It's quite a different picture with the savings book. Only twelve percent consider the classic an attractive investment, yet at 40 percent it is among the most frequently used forms of saving, followed by the building savings contract (29%) and keeping money at home (23%). Opinion and reality are balanced on the topic of overnight deposits: 18 percent put their money in such an account.
This behavior shows: investors are looking for security. There's nothing wrong with that either, were it not for the poor interest rates. Many banks no longer pay any interest on overnight deposits. And even current, time-limited and capped offers with an interest rate of one percent are nowhere near enough to offset an inflation rate of currently around two percent. In effect, investors are losing money.
“Better to spread your equities across many sectors and countries!”
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The Attractiveness of Equities Has Doubled
This finding tallies with the investor barometer from Union Investment for the first quarter of 2017. German investors are well aware that, in times of low interest rates, they can no longer earn anything with conventional savings deposits. And they actually also know how to do it better. 35 percent of respondents currently consider it attractive to buy equities or funds. In the GfK study it is 20 percent. In the end, twelve and 15 percent respectively already act on it. This means the attractiveness of equities in Germany has more than doubled since 2011, says Raimund Wildner, managing director of the GfK association.
“More courage for equities and funds!”, Thomas Soltau also advises, Chairman of the Board of Wallstreet:Online Capital AG. Anyone who doesn't “forgoes by far the biggest return opportunities with a sensible investment,” says Hermann-Josef Tenhagen, editor-in-chief of Finanztip, and adds: “Better to spread your equities across many sectors and countries – and don't, even if it's hard, bet on markets that seem particularly trendy.” The financial expert advises passive investments. Because active funds mostly perform worse than the market over the long term – and all the more so after costs.
This recommendation tallies with the investment concept of quirion. The digital wealth advisor pursues a global and diversified approach and invests in the two by far most important asset classes: equities and bonds. Through the ETFs, index funds and asset-class funds, investors are indirectly invested in more than 10,000 companies worldwide. The stated goal is to follow the overall market in line with the latest scientific findings – and not supposed experts or trends.
