Nearly half of Southeast Asian investors also believe that independent financial advisers, governments and regulators, and educational institutions have a role to play in this regard.
A difference can also be observed, in that respondents from Southeast Asia think that 31% of people themselves are responsible for having sufficient knowledge of personal financial matters, compared to 24% globally.
However, Schroders writes that “despite the positive intentions, a gap remains in investors who feel genuinely empowered to make the right investment decisions for their future.”
The survey notes that 79% of self-purported “expert” Singapore investors feel that they have sufficient knowledge to feel confident in making investment decisions for their financial future, while only 20% of “beginner” investors" in the country feel knowledgeable enough to do so.
See also: Bring back the market's glory days
The Schroders survey classifies investors by their self-purported knowledge of whether they are “beginner”, “intermediate or “expert” investors.
Across Southeast Asia, climate issues are seen as Southeast Asia"s most important engagement priorities, with almost one-third (31%) of respondents indicating so. This is in line with most countries surveyed at 32%.
Natural capital and biodiversity also ranked second in Southeast Asia, demonstrating the significance of environment-related issues.
See also: Rich Chinese splashing out on luxury have yet to invest big in Singapore
Personal principles
Schroders also found that self-purported “expert” investors in Singapore are more likely to consider their personal principles as “very important” to them when investing.
63% of “expert” Singapore investors indicated this, compared to 58% in Southeast Asia and 55% globally.
Across the age spectrum, younger investors in Singapore, specifically, were found to strongly prioritise their principles and values when making investment decisions. 71% of investors in Singapore belonging to the 18-37 and 38-50 age brackets indicated as such.
This is in contrast to the global average, which showed that investors aged 71 and above were the largest segment (76%) who strongly prioritise their principles and values when making investment decisions.
