Only 3% of Israelis invested in real estate in 2010, according to the annual MasterCard Index survey of consumer behavior of Israeli credit cardholders. The most popular investments in 2010 were bank deposits, securities, and advanced training funds. TNS Teleseker conducted the survey for MasterCard Inc. (NYSE: MA).
Only half of Israelis made investments. 45% of respondents made no investments at all, 7% fewer compared with the survey for 2009.
Men invested in securities more than women, and securities were the preferred investment of people over the age of 50, 36% of whom opted for this investment. Women tend to invest in advanced training funds.
29% of respondents have no pension or managers insurance. 57% of respondents have one of these options through their workplace. Twice as many men as women tend to have a private pension fund (10% of men, compared with 5% of women). 64% of respondents have a private savings account. These are mainly among below average income-earners (71%), and people over 50 (70%).
Young people also save. Half of respondents aged 18-29 said that they had a private savings account. A private savings account is also important among the unemployed (64%), similar to the proportion of salaried employees (69%). It is even more important for the self-employed (72%).
Does economic instability affect the importance of private savings accounts? 22% of respondents with private savings accounts said that they intended to increase their savings over the coming year.
The main reason for savings, according to 44% of the respondents, is to ensure their children's future. Other reasons include retirement planning (34%), personal economic uncertainty (27%), and uncertainty about general economic stability (24%).
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