What you need to know
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Financial confidence is not about being an investment expert. It is about understanding your financial position, asking questions and participating actively in decisions that affect your future.
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Confidence can be particularly valuable during significant life events, such as retirement, inheritance, divorce, bereavement or the sale of a business, when financial decisions may become more complex.
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Building confidence can help you make informed decisions that reflect your personal goals, values, family priorities and approach to risk.
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Taking small steps, including becoming more involved in financial planning, asking questions and drawing on trusted advice and supportive communities, can help strengthen knowledge and engagement.
For many high-net-worth women, wealth represents far more than financial success. It can create freedom, flexibility and the opportunity to shape the future you want for yourself, your family and your wider community. Yet despite increasing wealth and influence, many women still report lower levels of financial confidence than men.1 This is often referred to as the female finance confidence gap.
That gap matters more than ever. Women are expected to control an increasing share of wealth in the years ahead. McKinsey reports that women currently control around one-third of retail financial assets in the European Union and United States, with this expected to rise to 40 to 45% by 2030. For many women, this wealth will come through business ownership, inheritance or managing family wealth after the loss of a partner. Building confidence before a major transition occurs can help women feel better prepared to make important decisions during periods of change.2
What is financial confidence?
Financial confidence is not about being an investment expert or understanding every technical detail. It is about knowing where you stand financially, feeling comfortable asking questions and being actively involved in decisions that affect your future. Confidence comes from visibility, understanding and participation.
Psychologists often refer to “financial self-efficacy”, which means the belief that you can successfully manage financial matters and make informed decisions. Research published in Frontiers in Psychology describes financial self-efficacy as a person’s belief in their ability to achieve financial goals and found that it was positively associated with investment satisfaction and life satisfaction. In practical terms, confidence can influence long-term behaviours, from investing and retirement planning to estate and succession discussions.3
Why does the confidence gap exist?
The confidence gap is not a reflection of capability. Instead, it is often linked to life experiences and societal factors that have historically left women less involved in financial conversations. Career breaks, caring responsibilities and changing family dynamics could influence confidence levels and long-term wealth outcomes.
It is also closely connected to the gender wealth and pensions gap. The Department for Work and Pensions reported that, for those aged 55 to 59, the gender pensions gap in private pension wealth was 48% in 2020 to 2022. These structural factors can contribute to feeling less confident about financial decision-making, even when significant assets have been built.4
Confidence matters most when life changes
Financial confidence often becomes most important during periods of transition. Divorce, retirement, the sale of a business, caring for elderly relatives, bereavement or receiving an inheritance can introduce complex decisions at a time when emotions may also be running high.
The World Economic Forum notes that communication and preparation are key in wealth transfer, and that intergenerational wealth is more than the transfer of money. For women, it can express values such as security, freedom and wellbeing for themselves and their families.5
As wealth grows, confidence should too
As women move through different life stages, financial decisions often become more complex and more meaningful. Questions around family, legacy, philanthropy, retirement and future generations naturally become part of the conversation. Confidence often grows alongside wealth, shifting from understanding markets to understanding what you want your wealth to achieve and how it can support the people and causes that matter most to you.
Importantly, confidence is not about taking more risk. It is about understanding your options and making informed decisions that align with your values, goals and circumstances. Every woman will have a different relationship with wealth, investing and risk. There is no single approach, only the approach that aligns with your personal objectives and circumstances.
Passing on confidence as well as wealth
Women often play a central role in passing financial values and behaviours to future generations. Building confidence today can help create more open conversations about wealth, responsibility and stewardship within families. According to the World Economic Forum, only a quarter of people have discussed generational wealth transfer with their families, which underlines the importance of starting these conversations early. 5
How can women build financial confidence?
Where to start? Start with community
Our Beyond Value, Female Community was created to encourage open conversations, shared learning and meaningful connections between women. It offers a space to explore wealth, purpose, legacy and life with others who understand the opportunities and responsibilities that significant wealth can bring.
Financial confidence is not about having all the answers. It is about feeling informed, supported and empowered to make decisions that are right for you. Sometimes, the first step towards greater confidence is simply joining the conversation.
Sources
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Information correct as of 9 September 2026.
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