---
title: "Invest Like a Woman: 6 Ways Women Can Wield Their Financial Power"
description: According to Business Insider women now control more than half the US personal wealth. If women collectively decided to invest only in companies that are good stewards of our earth, valued both genders and treated their employees well, imagine what could happen.
image: https://blog.birchwoodfp.com/hubfs/invest%20like%20a%20woman.jpg
---
[](https://www.birchwoodfp.com/)
Phone: [952-885-9088](tel:19528859088)[](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/3811900/47770b11-5936-41e0-b9cf-9b391581cd7a)
Phone: [952-885-9088](tel:19528859088)
[](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/3811900/47770b11-5936-41e0-b9cf-9b391581cd7a)
# Perspectives
- Share
- [**](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https://blog.birchwoodfp.com/invest-like-a-woman)
- [**](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https://blog.birchwoodfp.com/invest-like-a-woman)
- [**](https://plus.google.com/share?url=https://blog.birchwoodfp.com/invest-like-a-woman)
- [**](https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?url=https://blog.birchwoodfp.com/invest-like-a-woman)
- [**](https://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://blog.birchwoodfp.com/invest-like-a-woman&media=https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/3811900/invest%20like%20a%20woman.jpg)
- [**](mailto:?body=https://blog.birchwoodfp.com/invest-like-a-woman)
# Invest Like a Woman: 6 Ways Women Can Wield Their Financial Power
[Bridget Handke, CFP®, CAP®](https://blog.birchwoodfp.com/author/bridget-handke-cfp-cap)
Jul 18, 2018 10:25:00 AM
I’ve never engaged in Millennial bashing because I can’t think of anything bash-worthy. I love Millennials! I have two daughters, both in their twenties. They don’t do things the way I did at their age but that doesn’t matter because I appreciate their different point of views and passions. For example, my daughters and their friends care about the earth. They place a high value on friends, teamwork, and collaboration. In general, Millennials tend to prefer experiences over things.
I’ve been telling my girls that if they could just understand how big their numbers are, their demographic would be very powerful. That power could be huge. I’m happy to see that they are starting to understand, based on all the “I Voted” pictures I saw on Facebook this November.
I was recently at a conference for [Socially Responsible Impact Investing (SRI)](https://info.birchwoodfp.com/sri) and one topic was: Women and Millennials – What do they Want? There was a lot of political discussion and concern about the environment as well as conversation about sexual harassment since the Weinstein scandal was just breaking.
Then a gentleman in the audience stood up and said, “I don’t get it. I am flabbergasted. Women hold a majority of wealth in the U.S. Don’t they understand their power? Why are they not using their power to combat some of these concerns? It’s beyond me.”
He was right. I sat stunned because of the depth of feeling behind his words.
It had never occurred to me that women with a lifetime of earning and investing could wield as much power as I believed the Millennials could.
According to [Business Insider](http://www.businessinsider.com/women-now-control-more-than-half-of-us-personal-wealth-2015-4?__hstc=84076294.bb5c7741d4ad88bc696e8cb9a4f18eee.1529347528495.1529958909183.1530287421275.14&__hssc=84076294.24.1530287421275&__hsfp=3389334324) women now control more than half the US personal wealth. If women collectively decided to invest only in companies that are good stewards of our earth, valued both genders (as evidenced by women on their board and in upper management) and treated their employees well, imagine what could happen. It would mean those companies who didn’t follow fair and sustainable practices wouldn’t have half the population investing in them. Their stock prices would drop. The only way they could survive would be to run their organizations responsibly. That’s power.
Our power with money can manifest in a number of ways. And that power could be huge. Below are six ways a woman can wield her financial power.
## 1) Support good companies with your spending.
Boycott the bad guys. For example, after Uber made headlines recently due to misogynistic practices, my family switched to [Lyft](https://www.lyft.com/?__hstc=84076294.bb5c7741d4ad88bc696e8cb9a4f18eee.1529347528495.1529958909183.1530287421275.14&__hssc=84076294.24.1530287421275&__hsfp=3389334324) when we need a ride share.
## 2) Buy local.
Support your own community by buying products and food made locally. My daughter insists I only buy Minnesota fruit in season for this reason.
## 3) Donate to causes that seek to change the world.
Do you support equality? Do you feel girls around the world should have access to education as much as boys? Support a non-profit with the same goals. [She’s the First](https://shesthefirst.org/?__hstc=84076294.bb5c7741d4ad88bc696e8cb9a4f18eee.1529347528495.1529958909183.1530287421275.14&__hssc=84076294.24.1530287421275&__hsfp=3389334324) is an example of a non-profit supporting girl’s education.
## 4) Put your savings where your values are.
Some organizations use savings dollars to invest in communities. One example is [Community Investment Notes](https://www.calvertimpactcapital.org/about?__hstc=84076294.bb5c7741d4ad88bc696e8cb9a4f18eee.1529347528495.1529958909183.1530287421275.14&__hssc=84076294.24.1530287421275&__hsfp=3389334324) by Calvert Impact Capital. It’s a fixed income savings-type product in which you can choose to invest in a number of fields such as renewable energy, education and health.
## 5) Time is money.
Donate your time. Make a difference by giving your time to a cause that is important to you. A few hours a week can affect a lot of change. Call your Senator, join a political committee, or volunteer at a local non-profit.
## 6) Become a Power Investor.
Choose to invest only in companies that treat our earth, its inhabitants and its laborers well. Determine your values and only invest in companies that mirror them. Sustainable Responsible Impact (SRI) investing has been around for a long time but has recently become more popular. It is also known as Socially Responsible Investing and Environmental Social Governance (ESG) investing. The Deutsche Bank published a report that indicates that you don’t have to sacrifice investment performance (and your own retirement) to invest in this way. Deutsche Bank found that 89 percent of the studies on investing suggest that ESG investing provides superior returns.
If you are interested in wielding your financial power and helping to change the world for good, speak with your financial advisor about how you can create an investment strategy using SRI/ESG principles.
For more information about SRI Investing click here: [What is SRI Investing?](https://www.birchwoodfp.com/blog/what-sri-investing-article-1)
[](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/3811900/42c108da-3426-4cf9-aed1-99f16e8f78ae)
Topics: [Charitable Giving](https://blog.birchwoodfp.com/topic/charitable-giving), [Suddenly Single](https://blog.birchwoodfp.com/topic/suddenly-single), [Socially Responsible Investing (SRI)](https://blog.birchwoodfp.com/topic/socially-responsible-investing-sri)
*Investment Advisory services offered through Birchwood Financial Partners, Inc. an SEC Registered Investment Advisor.*
*All written content is for information purposes only. It is not intended to provide any tax or legal advice or provide the basis for any financial decisions. Opinions expressed herein are solely those of Birchwood Financial Partners, Inc., and our editorial staff. Material presented is believed to be from reliable sources; however, we make no representations as to its accuracy or completeness. All information and ideas should be discussed in detail with your individual adviser or qualified professional before making any financial decisions. We are not affiliated with or endorsed by the Social Security Administration or any government agency. The inclusion of any link is not an endorsement of any products or services by Birchwood Financial Partners. All links have been provided only as a convenience.*
### Search Our Blog
### Posts by Tag
- [Investment Management (50)](https://blog.birchwoodfp.com/tag/investment-management)
- [Retirement (50)](https://blog.birchwoodfp.com/tag/retirement)
- [Suddenly Single (39)](https://blog.birchwoodfp.com/tag/suddenly-single)
- [Cash Flow and Budgeting (36)](https://blog.birchwoodfp.com/tag/cash-flow-and-budgeting)
- [Estate & Legacy Planning (35)](https://blog.birchwoodfp.com/tag/estate-legacy-planning)
- [Market Insight (35)](https://blog.birchwoodfp.com/tag/market-insight)
- [Bridget Handke (29)](https://blog.birchwoodfp.com/tag/bridget-handke)
- [Dana Brewer (25)](https://blog.birchwoodfp.com/tag/dana-brewer)
- [Taxes (25)](https://blog.birchwoodfp.com/tag/taxes)
- [Damian Winther (20)](https://blog.birchwoodfp.com/tag/damian-winther)
- [Rachel Infante (18)](https://blog.birchwoodfp.com/tag/rachel-infante)
- [Socially Responsible Investing (SRI) (17)](https://blog.birchwoodfp.com/tag/socially-responsible-investing-sri)
- [Steve Dixon (14)](https://blog.birchwoodfp.com/tag/steve-dixon)
- [Charitable Giving (13)](https://blog.birchwoodfp.com/tag/charitable-giving)
- [Kimmie Andrews (12)](https://blog.birchwoodfp.com/tag/kimmie-andrews)
- [Education Planning (11)](https://blog.birchwoodfp.com/tag/education-planning)
- [Kay Kramer (5)](https://blog.birchwoodfp.com/tag/kay-kramer)
- [Cybersecurity (3)](https://blog.birchwoodfp.com/tag/cybersecurity)
- [Brayden Kelly (1)](https://blog.birchwoodfp.com/tag/brayden-kelly)
- [Growing Wealth (1)](https://blog.birchwoodfp.com/tag/growing-wealth)
- [Kayla Berceau (1)](https://blog.birchwoodfp.com/tag/kayla-berceau)
[See all](https://blog.birchwoodfp.com/invest-like-a-woman#)
[](https://www.birchwoodfp.com/)
[Home](https://www.birchwoodfp.com)
[WHO WE ARE](https://www.birchwoodfp.com/about)
[WHO WE SERVE](https://www.birchwoodfp.com/who-we-serve)
[WHAT WE PROVIDE](https://www.birchwoodfp.com/solutions)
[DOWNLOADABLE GUIDES](https://info.birchwoodfp.com/resources)
[blog](https://blog.birchwoodfp.com)
[Contact Us ](https://www.birchwoodfp.com/contact-us)
[Form CRS](https://info.birchwoodfp.com/form-crs)
[Forms ADV](https://info.birchwoodfp.com/adv)
[PRIVACY POLICY](https://info.birchwoodfp.com/privacy-policy)
[5601 Green Valley Dr., Ste 600](https://maps.app.goo.gl/EbBNRPP4sFfkeYZd8)
[Bloomington, MN 55437](https://maps.app.goo.gl/EbBNRPP4sFfkeYZd8)
Phone: [952-885-9088](tel:19528859088)
Email: [info@birchwoodfp.com](mailto:info@birchwoodfp.com)
All written content on this site is for information purposes only. Opinions expressed herein are solely those of Birchwood Financial Partners, Inc. and our editorial staff. Material presented is believed to be from reliable sources; however, we make no representations as to its accuracy or completeness. All information and ideas should be discussed in detail with your individual adviser prior to implementation. Advisory services are offered by Birchwood Financial Partners, Inc., an SEC Registered Investment Advisor. Birchwood Financial Partners, Inc. is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Social Security Administration or any government agency, and is not engaged in the practice of law. The presence of this web site shall in no way be construed or interpreted as a solicitation to sell or offer to sell advisory services to any residents of any State other than the States of AZ, CA, FL, IA, IL, MN, NC, NY, TX, WI or where otherwise legally permitted. All written content is for information purposes only. It is not intended to provide any tax or legal advice or provide the basis for any financial decisions.
Images and photographs are included for the sole purpose of visually enhancing the website. None of them are photographs of current or former Clients. They should not be construed as an endorsement or testimonial from any of the persons in the photograph. The inclusion of any link is not an endorsement of any products or services by Birchwood Financial Partners, Inc. All links have been provided only as a convenience.
© 2026 Birchwood Financial Partners. All Rights Reserved.
[Disclaimer ](https://www.birchwoodfp.com/disclaimer)[Legal, privacy, copyright and trademark information](https://www.birchwoodfp.com/legal-privacy-copyright-and-trademark-information)
```json
{
"@context" : "https://schema.org",
"@type" : "BlogPosting",
"author" : {
"@type" : "Person",
"name" : "Bridget Handke, CFP®, CAP®",
"url" : "https://blog.birchwoodfp.com/author/bridget-handke-cfp-cap"
},
"dateModified" : "2020-03-18T22:21:39.972Z",
"datePublished" : "2018-07-18T15:25:00.000Z",
"headline" : "Invest Like a Woman: 6 Ways Women Can Wield Their Financial Power",
"image" : [ "https://blog.birchwoodfp.com/hubfs/invest%20like%20a%20woman.jpg" ],
"mainEntityOfPage" : {
"@id" : "https://blog.birchwoodfp.com/invest-like-a-woman",
"@type" : "WebPage"
},
"publisher" : {
"@type" : "Organization",
"logo" : {
"@type" : "ImageObject",
"url" : "https://blog.birchwoodfp.com/hubfs/new%20logo%201%20b.jpg"
},
"name" : "Birchwood Financial Partners"
}
}
```