Banca Comerciala Romana (BCR) has recently made a study that shows that men are saving 17 percent more than women with the bank’s classic saving products - such as bank deposit or savings account. Moreover, men aged between 30 and 40 save some 23 percent more than women, while after 40, men save just 15 percent more, according to the study on BCR's consumers behavior.

In the investment funds sector, 57 percent of the investors are men, while for savings-lending contracts available through BCR’s Banca pentru Locuinte, 53 percent are women, shows the study.

Some 50,000 women - 43 percent of the total investors, invested in the funds managed by Erste Asset Management, with a total of about EUR 229 million (RON 1 billion). The women investing in the Erste Asset management funds are rather cautious and focused on stability, mostly choosing funds that have a low level of risk, shows the study.

“Since the first steps in the life of the investor were taken, women are expected to build investment portfolios of at least two funds in the future and will choose to direct some of the invested amounts towards funds with a higher level of risk,” reads the study.

BCR Group saw its net profit drop further last year, to EUR 16.1 million, just one seventh of the EUR 110 million net profit reported the year before. The fall was caused by lower income and higher provisions. In 2010, the group’s net profit was 46 percent down on 2009.

Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com

(photo source: Sxc.hu)