As I attend yet another investment seminar and find myself one of the few women in the room, I think “what a waste.” There should be more there. You see, the stock market is a girl’s game. We’re naturally better at it.
In a UK study of 1,000 portfolios, “the average woman's portfolio rose by 10%, compared to just a 7% rise for the overall FTSE index and a 6% increase for that of the average man.” That ain’t exactly a small difference.
Why?
It may have to do with the fact that women “are also more demanding of the companies they invest their money in and more likely to opt for socially responsible or ethical companies when buying shares.” In other words, we dig, dig, dig into a company’s background before buying. We do our research. We ask questions. We use financial advisors.
Plus I find men are more likely to “help” women than other men. They toss me tips. They point out flaws. And I listen. As I should, it’s my money on the line.
This is the reason that I’m easing my seven year old niece into paper investing. It’s a game she can win at. She doesn’t have to settle for 75.5 cents on a man’s dollar. She doesn’t have to fight to be taken seriously. She doesn’t have to go to multiple banks to snag that small business loan.
Sure, I’ll still fight the good fight but I’ll take the easy wins where I can (building the bank account to allow me to win those good fights).