Closing the Gender Gap in Investing
19% of women report feeling confident selecting investments that align with their goals
This is a discouraging statistic from a recent survey conducted on women and investing. We know that a gender gap exists when it comes to investing – on average, data shows that women’s investment account balances are less than men’s. There are a few often-cited reasons for this. The gender pay gap still exists, and women statistically spend more time outside of the workforce, meaning that women may simply have less money to invest.
But there is another reason. Women tend to feel less confident taking investment risk and therefore hold more cash on the sidelines, hampering their money’s growth potential.
But there is a difference between taking risk, and taking inappropriate risk for your goals. Women tend to benchmark successful investing not by the return numbers themselves, but by progress towards goals – buying a house, funding an education, or retiring comfortably.
Defining your goals and their timeframes is the first step toward building the confidence to invest. Money that you don’t need for 10 or 15 years can afford to be invested for growth. The farther along the timeline your goal is, the more certainty you can have of capturing greater returns by investing.
When women do invest, they see results. On average, women outperformed their male counterparts by 40 basis points or 0.4% over a 10-year analysis
On the flip side, studies show that over time, women’s investment returns tend to outperform men’s, with women exhibiting less impulsive investment decisions and staying the course when there is market volatility.
Starting early is the most powerful thing you can do to put yourself on track. If you didn’t start early, start now. Women already have the proclivity to stay invested to meet their goals, we just need the confidence to invest in the first place!
I joined Integras Partners in 2022 wanting to broaden my impact on people’s lives, particularly groups that have been underserved by the financial advice community – groups like women and single earners, which I am also a part of. Integras Partners was already well suited to women investors – focusing on the partnership and the “why” behind financial goals.
I’ll be writing more about these areas in coming newsletters, as well as general financial wellness and investing topics that I hope you will find interesting.
Source: https://www.fidelity.com/bin-public/060_www_fidelity_com/documents/about-fidelity/FidelityInvestmentsWomen&InvestingStudy2021.pdf
So, enjoy today and tomorrow, and let us do the worrying!
Contact us to discuss your situation if you’re interested in our time-horizon strategies.
Call us to review your investment approach at (404) 941-2800.