Originally published at: https://blog.investengine.com/investengine-x-female-invest-start-investing-with-confidence/
We’re delighted to announce that we’ve partnered with Female Invest, the e-learning platform on a mission to democratise finance and close the financial gender gap.
Part of this mission specifically, is ensuring everyone has the tools to invest for their futures with confidence. From the beginning, InvestEngine has been committed to making investing more accessible for everyone, so we’re teaming up with Female Invest to further that goal.
Get started with investing
As part of this mission, we’ve partnered with Female Invest to develop a series of events, led by the experts at Female Invest.
These online events will cover a range of financial subjects and products to provide a crash course in the details of personal finance and investing. The topics include:
- ISA vs GIA – exploring the difference between General Investment Accounts and ISAs, when to use which and how to invest in both.
- How to navigate ETFs – explaining what ETFs actually are, how they can fit in an investment portfolio and where to go to invest in them.
- Saving Regularly on Autopilot – demonstrating the benefits of regular investing and how to build an autopilot portfolio.
The first event – ISA vs GIA – will take place on September 13th. You can learn more about our partnership and secure your spot for the upcoming webinar by visiting the link below: https://www.femaleinvest.com/en-gb-events/isa-vs-gia.
Closing the gender investment gap
In 2022, Boring Money found that only 40% of investors in the UK are women – down from 41% in 2021. It’s also an unfortunate truth that women around the globe still earn on average 37% less than men, which has a direct impact on their ability to invest in their own futures.
InvestEngine’s own research found that, in the UK, women are as likely as men to be putting money aside each month, but far less likely to invest it – only 13% told us they have a stocks and shares ISA, for example, against 23% of men.
It’s important that this gap is addressed, not least because when women do invest they tend to be more successful than men. In a study of 2,800 investors, Warwick Business School found that annual returns on portfolios held by women were 1.94% above the performance of the FTSE 100; men were just 0.14% above it, meaning female investors outperformed men by 1.8%.
Elspeth Brown, Marketing Manager at InvestEngine, said: “There’s no inherent reason why fewer women should invest than men, and with InvestEngine we’ve got everything they need to get going. Fixing the pay and pension gaps will go a long way towards gender parity, but this will take longer without increasing financial and investing education.
“For example, our research shows 40% of women don’t know how stocks and shares ISAs work compared to just 29% of men, and this – combined with a lack of funds and aversion to risk – is creating a huge investment gap that desperately needs bridging. It’s great to work with forward thinking businesses like Female Invest to focus on education for under-represented groups.”
Lærke Engelbrekt, Community Lead & Webinar Host at FemaleInvest said: “We are on a mission to close the financial gender gap by educating women on everything from managing their finances to investing on the stock market and empowering them – an important part of which is ensuring they have equal access to investment tools. That is why we are pleased to partner with online investment platform InvestEngine.
“InvesEngine’s innovative platform offers both managed and DIY options – those who prefer someone else to make investment decisions for them can choose that option, while those who prefer to make their own decisions can pick and manage their own investments for free.”
Check out the great work that Female Invest does here.
Given the current economic situation, long-term financial planning has rarely been so important. Everyone should be including investing as part of their financial strategy and we see getting more women into investing as integral to the financial wellbeing of our communities. Here’s to the future of fairer investing!
Important information
Capital at risk. The value of your portfolio with InvestEngine can go down as well as up and you may get back less than you invest. ETF costs also apply.
This communication is provided for general information only and should not be construed as advice. If in doubt you may wish to consult a professional adviser for guidance.
Tax treatment depends on personal circumstances and is subject to change, and past performance is not a reliable indicator of future returns.