Women across the globe look to online investing

First-ever International TD Women Investor Poll reveals attitudes and habits of female investors in the U.K., Canada and U.S.; finds similarities over the border and across the pond.

The majority of women who manage their investments online feel they've been successful at closely matching or outperforming the markets, according to the first-ever International TD Women Investor Poll, for which TD Direct Investing (U.K.), TD Waterhouse (Canada), TD Ameritrade (U.S.) teamed up to survey women investors in different countries to reveal their thoughts and attitudes about a variety of investment topics.

More than twice as many women in the U.K. (38%) and U.S. (31%) manage their investments online compared with their Canadian counterparts (13%). Of these women online investors, 82% in the U.K say they've consistently out-performed, or performed close to the market. This is consistent with women investors in the U.S. and Canada who say they've also been successful managing their own investments online (81% and 76% respectively).

The majority of women online investors in all three countries (U.K.: 87%, Canada: 87% and U.S. 94%) also say they are quite confident and/or level-headed about managing their portfolio, although in each country surveyed, approximately one-in-ten women (U.K.: 13%, Canada: 13% and U.S.: 6%) say they're nervous and "never feel like they're making the right decisions when it comes to their investments."

What can we learn from investors' confidence and success? The top three pieces of advice from women investors across all three countries for those thinking of becoming do-it-yourself investors are:

1 Do your research - understand the economy and the markets (U.K. 64%, Canada: 68% and U.S.: 73%)

2 Start small and work your way up once you are comfortable (U.K. 64%,  Canada: 67% and U.S.: 61%)

3 Don't be afraid to ask for help, you don't have to do it alone (U.K.  48%, Canada: 58% and U.S.: 59%)

Market volatility and attitudes about risk

The majority of women say they have changed nothing in their portfolio in reaction to volatility in the markets (U.K.: 52%, Canada: 61%, U.S.: 54%), saying they are confident they have a long-term plan that can weather the volatility.

Generally women say they are risk-averse; British and Canadian women report to be the most conservative - 35% percent of women in the UK and 38% of women in the Canada say they don't want to take any chances with their money - only one quarter of American women (25%) gave this answer. The majority of women in all three countries said they are willing to take small chances to receive a better return (U.K.: 60%, Canada: 58%, U.S.: 66%), and very few women describe themselves as having a high-risk tolerance (U.K. 5%, Canada: 4% and U.S. 8%).

The value of your investments can go down as well as up. You may not get back all the funds that you invest.

For more information, visit tddirectinvesting.co.uk.