New research has found that women are allocating their time, money and energy to both traditional investments like real estate, but also personal causes related to family, themselves and the world at large.
According to a new white paper, by Barbara Stewart, portfolio manager at Toronto-based Cumberland Private Wealth Management Inc., women are not waiting until retirement to pursue their dreams: they are devoting considerable resources to their families, themselves, and saving the world.
These findings, released Friday to coincide with International Women’s Day, are the result of in-depth interviews that were conducted throughout 2012 with almost 100 diverse and accomplished women living around the world — from Toronto to Tel Aviv, from Singapore to Stockholm, and from Paris to Istanbul.
The study builds on Stewart’s 2011 research, for which she conducted a survey of 50 globally successful women, exploring how they learned about money and success, mainly through personal stories.
Her latest research highlights excerpts from her interviews looking at women’s investment habits and trends.
“The most important finding of this year’s Rich Thinking study was that women are not waiting for retirement to begin pursuing the interests that they are passionate about: they are defining, creating and financing their dreams now,” says Stewart.
“And traditional asset mix charts do not tell that story: ‘investing’ can take many forms, not all of which show up on a balance sheet. The majority of women are deeply engaged in the pursuit of various personal causes and how they allocate their time, energy and money is aligned with what matters most to them.”
“The objective of my new white paper is to present the causes of these accomplished women thematically, so that any reader can absorb the life lessons and sage advice that constitutes the financial wisdom of successful women globally,” continues Stewart.
According to the report, women are unapologetically living all parts of themselves and aligning their work with their personal values.
“Women won’t wait, and don’t wait. Despite the disappointing statistics of growth rates regarding women on Boards of Directors and in corner offices, women are not postponing saving their family, the world or their soul — they are getting on with it. Smart women around the world are actively involved in pursuing their personal passions and they are spending their time, energy and money to make things happen now, including investing in women-led organizations, believing this is the best way to accelerate change and ensure a better future for all.”
For a copy of the full white paper, go to www.barbarastewart.ca.