The research, for investment provider Alliance Trust, revealed that women were better at holding their investment nerve and less likely to have crystallised a loss when the market dipped.
Almost half of men (48%) have sold investments at a loss when they have gone down in value to try to avoid losing more money but only 38% of women have done the same.
When asked whether they had stopped or reduced their regular investment payments because the markets had dropped, 17% of men had done so entirely compared to just 12% of women.
Survey Questions:
|
Sometimes investments go down in value. When this happens, some people decide to cash in their investments at a loss to avoid losing more money. Have you ever sold an investment at a loss? |
|
Gender |
|
|
Total |
Men |
Women |
|
|
Yes, within the last year |
12% |
15% |
6% |
|
Yes, within the last 1-2 years |
10% |
10% |
9% |
|
Yes, within the last 3-5 years |
13% |
12% |
14% |
|
Yes, within the last 6-10 years |
6% |
6% |
4% |
|
Yes, over 10 years ago |
5% |
5% |
5% |
|
No |
51% |
48% |
55% |
|
I don’t know |
5% |
4% |
7% |
|
NET: Yes |
45% |
48% |
38% |
Source: Alliance Trust / Opinium
|
|
Portfolio value falls 5% |
Portfolio value falls 6-10% |
Portfolio value falls 11-15% |
Portfolio value falls 16%-20% |
Portfolio value falls by more than 20% |
|||||
|
Men |
Women |
Men |
Women |
Men |
Women |
Men |
Women |
Men |
Women |
|
|
I would stay put / hold |
69% |
61% |
59% |
52% |
46% |
40% |
37% |
31% |
30% |
27% |
|
I would sell my investments |
12% |
14% |
12% |
17% |
21% |
19% |
22% |
18% |
21% |
21% |
|
I would buy more investments |
10% |
12% |
14% |
14% |
16% |
18% |
20% |
21% |
21% |
22% |
|
I would pause regular contributions |
5% |
9% |
10% |
10% |
12% |
13% |
13% |
16% |
14% |
12% |
|
Not sure |
11% |
15% |
11% |
17% |
12% |
21% |
15% |
26% |
20% |
28% |
Source: Alliance Trust / Opinium
However, the survey also showed that men have more money invested compared to women and were more likely to invest in the stock market. Some 30% of men in the UK have a stocks & shares ISA compared to just 16% of women.
About 17% of men have a general investment account compared to 10% of women while 19% of men have a SIPP compared to 9% of women. Ownership of cash savings was similar.
Men also have more money invested with more than half of the women who do invest (54%) having less than £20,000 invested, compared to 37% of men.
In contrast, 39% of men have more than £50,000 invested while just 28% of women can say the same.
• Consumer research was conducted by Opinium Research, who surveyed 2,000 UK adults in August. Of these, 730 were investors (defined as having a Stocks & Shares ISA, a general investment account, and/ or a self-invested/ self-managed personal pension).