Gender differences in financial behavior of population

Abstract

The article analyzes various studies in the field of population behavior in the financial market. Since psychological factors related to mentality, temperament, and risk-taking play an important role in implementing financial strategies, along with rational motives, women and men may behave differently. An attempt is made to answer the question: whether there are significant gender differences in financial behavior models, and whether this aspect requires a close attention of scientists who study trends and features of forming strategies of Russians when making economic decisions. A review of Russian and foreign studies aimed at investigation of gender characteristics of investment behavior and financial literacy is performed. Traditionally, in most families, men are responsible for the financial situation, they are more concerned with providing for their family, earning and multiplying money. Women, as a rule, are more concerned with the «inner» side of family life — so that everyone is fed, dressed, shod, and provided with everything necessary. Therefore, if both of them have decided to invest, the emphasis in the well-known formula «save and multiply» is made by men on the second word, and by women — on the first. As a result, women are significantly less likely to take risks and more likely to make profitable transactions. Men are more prone to take risks, for them it is not so much the result of investment that is important, as the excitement, and work in the financial markets is somewhat akin to hunting. Probably there are some primitive triggers at the level of the subconscious that are blocked by the norms of morality and etiquette in society. For women, stability is much more important, and the desire to maintain a sense of security prevails rather than a thirst for risk. The study revealed poor elaboration of this topic, lack of Russian research on gender-specific financial behavior due to the underdevelopment of the Russian financial market, as well as the lack of sufficient supply of financial instruments for further accumulation of experience in implementing their strategies by representatives of both genders.