scholarly journals Inclusive Islamic financial planning: a conceptual framework

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 170-189 ◽  
Author(s):  
Habib Ahmed ◽  
Ak Md Hasnol Alwee Pg Md Salleh
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Financial Literacy ◽  
Financial Planning ◽  
Institutional Development ◽  
Financial Inclusion ◽  
Social Planner ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Poor Households

Purpose This paper aims to develop a conceptual framework of inclusive Islamic financial planning (IFP) by combining the traditional Islamic institutions of zakat and awqaf with contemporary notions of financial planning, financial inclusion and financial literacy that caters to the short-term and long-term financial goals of the poor. Design/methodology/approach Being a conceptual article, an inclusive IFP framework is described, analyzed and developed by integrating modern notions of financial inclusion, financial planning and financial literacy with the concepts of zakat and awqaf. Findings Using the notion of a hierarchy of needs and a financial planning model, an inclusive IFP framework that can be used by the poor is outlined. The complementary role of the non-poor households who provide funds for zakat and awqaf is also identified. Research limitations/implications The applicability of an inclusive IFP would require Islamic financial instruments and products, institutional development and existence of a social planner who can integrate zakat, awqaf and financial planning to serve the financial needs of the poor. Social implications Application of an inclusive IFP that can mitigate poverty would necessitate integrating financial planning skills and knowledge with traditional institutions of zakat and awqaf to provide holistic financial advice and services to the poor households. Originality/value Discussion of financial planning in financial inclusion literature is scant. The paper explores and offers a novel approach of poverty mitigation by utilizing the full spectrum of IFP that considers the financial needs and allows for the creation of a personalized financial plan for low-income households.

Procedural and declarative cognitions

2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 691-708
Author(s):  
George Okello Candiya Bongomin ◽  
John C. Munene
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Research Design ◽  
Financial Literacy ◽  
Financial Information ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Financial Decisions ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Poor Households ◽  
Structured Questionnaire

Purpose Premised on the argument that procedural and declarative cognitions help individuals to memorize, store and recall information to make informed decisions and choices in daily life, the purpose of this paper is to analyze the auxiliary psychosomatic roles of procedural and declarative cognitions in promoting financial literacy among clients of microfinance banks in developing countries. Design/methodology/approach The study adopted a cross-sectional research design and a semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect responses from 400 poor households’ heads located in rural Uganda. Analysis of moment structures and structural equation modeling were used to test for the auxiliary psychosomatic roles of procedural and declarative cognitions in promoting financial literacy among the poor who are clients of promotion of rural initiatives development enterprises (PRIDE) microfinance bank in rural Uganda. Findings The results revealed that both procedural and declarative cognitions significantly and positively boost financial literacy among the poor who are clients of PRIDE microfinance bank in rural Uganda. Jointly, both types of cognitions explain 30 per cent of the variation in financial literacy among the poor who are clients of PRIDE microfinance bank. Accordingly, the results correspond to arguments by psychologists that the human mental models help individuals to process, encode, store and retrieve information at an appropriate time such as in articulating complex financial information. Research limitations/implications The study focused majorly on cross-sectional research design. Thus, future studies may use longitudinal research design to explore the ability of the poor to memorize and retrieve financial information over time. Additionally, the study used only quantitative data collected using a semi-structured questionnaire. Further studies may use qualitative data collected by means of interviews. Besides, this study solely used poor households living in rural Uganda as the main source of data. Hence, future studies involving data from other section of the population may be necessary. Practical implications The results from this study underpins the auxiliary psychosomatic roles of procedural and declarative cognitions in promoting financial literacy among clients of microfinance banks in developing countries. Indeed, the human mental models that revolve around cognition as individuals grow are critical in helping them make informed financial decisions when they are faced with difficult financial situations. Therefore, microfinance banks and financial literacy programs in developing countries should consider the roles of procedural and declarative cognitions while designing financial literacy modules. This is because they determine how individuals receive, encode, store and retrieve financial information in order to make informed and better financial decisions before consuming financial products offered by the microfinance banks. Originality/value At present, there is scanty extant literature and theory that explains the auxiliary psychosomatic roles of procedural and declarative cognitions in promoting financial literacy, especially in developing countries. The current study sheds more light on the deterministic roles of procedural and declarative cognitions in boosting financial literacy.

Analyzing the relationship between financial literacy and financial inclusion by microfinance banks in developing countries: social network theoretical approach

2020 ◽  
Vol 40 (11/12) ◽  
pp. 1257-1277
Author(s):  
George Okello Candiya Bongomin ◽  
Joseph Mpeera Ntayi ◽  
Charles Akol Malinga
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Social Network ◽  
Research Design ◽  
Financial Literacy ◽  
Financial Inclusion ◽  
Mediating Effect ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Poor ◽  
The Relationship

PurposeThe main purpose of this study is to establish the mediating effect of social network in the relationship between financial literacy and financial inclusion of the poor by microfinance banks in developing countries.Design/methodology/approachThe study adopted a cross-sectional research design and data were collected from the poor who resides in rural Uganda. Structural equation modelling (SEM) through analysis of moment structures (AMOS) was used to analyze the data. Bootstrap approach with 5,000 samples was run to establish the mediating effect of social network in the relationship between financial literacy and financial inclusion of the poor by microfinance banks in developing countries.FindingsThe results showed that social network significantly and positively mediate the relationship between financial literacy and financial inclusion of the poor by microfinance banks in developing countries. In addition, financial literacy also has a direct significant and positive effect on financial inclusion. Overall, the findings suggest that the presence of social network fully mediate the effect of financial literacy on financial inclusion of the poor by microfinance banks in developing countries.Research limitations/implicationsThis study adopted a cross-sectional research design and data were collected using a semi-structured questionnaire. Future studies could adopt longitudinal research design to establish the dynamic characteristics of the samples under study over time. Besides, this study collected data from only poor households who were clients of microfinance banks located in rural Uganda. It ignored the other section of the population who were not the poor. Therefore, future studies could use the other section of the population who are clients of commercial banks.Practical implicationsThe advocates of financial literacy and managers of microfinance banks in developing countries should ensure using existing local structures such as community and village associations to conduct financial literacy training. The village associations help in mobilizing members who are close-knit based on the existing societal ties that can be used as a channel for disseminating vital financial literacy information. Indeed, financial literacy workshops, seminars, and business clinics can be easily conducted to individuals who are members of the village associations.Originality/valueThis paper integrates social network theory in the relationship between financial literacy and financial inclusion of the poor by microfinance banks in developing countries. Social network acts as a conduit through which financial knowledge and skills flow to increase the scope of financial inclusion of the poor in developing countries.

Social network

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 388-406 ◽  
Author(s):  
George Okello Candiya Bongomin ◽  
John C. Munene ◽  
Joseph Mpeera Ntayi ◽  
Charles Akol Malinga
Keyword(s):  
Social Network ◽  
Predictive Power ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Financial Inclusion ◽  
Least Square ◽  
Coefficient Of Determination ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Poor Households

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to test for the predictive power of each of the dimensions of social network in explaining financial inclusion of the poor in rural Uganda. Design/methodology/approach The study employed a cross-sectional research design and data were collected from a total of 400 poor households located in Northern, Eastern, Central and Western Uganda. The authors adopted ordinary least square hierarchical regression analysis to test for the predictive power of each of the dimensions of social network in explaining financial inclusion of the poor in rural Uganda. The effects were determined by calculating the significant change in coefficient of determination (R2) between the dimensions of social network in explaining financial inclusion. In addition, analysis of variance was also used to test for variation in perceptions of the poor about being financially included. Findings The findings revealed that the dimensions of ties and interaction significantly explain financial inclusion of the poor in rural Uganda. Contrary to previous studies, the results indicated that interdependence as a dimension of social network is not a significant predictor of financial inclusion of the poor in rural Uganda. Combined together, the dimensions of social network explains about 16.6 percent of the variation in financial inclusion of the poor in rural Uganda. Research limitations/implications The study was purely cross-sectional, thus, ignoring longitudinal survey design, which could have investigated certain characteristics of the variable over time. Additionally, although a total sample amounting to 400 poor households was used in the study, the results cannot be generalized since other equally marginalized groups such as the disabled persons, refugees, and immigrants were not included in this study. Furthermore, the study used only the questionnaire to elicit responses from the respondents. The use of interview was ignored during data collection. Practical implications Policy makers, managers of financial institutions, and financial inclusion advocates should consider social network dimensions of ties and interaction as conduits for information flow and sharing among the poor including the women and youth about scarce financial resources like loans. Advocacy towards creation of societal network that brings the poor together in strong and weak ties is very important in scaling up access to and use of scarce financial services for improving economic and social well-being. Originality/value Contrary to previous studies, this particular study test the predictive power of each of the dimensions of social network in explaining financial inclusion of the poor in rural Uganda. Thus, it methodologically isolates the individual contribution of each of the dimensions of social network in explaining financial inclusion of the poor. The authors found that only ties and interaction are significant predictors of financial inclusion of the poor in rural Uganda. Therefore, the findings suggest that not all dimensions of social network are significant predictors of financial inclusion as opposed to previous empirical findings.

Nexus between financial literacy and financial inclusion

2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (7) ◽  
pp. 1190-1212 ◽  
Author(s):  
George Okello Candiya Bongomin ◽  
John C. Munene ◽  
Joseph Mpeera Ntayi ◽  
Charles Akol Malinga
Keyword(s):  
Research Design ◽  
Financial Institutions ◽  
Interaction Effect ◽  
Financial Literacy ◽  
Financial Inclusion ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
The Poor ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose Premised on the argument that cognition structures the way how individuals think and make decisions, the purpose of this paper is to test the interaction effect of cognition in the relationship between financial literacy and financial inclusion of the poor in rural Uganda. Design/methodology/approach The study used cross-sectional research design and quantitative data were collected and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences. Baron and Kenny guidelines were adopted to test for existence of moderating effect of cognition in the relationship between financial literacy and financial inclusion of the poor in rural Uganda. Furthermore, ModGraph excel software was used to establish the magnitude of moderating effect of cognition in the relationship between financial literacy and financial inclusion of the poor in rural Uganda. Findings The results revealed that cognition significantly moderate the relationship between financial literacy and financial inclusion of the poor in rural Uganda. In addition, both cognition and financial literacy also have direct effects on financial inclusion of the poor in rural Uganda. Research limitations/implications The study adopted cross-sectional research design and data were collected by use of only questionnaires. Future studies through longitudinal research design may be employed. Besides, further studies using interviews may be adopted. Furthermore, this study collected data from only tier 3 financial institutions, thus, ignoring the other financial institutions. Future studies could focus on financial institutions under the other tiers. Practical implications The findings from the study enlightens policy-makers, managers of financial institutions, and financial inclusion advocates on the importance of cognition in enhancing financial literacy among the poor, especially in rural Uganda. Cognition combined with financial literacy helps the poor to make wise financial decisions and choices toward consuming financial services and products provided by formal financial institutions. This leads to increased scope of financial inclusion of the poor in rural Uganda. Therefore, advocates of financial literacy should assess community cultural cognition and utilize them to design and fashion effective financial literacy interventions that can promote financial inclusion. Originality/value The study uses Baron and Kenny and ModGraph excel software to test for the interaction effect of cognition in the relationship between financial literacy and financial inclusion of the poor in rural Uganda. While several studies exist worldwide on financial inclusion, this study is the first to test the interaction effect of cognition in the relationship between financial literacy and financial inclusion of the poor in rural areas in a developing country context.

Social capital: mediator of financial literacy and financial inclusion in rural Uganda

2016 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 291-312 ◽  
Author(s):  
George Okello Candiya Bongomin ◽  
Joseph Mpeera Ntayi ◽  
John C. Munene ◽  
Isaac Nkote Nabeta
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Financial Literacy ◽  
Financial Inclusion ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Rural Poor ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
Poor Households ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the mediating role of social capital in financial literacy and financial inclusion relationship in rural Uganda. The major aim is to establish the role of social capital in the relationship between financial literacy and financial inclusion. Design/methodology/approach The paper adopts and uses MedGraph programme (Excel version 3.0), Sobel and Kenny and Baron tests to test the mediation effect of social capital in the relationship between financial literacy and financial inclusion. Findings The results reveals that social capital is a significant mediator in the relationship between financial literacy and financial inclusion of rural poor in Uganda. Financial literacy did not have a direct effect on financial inclusion, but through full mediation of social capital. Existence of social capital into the relationship boosts the relationship between financial literacy and financial inclusion by 61.6 per cent among rural poor households in Uganda. Thus, the finding suggests that with the absence of social capital, financial literacy may fail to enhance the level of financial inclusion among rural poor households in Uganda. Research limitations/implications This study adopted only single research approach using a questionnaire. However, future research through interview may be of importance. Besides, for the purpose of triangulation, a study involving financial institutions’ staff may be viable. Moreover this study was limited by the fact that it was cross-sectional. Furthermore, a longitudinal study may be useful in future to investigate the mediating impact of social capital spanning over a long period of time. Practical implications Managers, policymakers and financial inclusion practitioners should advocate and embark on building social capital among rural communities, so as to improve on the level of financial inclusion. Originality/value While a large body of research has been carried out on financial literacy, this paper is the first to test the mediating role of social capital in the relationship between financial literacy and financial inclusion, especially in rural Uganda. This study generates evidence and contributes to the powerful influence of social capital in enhancing the level of financial inclusion based on financial literacy.

Financial literacy in emerging economies

2017 ◽  
Vol 43 (12) ◽  
pp. 1310-1331 ◽  
Author(s):  
George Okello Candiya Bongomin ◽  
John C. Munene ◽  
Joseph Mpeera Ntayi ◽  
Charles Akol Malinga
Keyword(s):  
Financial Literacy ◽  
Financial Inclusion ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Knowledge And Skills ◽  
Functional Measures ◽  
Poor Households ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Functional Components

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of individual components of financial literacy in promoting financial inclusion of poor households in rural Uganda. Design/methodology/approach The study was cross-sectional combined with correlation and regression analyses. Data were collected from 400 poor households drawn from four regions in rural Uganda. Hierarchical regression analysis was used to test for the contribution of individual components of financial literacy on financial inclusion of poor households in rural Uganda. In addition, confirmatory factor analysis was used to establish existence of convergent validity between the items used to measure the different constructs under study. Furthermore, analysis of variance was also adopted to test for variation in perceptions of poor households on being financially included. Findings The results generated from the study revealed that only attitude as a component of financial literacy significantly and positively predicts financial inclusion of poor households in rural Uganda. Contrary to previous thinking and empirical studies, behavior, knowledge, and skills are not significant predictors of financial inclusion of poor households in rural Uganda. Overall, the combined effect of the different components of financial literacy explains about 11.2 percent of the variance in financial inclusion of poor households in rural Uganda. Research limitations/implications The study was not without limitations. The study adopted only cross-sectional study design, thus, leaving out longitudinal study. Therefore, future studies employing longitudinal research design worth undertaking. Furthermore, the sample although large enough focused only on poor households located in rural Uganda, therefore, ignoring peri-urban and urban areas in Uganda. Besides, the study used only quantitative data, thus, qualitative study using key informant interviews may be considered for further research. Practical implications The paper indicates that policy makers, advocates of financial inclusion and researchers, should reconsider investigating individual contribution of the different components of financial literacy in promoting financial inclusion of poor households in rural Uganda. For researchers, it is important to re-analyze the individual components of financial literacy of behavior, knowledge, skills, and attitude in influencing financial inclusion of poor households in rural Uganda. Originality/value This paper combines both functional components (behavior and attitude) and non-functional measures (knowledge and skills) of financial literacy to explain financial inclusion of poor households in rural Uganda. Most financial literacy studies have mainly adopted only non-functional measures of knowledge and skills. Besides, these studies ignore the individual contribution of functional components and non-functional measures of financial literacy in explaining financial inclusion of poor households. Thus, this study is the first to examine the impact of individual components of financial literacy in explaining financial inclusion of poor households in rural Uganda.

Institutional framing and financial inclusion

2017 ◽  
Vol 44 (12) ◽  
pp. 1727-1744 ◽  
Author(s):  
George Okello Candiya Bongomin ◽  
Joseph Mpeera Ntayi ◽  
John C. Munene
Keyword(s):  
Financial Literacy ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Financial Inclusion ◽  
Mediating Effect ◽  
Literacy Programs ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Poor Households ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to establish the mediating effect of financial literacy in the relationship between institutional framing and financial inclusion among poor households in Uganda with a specific focus on Mokono district. Design/methodology/approach The study adopted a cross-sectional design. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM), which adopted Analysis of Moment Structures to test for mediating effect of financial literacy in the relationship between institutional framing and financial inclusion. Findings The results revealed that financial literacy had a partial mediating effect in the relationship between institutional framing and financial inclusion. Furthermore, the results indicated that while institutional framing has a direct effect on financial inclusion, it also exerts an indirect effect through financial literacy. This supports the argument that institutional framing that structure the way how poor households interpret, evaluate, comprehend and make sound financial decisions and choices, is enhanced by knowledge and skills acquired through financial literacy by poor households. Research limitations/implications This study has been limited by adopting only cross-sectional design and quantitative research approach, therefore ignoring longitudinal design and qualitative research approach. Besides, the study uses SEM bootstrap approach and ignores MedGraph method, which is also recommended for testing mediation. Practical implications Since the results suggest that institutional framing of poor households are partially enhanced by financial literacy to increase financial inclusion, policy makers, practitioners and managers of financial institutions should ensure extending financial literacy programs closer to the poor in order to expand the scope of financial inclusion beyond the current sphere. Indeed, financial literacy programs will boost cognitive abilities of poor households resulting into better financial decisions and choices and, hence increase in demand and consumption of financial services. Originality/value The study significantly generates empirical evidence by testing the mediating role of financial literacy in the relationship between institutional framing and financial inclusion using SEM bootstrap approach. The study portrays the influential partial effect of financial literacy in enhancing institutional frames of poor households in order to cause improvement in financial inclusion. Indeed, financial literacy programs that entail acquisition of financial knowledge and skills boost cognitive abilities of poor households to easily interpret, evaluate, comprehend meanings, and take correct decisions and actions on financial matters. The mediating effect of financial literacy in the relationship between institutional framing and financial inclusion seems to be lacking in literature and theory. Thus, the paper is the first to relate the influential partial effect of financial literacy in the relationship between institutional framing and financial inclusion among poor households, especially in a developing country context.

Assessing the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) program as a conditional income transfer: a search for a conceptual framework

2022 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alhassan Abdul-Wakeel Karakara ◽  
Ernest Amoabeng Ortsin
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
Poverty Reduction ◽  
Social Protection ◽  
Insurance Coverage ◽  
Implementation Strategies ◽  
Cash Transfer ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Transfer Program ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Poor

Purpose Ghana has implemented different kinds of pro-poor program and policies since its independence to reduce poverty. The Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) is one of such program. LEAP is a social cash transfer program and its implementation has been under the auspices of the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection since 2008. It provides direct cash and health insurance coverage for extremely poor households across the country to alleviate short-term poverty and encourage long-term human capital development. This paper examines the LEAP program in terms of how it has achieved its aim and the opportunities for improvement.Design/methodology/approach Primary data were obtained from interviews of 110 beneficiaries of the program. The study proposes a conceptual framework that links poverty reduction and social policies to assist researchers analyze pro-poor or social cash transfer program.Findings The findings show that the program is challenged with administrative bureaucracies, irregular inflow of funds, perceived political interferences, inconsistent implementation strategies and low value of the cash transfer (which results in little or no impact on consumption). However, the data also show that LEAP has positive impacts on nonconsumption spending like children's schooling. The program' exit strategy does not impact much on beneficiaries to allow them exit without the tendency of being poor.Practical implications This paper discussed the LEAP program as a social cash transfer to the poor in Ghana. The study constructed a conceptual framework to help researchers and practitioners analyze the implementation of pro-poor interventions. This conceptualization allows for cash transfer program to empower beneficiaries and exits them to allow for other beneficiaries to enroll, ensuring reduction in poverty over time. Generally, the beneficiaries have benefited from the LEAP in the areas of consumption, education and healthcare with few beneficiaries being able to accumulate some few assets. The LEAP program has no exit plan.Originality/value This study adds to literature by offering a conceptual framework to help researchers and policy makers in dealing with social assistance policies to the poor. The study also gave an insight into how pro-poor policy strategies could be crafted.

Stakeholders and opportunities of debt settlement as a values-based banking activity in Hungary

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zsuzsanna Győri ◽  
Borbála Benedek
Keyword(s):  
Research Question ◽  
Good Practice ◽  
Banking System ◽  
Financial Inclusion ◽  
Stressful Situation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Main Research ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Lessons Learnt

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to discuss the stakeholders of debt settlement programmes in general and some lessons learnt from the most significant debt settlement programmes of recent years in Hungary. The study also presents a planned debt settlement programme in Hungary. The paper explores and details behaviours and motivations of different stakeholders in debt settlement in general and also with reference to a specific case study. As for its main research question, the paper seeks to identify the preconditions of a successful debt settlement programme with specially emphasis on the poor. Design/methodology/approach Data from semi-structured in-depth expert interviews, documents and former research papers were collected for identifying previous Hungarian debt settlement programmes and potential lessons learnt. After a general discussion, based on primary and secondary sources, a case study is presented to obtain a more comprehensive understanding of opportunities and challenges of debt settlement. Findings Six preconditions of successful debt settlement targeting the poor are identified. In the case study, the existence and relevance of these preconditions are tested: the main finding is that they all are important for solving the situations, so a partial solution is not sufficient. In the scope of the case study, more precisely within the planned innovative banking solution, the motivations of the bank and the coordinator NGO are identified. On the part of the bank, motivations for solving social problems (both as far as business and moral issues are concerned) are relevant, while – as for the other party – the situation of the debtor is important to understand so that opportunities of cooperation can be identified. In addition, as other stakeholders also influence the potentials of the programme, their cooperative attitude is also needed. Research limitations/implications Limitations consist in generalisation: the study presents some cases from one single country and finally it focuses only on one specific case in one specific social and economic context in Hungary. Having recognized this risk, the author opted for basing research questions on theory, documented the process in detail, and also used triangulation through applying a multiple data collection (interview, content analysis, literature review) method. Practical implications Besides presenting an academic understanding of the phenomena, the goal of the study is to contextualize and interpret the case, to help the realization of currently frozen initiatives and to promote similar future ones. Social implications Indebtedness is a stressful situation affecting families, smaller communities and broader society as well. The planned cooperation of BAGázs and MagNet tries to help people excluded from the banking system. So that a deeper debt trap can be avoided, the goal of this programme is to purchase, partially discharge and reschedule pre-accumulated debts of carefully selected people who have regular income and are willing to undertake bearable repayment. The idea is very innovative with literally no good practice to follow. The research seeks to clarify the pitfalls and opportunities to help the realization of the project and similar future ones. Originality/value A certain form of values-based banking concerns the financial inclusion of the poor, e.g. debt settlement. Nevertheless, over-indebtedness and the settlement of existing debts as well as the relevance of such issues to the financial inclusion are not emphasized enough in the literature or in practice. Besides presenting an academic understanding of the phenomena, the goal of the study is to contextualize and interpret the case, to help the realization of currently frozen initiatives and to promote similar future ones.

Living beyond one’s means: evidence from Malaysia

2015 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yiing Jia Loke
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Financial Literacy ◽  
Financial Distress ◽  
Financial Management ◽  
Practical Knowledge ◽  
Financial Education ◽  
Financial Knowledge ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Explanatory Variables ◽  
Financial Behaviour

Purpose – The purpose of the paper is to identify the determinants of the probability of living beyond one’s means. The paper also explores the coping mechanisms of those financially distressed as well as the debt taking behaviour of consumers. Design/methodology/approach – The study uses data obtained from the OECD International Network on Financial Education pilot study on Measuring Financial Literacy in 2010 for the case of Malaysia. A logistic regression model is used to identify the main determinants of the probability that a consumer will live beyond his/her means. The analysis is carried out by using a set of socio-economic factors and the individual’s financial behaviour and attitudinal characteristics as explanatory variables. Findings – The findings indicate that low income and seasonal income earners are more vulnerable to financial distress. Furthermore, having a higher education, higher financial knowledge and prudent financial behaviour and attitude do not necessarily translate into better financial management. Family and friends provide the main source of financial assistance in times of need. Research limitations/implications – The assessment of financial knowledge should go beyond individual’s knowledge on financial concepts and theories. Practical knowledge on financial and cash flow management should be assessed. Practical implications – The study reiterates the importance of financial education. It is imperative to include financial education as part of the schools’ curriculum and also to be incorporated as part of the Continuous Professional Development modules for working adults. Originality/value – The study is based on the first nationwide study of consumer finances in Malaysia. It contributes to the literature by integrating financial behaviour and attitudinal factors into the analysis of the ability of individuals to live within their means. The findings also show the limitations of the existing self-assessment of financial behaviour and attitude and the assessment of financial knowledge.

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