A new survey reveals that women in the United States want saving and investing to be easier and more accessible.
ShareBuilder — an online brokerage firm — surveyed more than 2,000 men and women for their "2006 Women & Investing Survey." The survey was designed to explore women's saving and investing habits.
When it comes to investing, 74 percent of men enjoy investing. Conversely, 61 percent of female respondents don?t like investing. Experts believe confidence plays a key role in how women view investing and their financial choices. In fact, only 35 percent of women trust themselves to make sound investing decisions, according to the survey.
"Women are less confident about their investing decisions. They find it difficult to save and invest, and are concerned they are not putting aside enough for the future," says Jeff Seely, Chairman of ShareBuilder in a press release.
In regards to saving, 82 percent of women are concerned that they are not saving enough for retirement. In fact, only 53 percent of women under 35 saved at least 5 percent of their income in 2005, reports ShareBuilder. And only 26 percent of female respondents plan to invest more in 2006.
But as retirement-saving concerns rise, more men and women have access to qualified retirement plans. What's more, a little more than half of the survey respondents — both men and women — have contributed to a retirement savings plan.
As more female military spouses take control of the family finances, they should try to invest with confidence. If a spouse is unsure of her financial decisions, she should seek the advice of a financial planner or counselor on military installations.
What's more, military spouses can submit financial questions to "Ask June," a weekly column from June Walbert -- a Certified Financial Planner with USAA Financial Planning Services. She addresses all financial issues that affect military families. Just click here: Ask June.
