The Royal Mint has recorded an increase in the proportion of women investing in gold and silver.
Female investors account for a quarter (26%) of the Royal Mint’s investment customers, up from just one in 12 (8%) in 2018.
Gold prices have been hitting record highs in recent days, with investors flocking to the “safe haven” commodity amid geopolitical worries, falling interest rates and uncertainty over the United States election result.
A survey commissioned by the Royal Mint found 27% of women plan to move their savings into investments in the next year, with 16% of women saying they are considering investing in gold.
In general, the value of investments can go down as well as up, potentially leaving people with less money than they put in.
While undoubtedly progress has been made in recent years, and more women are expected to invest in the next year, there is a long way to go before a level playing field is reached
Nicola Howell, Royal Mint
Investments are often seen as a longer-term strategy, so people may want to consider how long they can leave money invested for as well as how much risk they are comfortable with.
The survey indicated a third of budding female investors (31%) are motivated to start investing so they can grow their wealth over the longterm.
It also found that more than half (58%) of women who do not invest feel jargon around investments is too complicated, compared with 47% of men.
Nicola Howell, chief commercial officer at the Royal Mint said: “This study clearly shows the impact of investment risk and knowledge on female investment participation.
“While undoubtedly progress has been made in recent years, and more women are expected to invest in the next year, there is a long way to go before a level playing field is reached.
“We want more women to feel empowered when making investment choices, whether that’s in precious metals or any other asset.”
More than 3,000 people were surveyed by Censuswide in August for the research.
