Gender-based Investor Differences
At "A Dash" we are exploring an intriguing idea about gender-based investor differences. In order to get unbiased information, we must not reveal the hypothesis just yet. As always, we plan to share the results with the entire investment community for our mutual benefit.
We would like to hear from the following people:
- Women who read "A Dash";
- Investment advisors who have a clientele with a significant female component;
- Fellow bloggers who have thought about this subject; and
- Anyone who has pertinent actual research on the subject.
Our interest includes differences in investment approach and style, how decisions are made, and sources of information used.
Those interested in helping can email directly with comments or ideas to jmiller@newarc.com.
By an interesting coincidence, in this story (http://www.finalternatives.com/node/2626), a trader is alleging that he was forced to take female hormones “to facilitate a more ‘effeminate’ trading method;” whatever that means.
I look forward to learning the results of your survey.
I’m an advisor with virtually an equal number of male and female clients. Most of my clients are “hands off” (which isn’t an accident). My most nervous clients are males. They are the ones who call me with (always incorrect) market predictions. These predictions are based 100% on gut feeling, not on research.
Men overall seem more willing to act on their beliefs (i.e. “I feel this, therefore do this.”). Women may have even stronger beliefs, but they may be more reluctant to direct someone who is supposed to be an authority.
This is far from conclusive, though, as I’ve lost out on more accounts that were controlled by women (either individually or via their husbands). Numerous times I’ve had husbands sold only to have them call me and say their wife doesn’t want to move forward. So it’s very likely that my client base is skewed. I certainly hope so, because that’s precisely what I want.