Womens' pension prospects dulled by 'reckless conservatism'

Women take fewer risks than men

clock • 1 min read

The tendency for women to be more risk-adverse than men is a major contributor to pension inequality in the UK, according to research from Cass Business School and the University of Bristol.

Data collated in the Quantifying Loss Aversion: Evidence from a UK Population Survey discussion report, published this month, compares 4,000 respondents with a variety of gender, class and education differences to establish money and investment trends. The report found women take fewer risks than men, while younger and older people are more risk-adverse than the middle-aged. Those without children were also found to be likely to take risks than those with children. Looking at pensions specifically, the report found these behavioural traits to be particularly damaging on long-term savi...

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