Advanced Financial Literacy of Malaysian Gen Y Investors and Its Consequences

Abstract

This article presents the advanced financial literacy of Malaysian Gen Y investors and investigates whether literacy varies across demographics and ethnicity, and how financial literacy is related to investing decisions. In a survey-based study (N = 231) with the estimation of crosstab, ordered logistic regression and binary logistic regression, the results suggest that Gen Y investors display a medium level of financial literacy and that investors with certain demographic characteristics and ethnicity display a relatively higher level of financial literacy. Literacy items such as knowledge of stocks and bonds, functioning of the stock market, working of long-term bonds and mutual funds, and riskiness of bonds versus stocks are more closely related to investors’ trading, risky share investment, willingness of risk-taking, stock market participation and perceived portfolio returns. The results imply a clear scope to improve Gen Y investors’ financial literacy by concentrating on a certain socio-demographic groups and specific financial literacy items. JEL Classifications: D14, G11, I20