Investing While Female

You manage money like a girl! Oh, thank you.

Here are the ins and outs, the facts and fiction of how women relate to money and investing. Guys, take notes.

Let Me See You 1, 2 Step
Step 1. Ignore negative stereotypes about women and money.
Step 2. Read the kickass facts that crush these stereotypes.
Step 3. Embrace your inner #girlboss and be smart with your money.

There’s a lot of misconception around the power that women have with money. You’re probably familiar with stereotypes of women spending all their money on shoes and clothes. Or that they don’t know how to manage their money. But that’s not statistically accurate and we’re ready to blow it out of the water.

Where Do These Stereotypes Come From?
They probably come from the fact that women were not meaningfully and more fully included in the world of business and investing until very recently (and it’s still not perfect). Prior to World War II, only single women and women of color worked to support themselves. Because they were not typically holding senior and well paid positions, it’s likely that any extra money went into a piggy bank and nothing more. Then, Rosie the Riveter brought 3 million new female workers into the workforce. But even then, women weren’t making the same amount as men. Fast forward to today, and women still make .79 on the dollar compared to their male counterparts. SMH.

You’ve Got Me Feeling Emotions
After women broke into the everyday workforce, they tried to expand beyond assistant and receptionist roles. (Think Mad Men Era.) But there was one huge obstacle in their way. It was common for men to question hiring women at all, thinking that women would be too emotional. Which makes the reasoning behind the following statistic so deliciously ironic. New research shows that women are better investors than men. Why, you ask? One of the reasons is that men let their emotions get the better of them. They react more strongly to market swings and end up trading their investments more often than women do. This can cause a decrease of as much as 4% in account value. How ya like them apples?

Who Runs the World?
Women save, spend, and manage money differently than men. Women save better: Men save 7.9% of their salaries, while women save 8.3% of theirs. That means women are saving hundreds more dollars per year! Women buy smarter: Women serve an important purchasing role for their families by making roughly 70% of household purchases. That means entire families depend on a woman’s decision-making power. And this means that women have hands-on experience with some of Warren Buffett’s favorite investment choices. Companies that sell everyday household items, like Heinz and Procter & Gamble, just happen to be favorites of the investor giant. Well done, women. Well done.

All the (Single) Ladies
Stash sponsored a survey on Millennial investors so we could learn more about women’s barriers to investing. Turns out, 76% of Millennial women think investing is confusing, while 60% think investing is an old white man’s game. We’re changing the game but we need women-power to do it. (And we couldn’t help but reference one–ok, two–Beyonce songs in the process.)

Just looking at the stats, you can see that women are serious money moguls. And Stash’s goal is to make investing even easier and more accessible for the female community – so that more women can set themselves up for greater success, professionally and personally.

Make Investing a Woman’s Game
Be social about it. Start investing with your friends. And get the convo going. What’s your favorite ETF? How have you been successful saving? Investing is for women like you.