Social trust and household financial decision-making: An empirical study based on the usage of household financial technology

• Social trust significantly promotes household financial decision-making. • Social trust drives financial decisions through financial awareness. • The impact of social trust on financial decision-making is heterogeneous. This paper utilizes data from the China Household Finance Survey (CHFS) to examine the impact of social trust on household financial decision-making. The results indicate that social trust significantly enhances the adoption of financial technology by households, and this positive effect is further strengthened by an improved understanding of financial knowledge. Additionally, an analysis of regional heterogeneity reveals varying impacts across different areas. It is recommended that policies focus on enhancing social trust and regional education levels to facilitate the use of financial technology and improve decision-making outcomes.