The impact of financial attitudes and knowledge on financial management and satisfaction

• Main Author: Parotta, Jodi Lynne McFarlane
• Language: English
• Published: 2009
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2429/4636

Using a model of financial management derived from the Deacon and Firebaugh (1988) Family Resource Management Model, this study examined the impact of financial attitudes and financial knowledge on financial management behaviours in a sample of recently married individuals. Attitudes and knowledge were examined both individually and conjointly. The moderating effect of financial knowledge on the relationship between financial attitudes and financial management behaviours was also investigated. In addition, the impact of financial management on satisfaction with financial status was assessed. In this assessment, two measures of financial management were compared on their relationship to satisfaction. The sample was recruited through a marriage preparation facility in Burnaby, British Columbia. Questionnaires were mailed to 565 past participants who took the course in 1992. The respondents were 194 recently married individuals, a response rate of 41%. When tested separately, both financial knowledge and financial attitudes were significantly related to financial management behaviours. When tested together, however, the effect financial knowledge had was lost, and only financial attitudes remained significantly related to financial management behaviours. Although it was expected that financial knowledge would moderate the relationship between financial attitudes and financial management behaviours, the results of this study did not provide support for this prediction. Results also showed that financial management behaviours were strongly related to satisfaction with financial status, and that the relationship between satisfaction with financial status and financial management behaviours was a function of the instrument used to measure the behaviours.