Digital financial literacy and financial behaviour: the case of university students

COVID-19 has changed the way financial transactions are carried out, from physical transactions to digital or online transactions. Hence, there is an increase in the use of digital financial goods and services. Among the highest users is the younger population, which coincidentally has weak financial management skills or financial behaviour. This is because the number of bankruptcy cases among the younger population in Malaysia has escalated. Therefore, a new concept of financial literacy from a digital perspective, which is digital financial literacy (DFL), has emerged. This study examines the level of DFL among university students, the factors that affect DFL, and the impact of DFL on students’ financial behavior. This study collected data from 183 Malaysian university students and utilised SmartPLS for data analysis using partial least squares (PLS) modelling. The result indicated that digital financial knowledge is lacking, including awareness of risk related to digital financial transactions among the students compared to the other DFL elements. Additionally, financial literacy and usage of social media positively impacted DFL, and DFL does not boost a sound financial behavior among university students. This study highlights the importance of DFL in the financial literacy body of knowledge and the significance of utilizing social media for DFL education.