Simran Kaur’s first book, Girls That Invest demystifies the world of investing to empower women to create generational wealth. The book has become a global sensation, and, as the first of its kind written by a South Asian woman, highlights the demand for diverse perspectives on areas previously dominated by men.
Podcasts becoming books is the new books becoming movies. As a long-time listener to the Girls That Invest podcast, I was excited to get my hands on a copy of Simran Kaur’s new book and to support a fellow South Asian Antipodean.
Having trained and worked in the corporate legal and finance worlds, and as an investor myself, I’ve read all the things when it comes to investing, from Warren Buffet, to The Most Important Thing by Howard Marks (a book I highly recommend as one of the first to explore the connection between money, psychology, and life well). Some more recently have broken down money management for families and started to make investing more accessible on certain fronts - Scott Pape’s Barefoot Investor is an example. However, few if any leading titles in this area have been written by a woman, let alone a South Asian woman writing for a Western audience.
Girls That Invest is the first book I’ve read on the topic that is written for intersectional women and educates on investing clearly and accurately but in such a simple way. No man who’s built an investment career on bamboozling people with jargon, and engaging in a conspiracy to make investments in the stock market inaccessible would ever dare to explain investing using a lemon stand analogy. Simran does this to great effect.
Source: Simran Kaur @ Instagram
Kaur takes the reader on a journey that begins with working toward financial freedom and ends with empowerment. The book belongs equally in the lifestyle and wellness sections of all reputable bookshops. For me, highlighting the misinformation that often surrounds investing, providing knowledge, and breaking down barriers to entry is all an “investor in training” needs to get underway.
Highlighting misinformation
“One of the biggest things that keeps investors in training from getting started is not their lack of knowledge, but the perpetuation of misinformation.”
The book breaks down some of the myths that exist around investing and addresses misinformation and fear-mongering that persists. When it comes to Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) women, a myriad of myths were likely perpetuated by our first-generation immigrant elder males at family barbecues themselves grappling with finding certainty and stability in a new country, who are easily swayed by anecdotes of “my uncle’s friend’s son lost all his money on the stock market, avoid it at all costs”.
We also learn here that you don’t need thousands of dollars to get started and the focus on empowering young women is shown with practical tips and a reminder that thanks to compound interest, investing $1 in your twenties can do more for you than investing $10 in your forties.
Source: Simran Kaur @ Instagram
Breaking down barriers to entry
“I’m not sure who decided that if a white male does something, it must automatically be more complex compared with the jobs that women traditionally do….Gatekeeping investing keeps certain people in business.”
The world of corporate finance and investing has long had a vested interest in keeping things complicated and inaccessible to justify their existence. This is one of the leading reasons people don’t step into this world. And while there is a place for qualified professionals, Kaur emphasises how simple the basics can be to get started with investing. She tackles the superfluous industry jargon and provides practical and actionable steps to take at the end of each chapter.
Guaranteed freedom
“[Financial freedom] means not having to listen to someone micro-manage where you spend your money. Or not having to put up with a boss that makes you feel uncomfortable. It means not having to stick it out in a career that drains you.”
With the knowledge gained during the intervening chapters, Kaur hammers home the role money plays in guaranteeing freedom and debunks the attitudes of greed and shame that often persists, especially experienced by women.
“The beauty of this modern world is that the walls of secrecy built around industries are beginning to collapse. Opening them up to everyday people who want to learn about how to create generational wealth. Now that these walls are falling, it’s time to step in.”
Girls That Invest provides more than financial investment education. It serves as a reminder that no one should be precluded from the ability to create generational wealth. It also provides a timely accompaniment to Australia’s Government commitment to closing the gender equity gap, with the recent budget highlighting women’s safety and economic equity as a key feature. But given the long road ahead, it’s worth remembering that there are ways that women can empower themselves and take control of their financial freedom through investing.
As with investing, the best time to public missing perspectives was years ago. But the second best time is now. I highly recommend the book to novices, and also more seasoned investors alike due to Simran’s perspective as a woman of colour, addressing the cultural barriers to embarking on a journey to financial freedom, and empowering women as individuals to grow wealth independently without having to tether to a partner or familial norms.
Connect with Simran Kaur via Linkedin. Learn more about Girls That Invest here. Buy the book here or check out your local library for a copy.
This article was first published in SAARI Collective, you can read it here.
Dharshi Harindra is an experienced technology and data lawyer, and a diversity and inclusion professional specialising in creating data-driven inclusion strategies. She hosts a podcast, UNBiased, and is also a start-up mentor, a fintech advisory board member, and a budding angel investor. You can connect with Dharshi via Linkedin and check out UNBiased here.