Financial Fluency For The Next Generation: Insights From PISA

Retail participation in financial markets is increasing in many countries, fueled by digital trading platforms and a new generation of young, highly self-directed investors. While this is a positive development, without strong financial literacy, investing can expose individuals to fraud, high-risk products they do not understand, and significant losses. As highlighted by OECD evidence, many adults struggle with fundamental financial concepts such as diversification and compound interest, and the PISA Financial Literacy assessment shows that today’s 15-year-olds also have limited financial knowledge and skills.This matters: informed, safe and confident investing is not only a driver of long-term financial well-being, it is also a cornerstone of financial democracy. Strengthening financial literacy - through national strategies and evidence-based financial education programmes - is therefore critical to ensuring that retail investors, including the next generation, can navigate increasingly complex markets.While the UK has not yet participated in the PISA Financial Literacy assessment, international evidence offers valuable benchmarks and lessons for strengthening financial education and preparing the future generation of savers and investors.This webinar will explore what the PISA Financial Literacy assessment reveals about young people’s preparedness for their adult financial lives, including investing, and policy actions that can support informed retail participation in modern financial markets.