Socially responsible investment: An analysis of the structure of preferences of savers

AbstractEthical and charity financial products can be considered as a tool that drives the corporate social responsibility of the financial institutions and, indirectly, that of the companies that try to capture financial resources through them. The objective of this study is to identify the structure of preferences of savers to identify the relative importance of those attributes linked to socially responsible investment. The results allow for an estimation of the market potential of a socially responsible savings deposit and ethical banking.A survey was conducted on 415 Spanish savers, and the analysis has been carried out using conjoint analysis technique.Taking into account the characteristics of their preferences, four groups of savers have been identified: “potential socially responsible savers,” “charitable savers,” “savers focused on financial return,” and “conventional savers based on availability.” Some socio‐demographic variables are relevant when describing segments of savers: age, educational level, and income level.