Introduction
An increasing number of financial studies conclude that
women invest their asset portfolios more conservatively
than their male counterparts , a finding that is generally a
consistent with the “common wisdom” of financial services
providers. Although there is a large body of literature on
other types of gend er differences in pensions , examination b
of differences in investment behavior is a relatively new
avenue for research. The existence of gender differences
raises important questions for public policy, particularly in
light of the recent trend toward self-directed pension
accounts and the proposals for partial privatization of
Social Security. Although there are obvious implications
for the overall financial well-being of women in retirement,
interventions can be more effectively designed with better
understanding of the underlying causes of observed
investment patterns.