Research into couples and their personal finances consistently shows that it still tends to be men who make the investment decisions. But women tend to have a different attitude towards investing, and when they are involved, they often make better choices.
Dr Moira Somers is a financial psychologist at the University of Manitoba and explains that the current research is that women are much more conservative investors. They often wait far too long to get into investing. When women do start investing though, they tend to have better returns than men, because they are more prudent.
Unlike men. Women don’t seek the extreme reward end of the spectrum. They are content with more modest returns and they tend to achieve them.
Surveys repeatedly show that money is one of the main causes of stress. Women are especially prone to worrying about it.
Another gender difference is that women tend to stress more about money. They will acknowledge that they loose sleep more often than men do. And, sometimes, that’s because they do not have sufficient knowledge of their own family finances.
They’re not the ones in control.
Having the wise counsel of a good financial adviser is extremely valuable. There are signs that the advice profession is starting to serve women better than it has in the past.
So, don’t be put off by negative experiences. Find an adviser you trust and feel comfortable with.
You can find out more about Dr Somers’ work via her website, moneymindandmeaning.com.
