When was the last time you spoke to your friends about finances? Not just lamenting the price of a cup of coffee, or admitting you spent far too much in the January sales this year, but actually getting into the nitty gritty of how you make your money and what you do with it?
If the answer is never – you’re not alone. According to research, while 70% of women will happily talk money with friends, only 34% discuss investing. It’s one of many reasons why the gender investment gap currently sits at a startling £678billion.
It doesn’t help that women also have so few role models in the finance sector. In fact, one study by Dr Ylva Baeckstrom, senior lecturer in finance at King’s Business School, showed that 75% of screen time in finance-related films and TV series is occupied by men, with women relegated to wives, mistresses or assistants. For women who do make it on screen as actual finance experts, up to 90% possess ‘alpha’ characteristics and 90% face discriminatory behaviour on screen.
‘These on-screen depictions, while sadly unsurprising, are deeply disappointing and have a potentially disastrous impact on society,’ Dr. Baeckström told Grazia. ‘We all know that women earn less, invest less, yet live longer than men and therefore have an even greater need to build wealth to secure their futures. It has been proven that what we watch on screen affects our attitudes and influences our behaviour. The misrepresentation of finance and investing as a pursuit for “alpha males” and the lack of female role models are perpetuating the gender investment gap.’
So, how can we change that? Well, trading and investing platform eToro is setting out to try with their ‘Loud Investing’ initiative. Hoping to dispel the myth that investing isn’t for everyone, they’re calling on every single woman in the UK who invests to pay it forward by having just one conversation with a female friend, colleague or family member who doesn’t currently.
‘As a white, middle-aged man who works in finance this isn’t the most comfortable of topics for me to address,’ says Dan Moczulski, UK managing director at eToro. ‘Yet, that’s why it is so important. We all have a role to play in addressing the gender investment gap. It might sound intimidating, but in reality, what we are asking is very simple. We want you to talk.’
You’ve heard of Paint ‘n’ Sip, so how about a finance-themed Spill ‘n’ Sip? Invite the girls round and tell them why you invest, what you invest in and where to go to find out more. It’s time for Loud Investing. One conversation could change someone’s entire financial future!
*Source: Boring Money 2025
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