Columbia SC Investors Favor Real Estate
Columbia SC investors, like many other Americans, are still a little nervous about Wall Street and recent activity in the stock market. In a recent survey, Bankrate.com reported that the majority of its respondents feel more bullish about the real estate market than other long-term investments. Characterizing long-term investments as those with a duration of 10 years or more, the survey cited real estate as the most popular investment with 27%. Twenty-three percent of those surveyed preferred cash investments (CDs, Money Market Funds, etc.), 17% preferred the stock market. Gold, silver and other precious metals were at 14% and bonds finished at 5%.
Despite the S&P 500 enjoying a 27% increase over the past two years, in general, stocks were only slightly more popular as an investment in 2015 versus 2013.
Columbia SC Investors Participate in Survey
The survey included information submitted by 1,000 adult residents of the United States and included Columbia SC investors in the questionnaire. Surveyors gleaned results based on geographic location, age, gender, and political affiliation. Women surveyed were more likely to favor cash investments offering less risk and greater security. Men were more likely to invest in real estate.
Interestingly, college graduates largely comprised the group most likely to prefer investing in stocks. Geographically, the western states favored real estate investments by a two to one margin over other investment options.
Not surprisingly, 32% of millennials (defined as those age 18-29) cited cash as their most popular long-term investment. In addition, the same percentage — 32% — of Generation Xers (those between 30-40) favored real estate, a popular choice of Columbia SC investors.
Those earning less than $50,000 per year said they felt "more secure" in their investments, while those earning $50,000 – $74,900 weren't quite as confident in their investments. Additionally, Republican respondents were three times more likely to say they felt "less secure" about their jobs than Democratic counterparts.
The July Bankrate Financial Security Index posted a positive response for the 14th consecutive monthly period, but July was the second lowest month of the year so far. Analysts attribute the ranking in part to an overall downward slide in job security. Of those surveyed, 22% felt "more secure" about their job situation than they did just a year ago, while 14% said they feel "less secure." Sixty-two percent felt "about the same" compared to a year ago.
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