For risk-averse netizens, cash still king, says survey

Filipino internet users see cash as the best asset to have in 2022 with property far behind, according to a survey by Australia-based fintech firm Finder ROW Pty Ltd.

“Cash is the top investment option for people in the Philippines, with 29.8 percent of those surveyed saying they think cash will be the best performing investment in 2022,” Finder said.

Finder used Google Survey in December 2021 to poll 39,573 internet users across 26 countries across the world, including 2,008 respondents in the Philippines

The company clarified that due to the varying Google infrastructure in each market, not all surveys were nationally representative.

Considered an option for risk-averse investors, cash investments include depositing cash into bank accounts, money market accounts, certificates of deposits and short-term fixed-income instruments such as treasury bills.

“While cash may be king in 2022 for those surveyed, property is also a popular option at 18 percent, as are stocks, shares or ETFs (exchange-traded funds) at 17.5 percent,” the company added.

Results also show that among Filipino netizens, 17 percent are looking at cryptocurrency, 7 percent at nonfungible tokens or NFTs, 6 percent on bonds, and 5 percent on commodities.

“[But w]hile cash is the asset class that people across the various age categories think will perform the best on average in 2022, it’s not the top choice for everyone,” Finder said.

Results show that cash is indeed the top choice for respondents aged 18 to 64. For those 65 years and older, property is considered the best investment.

Still, Philippine results reflect sentiments worldwide, particularly in the United States, Canada, Brazil, Ireland, Spain, India and Singapore.

“As far as the most popular investment option globally goes, cash is king, with 24.5 percent of those surveyed around the globe saying it’s the safest investment option in 2022,” Finder said.

Among the markets surveyed, the Americans are the most keen on cash, with 33.7 percent of respondents saying so.

“Respondents were also bullish on property, with roughly 22.6 percent saying it’s best to put your money into bricks and mortar this year,” it added. “Those most likely to be investing in property are in France, where 43.5 percent of those users surveyed believe property is a decent bet for 2022.”

—Ronnel W. Domingo INQ