Happy International Women’s Day 2021 🙌 From the Equal Pay Act of 1970 to Whitney Wolfe Herd becoming the world’s youngest self-made female billionaire in 2021, women have certainly come a long way in the world of finance, but there is much work to be done.

Here at Plum, we are proud to be creating a platform which can help thousands of people begin their investment journey, and we would like to take this opportunity to celebrate our growing female investors.

Unfortunately, the gender investment gap is still very real, but our female investors are paving the way for their financial future one investment at a time. By doing their research, trialling various platforms and ultimately finding what works best for them, female investors are challenging an area of finance that has too often been dominated by men, and this is just the beginning.

Although we can’t promise a brass star along Hollywood Boulevard, or a statue in Hyde Park for that matter, we want to shine a spotlight on female investors for finding a new personal finance frontier to explore. You are pioneering a different way for women to maximise their wealth and for that, we salute you 💜

So please accept what can only be described as Plum’s equivalent of the Honours List (but with no actual knighthoods)…we give you Plum’s Women Investors Wall of Fame 🌟

Figuring out your investment style 💅

Having clear financial goals is an important thing to consider before you start investing. Marketing professional Marion has used her time in lockdown to “think about my long term financial goals and figure out what investor behaviour I want to follow and am comfortable with risk-wise”.

With her new found knowledge, Marion has set a plan in motion and now aims to “invest more than 30% of my monthly income and sticking to funds, sort out my pension”. We commend her attitude as she plans to “read more and more about personal finance” and “have open conversations” with her friends so they can learn from each other 📚 Can we join?

Every day is a school day 🎒

Karina has also used the pandemic as an opportunity to “explore different investment options”, something she has “always wanted to do but did not have time to sit down and explore the options and educate myself” ✏️

She is using Plum to tackle her student debt which she plans to “pay off using the money I earn from investing”.

Cutting through the jargon 📣

The world of investment can feel like an intimidating place filled with complicated jargon which often discourages many from its potential benefits. Demystifying the world of investment was a lightbulb moment 💡 for Mary as she explained, “no one tells you how to do it. I thought it was always something that grownups did, and I’ve never thought of myself as a grown up!”

Describing investing as a “why not” moment, she sees traditional investing methods such as “seeing a financial advisor” as “kind of outdated” citing Plum as the place which convinced her to dip her toes into the investment waters.

Keeping it clean 💚

Cleaner and greener investing is fast becoming a preferred choice for many, and it’s also a growing interest amongst women. Our data team found that our female investors have been allocating 8% more of their investments into our Clean and Green fund compared to our male investors.

Kate told us about her discovery of ESG funds and how investing in something she is passionate about has sparked a fire to learn more 🔥 “I read recently that investment is the biggest way you can impact climate change. Actually, it’s great that the portfolio is there and I would like to know more about who makes up that portfolio and how I can invest it in things I believe in”.

We champion investments for everyone and Kate has definitely discovered that investing is not just for men in expensive suits anymore. “Plum has been a gateway into that kind of thinking. I would never have dreamed of doing it otherwise. It felt like something only rich people did”.

Watch the potential grow 📈

Women are often painted as lacking confidence when it comes to investing, but with the right information and support, investment can become accessible to all.

After starting “conservatively” Rebecca has “been enjoying seeing the earnings creep up, beyond anything you’d get with a typical ISA”.

Could you be next? 🔍

We see you 👀 our female Plumsters with ‘future investor’ pockets. We hope we can provide you with all the help and support that you need when you finally make that leap.

To find out more about investing, check out our Investment Academy series 🎓 which will provide you with lots of friendly advice whether you’re a complete beginner or seasoned pro.

If you do choose to invest, please remember that your capital is at risk.

Do you have a Plum story to tell? Let us know by emailing us at press@withplum.com

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