The Mediating Effects of Financial Service Usage on the Relationship between Financial Literacy and Retirement Preparedness in the Cameroon Informal Sector (Published)
The last decade has witnessed significant research interest in the area of financial literacy with specific attention on poverty. However, based on evidence of over 80 papers published since 2014 by the Consultative Group to Assist the Poor, it was revealed that there is no significant comprehensive explanation of how the usage of financial services improves people’s financial satisfaction at retirement. To this effect, this study sought to examine the extent to which the usage of both formal and informal financial services affects the retirement preparedness of people engaged in the informal sector of Cameroon. In light of this, the study aimed at justifying the continuous utilization of informal financial services at the expense of formal financial services even when financial service users have access to formal financial services. The study examined individual levels of investment literacy, cash-flow management literacy, credit management literacy, and the usage of formal and informal financial services. The study used the geographical clusters to proportionately select 400 economically active users of financial services from the seven sub-divisions of Yaoundé. Survey data were quantitatively analyzed to test the statistical relationships using the Covariance-Based Structural Equation Model [CB-SEM] with the aid of SPSS and AMOS 24 statistical packages. Findings indicated that the usage of formal financial services and informal financial services hace positive significant statistical effects on retirement preparedness. Also, the study finds that the usage of formal financial services and informal financial services has positive significant mediating effects on financial literacy and retirement preparedness. The study thus proposes the implementation of a dualistiec financial inclusion model that recognizes that both the formal and informal financial services are beneficial in the improvement of individual’s retirement preparedness in the informal sector of Cameroon and as well as in the context of developing countries.
Keywords: Financial literacy, and usage of informal financial services, retirement preparedness, usage of formal financial services
Herding Bias and Financial Risk Tolerance On Individual Investment Performance in Nigeria: Moderated by Financial Literacy (Published)
Prior studies have shown that various individuals’ behavioral traits such as herding bias and risk tolerance have an unfavorable effect on investors’ decision-making. This paper examined the moderating role of financial literacy on herding bias and financial risk tolerance on individual investment performance in Nigeria. The population consisted of 460 active individual investors in Kaduna city as at the first quarter of 2023. A total of 460 copies of questionnaires were distributed, with 349 valid. A census method of sampling was used, and primary data was collected using a self-administered questionnaire and an online Google form. A 7-point Likert scale that ranged from ‘1’ “Extremely Agree” to ‘7’ “Extremely Disagree” was used. Smart-PLS version 4 was used to analyze the data. The study discovered that the herding bias has a positive and significant effect on investment performance, whereas financial risk tolerance has an insignificant negative effect on investment performance. Financial literacy has a positive but insignificant impact on investment performance. Furthermore, the moderating effect of financial literacy demonstrated that the herding bias has a significant and positive impact on investment performance. Risk tolerance has a significant negative influence on investment performance. This study concluded that herding bias helps investors make better investment decisions, Consequently, the study recommends that investors should reduce their risk tolerance levels while maintaining the herding behavioral bias.
Keywords: Financial literacy, Nigeria, financial risk tolerance, herding bias, individual investment performance
Financial Literacy and Financial Inclusion for Small-Scale Enterprises in Sunyani Municipality in the Brong -Ahafo Region of Ghana (Published)
This study sought to examine the relationship between financial literacy and financial inclusion among owners/managers of SSEs in the Sunyani Municipality. Primarily, the research examined the financial literacy level, the extent of financial inclusion, and the relationship between financial literacy and financial inclusion for SSEs in Sunyani Municipality, which was necessary for their business. The study’s objective employed primary data and used a mixed method approach as well as a descriptive design survey design to randomly sample 230 owners/managers from five categories of SSEs in the Sunyani Municipality. The findings revealed that managers with high financial literacy were more likely to have sound judgment about financial issues, make the right decision among financial alternatives, and have sound personal finance practices. In addition, it was found that the extent of financial inclusion depended mainly on SSEs’ knowledge levels of financial products/services. The positive outcomes of being financially literate and financially inclusive were driven by behaviour such as planning expenditures and building up a financial safety net. Since financial literacy is necessary for business financial inclusiveness, it was recommended to SSEs strive for financial knowledge to enable them to make good financial decisions and aid their financial inclusiveness. Again, any policy that aims at the growth and development of SSEs with adequate training and education to help increase their financial status which will affect their financial inclusion.
Citation: Ameyaw M. (2022) Financial Literacy and Financial Inclusion for Small-Scale Enterprises in Sunyani Municipality in the Brong -Ahafo Region of Ghana, International Journal of Business and Management Review, Vol.10, No. 8, pp.61-74
Keywords: : Human Capital, Financial Inclusion, Financial literacy, Ghana, small scale enterprises