Women investors Protecting the Needs and Perspectives of Women

Segregating women as a “special” type of investor is a two-edged sword. On one hand, the category “women investors” can be perceived as patronizing and discriminating. It can feel condescending and superficial and may not accurately reflect the truth for an individual. On the other hand, women’s needs and perspectives are different. They have largely been ignored and underserved by financial firms. It takes bravery and integrity to articulate the subtle and pervasive discrimination and dismissal women face daily when managing their financial lives. It takes depth of skill and sensitivity to effectively address it.

We honour the differences in the financial lives of men and women without judgment. Our job is to provide excellent advice with all the circumstances of your life accounted for. Gender is just one of many factors.

Women still make an average of 70.5 cents for every $1 men earn, and the pay gap is even greater for university-educated women, who earned just 68 per cent as much as men in 2005, down from 75 per cent a decade ago. (Canadian Labour Congress.)

The average woman spends 15 per cent of her working years outside the workforce caring for children and elderly parents. (Source: Women's Institute for a Secure Retirement.)

Women retirees receive only half the average pension benefits that men receive (primarily due to the first two points listed above).

About 50 per cent of marriages end in divorce. (Source: Women's Institute for a Secure Retirement.)

Women live on average at least five years longer than men. (Statistics Canada, 2015.)