Female investment into stocks and shares ISAs reaches highest level since the start of the pandemic
Scottish Friendly’s Investor Index reveals female customers invested more into new ISA policies during Q4 2021 than any quarter since Q4 2019
New data from financial mutual Scottish Friendly reveals investment by female customers into newly opened stocks and shares ISA policies reached its highest level since the start of the global pandemic in Q4 2021.
The Scottish Friendly Investor Index tracks sales of adult investment ISA policies and the total value of these new policies among its UK-wide customer base, with quarterly activity measured against a base rate of 100.
The value of new policies opened by women in the final quarter of 2021 is up 23% on Q4 2019 and 4% higher than in Q4 2020.
In contrast, the value of new stocks and shares ISA policies opened by men has remained flat increasing by just 1.5% since Q4 2019.
New policy sales figures for all customers during Q4 2021 are up 13% on Q4 2019, with the values of those new policies increasing by 10% since Q4 2019.
Meanwhile the value of new investment across all 18-64 age groups was higher in the final quarter of 2021 compared with the same period in 2019.
The sharpest rise (9%) is seen in the 18-34 years age band, followed by 8% in the 50-64 years age band and 1% in 35-49-year-olds.
Scottish Friendly’s Investor Index also includes sales data for its junior stocks and shares ISAs (JISAs) and it reveals demand from customers continues to grow.
The number of newly opened JISA policies has been rising every quarter since the end of 2019 and Q4 2021 is up 70% on Q4 2019.
Parents are also investing more into JISA savings with new policy value up 33% over the same period.
Kevin Brown, savings specialist at Scottish Friendly said:
The dash of spare cash into ISAs that started during the pandemic seems to be continuing as our numbers show. Women in particular are putting more money aside and parents remain undeterred from saving for their children via JISAs which is always encouraging to see. However, there are new headwinds on the horizon that may see a slowing in these numbers in the near future.
Many people will have been saving for a rainy day during the pandemic and that storm is now on the horizon. The sharp rise in the cost of living and growing economic uncertainty presents potentially a problematic picture in the short-term and people may need to rely on the buffers they have built to stay above the rising waters.
Remember that the value fo investments can go down as well as up and you could get back less than you paid in. Tax treatment depends on individual circumstances which can change in the future.