6 Trending Topics in Finance Research
Finance research is evolving rapidly as digital payments, sustainability, and changing demographics reshape how money moves. Whether you are a new start-up planning to conduct market research before launching a product, or researcher on the journey of finance academic research; this blog highlights six trending topics in finance research. Deep dive into practical suggestions and survey-based angles you can use to study each area.
1. Public Perception of Digital Wallets & UPI Payments
As the government is encouraging citizens to move towards digital payments, the rise of UPI players raises important questions in this finance research topic. Do people in general have the necessary skills and knowledge to use digital money for day-to-day financial transactions? Do these UPI apps provide sufficient functionalities?
Example Survey Questions:
- Are you able to access digital payment app services at anytime?
- I am influenced by my peers to use UPI payment apps – agree/disagree?
Research Tip: For this study in finance research in India, run a national-level survey, collect more than 5,000 responses, and conduct comparative analysis across age groups – Gen Z, Millennials, Baby Boomers, etc. Evaluate their usage patterns, acceptance, and consumer behaviour towards using digital wallets.
2. Saving Intentions of Indian Citizens
Emerging economies like India are working towards maintaining a balance between savings and expenses. Common intentions include: “I intend to save at least 10% of my gross earnings for investing/saving/retirement purposes” or “I intend to invest in money market mutual funds every year.” While keeping enough money to meet my day-to-day expenses.
Example Survey Questions:
- How would you rate your savings habits?
- What are the different avenues where you like to spend, avoid spending, or keep for future plans?
ThinkSurvey Tip: Run a comparative study among all types of professions – students, working professionals, homemakers, freelancers, and business owners – to analyze their earning, saving, investment, and expense patterns. Read these 5 must-haves before you start with primary data collection for research. This area offers strong potential for finance research topics for academics as well as startups into personal finance advisory.
3. Banking in the Omni-channel World
A bank customer might enter the branch in the morning but end up completing the task on their mobile phone while sitting on the sofa at home. The emergence of omni-channel banking is making banks compete on every front. This area of current research in finance usually measures key factors like: Does the bank offer multiple channels? Are customers aware of service features? Is consistent information shared? Are transactions secure?
Example Survey Questions:
- Which of the following channels do you use often to interact with your preferred banking partner?
- Does your bank provide secured transaction guarantees and transparency?
Live Example: This researcher surveyed 300 participants across 57 cities for study on banking in India. You can explore issues like security, 24×7 access, failed transactions and resolutions etc. it will give you the right direction to start. Run a national level data collection and compare results of tier 1, 2, 3 cities.
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4. Investment in Green Financial Products
Green investing, or investment in green financial products, involves investing money into companies, projects, or assets that provide measurable environmental benefits, like mitigating climate change or promoting sustainability. In this field of finance research in sustainability, startups/SME & researchers can study key issues like – riskiness of investments, ROI from these investments, interest and awareness of consumers in which products to invest in.
Example Survey Questions:
- Do you invest in Green Financial products?
- Does your investment platform provide secure transactions?
Research Tip: When running finance research on green investments, you can couple your research with current research on environmental issues in India. Collect responses from both urban and rural participants to see how adoption differs.
5. Financial Literacy among Senior Citizens
For older citizens, financial literacy is not just about managing money, it is closely tied to security, independence, and peace of mind during retirement years. Many elderly individuals face challenges in budgeting, understanding financial products, or protecting themselves from fraud. This makes finance research on financial literacy among old citizens essential.
Example Survey Questions:
- Who is responsible for financial and money management (eg. saving, investment, new loan etc.) in your household?
- Who/what influences your financial product purchase decisions?
ThinkSurvey Tip: Run a comparative study among senior citizens from urban, semi-urban and rural cities of India. Study how seniors plan their savings, investments, and retirement outlook can provide insights into their preparedness and highlight areas where more awareness or support is needed.
6. Investment in arts
Emerging economies have seen an increase in the number of HNIs (high net-worth individuals) investing in various art forms. This field of finance research on alternative investments explores attitudes towards financial risk and appetite for art investments. Key variables studied – perceived risks and returns, motivations for art investment, social acceptability and pleasure.
Example Survey Questions:
- How do you perceive your decision to invest in art as – risky or not risky?
- Are you willing to pay a premium to the source of information on art investments?
Research Tip: Run a comparative study on various sources of information gathered for art investments – Magazine or Journal (ART India, Art & Deal, Take on Art etc.), Websites (The art newspaper, India art fair, Artery India, etc.), Newspaper & portals (Economic times, Business Line, Business Standard, etc.).
How to start: A Quick Guide for Finance Researchers and Start-ups
“I have the idea, but don’t know where to start.”
“I have the questionnaire ready, but stuck at data collection stage.”
We have heard this more often than you would think. If you have ever felt stuck – you are not alone.
Define your target audience, be precise what you want to ask in the questionnaire. For data collection – best would be to go all over the country. With an equal distribution of gender, age groups, income, etc. You can use multiple options like email list for bulk email sending, recruiting on social media or even utilize online survey panel.
Whether you’re an academician, practitioner, or startup owner, these topics offer fertile ground for impactful finance research. Run national or segmented surveys, compare demographic and city-tier results, and report clear policy or investment implications. Let’s connect to craft survey questions, sampling plans and data analysis.
