Across the wealth management industry, advisors are paying closer attention to women investors – not as a niche audience, but as one of the most powerful forces reshaping global wealth. Women already hold roughly one-third of U.S. investable assets and McKinsey estimates that figure could rise by as much as 45% by 2030.

This transfer of financial power reflects broad demographic and cultural shifts, as more women are advancing into executive roles, building successful businesses, inheriting wealth and managing it independently. Yet, despite this momentum, more than half of women’s assets remain unmanaged – revealing a massive, under-addressed opportunity for financial advisors.

Earning this cohort’s business may require wealth professionals to rethink how they market, acquire and retain clients. Advisors must move beyond generic “women’s programs” and instead engage women as individuals with distinct goals, values and life experiences. Treating women as a homogeneous segment risks alienating them at a time when connection and authenticity matter most.

Understanding the spectrum of women investors

Grouping women investors into a single cohort can be a costly mistake, given the wide range of women archetypes, each with diverse mindsets, preferences and needs. For example:

• Younger professionals are generally confident and values-driven. They expect real-time digital availability and engagement.
• Established executives or entrepreneurs are likely balancing complex financial priorities and seeking both sophistication and efficiency.
• Women navigating life transitions such as retirement, widowhood, caregiving or divorce have an array of distinct needs, ranging from support to partnership.

The list goes on, and this doesn’t even reflect the cultural differences, hobbies or personal beliefs that further shape how women approach money.

These collective data points reveal some of the vast differences across the so-called “women investor segment,” echoing the many findings that might be instrumental in soliciting their business.

Factors driving the influx of women-controlled assets

There’s a combination of social, economic, demographic and cultural changes fueling the rise of financially powerful women in the United States and Europe:

• Women’s earnings continue to grow, thanks to greater educational attainment and increased access to high-paying roles.
• Declining marriage rates, delayed marriages and higher divorce rates mean more single women are achieving full financial independence.
• Longer lifespans, which often see women outlive their spouses, mean more women are inheriting and managing significant wealth.
• Attitudes regarding women’s roles in financial management are changing – both individually and in partnerships. This trend is particularly evident in the elevated number of women who reported feeling confident in their financial decision-making abilities.

Together, these dynamics are driving an unprecedented transfer of financial power to women – and a corresponding shift in expectations. Today’s women investors want more than returns. They want advice that aligns with their values, supports their goals and reflects an understanding of their unique life paths.

Do women advisors have an upper hand?

Research shows that while some women may prefer working with female advisors, others don’t have a preference. Nonetheless, having women advisors at a firm may be beneficial, especially at certain client inflection points, such as widowhood or divorce. These women advisors may hold an advantage because of their inherent strengths – including empathy, active listening and a focus on long-term goals – that often mirror the priorities of many other females.

While those traits and tendencies may be more prevalent in women, they are not gender-exclusive, revealing an opportunity for men who either possess those attributes or who understand the value of developing them.

The power of insight-driven personalization

Bucking some of the stereotypes that portray women as being financially reluctant or fiscally ignorant could tip the scale when it comes to earning their business. New data shows that women are not only participating in investing but are increasingly leading financial decisions and embracing risk.

According to one recent study, 71% of women own investments in the stock market and are taking control of their finances, with Gen Z women leading the way. That confidence parallels a broader trend in financial leadership and independence. A 2025 CFP Board report found that 69% of women are the primary decision-makers for household investments and four in five earn income equal to or higher than their partners. These women are not waiting for permission to participate – they are already driving financial decisions, often for their families, communities and themselves. Yet many industry marketing efforts haven’t kept pace.

Imagine being a highly educated woman managing substantial wealth – even appearing on Forbes’ billionaire list – and seeing yet another campaign about “financial literacy for women.” Or consider how a woman who helped build a shared fortune might respond to messaging implying her success was inherited. Figures like Melinda French Gates and MacKenzie Scott are just two noteworthy examples.

Rather than relying on clichés, advisors might gain greater respect if they ground their messaging in facts that better reflect the diverse circumstances fueling the increase in women-controlled assets. Advances in data analytics and behavioral segmentation, paired with emerging artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities, empower advisors to connect with women investors based on their actual situations, rather than how society portrays them.

By integrating data-driven insights into marketing and service, advisors can connect more authentically and deepen trust with female investors.

Winning over women investors

Recognizing the diversity across a segmented “women investor” demographic isn’t a social trend – it’s a business imperative that can drive growth and foster loyalty. As women’s influence over wealth continues to grow, advisors who look beyond generalizations could vastly increase their chances of capturing women investors’ attention.

Recognizing that women are not a homogeneous segment, but a mosaic – each piece distinct, yet integral to the whole – may be key to seizing one of the industry’s greatest opportunities ahead.

Dimple Shah is executive vice president, strategy & client experience at Osaic.