Gender differences in financial risk tolerance

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Date
2017-08-01
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Elsevier
Abstract

The purpose of this research is to explore gender differences in financial risk tolerance using a large, nationally representative dataset, the Survey of Consumer Finances. The impact of the explanatory variables in the model is allowed to differ between men and women to decompose gender differences in financial risk tolerance. The results indicate that gender differences in financial risk tolerance are explained by gender differences in the individual determinants of financial risk tolerance, and that the disparity does not result from gender in and of itself. The individual variables that moderate the relationship between gender and high risk tolerance are income uncertainty and net worth, with income uncertainty moderating the relationship between gender and some risk tolerance. Financial fiduciaries should understand the differences in income uncertainty and net worth between men and women and how those differences relate to risk tolerance.

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Keywords
Social Sciences, Economics, Psychology, Multidisciplinary, Business & Economics, Psychology, Risk tolerance, Gender differences, Household behavior, Personal finance, PORTFOLIO CHOICE, DECISION-MAKING, PERCEIVED RISK, HEALTH-STATUS, RETIREMENT, AVERSION, INVESTMENT, ATTITUDES, HETEROGENEITY, ALLOCATION, MD Multidisciplinary, Economics
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