A Woman Wearing a Polka Dot Blouse Using a Calculator

The Financial Weight Women Carry

UWM |

March is Women's History Month, and you'll probably see a lot of content celebrating women's achievements. This is different.

We want to talk about something that doesn't get celebrated enough: the quiet, daily financial leadership that millions of women provide for their families, often without much recognition or support.

Here's what we mean:

A recent CFP Board study found that more than two-thirds of women are now the primary decision-makers when it comes to their household's financial investments.¹

And a 2025 Allianz study found that 53% of women now consider themselves the chief financial officers of their homes, which is up from 49% just two years earlier.²

These are likely shifts, not just trends.

In that same Allianz study, fewer than half of women surveyed said they felt confident about their financial plans for retirement — down from 52% in 2023 to 46% in 2025.²

And 57% expressed concern about the possibility of running out of money in retirement.²

So here's the takeaway: women are stepping into greater financial responsibility, but confidence hasn't caught up with the role.

Why might that be?

Let’s look at the math.

Women live an average of five years longer than men.³ They're more likely to step into caregiving roles — and more than four in ten women have done so during their careers.⁴ They're also more likely to adjust their work along the way, whether that means reducing hours, pausing a career, or passing on a promotion.⁴

Those aren't small details.

They're structural realities that can quietly reshape a financial picture over time. And when your financial plan doesn't account for them, it's not surprising that confidence doesn't quite match the responsibility you're carrying.

When your plan reflects your actual life, confidence tends to follow.

If you've been carrying the financial weight for your household — or if you're navigating a transition that's reshaping your financial picture — we'd welcome the chance to have that conversation with you.

Not because something is wrong. But because having someone in your corner who can help understand the full picture can make a meaningful difference.

We're here if you’d like to talk it through.

Sources

  1. CFP Board, 2025 [URL: https://www.cfp.net/news/2025/02/women-lead-financial-decision-making-in-most-households]
  2. PlanSponsor, 2026 [URL: https://www.plansponsor.com/womens-retirement-confidence-dropped-in-2025-survey/]
  3. Fidelity, 2025 [URL: https://www.fidelity.com/learning-center/personal-finance/gender-gap-retirement]
  4. Transamerica Institute, 2025 [URL: https://www.transamericainstitute.org/docs/research/gender-lgbtq/25-facts-women-retirement-survey-report-2025.pdf]