Who’s In Charge of the Finances? Should it be the lady of the house?

Women have many natural abilities and skills that may make them better suited for this task than men. Here are four reasons why you might want to let your wife do the investing from now on.

1. WOMEN ARE CARETAKERS AND NURTURERS

Many people forget that as investors, women are nurturing our future nest egg. Your investments in your future should not be something that should be handled aggressively or erratically. Traditionally female qualities of caretaking, nurturing, creativity, and patience make them good investors.

Women are more patient with their investments and more likely to let their investments sit and grow. Men are more likely to trade their investments more often, which can lead to lower returns overall.

2. WOMEN ARE RISK-AVERSE

When it comes to long term investments, many millennial women who, according to research by BlackRock, are risk averse when it comes to investing. In fact, only 33% of millennial women are willing to take on higher risks for higher returns compared to 61% of millennial men.

Most women aren’t as interested as their husbands are in trying to hit home runs with their investments but rather focus on their long term success relative to their goals. Also, they are often willing to give up the potential for higher returns in order to take less risk with their investments. Women could provide a nice balance to men when it comes to making investment decisions as a couple. Women’s focus on long term goals and success could be an asset to many families when doing financial planning.

3. WOMEN TAKE THE TIME TO RESEARCH

Women make great investors because they do not make rash decisions. Instead, they spend considerable time researching different options to ensure they make the right choice for their families.They may take a long time to do research before they settle on a course of action, and often consult with a pool of experts.

4. WOMEN LIVE LONGER THAN MEN

According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, women now have a life expectancy of 81.2 years whereas men have a life expectancy of 76.4 years.

It seems a bit morbid, but this is a prime reason why you should let your wife do the investing. It’s important for women to understand investing and investing decisions so they feel comfortable making them for themselves should something happen to their husbands.

However, both partners in a marriage should be decision makers, but if your wife is not as involved as she could be, perhaps some of the tips above will convince you that women’s natural tendencies towards research, patience, and being nurturing can make them an asset when it comes to financial planning.

So, if talking about money and retirement isn’t something you normally do with your wife, give it a shot. You might be surprised at how the process can bring the two of you closer together.