How to Improve Financial Literacy: Some Successful Strategies

Abstract

In New Zealand, the connection between financial literacy and security in retirement is well accepted, based on the understanding that people need to have the confidence and ability to make informed and lasting decisions about their personal finances throughout their lives. This chapter presents five strategies that are having some success in lifting New Zealanders’ financial literacy and the common elements that connect them. The chapter finishes with a discussion of the importance of monitoring and evaluation while noting the inherent difficulties in proving a causal link from financial education to greater financial literacy to improved financial well-being.

Keywords: financial education, literacy, New Zealand, retirement, government, private, knowledge