By Anna Boland and Kate Skeggs, Financial Advisors @ Jarden
It’s deeply empowering to have the financial literacy that can enable you to build a personal emergency safety net, own property, fund education and secure a comfortable retirement. Harnessing the potential of investing to secure your financial future starts with education, clear goals, and building the confidence to take control of your financial destiny.
Jarden has been assisting New Zealanders with their investments for over 60 years. Locally, Anna and Kate advocate for women to get involved in investing and support them to manage their investments wisely by creating personalised investment portfolios and by taking the time to help them build their investment knowledge.
Investment strategies go further than just building your own personal wealth. The skills needed to be a savvy investor can guide your approach to philanthropy too, by helping you assess charities and their community impacts as they align with your values and priorities. The earlier you start the better for learning skills and building self-confidence in financial decision making, particularly given the positive impact compound returns can make over time.
We love supporting Impact100 because we know the women who get involved are making considered choices about where and how their donations can have a great impact in our local community – and how we can do more together.
We’re pleased to share some reflections with you on the trends in our industry that are demonstrating how women are increasingly having more influence in this space:
Wealth Transfer and Inheritance: As wealth transfers from one generation to the next, women have become increasingly responsible for managing inherited assets. Financial literacy and education can mean this inherited wealth can be maintained for longer-term gain – such as supporting the future generations of family, too.
Diverse Investment Strategies: When investing, women often show a preference for investment strategies that align with their values, such as gender diversity or sustainable investments that can make positive impacts. There has been an uplift in companies focusing on ESG and equity recently, and female investors have shown they value these factors when making investment decisions.
Women-Focused Investment Platforms: Financial technology companies and investment platforms are recognising the potential of catering specifically to women investors. One example is the Kiwi platform and podcast ‘Girls that Invest’ by Simran Kaur and Sonya Gupthan. The project's mission is to encourage young women to start investing early, in order to build both personal capital and financial independence via education.
Investment Clubs and Communities: The popularity of forming investment clubs among women has risen significantly in recent years. Being part of communities where we can feel trusted and empowered to share knowledge, experiences, and investment opportunities can helped us be comfortable with the idea of investing.
Focus on Education: The importance of financial education for everyone, regardless of gender, is being realised. As many of us only learn basic fiscal skills in school, it’s up to us to seek out our own ways to expand our skills and knowledge. In 2023, we’re incredibly lucky to have so many online resources right at our fingertips.
Entrepreneurial Investment Despite Challenges: More women entrepreneurs are starting businesses, and as a result, they’re engaging in investment activities to fund their ventures. Women entrepreneurs and investors alike can relate to experiencing gender-based limitations such as the gender pay gap, limited representation in senior roles, and societal biases. As more women become vocal against gender biases in the industry, we’re slowly paving the way for others to follow.
Investing is a powerful tool for women to achieve financial independence to secure their own and their family’s future, and to close the gender wealth gap. By breaking down barriers, gaining confidence, and taking proactive steps, women can become successful investors and pave the way for a more financially empowered future.
It's fantastic being part of the change empowering women investors to achieve their financial goals and celebrating what we can do together – just as we do at Impact100.
If you are interested in learning more about these themes or how investing can help you, please reach out to Anna or Kate.
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