Empowerment Keys February Edition, exclusively on LinkedIn!
Yola Bastos
I empower young women financially and boost medium business profits with effective social media strategies.
Are you ready to take charge of your financial future? We are committed to empowering women to take control of their finances and build a better future.
In this second and shortest month of the year, we would like to take you with us on a journey through the investment world.
Have you ever thought about investing your money? Did you think about starting but you didn’t because you know nothing about it and you’re afraid to lose all your money on it?
If you’re a beginner, then this is the right place to be!
Stay with us, we’ll tell you everything you need to know to get started.
Motivation
What investing really is?
You don’t need to be an expert (or wealthy) to start investing. It could be easier than you might think.
Research on behalf of HSBC bank, shows over a third (36%) of the UK population is already investing. But many feel they don’t know enough to get started.
At this stage, it’s important to know what investing really is.
Investing involves putting your money to work through the buying and holding of investment products with the expectation of growing your money. It could boost your returns or provide the required amount of income to help achieve your financial goals.
It is when you set money aside for the future and put it to work for you. When you invest, you’re buying into something you believe will increase in value over time.
Remember – there are no guarantees, which means you could get back less than you invest. Your money could potentially grow too of course – that’s why people do it – but there is that risk you could lose money.
The key thing is to make sure you have some money saved up before you start investing. We recommend having an emergency fund to cover 3 to 6 months of living expenses.
An emergency fund can give you peace of mind that you’d have some money available for the unexpected, without needing to dip into your investment fund.
At Women Flix website you can find some help about this subject. Check it out as soon as you can: Women Flix Website
Tips
Things you need to know before starting investing
Nowadays you can start investing with a lump sum of £50, you can obtain more information from your bank advisor. Starting small could be a good way to dip your toe in the water. Then you can watch what happens to your investment – and invest more later if you want to.
Just over one in three British (36%) are already investing, with most (44%) putting their money into stocks and shares, followed by funds (25%), bonds (20%) and property (19%).
There’s no shortage of options of what you can invest in, but there’s also no need to be overwhelmed.
To help you get started, let’s focus on two common ways to invest:
If the company performs well (or is expected to), demand for its shares will generally increase – pushing its share price up.
If the company does badly (or is expected to), its share price will generally drop. Interest rates and the wider economy can also have an impact on share prices.
If some of the investments in the fund perform badly over a certain period, others may perform well. Helping to spread your risk is known as diversification.
There are many types of fund on offer, but an especially diverse option is a ready-made portfolio. This is a collection of investments, typically made up of shares, government bonds, property as well as other funds – often from different regions around the world.
It doesn't matter if you're about to buy your first share or pick a stock market fund for the first time, always ask yourself WHY you're looking to invest.
Over the long run, historically stocks and shares have outperformed money in savings accounts.
But that's no guarantee they'll do so in future. It's all about your personal circumstances. For example, you might be one of the many who have despaired at how interest on savings accounts is eaten away by inflation and are prepared to take a risk in the hunt for bigger returns.
Or you may have drawn up a well-researched plan to save £10,000 over the next decade to help pay for your children's school fees. In both cases, investing could offer a way for you to achieve your goals.
Be careful if somebody offers you advice and have a good, honest look at your finances.
Breaking News
UK wage growth slows as unemployment remains steady (Dec 2023)
UK wage growth slowed in the third quarter of the year, averaging 7.3% on an annualised basis, down from 7.8% between July and September.
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The Office for National Statistics said, the past 12th December 2023 that unemployment had remained unchanged between August and October, staying at 4.2%, as the historically tight labour market continued.
CBI forecasts no Bank of England rate cuts until at least 2026
Wage growth saw its 17th month of decline, coming in below expectations of 7.4%, and is set to influence the Bank of England in its Monetary Policy Committee meeting to set interest rates later that week.
Richard Carter, head of fixed interest research at Quilter, argued that following the data, the "future of interest rates is becoming ever harder to predict".
"This dip in pay suggests the Bank of England's previous interest rate decisions are beginning to have the desired effect and it will likely feel vindicated to continue to hold rates higher for longer as a result.
"Though today's figures suggest another step has been taken in the right direction, the Bank will be keen to see a significant slowdown in wage growth before it begins to contemplate the possibility of cutting interest rates."
If you want to read more about it, please just click the following link: Investment week UK
Blog
Paving Your Daughter’s path to financial success
Does it make sense for you to prepare your daughter to achieve financial success from a young age?
If so, then this blog article is for you!
And if you've never thought about it, get ready to read something that will change your perspective.
You'll realise the importance of leaving a legacy rich in knowledge and practical examples that will inspire your descendants (especially your daughter).
At Women Flix, we are committed to inspiring, helping and guiding women on their path to financial success. Stay with us!
Special dates
February 2024
In February we celebrate the Black History month, also known as African American History Month, to honour the influence of black culture across the globe.
4th - World Cancer Day
This international day is led by the Union for International Cancer Control, and it aims to raise awareness about cancer, educate more people about the disease, and encourage governments to take action.
It’s also The International Day of Human Fraternity and The British Yorkshire Pudding Day.
10th - The Lunar New Year - the year of the Dragon, according to the Chinese calendar.
11th - The international Women and Girls in science Day
The aim is to connect the International Community to Women and Girls in Science, strengthening the ties between science, policy, and society for strategies oriented towards the future.
13th - Galentin’s Day - If you value your female friendships as much as your significant other, but you struggle to express your affection towards them, then you should never miss out on this opportunity.
The concept of Galentine's Day is similar to Valentine's Day but for female friendships. It is a day to celebrate your women friends and shower them with gifts and appreciation.
14th - Valentine’s Day - The Love day or also known as Saint Valentine’s Day. February has also been known as the month of love and romance for centuries and on this day lovers exchange special gifts among themselves like roses, chocolates, or even jewellery.
Many people also take the opportunity of this day to declare their affection for their crushes, often disguised as secret admirers.
15th - The International Childhood Cancer Day - is a global collaborative campaign to raise awareness about childhood cancer, and to express support for children and adolescents with cancer, the survivors and their families.
17th - Random Acts of Kindness Day - This day encourages people to do good deeds, and celebrate the pay-it-forward mentality. It also reminds us that doing something kind for someone else can have a big impact not only on their day, but also on ours - being kind to others makes us happier, and makes us realise we need to be kinder to ourselves too. An act of kindness doesn't have to be a big gesture either, sometimes the smallest act can have the biggest impact.
20th World Day of Justice - on this day the objective is to raise a voice against social injustice. Today, poverty and inequalities within and among countries are on the rise.
21th - International Mother Language Day - the world celebrates linguistic diversity on International Mother Language Day. Language is one of the main things that define a country or a community and its culture and identity.
22nd - World Thinking Day - is celebrated every year by millions of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts around the world. On this day, girl scouts are encouraged to celebrate their sisters from all different countries and think about them, and the impact that the Guides and the Scouts have on a global scale.
27th The World Non-Governmental Organisations Day - to make people aware of the importance of NGOs and their role in global development. This day also aims to raise awareness about Ngos' work at local levels on poverty, inequality, and education.
28th Rare Disease Day - It raises awareness about rare diseases that are not commonly known, it aims to make treatment and medical representation more accessible for people who suffer from a rare disease, and to give their families more resources to learn about the diseases and how to care for their loved ones.
Thank you for reading! We'll be back next month.
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Empowers financial freedom for women worldwide Women Flix Limited, a company limited by guarantee, incorporated in England and Wales (company no. 13047578 ).