Processen för inhämtande av finansiell information : En undersökning av generation Y:s agerande i ett nytt informationslandskap

Sammanfattning: BACKGROUND: Generation Y are habitual technology and internet users who prefer to collect information fast and easy. The search-costs are considered to have decreased since information is more accessible now than before, but the valuation costs have instead increased when both disinformation and misinformation is present. Generation Y’s financial behaviour have been proved by earlier researches to have been affected by financial literacy, financial socialisation, interests and needs, which may also have a crucial part in their information-seeking behaviours. Research has concluded, by a quantitative approach, which information sources is preferred by generation Y but why these information sources are preferred and what costs they cause are missing from the current research literature. AIM: The purpose of this dissertation consists of two parts. Firstly, it is to examine how young adults belonging to generation Y collect and critically value financial information with the help of their own experience, reasoning and influence from other people to substantiate a financial decision. Secondly, the purpose is to analyse generation Y’s perceived transaction costs in their handling of accessible financial information and how these processes are affected by financial socialisation, financial literacy, interests and needs.   COMPLETION: This dissertation takes the qualitative approach as nine semi-structured interviews have been carried out. The respondents have discussed several different aspects which revealed detailed insight in their information-seeking behaviour where there were features of retellings about personal information-seeking in regard to financial information.   CONCLUSION: Generation Y prefer to use people or the internet as information sources because that is where the perceived search and valuation costs are the lowest. Their preferences are affected by the perceived costs, these costs in turn are affected by financial literacy, financial socialisation, interest and needs. Considering the four dimensions of financial capability, it is apparent that interests is the crucial element to generation Y if they want to attain all four dimensions by themselves. In those cases where interests are lacking, financial advisory services can replace generation Y’s need to attain all four dimensions.