Are there differences between men and women when it comes to investing? Based on my own experience and what I’ve observed about the stock market industry, I’ve noticed that it is dominated by men. Just about every finance blog I read is written by a man. However, that’s not to say that there aren’t women who are just as interested in finance and investing.

Many of you are probably familiar with Suze Orman who has her own show where she offers financial advice. Then there’s Kim Kiyosaki, the wife of Robert Kiyosaki. Robert is well-known for his Rich Dad, Poor Dad book.

The Kiyosakis have a very inspiring rags to riches story. At one point in their lives they were homeless and sleeping in their car while they were working on building their business. People were telling them to get a job and put their dreams on hold until they were more stable, but they pushed on and stayed focused on their ultimate goals. Nowadays the Kiyosakis are living the good life and sharing their knowledge and wealth with others.

The Fear Factor

Kim Kiyosaki has written a book titled Rich Woman - A Book on Investing for Women. She was interviewed by SUCCESS Magazine. Here is what she says about how fear comes into play in regards to women not getting involved in investing:

“Fear is huge. It’s the fear of making mistakes, it’s the fear of losing money, the fear of having someone say, “I told you it wasn’t going to work!” But the way to overcome that fear is to get some financial education and to take baby steps. It starts with little victories. That’s where the confidence comes.”

Kim Kiyosaki goes on to talk about the differences between men and women when it comes to investing. Women study more and are a little bit slower, whereas many men have the “Go, go, go!” mentality.

My Investing Philosophy

I would have to say that I am one of those women who likes to take things fairly slow. I do quite a bit of reading on investing and watch finance news once in awhile. If I want to invest in a company I do all kinds of research and take into account factors such as the integrity of the CEO and whether or not the company offers great service. I’m generally a fearless person, so what Kim Kiyosaki said about fear doesn’t apply to me.

I invest in companies that I’m familiar with and whose products or services I personally use. This I learned from Warren Buffett. As I’ve said before, I’m also a long-term investor and don’t get caught up in energetic day trading or short-term investing strategies.

I’d love to hear from other women investors. What’s your investing policy? Please leave your comments below…

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Photo Credit: Luis Miguel Munoz-Najar