5 investment tips for female retirement savers
- Leigh Dunkley, Head of Strategic Partnerships
- 11 July 2024
- 5 mins reading time
Saving for retirement is one area of financial planning where women have historically lagged behind men. Retirement might seem distant, but it’s never too early to start planning for those golden years.
Good news from the latest Women and Retirement Report from Scottish Widows shows more 22 to 29 year old women started saving into their pension by age 25 than men of the same age range. (1).
62 percent of women aged 22 to 29 said they started saving into their pension by the age of 25, compared to just 58 percent of men.
This is positive news, yet it’s just a piece of the larger retirement puzzle. Other measures show considerable gender differences remain. These include:
Average savings rates.
Employment inequalities, including pay disparity and varied work patterns.
Differences in expectations and worries about retirement.
Unfortunately these disparities mean women are forecast to have 37 percent smaller private pension savings at retirement than men (1).
At Schroders Personal Wealth, we can’t remove these disparities. But we can offer some tips to try to offset them. When it comes to retirement saving some of our top investment tips for women are:
Educate yourself
Begin by learning the basics of investing. There’s a wealth of investment content available in the Wealth Lens section of our website. But there are also many other free online resources, books and courses available to help you understand different investment options, risk factors and strategies.
Speak to a professional
Consider consulting a financial adviser. A professional adviser can provide personalised guidance and help you create an investment strategy aligned with your goals and tolerance of investment risk.
Set clear goals
Define your financial goals. Whether it’s saving for retirement, buying a home or funding your children’s education, having clear objectives will help you make informed investment decisions. An adviser can help you plan effectively for both short-term and long-term goals.
Invest what is right for you
Don’t feel pressured to invest a large sum right away. Starting with a smaller amount of money can allow you to gain experience and build confidence gradually. You may also find that investing smaller amounts regularly works better for you than a one-off lump sum. An adviser can take you through the relative benefits and the risks.
Diversify your portfolio
Avoid putting all your money into one single investment. Diversifying across different investment types, such as shares and bonds, can help spread risk and enhance the potential for long-term returns. Some types of funds mix different types of investment according to what level of risk you are willing and able to take. An adviser can help you to decide which fund might be appropriate for you.
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There are no hidden fees and charges, and you’ll only pay if you choose to go ahead with the recommendations in your personalised financial plan.
Source:
(1) Scottish Widows Women and Retirement Report, 2023.
Important information
This article is for information purposes only. It is not intended as investment advice.
Fees and charges apply.
The value of investments and the income from them can fall as well as rise and are not guaranteed. The investor might not get back their initial investment.
The retirement benefits you receive from your pension plan depend on a number of factors including the value of your plan when you decide to take your benefits which isn’t guaranteed and can go down as well as up. The benefits of your plan could fall below the amount(s) paid in.
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