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Retirement

Women investing more in their SMSF than men

By Miranda Brownlee
  • September 04 2017
  • Share

Retirement

Women investing more in their SMSF than men

By Miranda Brownlee
September 04 2017

New data has highlighted a number of differences between men and women in the way each invest both through their super and through personal investment portfolios.

Women investing more in their SMSF than men

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By Miranda Brownlee
  • September 04 2017
  • Share

New data has highlighted a number of differences between men and women in the way each invest both through their super and through personal investment portfolios.

SMSF, investment management, wealth management, retirement savings, retirement planning, investor behaviour, superannuation

The CommSec SMSF Trading Trends Report found there were some differences in the investing behaviours of men and women, with women generally preferring to accumulate investments inside super rather than outside.

The report found that millennial women were much more likely to trade through their SMSFs than their personal accounts compared to men of the same age.

While the sample size of the millennial cohort was relatively small, what was clear, the report said, was that women aged 35 to 50 invested “nearly one and a half times more in dollar terms in their SMSFs than in their personal accounts — the opposite of men of the same age”.

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“However, over the age of 50 this gender divide disappeared, with men and women both focused primarily on their SMSF accounts,” the report said.

SMSF, investment management, wealth management, retirement savings, retirement planning, investor behaviour, superannuation

The report found that investors aged 51-65 traded twice as much in dollar terms within their SMSF accounts, while those in the over-65 group traded three times more.

“Overall, these findings appear to confirm our previous insights, suggesting that women are both more cautious and more forward-looking investors, preferring to focus on securing their retirement, rather than building up assets outside super,” said the report.

The data revealed other trends also, indicating that SMSF investors have been taking advantage of reduced share market volatility to consolidate their portfolios, trading less often but taking larger positions during the first six months of 2017 than over the previous six months.

Commonwealth Bank head of SMSF customers Marcus Evans said one of the trends that hasn’t changed is SMSF investors’ strong preference for Australian blue-chips.

“Over the six months to June 2017, ASX200 shares accounted for 60 per cent of all SMSF trades, compared to 54 per cent of non-SMSF trades,” said Mr Evans.

Despite the continued trend towards blue-chips, however, the trade data showed SMSFs are also increasingly diversifying their portfolios.

“SMSFs are often characterised as insufficiently diversified, having portfolios concentrated in cash and large cap domestic equities, but some SMSFs are more diversified than we give them credit for,” said Mr Evans.

“In the current low growth environment, it seems SMSFs have been seeking cost-effective diversification. Our analysis shows an increased investment by SMSFs in hybrids, interest rate securities, and Australian and international exchange-traded funds.”

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