Investment patterns alter with times

Most of the Chinese investors believe that it is an opportune time to invest in precious metals, insurance and annuities, according to a survey conducted by Canadian financial services provider Manulife. [Provided to China Daily]

Times are changing and so are the Chinese investors. Stable instruments with long-term yields have stolen a march over the once preferred fast-money products, thereby raising the stakes for wealth managers.

Tian Xiaoyi, a wealth manager from Shanghai is one of the wealth mangers in China who is both happy and perplexed with the shifting consumer preferences.

"Pitching wealth management products to clients is no longer easy. Earlier most of my clients would be happy to take an investment decision if the product offered annualized yields of more than 20 percent. But of late, they have become choosier and want to know more about the terms and conditions of the product, its risk factors and how it compares with peers, before finalizing an investment decision," said Tian.

Yield is no longer the priority and the focus is more on stability and low risk, he said. What this means is that wealth management professionals need to be more market savvy and equipped with professional knowledge to hard sell a variety of products, with assured, stable returns he said.