The paper analyses three aspects of the relationship between digitalization, financial knowledge and financial decisions: a) the link between digital skills and financial knowledge, on the one hand, and saving and investment, on the other; b) the link between such abilities and the attitude towards digital payments and financial services; c) the gender gap in digital and financial skills and their impact on financial decisions. The analysis is based on a sample of around 4,000 individuals who are representative of the working-age Italian population interviewed between 2019 and 2022.
Digital skills are a useful complement to financial skills in monitoring expenses and therefore to saving money. Moreover, such skills are also related to a more favourable attitude towards digital finance. With the same level of financial knowledge, digital skills do not however affect investment decisions. Finally, there is a significant gender gap, at the expenses of women, in terms of both digital skills and financial knowledge.
