WOMEN INVESTORS ARE BUCKING STOCKS

“Women Investors are Bucking Stocks” was an article that ran in The Wall Street Journal on February 13, 2021. Here are some alarming statistics from the article:

Women investors made “Less than one-quarter of deposits into U.S. brokerage accounts in January, according to consumer-spending data analytics firm Cardify.” (Less than 25% of deposits despite being about 50% of the U.S. population.)

“Currently, women’s share of financial assets globally is estimated at 30% by Credit Suisse.” (Excluding the U.S. and Europe, the rest of the world equals a much lower share.)

“Credit Suisse surveyed a sample of existing clients and found that almost half of its female customers have 90% of their wealth in low-yielding cash and fixed income” – well over 2x the allocation Credit Suisse recommends.” (In Roadside Scholar speak, this is excessive money parking.)

“Governments and companies are increasingly shifting the responsibility for a secure retirement onto individuals.” (Translation: it is up to you to change the situation. Do not wait for your employer or the government. Governments redistribute wealth not create it.)

Women are getting left behind financially. The Roadside Scholar believes one reason is a lack of financial education – only 11 states require any type of financial education to graduate high school. Another is the pervasiveness of social cues communicating to young women that investing in the stock market is risky and a “guy” thing.

As the U.S. stock market creates significant wealth for shareholders and parking money in low-yielding cash investments destroys wealth (both after inflation and fees), “cash parkers” fall further behind. Women cannot fall behind due to poor cash allocation strategies.

My daughter was hesitant to get started investing in the market after graduating high school. Her comment was, “What if I lose money?” A normal fear, but she started. She invested in bundles that required little monitoring, allowing her to spend more time on Facebook than Fidelity. Just the other day she said to me, “Dad, have you seen my account lately?” Rightly, she was very pleased.

Roadside Scholar Tip: Wealth is for Everyone – Not Just Men. Motivated women interested in changing the status quo can do so without committing excessive time.

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For more information and easy to understand explanations of important money matters go to www.theroadsidescholar.com or purchase The Roadside Scholar: Amazing Money Lessons from Behind the Fence.