Talk about the (non-)participation in the stock market

Austrian retail stock market participation (i.e., the proportion of the population that owns stocks or equity funds), while growing substantially recently, is still relatively low, with unfavorable consequences for Austrians' disposable income and wealth particularly in retirement. To help address this issue, Stefan Palan was recently asked to give a talk about the motives for, and obstacles preventing, investment in the stock market among Austrian retail investors. Speaking in front of senior retail bankers, he reported on recent research showing that non-investors overestimate the expertise required to participate in the stock market, and that a majority holds such erroneous beliefs as that such investment requires at least weekly checking on one's brokerage account.