Helping Biggest Gamblers

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30633, 26 December 1964, Page 2

Helping Biggest Gamblers

(Special Crspdt. N.Z.P.A.) LONDON, December 23. The Association of Women Shareholders has been formed to help women with their investments. There are more women investors in Britain than men investors, but apparently they do not take much interest in their money after they have invested it. According to Miss Freda Spurgeon, a chartered secretary, chairman of the new association, and who is married to a businessman, women are greedier than men, which is why they are bigger gamblers. “Most women invest on Intuition,” she says. “They enjoy a meal in a restaurant and will be prepared to invest £lOO or so in the company running it Or they buy

clothes in a shop and because they like the clothes they invest in the firm supplying them. "Men are more cautious. They invest chiefly in giltedged, blue chips—the major companies—and industrials. That’s why 1 say women are bigger gamblers. And another thing they want a bigger return for their money.” But once they have invested their money many women are content to sit back without inquiring closely what becomes of it.

Miss Spurgeon hopes that women will approach the association for help. “Just as many women prefer to go to a woman doctor, so I believe they will prefer to come to us for help with their investment problems.

“Often they don’t like to ask men for help because they feel they maye be made to look silly.”

Already she has had hundreds of inquiries from women who have investments —shares left by their husbands in many, cases—and are anxious to see that their money is put to the best possible use.

Her husband admires her business ability. “She looks after the household accounts splendidly,” he said.