Online investment education: Listening to learners to develop an effective financial literacy program for farm households

A needs assessment was conducted for the adaptation of an existing online Cooperative Extension investment course for use by farm households. The theoretical model was Social Marketing Theory. Data about financial attitudes, practices, and learning preferences of farm households were collected through a telephone survey of 300 farm households and two focus groups. Quantitative and qualitative data confirmed that farmers prefer investing in land and farm-related assets instead of securities. Further, an increasing number of farm family members engaged in paid employment, which provided access to employee benefits. Many farmers did not plan to retire in later life but indicated a desire to scale back their work hours and/or reduce the size of their farm business. Women in the sample were more engaged with the Internet than men and less likely to dislike using computers.