Do professional women in Hong Kong differ in their investment habits compared to their male counterparts? The answer is revealed in a survey conducted by an international fund management firm that shows that women need to change their attitude towards investment.
Fidelity Worldwide Investment has released the results of its Women Wealth Management Study, as part of its Investor Education Series. Fidelity interviewed 517 single and married women with the aim to: examine Hong Kong women's current financial planning behaviour and attitudes; understand women's roles and attitudes in the management of individual versus household wealth, and explore areas of opportunity where Fidelity can help women to better plan their personal or household finance.
Hong Kong's female population aged 25-54 now accounts for about 30 per cent of the population against males of the same age group at about 22 per cent, so their attitudes and investment behaviour are more important than ever.
The survey found that Hong Kong women tend to adopt a conservative to moderate mindset in managing investment, and believe they are prudent, risk-averse and informed investors. They believe men are more knowledgeable, experienced, better informed and more impulsive.
When making investment decisions, more married women believe men make smarter, more prudent decisions. More than 35 per cent of women do not keep track of how much money they have won or lost over the past two years.
The survey also reveals that women's wealth grows quickly when they get to their mid-30s. Of women from the ages of 35 to 44, 22 per cent have HK$1 million of liquid assets or more, against only 5 per cent from 25 to 34.
