How financial professionals can better engage with women clients

Key takeaways:

• Women investors generally feel respected by their financial professionals, but there are areas where financial professionals can do better.
• Women investors also face gaps in their planning efforts that could leave many vulnerable to shifts in the economy or the financial markets.
• Women financial professionals can lead the way for others in the industry by making their guidance feel empowering rather than transactional.

05/22/2026 — Women investors control more wealth today than ever before, and this is poised to grow further as wealth transfer accelerates in the coming years. Yet, many women feel underserved by the financial services industry, creating a valuable opportunity for financial professionals to step up and better address their needs. 

In a recent Nationwide Retirement Institute^® survey that included women investors, a vast majority of women (95%) said they feel their financial professional treats them with the same respect as they do men investors, but there are areas where financial professionals sometimes fall short. Insights from our survey highlight where the blind spots are and how financial professionals can become even better at meeting the needs of their women clients. 

Women investors do not always feel understood

Financial professionals have good intentions when they discuss complex financial topics with women clients. But it’s important to recognize that what may be intended as a helpful explanation can come off as dismissive or disrespectful. 

Our survey revealed how common this experience is among women working with financial professionals: 

• 34% say they find their financial professional condescending when explaining recommendations or responding to questions. 
• 32% say their financial professional assumes they know less about finances than they actually do. 
• 29% say their financial professional sometimes "mansplains" concepts to them in a way that they don't always appreciate. 

Facing financial challenges without a plan in place

Rising consumer prices, higher interest rates and increased market uncertainty are having a big impact on Americans’ economic outlook. Women investors are feeling these pressures too, with over three-quarters of those surveyed (77%) expressing concern about a U.S. economic recession over the next 12 months. 

Many women investors appreciate the knowledge their financial professional can provide in helping them understand the forces affecting the economy and their investments. But there are also gaps in their planning efforts that could leave many women vulnerable to shifts in the economy or the financial markets. 

In our survey, one-third of women investors (33%) said they don’t have a strategy in place to protect their assets against market risk. An additional 14% don’t know if they even have a market risk strategy as part of their financial plan. 

Uncertainty over the financial future adds to the stresses that many women investors face, with one in three (33%) citing not knowing how much they actually need to retire comfortably as a top retirement planning concern. These are all gaps that you have the ability to help close through thoughtful guidance and personalized planning.  

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What women financial professionals are doing differently

For those financial professionals (particularly men) who are coming up short with women investors, they can take lesson from their female peers. Women financial professionals share the same perspectives of their women clients, and many use this perspective to structure their conversations around personalization and intentionality. That often means taking the time to ask thoughtful questions to better understand women clients’ concerns and wishes. 

It’s not that men financial professionals can’t successfully counsel women clients. But they can learn from their women peers by making their guidance feel empowering rather than transactional.

Some of the ways that women financial professionals have done to better meet the needs of their women clients include: 

• Developing strategies specifically for women going through major life transitions (47%).
• Addressing the unique retirement challenges women face such as longevity, caregiving and wage gaps (44%).
• Increasing their focus on protection and guaranteed income solutions (43%).

Reinforce your confidence with thoughtful action

A majority of financial professionals feel confident they recognize the needs of women clients. More than 9 in 10 financial professionals (91%) rate themselves as at least moderately skilled at meeting the specific needs and expectations of women clients. A similar share (95%) say they’ve already taken specific actions to better meet those needs.

However, a lot of this confidence may be overstated—even in the view of financial professionals themselves. In our survey, fewer than four in ten financial professionals (37%) say they understand their women clients' financial and retirement goals, and only 38% say they understand the unique financial challenges women face. 

Creating a more inclusive, collaborative experience around listening, education and partnership can help financial professionals build trust with women clients and ultimately grow their practices. To their credit, many of the financial professionals we surveyed are at least trying to do this; 4 in 10 (40%) are focusing on building a human connection and demonstrating genuine care with their clients.  

But this result shows there’s much more progress that all financial professionals can make. A great way to ensure you’re hitting the mark with women clients is to ask for communication and decisioning preferences. An opportunity to build a stronger, longer-lasting relationship may be as simple as asking for direct feedback and direction and incorporating that into your approach.

Women investors told us the key to building confidence in their financial plans is clarity and context. As a financial professional, this is a sign to shift your approach when working with women clients. Instead of saying, "Here’s what I think you should do", try "Let’s explore together what works best for you" to raise the level of care and partnership in your relationships with women investors.