More than half of Australians own stocks but how many know what they hold and why? It’s this gap between investments and knowledge that prompted Lel Smits, former Wall Street journalist and award-winning entrepreneur, to create The Stock Network. She shared her tips on improving stock literacy for women, below.
While around 10.2 million people have investments in the stock market, according to the ASX Australian Investor Study 2023Â – the study also identified the prominence of emerging investors, which prompted Lel to devise a platform break the barriers of stock literacy with visual education.Â
“Over my career as a finance journalist I have continued to see the challenge for companies who are forced to release legal communications that investors don’t understand and struggle to engage with. At the same time video has exploded online and companies themselves are producing more digital media than can be paired with their compliance announcements to share the stories that are moving markets.”
In a move set to revolutionise how emerging Australian investors engage with the stock market, The Stock Network (TSN) has officially launched. This cutting-edge platform is designed for Australian investors eager to stay informed about the stocks driving change through accessible short form video.
With its focus on stock literacy, financial education and digital content, TSN is specifically tailored to Australian stock investors, offering a refreshing alternative to traditional finance news. In fact, despite her accomplished journalism background, Lel insists The Stock Network is not a news network, but a channel to bring stock stories to life.
“Many listed companies have a real challenge to communicate effectively as they have legal restrictions on what they can and can’t share for each announcement. TSN’s mission is to take this information and create short form visual content that’s both clickable and memorable, and of course compliant,” Lel says. Â
The mission statement of intuitive and accessible design program Canva highlights this shift to the universal need for visual communication, “”In the age of information overload, visual communication is becoming increasingly essential.” The Sydney based multi billion company is known for enabling people to share their ideas visually which it believes is key to information accessibility.
While Canva boasts more than 20 billion designs have been created on its platform, The Stock Network’s has quickly amassed a growing distribution network, currently nearing 160,000 investors, through its daily ASX announcement videos, ASX CEO interviews and digital investor events. Â
“As someone who’s spent years in financial journalism, I’ve seen firsthand how crucial financial literacy is to long-term success for all parties. Investors and companies both rely on clear information and TSN is committed to promoting stock and financial literacy, providing Australia with the confidence to secure their financial future,” Lel says.  Â
Lel is also conscious of the disparity between women and men when it comes to investing, with women facing challenges including smaller investment portfolios, lower confidence investing and the gender pay gap.
“Undoubtedly women are in need of financial education to future proof their financial lives. But, when we look at the statistics around stocks, and see that the vast majority of Australians have their superannuation invested in shares, I believe this financial education about stocks is vital for all Australians,” Lel says. Â
Superannuation funds often allocate a significant portion of their assets to the stock market as it’s a long-term investment strategy with potential for growth. But, as many people enter retirement or look at their portfolios for the first time, they realise they do not have an understanding of stock markets or the stocks themselves.
“What I’m building is more than just a platform, it’s a movement to democratise financial knowledge and make stock market investing accessible to all. In an era where information is power, TSN is empowering a new generation of Australian investors to take control of their financial futures.”
For more information on stock literacy for women, visit The Stock Network and join the community of informed, empowered investors today https://thestocknetwork.com.au/
