The Relationship between Financial Literacy and Finance Education: A Resarch for University Students of the Sütlüce Region

Abstract

Financial literacy is a feature that has been stripped of privilege and has become a necessity in today's society. When proliferation of financial markets, the increase in the variety of financial instruments, the use of internet technologies in financial markets, and that bank clients have started to execute their transactions through online channels instead of the face-to-face branch visits are taken into consideration, the need for financial literacy can be recognized more clearly. Today, the most basic way to develop financial literacy is through education in this field. In this context, either individuals will catch up with the recent developments through their own research efforts or they will receive education from relevant external institutions.This study, which investigated the effect of financial education on financial literacy, the students from the finance and economics departments of the universities located in Sütlüce, Istanbul were compared with the students who did not receive such education. The study was conducted over 110 students. While 77 percent of these students received education in economic and financial fields, 23 percent did not. Our analyses showed that students who received economics and finance education displayed higher average financial management and accounting capability, financial literacy sub-dimensions, compared to ones who did not have these educations. On the other hand, the financial calculation success levels of respondents were found inadequate with respect to the significantly large size of the group who received financial education. Only 1.8% of the participants were able to successfully answer all of the questions.