric by contributing significantly to wealth and job creation. According to the African Development Bank (AfDB), Malian SMEs account for 55% of the country's gross domestic product (AfDB, 2021). However, despite this strategic role, their access to bank financing remains limited. Various studies have highlighted several factors in the literature; however, certain aspects related to country specific characteristics appear to have been overlooked. The objective of this article is to identify the main factors related to SME financing and Mali's specific context. Methodologically, this research adopts an exploratory approach based primarily on the use of secondary data, supplemented by an analysis of the Malian financial system and its financing mechanisms. The results show that the main factors relate to the Malian financial system and aspects specific to SMEs. The study highlights that, generally speaking, microenterprises have greater access to bank financing than SMEs in the WAEMU region and in Mali in particular. The study could serve as a basis for examining the factors underlying this paradox. Finally, it suggests alternative approaches notably those based on the quality of the financial system, financial literacy, and managerial competence to examine the specific challenges SMEs face in accessing financing in Mali. |
| Abstract: | Les petites et moyennes entreprises (PME) occupent une place centrale dans le tissu économique malien en contribuant significativement à la création de richesse et d'emplois. Selon la BAD, les PME maliennes contribuent dans l'économie à hauteur de 55 % au produit intérieur brut (BAD, 2021). Toutefois, malgré ce rôle stratégique, leur accès au financement bancaire demeure limité. Diverses études ont soulignés plusieurs facteurs dans la littérature, cependant certains aspects relatifs à la particularité des pays semblent négligés. L'objectif de cet article est d'identifier les principaux facteurs relatifs au financement des PME et la particularité malienne. Sur le plan méthodologique, cette recherche adopte une approche exploratoire fondée principalement sur l'exploitation de données secondaires, complétée par une analyse du système financier malien et de ses mécanismes de financement. Les résultats montrent que les principaux facteurs sont relatifs au système financier malien et des aspects spécifiques aux PME. L'étude souligne que d'une manière générale les microentreprises ont plus accès au financement bancaire que les PME dans l'espace UEMAO et au Mali en particulier1. L'étude pourrait être un élément d'appui pour étudier les facteurs explicatifs de ce paradoxe. En fin, elle propose d'autres approches notamment celle basée sur la qualité du système financier, la culture financière et la compétence managériale pour étudier la particularité des difficultés d'accès au financement des PME au Mali. |
| Keywords: | Mali. JEL Classification : G21, PME financement bancaire rationnement du crédit asymétrie d'information Mali. JEL Classification : G21 O16 L26 O55 Type du papier : SME bank financing credit rationing information asymmetry Mali. Classification JEL: G21 O16 L26 O55, PME, financement bancaire, rationnement du crédit, asymétrie d'information, O55 Type du papier : SME, O16, L26, O55, Mali. Classification JEL: G21, information asymmetry, credit rationing, bank financing |
| Date: | 2026–06–07 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05686373 |