The financial industry has long pushed a lazy myth: that women don’t invest because they “lack confidence.” We’re told we’re “too nervous” or “too scared.”
New research from eToro’s “Loud Investing” initiative shows this patronising narrative isn’t just wrong, it’s actively harmful. The research found that this constant negative framing puts women off investing.
Here’s the irony: this narrative is a lie. Multiple studies show that female investors often outperform men.
Why? Because the very traits mislabelled as a “lack of confidence” are actually investing superpowers. What the industry calls “nervousness” is smart risk-assessment. What it calls “fear” is a disciplined, long-term approach that avoids rash decisions.
As eToro’s Dan Moczulski says, “We don’t need women to invest like men; we need them to invest like themselves… Asking questions, weighing options… aren’t weaknesses, but superpowers.”
We must flip the script. The eToro research found that when women are shown headlines celebrating their strengths and success, their motivation to invest soars.
This means changing the story and the storytellers. That’s why Lionesses legend Jill Scott MBE has joined the campaign, comparing the discipline and patience of elite sport to smart investing. “The industry has been too quick to focus on what women supposedly lack,” says Scott. “The truth is our approach is a strength.”
It’s time to kill the “confidence gap” myth for good. The problem isn’t a lack of confidence in women; it’s a lack of understanding from an industry that has failed to recognise their strengths.
For all the findings, see the complete eToro and Appinio report attached below.
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