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Personal finance

Women and investing: The financial future is female

9 minute read   •   February 21, 2024
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When women invest, they thrive

Projections indicate that by 2030, women are set to take control of much of the $34 trillion in assets that will be passed down from the baby-boom generation.1 And when women invest, they excel. They often take a long-term, thoughtful approach to risk and their finances2 that can help counter many of the emotional elements of having money in the market.

Women are in a strong position to thrive as investors. But women may encounter some unique challenges on their investing journeys that are less likely to affect their male counterparts.

Only 36% of women say they're investing in general vs. 63% of men.3

A shortage of time and support

As women navigate this historically male-dominated sector, 2 cultural and practical barriers pose challenges:

  • Time pressures and caregiving commitments. Women caregivers, typically around 49 years of age, provide an average of 20 hours a week of unpaid care that may affect their ability to successfully save for retirement.4 With an increasing number of women juggling their careers, parenthood, and busy civic lives, they may have less time to spend on managing investments.
  •  A gap in confidence. This is an important moment for empowering women of all ages by equipping them with the knowledge and support they need to achieve financial success.

Financial advice may offer a path to reclaiming valuable time and energy—and helping build a more confident outlook about the future.

Financial advice can help bridge the gap

Women's considerable strengths as collaborators and co-creators put them in an especially good position to benefit from financial advice. They're more likely to seek advice and follow a long-term plan once they find a financial advisor they can trust.5

Vanguard's time-tested, personalized guidance can help anyone take control of their financial future and confidently plan for what's next in life. That's "thriving" in action.

Step into your power with a personalized plan.

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1Claire Ballentine. Massive Wealth Transfer Will Give Women $34 Trillion By 2030. Financial Advisor Magazine, December 9, 2024. https://www.fa-mag.com/news/massive-wealth-transfer-will-give-women--34-trillion-by-2030-80609.html?

2Telltale signs of higher returns? Gender mix could be one. Vanguard, June 2022. (PDF)

3Women and Investing: How to Grow Your Wealth & Own Your Financial Future. Ellevest, July 21, 2023. https://www.ellevest.com/magazine/investing/women-and-investing

4Amy Barger and Christina Best. The State of Women and Caregiving in 2021. caregiving.com, March 25, 2021. https://www.caregiving.com/content/women-and-caregiving-2021

5Vanguard Retail Segmentation Study, 2023.

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