Ever wonder where goans stand when it comes to investing? Or rather where is it that Goans prefer to invest their capital? A study carried across Goa interviewing 1500 individuals may be able to shed some light into the matter. The study is named ‘Savings and investment Behaviour of Investors in Goa: An Empirical Study.’
The research was carried out by Roshan G Naik alias Roshan V Usapkar for her doctoral thesis. She is an assistant professor at Government College of Arts and Commerce, Pernem. Her guide was Prof Y V Reddy, the then Dean of faculty of commerce at Goa University.
Findings of the study
The study found that 97.6 % of Goans prefer investing in bank deposits, while. 27.6 % invest in postal deposits. A mere 0.3 % invest in the share market. The study reveals those investing in the share markets belong to the age group of 18-35 years. These share market investors are mostly postgraduates and married.
“No respondents from the age group of 59 and above, nor agriculturist neither housewives were found to be investing in mutual fund,” information from the study was quoted in a report.
The study also highlights the ground realities in regards to the understanding and knowledge of various avenues available for investment to the people.
“As per the study majority of the agriculturist, self-employed and the housewives were very little or not at all aware about investments like shares, commodities and derivatives. They were found to be very much aware about the physical assets but lacked the knowledge of financial investments. Segment wise training and education of investors must be undertaken,” Naik was quoted in a report.
Factors affecting the investment decision
Findings of the study shows that safety was the main concern among Goans. Be it investing in liquid assets or solid assets. Gold was found to be a favoured commodity to invest into when it comes to solid assets.
“Safety was the prime objective for respondents while investing in both physical and financial assets. Among physical assets, gold was the most preferred, while bank deposits were the most preferred avenue among the financial assets,” quoted from a report.
Influences faced by Goans while investing
The study showcases how investors are making their decision. The decisions are mostly influenced by their family members.
“Younger and single respondents relied heavily on family advice, while older and married respondents depended on spouses’ advice. Higher the level of education more was the family advice sought,” the report said.
It was revealed that Goans rely on professional advice only while investing in share markets. Roshan G Naik was awarded a PhD this year for her study.
It would be very helpful if current generation of school children are given an education in investing their capital. A few workshops organised for the citizens should come a long way too. After all it is the lack of knowledge of investment avenues that affect the goans rather than lack of initiative.
Do you have any ideas or avenues for Goans to invest? Do let us know in the comments!
