Alt Investments
High Net Worth Women Are Embracing Alternatives More Than Men - US Survey

HNW women are more likely to embrace "alternative" investments, such as private equity or hedge funds, than men, confounding certain stereotypes, a US survey finds.
Despite the conservative reputation of female investors, the
number of high net worth women investing in non-traditional and
alternative assets is greater than men, according to a new survey
of high net worth investors by Mainstay
Investments, a subsidiary of New York Life Insurance.
The study revealed that women have a higher allocation to
non-traditional investments (27 per cent) in their portfolios
than men (20 per cent).
The study, conducted online from October 24 to November 11 last
year, questioned 806 HNW investors about their interest and
knowledge of alternative investments.
“This research suggests that high net worth women should be
approached as goal-oriented, savvy investors with a long-term and
growing interest in alternative investments,” said Matthew Leung,
head of channel marketing strategies at MainStay Investments.
More than half of the women questioned (55 per cent) said that
over the past year they had increased their allocations to
alternative investments, while more than a quarter (27 per cent)
of women said that they planned to add to their allocation within
the next five years.
Additionally, more women (60 per cent) than men (47 per cent) see
alternatives as a mainstream option and expect alternatives to
become a core investment holding in their portfolios over the
next five to ten years.
The survey also found that over two-thirds of women (68 per cent)
believe that alternative investments may offer the best
opportunity to diversify and meet their long-term objectives.
“There’s clearly a growing eagerness among high net worth women
to explore the role of alternative investments in their
portfolios, which translates into an opportunity for MainStay and
the financial advisors we partner with,” said Leung.