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Women want to make a difference with their money
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Over the last 5 years, the average return on an ethical fund in the UK1was 57%
In contrast, men who invest are 14% more likely than women to say they would prioritise high returns over social or environmental considerations (50% vs 36% respectively). This is despite the fact that performance stats show you don’t need to sacrifice returns when following your values. Over the last 5 years, the average return on an ethical fund in the UK2 was 57%, almost double the performance of the FTSE®1003.
Women are also more likely than men to say that ethical or environmental considerations have an impact on their life – 73% of women compared to 67% of men – but both sexes agree that recycling and the food shop are most likely to be impacted by their ethical or environmental considerations. 41% of people say they have boycotted a company because they disagreed with the ethics of their behaviour.
The research coincides with Standard Life’s support of Good Money Week, 18–24 October 2015, an opportunity to look at how your money is invested and whether it is being used in ways that benefit society and protect the environment.
Commenting Julie Hutchison, Standard Life’s Consumer Finance expert said:
“With ethical considerations coming into so much of what we do, it’s no surprise that women are also thinking about their values when it comes to where they put their money. The good news is that, with ethical funds, it’s not a case of choosing between strong returns and strong values. Over the last 5 years the average return on an ethical fund in the UK was 57%4.”
“At Standard Life, we’re seeing more women making investment choices that back up their values – for the Standard Life Savings ISA, for instance, women make up 55% of those invested in the ethical fund, despite making up only 38% of the overall book. And women who choose the ethical fund tend to invest more than their male counterparts – an average fund of £17,000 compared to £11,000 for men5.”
She adds:
“If you’re new to ethical investing, it’s worth doing some research into the funds available, as each will have different rules about the kind of companies in which it is invested. If you’re not sure you have enough spare cash to invest right now, you could speak to an expert about your current investments. For instance, if you’re in your company pension scheme, you could check if there’s an ethical fund choice which would be right for you and your circumstances. And don’t forget you have choices about where your ISA is invested too.”
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