The increasing pervasiveness of high-cost alternative financial services (AFS) has captured the attention of policymakers, consumer educators, and financial counselors. Using data from the 2009 to 2012 waves of the National Financial Capability Study (NFCS), this article investigates AFS borrowing behaviors through the lens of a boundedly rational choice framework, with an emphasis on overconfidence. Through repeated testing of isolated samples of individuals with characteristics that make them less likely to objectively need such products, the roles of actual (objective) and perceived (subjective) financial knowledge in the decision-making process are explored. Consistent results indicate that individuals with lower objective financial knowledge and those that are overconfident in their self-assessed knowledge level are significantly more likely to utilize AFS instruments. These results suggest that a significant portion of AFS users may select these products without conducting adequate search, resulting in less than optimal financial decisions holding all else equal.

Financial satisfaction has long been considered an important component to consumer life satisfaction and well-being. Using data from the 2012 National Financial Capability Study (NFCS), financial satisfaction is explored in the context of personal characteristics related to financial knowledge (both objective and subjective), as well as self-reported financial behaviors. Ordinary Least Squares Regression is applied to a predictive model of financial satisfaction, and results indicate that measures associated with what people do (behaviors related to recommended practice) and how they feel (subjective knowledge) may be more salient factors to consider with regard to satisfaction than measures related to what individuals know (objective knowledge). Implications are considered for consumers in light of a general policy approach promoting financial literacy and education as a means of improving financial outcomes and well-being.

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This study examines the correlation between resource protection and the intrahousehold distribution of bargaining power. Using data from the Health and Retirement Study, the analysis quantifies potential changes in the surviving individual's living standard to evaluate the adequacy of resource protection. Individuals who generate a larger share of family income, are more financially knowledgeable, or have the "final say" in family decisions leverage their bargaining power to secure higher protection of their hypothetical widowhood living standard. Consequently, spouses with more bargaining power are less likely to experience declines of their living standard in the event of their spouse passing away and are more likely to be overprotected.

This study explored the relationships between subjective and objective financial knowledge with cash and credit behavior. A nationally representative sample of American consumers over the age of 18 were surveyed online in 2012 about four financial behaviors: (1) maintenance of an emergency account, (2) prompt payment of credit card balances, (3) checking credit reports, and (4) avoiding checking account overdrafts. The results of logistic regressions indicated that higher levels of both objective and subjective knowledge were significant indicators of positive financial behavior and avoidance of negative behavior. However, a “false‐positive” condition of high subjective knowledge and low objective knowledge demonstrated questionable cash and credit behavior linked to overconfidence. This suggests that financial counselors and financial therapists could provide assistance in helping consumers improve their subjective and objective knowledge to reinforce positive cash and credit behavior, which should improve consumer decision making.