Abstract
Purpose - In this study, we examine the factors related to the asset allocation decisions of individual investors who 1) directly invest in stocks or bonds, 2) indirectly invest in various fund products (excluding CMA and MMF), and 3) invest in both products. Design/methodology/approach - We collect a sample of 3,000 individual investors and investigate the factors influencing investment behavior, especially the diversification tendency in asset allocation, with the "Investor Behavior Survey" that is conducted jointly by the Korea Financial Investment Association and the Korea Gallup Research Institute in 2011 and 2012. Findings - Our regression analyses estimate the marginal effects of various factors such as the amount of total financial assets, monthly income, occupation, age, and gender. The results reveal that male investors with manual labor occupations were less inclined to diversify their investments compared to female investors in office jobs. Additionally, higher monthly income is associated with a greater inclination toward diversification. Therefore, if a positive relationship exists between income and educational level, we may suggest that higher educational levels lead to a greater tendency for diversification. Research implications or Originality - Interestingly, investors who engage in direct investments tend to exhibit a weaker diversification tendency as the amount of their direct investment increases. On the other hand, investors who engage in both direct and indirect investments show a weaker diversification tendency as the amount of total financial assets increases. This suggests that the investment style of investors is closely related to their diversification behavior.