International Women's Day: Women are Investing for a Brighter Future!

In recent years, women have been making a greater impact in society. Empowered by the wide variety of roles they are playing in arenas like politics, defense, sports, IT, and business. The world has changed and so have women. They are not just earning money but taking the power to invest it in their hands.

The change has been accelerated during the COVID-19 crisis. As the world grappled against an unprecedented economic-crisis, women stepped up to financially support themselves and their families. Women prefer buying traditional assets such as gold, while some may invest money in either fixed deposits or tax-saving mutual funds. But, due to the pandemic, the return on these became less attractive while on the other hand, the capital market crashed. Owing to the plunge, stocks of many large-cap and fundamentally strong companies were available at heavily discounted valuations. It was a great time for first-time investors to enter the market and make gains during the volatility.

This International Women's Day we take a moment to applaud and strengthen the efforts of Indian women towards a better society. Here is an overview of how women have resorted to investing and trading in the capital markets in the year gone by.

Recent Trends

1. The pandemic pushed families across the world to recalculate their budgets. The focus shifted from saving to investment and spending patterns changed considerably. Women stepped in to offer an additional source of income through stock market trading. According to data released by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), around 9 million new DEMAT accounts have been opened since April 2020. (Source)
2. The customer base of major brokerage houses has grown up to 4x compared to the pre-COVID level. Most of their new customers are millennials and a significant percentage of them are females. (Source).
3. Women from various backgrounds and even low-income brackets supported their families. They tried their hands-on mobile trading to ensure financial security amidst pay cuts and layoffs of other earning members. Top brokerages reported a five-fold growth in account opening by females in 2020, with approximately 61 percent of them being first-time customers and 30 percent of them being housewives. (Source)
4. Participation of females in managing assets, saving, and investing wasn't restricted to metro cities only. Reportedly females from tier 2, 3, and 4 are taking to investing more than their male counterparts.

Traits that make women better investors

Women in India are considered to be more influenced by saving than investing. But the recent developments show a different trend. Portfolios of female investors have outperformed when compared to those of males. The main traits that women possess as great investors are:

1. Consistency: The investment patterns of females indicate they are more steady investors than men. Their decisions are well planned and distributed throughout the year, unlike seasonal and last-minute decisions of men resulting in only taxation savings.
2. Risk consciousness: Women are more risk-conscious but that shouldn't be mistaken for aversion. A recent trend shows that they have taken calculated risks in the volatile markets and utilized the opportunity to the fullest.
3. Future planning: Females are considerably adept at visualizing and planning for the future of their families. They go to great lengths to ensure the wellbeing of their families and have even started making financial decisions to secure the future of their loved ones.
4. Negotiation skills: Women possess inherent negotiation skills that come in handy while trading and investing in the stock market. They are taking high-risk decisions and earning good returns on their cash.
5. Acknowledgment: This is an important trait noticed in females. It is their ability to realize and research things that they don't know. It saves their portfolio from suffering as they are open to recognizing and rectifying their investment mistakes.

How to join the bandwagon

It is the best time to take your money matters into your own hands. Top brokerages and market regulators are making high-quality tutorials under their investor education initiatives. Leverage the power of digital platforms to learn and try your hand in the capital markets. Here is a step by step process to help you start your journey in the stock market:

1. Select your process- You can invest in stocks on your own or opt for expert guidance through financial advisors.
2. Set a goal- Don't expect quick returns from your investment, set a goal and invest for the long-term.
3. Open an investing account- You will need a Demat and trading account to start investing. Select a brokerage firm that meets your needs for account opening.
4. Set a budget for yourself- Calculate your investment amount according to your goal and budget.
5. Get familiar with stock market basics- Read or watch tutorials related to the basics of stock market investing. Even if you decide to invest through a financial advisor, understanding the basics will be helpful for you.
6. Invest and keep track- Once you start investing, you must keep track of your portfolio and ensure it is in line with your goals.

Take the Leap

Start investing today and capitalize your money. Always remember mPokket has your back for all your little needs. In case of an urgent requirement or just to give yourself a little surprise this International Women's Day you can download India's best Instant loan app from Google Play Store. An instant loan of INR 500 to 45,000 will be credited straight to your bank account whenever you need it.