Women Have More Money Anxiety. Why Talking to Other Women Might Help.

Women have made big strides when it comes to career options and compensation, but they’re still behind men on investing.

A February, 2021, survey* from Stash found that men are nearly twice as likely as women to have learned about investing when they were young. The data also showed that talking about money makes women feel more confident about their finances. But the majority of women surveyed felt they didn’t have someone they could talk to about their finances. 

Getting an early start is critical

As kids, the data suggests, women don’t tend to get the same financial education as men do, which can put them behind as adults. Seventy-one percent of men were taught about finances at a young age, compared to almost two-thirds of women. And while 39% of men learned about investing as kids, only 22% of women did.

This education gap might contribute to differences in how men and women approach money in adulthood. Stash’s report saw that when thinking about their personal finances, women are more likely to feel overwhelmed (38%) and anxious (37%). Men, meanwhile, are more likely to feel knowledgeable (38%) or confident and in control (37%). Additionally, almost half of the women polled said that they feel confident in their short-term financial decisions, but don’t know where to start when it comes to long-term financial decisions.

Overcoming an investing gap

Women also experience a gap in investing. When asked how confident they felt about their knowledge of investing, women most often said they felt somewhat confident (28%) or not confident at all (23%). Men most said they felt very confident (40%) or somewhat confident (28%). Women also said the following about investing:

• 46% of women don’t feel they have enough money to begin investing
• 39% of women don’t invest because they don’t want to lose money
• 35% of women want to invest but don’t know where to start

Talking about money can empower people, particularly women, to take control of their finances. In fact, Stash’s survey discovered that talking about finances helps people feel more supported (48%) and informed about their financial decisions (43%). And roughly three-quarters of respondents, regardless of gender, who talk to women about their finances feel confident they know how to achieve their short-term and long-term financial goals. 

While talking about money can help people become more confident and knowledgeable about it, 58% of women say that they don’t currently have a woman in their life that they can talk to about their finances. But that might be changing. While 47% of Gen X women said that they found talking about money taboo, only a third of Gen Z women felt that way. 

How women can start investing with Stash

Stash is helping to close the gap in investing opportunity and education so that women can build wealth. With Stash, you can start investing in a portfolio of stocks, bonds, and ETFs with any dollar amount. You can also start saving for retirement by opening an individual retirement account (IRA) with $5 on Stash. 

Stash also offers financial advice and education to help new investors learn the ropes. On Stash Learn, can find resources on how to build a diversified portfolio, how to save for your short-term and long-term goals, how to budget your money, and more. You can also sign up for Stash’s newsletter, The Wallet, for weekly news and personal finance tips. 

And in celebration of Women’s History Month, join Stash’s webinar with the Council for Economic Education on March 25, 2020. We’ll be tackling some of the historical barriers women have faced in the fight for financial independence, trends we’re seeing among female investors today, and some basic investing principles to take with you moving forward.

Download the full survey data here