Field Experiments on Household Financial Decision Making

This proposal outlines a research project on household financial decision making that comprises a series of field experiments aimed at understanding individuals' household financial decisions. The study covers three main themes within household finance: i nvestment, pensions and borrowing. The project that is outlined in the following is in line with both of the objectives of Finansmarkedsfondet, since it aims to generate insight about the behavior of households in financial markets in general, and about e thics in financial markets in particular, by investigating the emerging phenomenon of socially responsible investments. Our studies investigate household financial decision making in its actual context. By generating insight into how households actually make financial decisions, we may reveal the factors that influence such decisions. This may have implications both for financial institutions and regulators. The relatively novel approach of conducting natural field experiments moreover enables us to gen erate knowledge about financial decisions that have a high potential for publications in international journals. Field experiments in finance are relatively novel, but they are an emerging field also in the top journals.