Beyond Financial Literacy: The Case of Cross-Generational Couples’ Problem-Solving the Life Course
Jeff Vass

Abstract
Many governments have identified a key role for financial literacy in the remediation of the social and economic consequences of heavily indebted citizens and their generally inadequate arrangements for retirement. Failure in life course planning is taken to be a key skill deficit. The present study questions the methodologies used to arrive at this judgement and extends this critique to cover the tools used to measure levels of financial literacy. Furthermore, evidence from a qualitative study of 14 cross-generational couples, utilizing 28 in-depth interviews carried out between 2005 and 2010, is cited revealing that financially literate citizens have problems with the social complexity of non-normative relationship planning as opposed to specifically financial planning difficulties.

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