The actual challenges of financial literacy

Tomsk Polytechnic University, 634050 Lenin Avenue, 30, Tomsk, Russia

^a Corresponding author: jan.william.mitchell@gmail.com

Abstract

In our always-evolving world, financial literacy and inclusion are crucial in the development of sustainable welfare and a more transparent and fairer society. We cannot forget that the subprime mortgage crisis of 2008 that has continued across the world to this day has financial illiteracy as one of the most aggravating factors. The main challenge for many consumers worldwide is that the requirements of adequate financial literacy skills have been steadily increasing over time. Individuals have to take a wide range of financial decisions and unfortunately, they sometimes overlook or simply do not know the risk attached with the decisions they are making until it is too late. The main challenges for financial literacy at the micro-level, meso-level, and macro-level are over deference to the financial industry, lack of financial knowledge, overconfidence about financial knowledge, lack of government initiatives, frameworks and regulations, lack of life-cycle planning and interesting and fascinating ways to teach financial literacy skills.