Posted by guest blogger Lori Lothian (Steadyhand Director)

“Fess up, fellows: The masters of the universe have turned out to be masters of disaster. No matter which aspect of the financial crisis you consider, there is a man behind it.”

This was the opening paragraph of an article recently posted in the Wall Street Journal that reinforces our view that women are great investors, and even better clients! Realistic expectations, discipline and patience lead to better returns, and women investors tend to employ all of these hallmarks.

The article was timely because last night we hosted a third Investment Seminar for Women. Our thesis in holding these seminars is that women have all the potential in the world to be great investors, but lack time, information, confidence and/or interest. The aim of these seminars is to demystify the process of investing and, in so doing, show women that what they really need to be savvy investors is what they already are - good consumers. Sounds simple, and it should be!

So why aren’t more women ‘taking the reins’ of their families’ investment decisions? I don’t know the answer, but I did enjoy the somewhat tongue in cheek theory I recently heard advanced by Tracy Theemes, an investment advisor at Sophia Financial Group in Vancouver. Tracy put it this way: Women tend to carry the bulk of responsibility for family matters. It’s not unusual for men to have two jobs around the house – taking care of the investments and BBQing. It’s very difficult for women to say to their partners, “sorry honey – its just BBQing for you.” As with all stereotypes, this one contains a kernel of truth, although it’s interesting to note that when we asked the women at our seminar to identify their main barriers to investing, only one said that it was their partner’s responsibility.

What’s interesting is that the very reasons that hold so many women back from becoming engaged investors are those that make them good at it. For example, many women at our seminars say they feel uncomfortable with financial jargon and the confusing array and complexity of investment products. At the risk of quoting Martha Stewart, “that’s a good thing!” They are uncomfortable for a reason, and it has nothing to do with them. Jargon and complexity mask poor investment products and choices, and every investor should be insisting on plain language, straight answers to all their questions, achieving a thorough understanding of what they are buying, and clear, transparent reporting.

Obviously there are compelling reasons for women as a group to be more engaged in investment decisions. Life circumstances are one. All women, whether young, old or middle aged, will be unpartnered at some stage of their lives, and will simply have no option. Importance is another. Few matters have more significance in terms of women and their families’ quality of life than investment decisions. But the main reason why women should become more engaged investors is, as the article suggests and we believe, they’re good at it!

We are encouraged by the attendance and the feedback we are getting from our seminars and are planning sessions for Calgary, Winnipeg and Toronto. Let us know if you would like to be notified of these events.