<![CDATA[Purpose - Financial satisfaction among young adults cannot always be explained simply by whether they hold positive views about managing money. This study investigates whether SMART Literacy provides the mechanism through which Financial Attitude is associated with Financial Satisfaction among Generation Z users of digital financial applications. SMART Literacy incorporates Strategic Monitoring, Financial Analysis, Financial Recording, and Technology Literacy.Methods - The study used survey data collected from 265 Generation Z respondents aged 18–25 years in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, all of whom were active users of digital financial applications. The proposed relationships were examined through Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) using SmartPLS, following reliability and validity assessments of the measurement model.Findings - The analysis revealed a strong positive relationship between Financial Attitude and SMART Literacy (β = 0.922, p < 0.001). SMART Literacy was positively associated with Financial Satisfaction (β = 0.920, p < 0.001), while the direct relationship between Financial Attitude and Financial Satisfaction was not significant (β = −0.106, p = 0.113). The indirect analysis showed a significant mediating role of SMART Literacy (p < 0.001). These results indicate that favorable financial attitudes are more closely associated with Financial Satisfaction when accompanied by practical management capabilities.Research Implications - Initiatives intended to strengthen young people's financial well-being should extend beyond financial knowledge or positive attitudes toward money management by developing practical capabilities to manage financial information and technology in financial decisions.Originality - This study proposes SMART Literacy as an integrated accounting-oriented cognitive capability within a behavioral accounting perspective. It positions SMART Literacy as the pathway linking Financial Attitude and Financial Satisfaction.]]>
