How to help women achieve a more secure retirement

Women are poised to play a far larger role in wealth ownership and retirement decision making as the coming generational transfer accelerates. Yet the piece highlights a persistent confidence gap, especially among unmarried women, alongside greater longevity risk and a higher likelihood of retiring earlier than planned.

That combination makes planning more important, not less. Women with a clear financial plan show much stronger confidence, underscoring the value of advice on saving rates, investment mix, Social Security timing and later-life income needs.

For advisors and plan sponsors, the opportunity is to provide an easier starting point through education and simple defaults. Automatic enrollment, higher contribution rates and age-appropriate investment choices can help close the gap between intention and action.

The main risk is delay. Without guidance, many investors may stay too conservative or postpone decisions that become harder to fix later.