Women and wealth: A growing frontier

At a glance

• The great wealth transfer is one of the biggest factors behind the substantial growth in female-held wealth.
• Many women face financial challenges, such as the gender pay gap, which in turn contributes to the pensions and investment gap.
• Accessing financial advice can boost confidence about managing money, while more than one in ten women prefer a female adviser.

Women own more wealth than at any time in history. Money is being earned, created through entrepreneurship, and inherited by women through wealth transfer at a rapidly growing rate.

But for many women there are still significant barriers to growing their wealth and gaining financial security. This is because they must navigate a financial and economic system designed predominantly by men, which often doesn’t reflect their lives.

However, a quiet revolution is happening. With women holding more wealth in their own right, they are beginning to demand a different approach from financial services providers – and from financial advice. While the pace of change is likely to be slow, a shift is on the horizon.

The trillion pound wealth transfer

The ‘great wealth transfer’ as it is known, refers to the large-scale movement of assets between generations. Widely reported research suggests trillions of pounds will be passed between spouses and down the generations through inheritance over the next 20 years.

It will lead to the majority of the UK’s wealth being in female hands within decades, which has significant implications for the financial services industry.

It will also present new and growing opportunities for financial advisers, not least for female advisers.

Alexandra Loydon, Group Advice Director at St. James’s Place (SJP), says: “We know a huge transfer of wealth is set to happen in the coming decades as the estates of the baby boomer generation pass on significant wealth to beneficiaries. But there can be a stark difference in approach to finances and investment between the genders, and between generations.

“Our research shows that women, in particular, respond best to investing messages that are clear, concrete and tangible . They are also likely to want advice from someone who understands and can relate to their experiences. Financial advisers who appreciate and respond to this are likely to form the best long-term relationships with female clients.”

Rising to the top

It is not just inherited money that women are looking to manage, invest and grow. Women are creating their own wealth in bigger numbers than ever before, through entrepreneurship and business.

More women are also rising to higher management and executive positions, albeit the pace of growth is slow and a significant gender pay gap persists.

Around one in five (18%) of the UK’s 5.3 million active companies is female-led, while a further 17.3% are mixed-led, according to The Gender Index Report 2026 . Across the economy, both in 2024 and 2025, the average turnover growth of female-led companies grew significantly faster on average than male-led and companies with mixed leadership teams .

Added to this, 44.4% of executive directors on the boards of FTSE100 companies are women. This has grown from around 20% in 2014, according to the government-backed FTSE Women Leaders Review 2026 .

Financial challenges for women

While there has been strong progress for some women in the workplace and for female business owners in recent years, there continue to be financial challenges for many others.

Women live longer than men on average, but due to the continued gender pay gap, and more women than men having gaps in their career due to caring responsibilities, there is a significant gender pension gap. This leaves many women with inadequate retirement savings.

St. James’s Place’s Women and Wealth Report 2026 found women are significantly more likely to have taken a break from paid work compared to men (56% versus 38%). Almost one in five women (19%) said they felt less financially secure due to their time out of the workplace, compared to 18% of men .

Women can also be deterred from investing due to a confidence gap. This problem is exacerbated by industry messages that often appeal more to men than women.

Our Women and Wealth report also highlighted the issue of this gender divide, finding less than one in three women (27%) invest, compared to 43% of men .

What women want from financial advice

The growth in female wealth presents opportunities for the financial advice sector. But many women are looking for a different style of financial advice, which better serves their needs and financial goals.

Claire Trott, Head of Advice at St. James’s Place, believes women are looking for an adviser who understands their outlook, priorities and concerns.

“In previous generations, so often women wouldn’t even have a seat at the table when it came to talking about household finances and investments. But that has shifted.

“Wives and daughters stand to inherit significant sums. Women are also creating their own wealth. Financial advisers need to ensure everyone is involved in the conversations around the family’s finances, and as early as possible, to ensure everyone is engaged and empowered.”

St. James’s Place’s Financial Health Report 2026 found only 25% of women had accessed financial advice in the last 10 years, compared to 31% of men.

Of those women not accessing financial advice, one in four said they felt their financial affairs were simple and didn’t require professional advice, while one in five also said they didn’t think they earned enough money for advice to be worthwhile.

Claire says: “Undoubtedly there is work to do in reaching more women who would benefit from advice. For advisers who can rise to the challenge, using effective communication which resonates with women, I am hopeful we will see change happening.”

Can female advisers steal a march?

The growing wealth of women is likely to lead to an increased demand for female financial advisers. SJP’s 2026 Financial Health report found 12% of women preferred to speak to a female adviser. This compares to just 7% of men who said they preferred a male adviser.

Among women who say they would prefer a female adviser, the main reasons are feeling less intimidated and judged.

Many also believe a female adviser is more likely to understand the specific challenges faced by women, such as different working patterns, career breaks and caring responsibilities.

The value of advice

Evidence shows where financial advice is taken it can significantly boost women’s confidence about handling their finances.

The Financial Health Report 2026 found only four in ten women (44%) were confident making changes to investments on their own, compared to 63% of men. But among women who receive ongoing financial advice there was a marked uplift, with 61% saying they were confident handling their own investments.

Whether a woman is looking to invest earnings, get protection policies in place, plan for retirement, or they’ve inherited money, planning with a financial adviser can help bring clarity, confidence and peace of mind.

The value of an investment with St. James’s Place will be directly linked to the performance of the funds selected and may fall as well as rise. You may get back less than the amount invested.

The levels and bases of taxation and reliefs from taxation can change at any time. Tax relief is dependent on individual circumstances.

Wills are not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, and the writing of Wills is a separate and distinct service to those offered by St. James’s Place.

SJP Approved 29/06/2026