According to the findings of a recent survey, 65% of women in the UK think of themselves as ‘novice’ investors with ‘no’ investment experience. When asked to describe their investment or trading experience, only 15% of female respondents felt they were ‘informed’ investors, compared to 28% of men in the same position.
The disparity in the levels of online investment experience between men and women in the UK were revealed in a survey of 2,000 people – 51% of which were females – carried out by OnePoll and commissioned by Capital.com. The national survey further uncovered that just 29% of female respondents in the UK have traded or invested in stocks and shares online vs 47% of men.
Why do women avoid trading stocks and shares?
When asked why they were not interested in trading stocks and shares online, 58% of female respondents said it was too risky, while 52% said they did not know enough about online trading and investing. A further 22% of females said they were afraid that they would be charged high fees for trading online.
Jonathan Squires, CEO of Capital.com, said: “Based on the findings of our survey, female investors are less likely to invest or trade online if they are not fully informed of the risk associated with it. A big part of trading and investing is about building confidence through research, education and learning. If you aren’t fully informed, then you shouldn’t trade.”
While female respondents are less inclined to trade online compared to men, the survey also revealed how British females are more disciplined than men when it comes to saving. In fact, when asked how they would invest £1000, more women than men said they would save it (41% women vs 31% men) or invest it in an ISA (30% women vs 28% men).
Female investors prioritise saving
Said Squires: “This survey shows that female investors prioritise saving more so than men. But more needs to be done to support all types of investors when it comes to investing in stocks and shares and other asset classes with different risk reward profiles.”
Capital.com offers its clients both derivatives trading and commission-free stock dealing through its web and mobile-based platforms. The poll was originally carried out to better understand the needs of different demographics in the UK and their relationship to trading and investing online. To help investors hone their understanding and knowledge of trading and investing, Capital.com provides a wide range of educational support resources, at no extra cost.
Capital.com offers clients a free financial literacy app that they can use on the go – Investmate. The app includes varied learning materials, 30+ courses and short lessons.
The Capital.com platform is also fitted with a demo site, regular news feed, as well as more than 5,000 pages of intelligent financial content and analysis. In addition, it hosts a YouTube trading channel, Capital.com TV, to help clients improve their knowledge, develop their strategy and grow their understanding of how to analyse charts, news and other material information that may affect markets.
