The fear of missing out on cryptocurrency and stock investments: Direct and indirect effects of financial literacy and risk tolerance

Abstract

Abstract The “Fear of Missing Out” or FoMO has become an accepted motivator of behaviours extending from the purchase of limited-edition sneaker brands to social media use and cryptocurrency investment. As a motivator of individual financial behaviours, such as cryptocurrency and stock investment, it is unclear how FoMO relates to consumer financial literacy and other consumer traits, including risk tolerance and personality. We propose, and assess, a model of reported investment behaviour and investment behaviour intention. We find a larger association between FoMO and crypto ownership, both current and intended, compared with stocks. FoMO has a small association with current stock ownership, relative to the association of financial literacy and risk tolerance. Context matters when measuring FoMO with the more context-specific measures having the largest associations with investment behaviour and investment intentions. Finally, our results suggest financial literacy is an antecedent of FoMO, more so for stocks.