| Off-farm financial investments, such as stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and certificates of deposit, can offer farmers significant opportunities for diversification. Moreover, deregulation of financial markets in the 1980s enhanced the ability of farmers to invest in these financial assets. This study reports the results of a mail survey to 473 North Dakota farmers to identify the type and size of financial assets these farmers hold, their geographic placement, and their motives for investment. The 119 North Dakota farmers who responded to this survey had not taken advantage of the financial innovations deregulation that financial markets afford. Their investments were concentrated in local savings accounts, checking accounts, and farm real estate. Few... |
