Although women rate their investing skills far lower than men, their recent portfolio performance tells another story.

The majority of women investors (59 percent) consider themselves at a “beginner” skill level, compared to only 35 percent of men. Most men (56 percent) describe themselves as “intermediate.”

However, a new survey commissioned by online investing firm Scottrade shows recent portfolio performance closed any perceived gender gap. The number of men’s vs. women’s portfolios that stayed the same or increased in value in the last 12 months is exactly the same – 48 percent.

“It’s great to see that women have the same investing goals and are taking the same proactive steps as men,” said Chris Moloney, Scottrade’s chief marketing officer and executive director of customer intelligence. “It is surprising, though, that women are not as confident as men. This discrepancy in men’s and women’s opinions of their own investing skills is especially notable because it doesn’t reflect the reality of their portfolios’ performance.”

The Scottrade research found men and women make similar considerations when investing, with retirement by far being the single biggest reason to invest for both men and women.

Q: Why do you invest? Select all that apply.

Men and women also have reacted similarly to the current state of the economy, leading both genders to take a closer look at their own financial matters.

Q: Given the state of the economy, which of the following are you doing now that you weren’t doing before? Select all that apply.

The majority of both men and women seem to struggle with knowing what to invest in, although women clearly struggle more with understanding investing terminology – 29 percent of women reported this to be a challenging aspect of investing compared with 17 percent of men.

Q: Which of the following, if any, do you find to be a challenging aspect of investing? Select all that apply.

Women Want More Education

The Scottrade research found that throughout the many attitudinal and behavior similarities, there was one key exception – women want more education.

“When you look at the last 12 very volatile months, men’s and women’s investment goals and activities have become aligned,” Moloney said. “The good news is that in the wake of recent economic setbacks and added financial stress, women seem to be rising to their investing challenges by becoming more educated.”

Thirty-two percent of women have said that they’ve become more familiar with their own personal financial situation in the past year, compared to only 24 percent of men. And, 22 percent of women indicated that they have taken steps to learn more about the economy, compared to 15 percent of men.

“The economy seems to have spurred many women into action, and we are very pleased to see a trend that women are taking more of an active role in their own investments,” Moloney said. “Education and empowerment are important steps toward achieving the financial health and stability that will ultimately help people – both men and women – reach their goals and alleviate some of the stress they feel about their finances.”

Scottrade has a longstanding commitment to investor education, and the company recently launched a new online Knowledge Center (www.scottrade.com/education) that is available to the public. Featuring nearly 2,000 up-to-date educational articles and interactive tools, the site houses some of the most complete financial planning content available to the public. In addition, the firm provides free user summits and branch seminars across the country.

About the 2009 Scottrade American Investor Survey

The study was commissioned by Scottrade and conducted online with members of Survey Sampling Inc.’s SurveySpot consumer panel. Fielded with a nationally representative sample of 1,143 respondents (627 men and 516 women) between July 15 and July 29, 2009, the study examined attitudes, behaviors and trends related to investing. All participants were at least 18 years of age and were involved in making investment decisions in their households. Margin of error for the overall poll is +/- 3.1 percent at 95 percent confidence.

About Scottrade

As a leading online investing firm, Scottrade offers a full line of investment products, online trading services and market research tools to help investors take control of their financial future. Scottrade is dedicated to exceptional customer service and unprecedented value, providing customers the convenience of buying many stocks online at just $7 per trade and the support of the largest branch network among online investment firms, with more than 430 nationwide branch offices. Scottrade is also one of FORTUNE magazine’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” in America. For more information, visit www.scottrade.com.