82% women prefer mutual funds and stocks for investment: Survey

What is your preferred mode of investments- equity funds, debt funds, hybrid funds, etc.?This article will focus on the investment habits and choices per se a survey conducted by a start-up.According to a survey conducted by an investment platform,Groww, whereas many as 28,000 women participated and answered questions,82% of women prefer stocks and mutual funds for their investment avenues. The same survey further reveals that 43% of women prefer traditional modes of investments such as Public Provident Fund (PPF) and Fixed Deposits (FD) to park their money. 25% of women chose gold as their top investment choice. While 13% and 9% of women chose real estate and pension scheme respectively as their desired investment avenue.

The survey further noted that around 64% of respondents are financially confident and take the majority of the investment decisions on their own, without the aid of any financial planner or expert.

It also acclaimed that as opposed to common thinking, education and income levels did not hold a significant bearing on the investment options opted by these women. Around 52% of women belonging to the tax slabs of earning less than Rs5 Lakhs stated that they have been actively investing in the market. These women also preferred investing in mutual funds and stocks as their preferred mode of investment.

The survey also shed light on the tenor of the investment. As much as 59% of women save money for long-term investments. Among this group, around 50% of women opt for aninvestmentperiod greater than 10 years.

It further provided insights that 41% of women cited retirement as their primary goal. This was followed by investment funds for higher education and marriage of their children.

These financially independent women who invested for a tenure of five years or less cited investment for supporting their parents and personal pursuits as their financial objectives and goals.

As for what encouraged them to invest in the first place, as many as 80% of women stated that higher returns on their investments encouraged them to invest more. Besides, for 40% of the women ease of investing and for 26 per cent liquidity play a huge role in their investment making decisions.