Women may gain from wealth transfer, but it won't solve the big issues

Women may gain from wealth transfer, but it won't solve the big issues
Penny Finance report highlights ongoing challenges in gender wealth gap.
APR 26, 2024

Women remain anxious about their long term financial security despite supposedly gaining from the Great Wealth Transfer.

A report from Penny Finance reveals findings from its survey of almost 6,000 women aged 18-74 and highlights that projections that women will benefit from the transfer of wealth from older generations may be wide of the mark, given that only a small percentage of women are likely to receive an inheritance and may have already done so. What about the majority?

Two thirds of the survey’s respondents said they have anxiety about money and two thirds have debt including student loans. The average age of poll participants is 34, almost half are moms and the average amount of savings they have is $89,000.

The next generation of women are employed, motivated, and accomplished, but across all age groups women are burdened by greater debt than previous generations, anxious about their finances, underutilizing retirement resources, and hesitant to invest.

Looking to retirement, 59% said they do not invest (although 53% want to). Looking deeper into the stats, 25% of Millennials and 33% of Gen Zs do not have anything saved for retirement, compared to 21% for Gen X and Boomers.

But a significant amount of Millennials (22%) and Gen Z (22%) say they are NOT investing their retirement accounts, which means that they are not generating wealth at the same rate as their parents and grandparents.  

The report also looks at debt vs. savings. For example, 25% of Gen X women have debt that they say they will never pay off, although they are saving an average of $725 each month. Across all age groups respondents said they want to be debt free in just over 4 years, but the reality is decades longer.

Latest News

Can advisors still cut through the noise in digital marketing?
Can advisors still cut through the noise in digital marketing?

With a fifth of RIA firms using AI to create marketing content, one leading voice argues a clear identity and focusing on clients will be crucial to success.

With wealth management market cooking, LPL Financial shares hit new highs
With wealth management market cooking, LPL Financial shares hit new highs

LPL Financial is a bellwether for the broader financial advice marketplace.

Wealth tech Alix raises $20M to expand AI-powered estate settlement platform
Wealth tech Alix raises $20M to expand AI-powered estate settlement platform

The San Francisco-based startup's Series A funding, with support from Schwab and Edward Jones Ventures, will reinforce its role in the coming $124 trillion wealth transfer.

Summit Financial adds four RIAs, nets $1.2B in new assets
Summit Financial adds four RIAs, nets $1.2B in new assets

The quartet of deals across New York, Florida, Ohio, and New Mexico reinforces the fast-growing integrator's leading position in the independent space.

Advisor moves: Raymond James welcomes UBS, Wells Fargo teams in bicoastal moves
Advisor moves: Raymond James welcomes UBS, Wells Fargo teams in bicoastal moves

UBS and Wells Fargo have made their own additions in the Northeast, including a Massachusetts duo defecting from Commonwealth.

SPONSORED How advisors can build for high-net-worth complexity

Orion's Tom Wilson on delivering coordinated, high-touch service in a world where returns alone no longer set you apart.

SPONSORED RILAs bring stability, growth during volatile markets

Barely a decade old, registered index-linked annuities have quickly surged in popularity, thanks to their unique blend of protection and growth potential—an appealing option for investors looking to chart a steadier course through today's choppy market waters, says Myles Lambert, Brighthouse Financial.