Relationship between Financial Satisfaction and Financial Literacy: Exploring Gender Differences

Abstract

The goals of this study were to explore gender differences in the components of financial literacy (financial knowledge, financial attitude and financial behavior) and financial satisfaction, and to explore gender differences in the relationship between financial satisfaction and the financial literacy components. Analyses conducted on a data collected on a large and heterogeneous sample of Croatian citizens (N = 900) showed that men scored higher on some financial literacy variables and were more financially satisfied. Moreover, in the male subsample there were significantly stronger correlations between financial satisfaction and some financial literacy variables (rational financial attitude, self-assessment of financial management and monitoring expenses) when compared to the female subsample. In addition to demographic variables, significant predictors of financial satisfaction in both gender groups were primarily financial behaviors. Financial attitude component explained additional financial satisfaction variance for men but not for women. Financial knowledge as the third component was not a significant predictor of financial satisfaction for either gender.