• Korean Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.1197-1209
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• 2007

The advance of digital contents industry shifts the focus of consumptions; from analogue to digital ones. It gives significant impact on individual life as well as overall society and culture, and it leads to the increased consumption of digital contents. Nevertheless, current digital contents industry fails to secure the sufficient consumer protection systems including relevant rules and laws which regulate the distribution, use, and other transaction activities of digital contents and the efforts, on the part of contents providers, to provide information to consumers and to protect them. Digital contents, by its nature, is different from the existing products so that its nature is likely to cause unique consumer problems totally different from the offline transactions and the electrical transactions of existing products. This study, therefore, aims to identify the possible problems which may be incurred by consumers in their use of digital contents, specify the types of consumer damages, and provide the underlying materials to improve the systems related to digital contents and take legally complementary measures for consumer protection. To identify the types of consumer damages, this study analyzed the results from consumer counselling cases, experts opinion survey, and FGI. For consumer damage cases, this study analyzed the consumer complaints received by open consumer counselling sites of the Korea Consumer Agency and Seoul Electronic Commerce Center. For experts opinion survey, it conducted questionnaire survey of the group of experts from digital contents manufacturers or providers, and those who treated consumer damages directly. For FGI analysis, it organized a panel of students and employees who had used digital contents to understand the types of consumer damages. The results of this study can be summed up as follows. Based on the results from consumer counselling cases, experts opinion survey, and FGI analysis, the consumer damages related to digital contents can be classified, in their nature, into economic or financial damages (25 cases), emotional or psychological ones (15 cases), time-related ones (7 cases), physical ones (4 cases), and privacy-related ones (i.e. leakage of personal data)(3 cases). More specifying the types of damages, damages can be subdivided into contract-, charge-, maintenance-, use-, individual-related ones and other ones. Among them, both contract- and charge-related damages appeared only in the economic or financial damages, whereas user-specific individual damages appeared only in physical and emotional or psychological ones. On the other hand, maintenance- and use-related damages and other ones were observed in both categories of economical or financial damages and time-related ones. Use- and privacy-related damages, in particular, caused emotional or psychological damages.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.22 no.6 s.72
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• pp.165-175
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• 2004

The purpose of this study was to classify the household financial strategies and investigate major determinants of the household financial strategies and financial performance. The data of 3,994 households is from the Korean Labor and Income Panel Stud?. The major findings were as follows. (1) The classified household financial strategies types were Residual ($44.6\%$), Informal Institutional ($13.3\%$), Financial Assets ($16.7\%$), Real Estate ($13.4\%$), and Diversified Portfolio ($12.0\%$). (2) The criteria of classification of the household financial strategies were relative, not absolute. (3) The household financial strategy types changed largely during a short period(1999-2000). (4) In all households, the variables that affected changes in household financial strategies were education, occupation, number of children, residential location and home ownership. (5) Households that employed a diversified portfolio strategy had the greatest financial performance (2,316,000 won net gain). (6) In all households, the variables that had the greatest influence on financial performance were the number of children, assets and debts. 1'he financial performance was significantly different according to changes in the household financial strategy.

• Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.17-37
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• 2004

The aim of this study is to analyze Internet homepages of Korean companies. This study especially concentrates on consumer information and communication on a company Internet homepage. The method of this study is to review a company internet homepage. Main findings are as follows. 1) Consumer information is classified into product, living, study, law and regulation related to product, consumer's product evaluation, consumer education, A/S, company info. about branch stores, financial data, webzine and entertainment. 2) Communication type is classified into B2C and C2C, but Korean company concentrates on B2C communication channel.

• Journal of Family Resource Management and Policy Review
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.23-43
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• 2007

The purpose of this study was to examine how college students' attitudes toward the use of money and credit cards have affected their financial management practices. The data were collected from 231 college students in Seoul using by a self administered questionnaire. Frequencies, factor analyses, t-tests, ANOVA, and multiple regression were conducted using by SPSSWIN 12.0. The results from this study were as follows. First, results of the factor analysis of attitudes toward the use of money were divided into 5 dimensions such as instrument of ostentation, sufficiency of desire, source of anxiety, diligence and economy, and instrument of preparation for the future. Attitudes toward the uses of credit cards were divided into 3 dimensions, such as positive affection, cognition of reverse function, and attitudes of use-behavior. Financial management practices were divided into 2 dimensions: planning and performing. Second, social-demographical & economical factors, among such as gender, allowance, financial stress, number of credit -cards possessed, and expenses of credit -cards totals each month were significant in the regression analyses for the financial management practices. The results indicate that attitudes toward the use of money have a bigger effect on financial management practices than attitudes towards credit cards. Specifically, attitudes toward the use of money as an instrument of preparation for the future had the most effect on the financial management practices. These results imply that for sound financial management practices to take place, there needs to be education on attitudes toward the use of money.

• Korean Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.123-136
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• 2009

Debt and credit problems in Korea have been escalated during the past decade. The number of people with debt and credit problems is in its historic high. In May 2008, about 2.48 million debtors are officially classified as bad debtors and 7.20 million people have low credit scores. People with low credit scores are in disadvantageous situation in the financial market thus their financial transactions and activities are limited. In 2004, Korean government introduced various credit rehabilitation programs. However, most of these problems are remedial in nature and preventive programs such as credit counseling and debtor education are lacking. The purpose of this review is to examine US credit counseling and debtor education programs to obtain insights for preventive credit program developments in Korea. The review focused on programs offered through National Foundation for Credit Counseling, Jump Start, and Cooperative Extension Services from two large land grant Universities. From the program review suggestions and recommendations for educational contents, program and educator developments, and program quality control were discussed.

• Journal of Family Resource Management and Policy Review
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.1-20
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• 2007

This study identified financial management patterns of college students, and compared socioeconomic characteristics among different groups of financial management patterns. Also, the study examined the level of financial knowledge of college students, and compared it among the groups of financial management patterns. Data fur this study were from a questionnaire completed by 4-year college students (n=364), and were analyzed by factor analysis, cluster analysis, chi-square test, and ANOVA. The findings of this study were as follows: First, the financial management patterns were categorized by four groups: rational management group, future-oriented group, active management group, and present-oriented group. Secondly, younger students were more likely to be in the present-oriented group, while older students were likely to be in the future-oriented or active management group. Male students were likely to be the active managers, but female were likely to be the rational managers. Students' income was higher for future-oriented or active management groups, and their part-time jobs and their experiences of financial education were also significant variables. Thirdly, the average score of college students' financial knowledge was 49.9 on a 100 point basis. The part of financial assets and investment had only 47 points. The group of rational managers and active managers received higher points than the other groups.

• Human Ecology Research
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• v.60 no.4
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• pp.549-564
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• 2022

This study aimed to develop an e-mentoring youth financial education program and verify its effectiveness for promoting financial empowerment and establishing financial capabilities among independent consumers. A four-session, eight-hour "Youth Financial Empowerment Mentoring Program" was developed. This program dealt with financial literacy and financial psychology factors in an integrated fashion. We used the nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest design to evaluate the program's effectiveness. Specifically, by using Zoom, a virtual conference platform, four mentors of college students were trained for four sessions over two weeks. Meanwhile, four groups were formed with four mentors and 18 high school mentees to implement a four-week e-mentoring program. As a result of the analysis of covariance, significant differences were found between the two groups in all financial psychology factors and financial literacy variables. In addition, the score of the experimental group was higher than that of the control group. As a result of qualitative evaluation through FGI for mentees and mentors, mentees experienced positive changes in financial behavior, beliefs, attitudes, and personal relationships, as well as increased financial knowledge. Meanwhile, mentors experienced positive changes in their introspection into financial behavior and consumption. Considering these results, we can conclude that this program effectively induces participants to learn and reflect on their initiative, which is in line with the original goal of "improving financial empowerment".

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.51-62
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• 2011

Financial consumers can invest their financial assets directly or indirectly. This investment type have effect on their financial well-being and may be influenced by their financial characteristics and investment attitude. The purposes of the study were to classify the consumers by direct and indirect investment behavior of their financial assets and to investigate their socio-economic characteristics and investment attitudes to give implications for financial counseling and education. The data came from the 2009 Fund Investors Survey which was conducted by Korea Investors Protection Foundation. Total 2,530 consumers were analyzed using frequency, CROSSTAB, ANOVA and Duncan's multiple range test. In general, consumer tended to be rational in choosing the investment type. Noninvestors consisted of 38.5% of the sample. The economic level was the lowest for the noninvestors. The consumers who invest both indirectly and directly consisted of 21.0% and their economic level was the highest. Their investment tendency was between direct and indirect investors'. The proportion of direct investors ws 12.1% and that of indirect investors was 28.4%. Although the economic levels of indirect investors and direct investors were not statistically different, there were differences in their demographics and investment attitudes. The proportions of those aged 30-39, female and nonmarried were greater for indirect investors. They had the tendency to invest safely and diversely for a long term with reserve money. On the other hand, direct investors tended to be male, married and aged 40-49. They tended to invest intensively for a shorter term and seek returns even with borrowing money.

• Korean Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.95-105
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• 2005

This study examined the factors affecting college students' money management behaviors according to credit card usage. The data were collected from 481 college students in Busan and Gyeongnam areas by a self-administered questionnaire. Frequencies, Cronbach's Alpha, factor analyses, t-test, Pearson's correlation analysis, and regression analyses were conducted by SPSS WINDOWS. The results from this study were as follows. First, there were significant differences between credit card usage group and non-usage group in the means for future preparation, stingy attitude, and planned expenditure. However, there was no significant difference in the mean of money management behaviors. Second, for the credit card usage group, the significant variables affecting money management behaviors included sex, grade, experience of consumer education, father's occupation, monthly household income, future preparation, stingy attitude, methods of emotional change, planned expenditure, and negative recognition. On the other hand, for the non-usage group, grade, experience of consumer education, father's occupation, way of success, future preparation, stingy attitude, planned expenditure, and conditional permission were significant. These results imply that financial management education including values about money and consumption patterns should be conducted.

• International Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.31-42
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• 2016

We examine the self-control problems of U.S households and their effects on households' retirement preparedness based on the Behavioral Life-Cycle Hypothesis. Using the 2010 Survey of Consumer Finances dataset, the level of retirement adequacy was estimated with income replacement ratio (IRR), and only 42% of households were adequately prepared for retirement. Results from logistic regression analysis indicated that households with loan payment and saving self-control problems were less likely to be prepared adequately for retirement compared to those without such problems. Age, education, race/ethnicity, marital status, employment status, retirement plans, expected retirement age and risk tolerance were significantly related to retirement preparedness. This study provides financial educator and researchers with suggestions on how to help household make a better retirement plan.