Women, Wealth, and the Great Transfer of Influence

• Women are assuming greater financial responsibility through inheritance, longevity, entrepreneurship, divorce, and other life transitions, making proactive wealth planning increasingly important
• As wealth changes hands, a clear understanding of investments, risk, taxes, and cash flow can help support informed financial decision-making
• Aligning wealth with personal values, family priorities, and legacy goals can help women make more intentional financial choices
• Ongoing reviews and thoughtful planning can help support long-term wealth stewardship for future generations

A historic financial shift is already underway. As Baby Boomers begin transferring wealth at an unprecedented scale, women are positioned to become primary decision-makers for family assets, investments, business interests, and legacies.

This is more than a generational handoff. It is a meaningful transfer of influence, with women increasingly stepping into control of wealth through inheritance, longevity, entrepreneurship, career growth, divorce, or the death of a spouse.

The financial landscape is being reshaped by women who are not simply receiving wealth, but actively defining how it is managed, invested, protected, and passed on. As more women assume responsibility for significant assets, taking an active role in financial planning is essential—not only to preserve wealth, but to help grow it, align it with personal values, and shape the future for families and communities.

With this growing responsibility comes an opportunity to challenge outdated assumptions about how women engage with wealth. The focus is no longer only on preserving assets, but on making intentional decisions that support growth, resilience, family priorities, and long-term legacy.

We are seeing more women step forward with confidence, asking more questions, setting clearer expectations, and taking a more active role in shaping financial strategies.

Now is the time to review your financial goals, understand the assets you may control today or in the future, and make strategic moves that help empower you, your family, and the legacy you want to build.

As a starting point, we suggest six foundational steps for those suddenly thrust into positions of control as divorcees or widows or any women looking to empower themselves financially.

Greater control begins with greater understanding. Taking time to learn about markets, investment vehicles, economic trends, and planning strategies can help you ask more informed questions and make more confident decisions. An advisor can also serve as an ongoing resource, helping you strengthen your financial knowledge as your responsibilities evolve.

As wealth changes hands, priorities may change as well. Revisit your personal, family, and legacy goals so your financial strategy reflects what matters most to you. Clear objectives can help guide decisions around investing, spending, giving, business interests, and how wealth may be passed on to future generations.

Market movement, life events, and changing goals can cause a portfolio to drift from its intended allocation. Regularly reviewing your asset mix can help ensure your investments remain aligned with your long-term objectives, risk tolerance, liquidity needs, and growth expectations. Diversification across asset classes may also help manage volatility while preserving opportunities for growth.

Taking control of wealth does not mean avoiding risk altogether. It means understanding which risks are appropriate, which are unnecessary, and how they support your broader plan. Ask your advisor to explain what “acceptable risk” means in the context of your goals, time horizon, income needs, and comfort level so your investment strategy reflects both confidence and discipline.

Tax considerations can have a meaningful impact on long-term wealth. Strategies such as tax-loss harvesting, thoughtful asset location, charitable giving, and coordinated estate planning may help improve after-tax outcomes. Work with your tax and financial advisors to identify opportunities that fit your broader financial picture.

Major expenses, such as education, a home purchase, family support, travel, or other short-term needs, should be considered alongside long-term investment goals. Maintaining appropriate cash reserves can help support daily life, provide flexibility, and allow you to remain invested through periods of market volatility. Reviewing liquidity needs can also identify excess cash that may be better positioned for growth.

Together, these planning steps can help women build confidence, deepen financial engagement, and make more intentional decisions as they assume greater responsibility for wealth.

Regularly revisiting goals, evaluating investment opportunities, reviewing tax considerations, and confirming that your wealth strategy remains aligned with your long-term vision can help support more confident decision-making over time.

As the Great Wealth Transfer continues to unfold, women have an opportunity not only to manage wealth, but to shape how it supports their families, communities, and future generations.

For women managing inherited wealth family assets, or newly acquired financial responsibilities, ongoing planning and periodic reviews can help support long-term wealth stewardship. Exploring women and wealth planning considerations can also help align financial decisions with long-term personal, family, and legacy goals.

This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended as an offer or solicitation for the sale of any financial product or service. It is not designed or intended to provide financial, tax, legal, investment, accounting, or other professional advice since such advice always requires consideration of individual circumstances. If professional advice is needed, the services of a professional advisor should be sought.

There is no assurance that any investment strategy will be successful. Investing involves risks, and you may incur a profit or a loss. Asset allocation/diversification cannot guarantee a profit or protect against a loss.

Note that tax, estate planning, and financial strategies require consideration for suitability of the individual, business, or investor, and there is no assurance that any strategy will be successful.

Wilmington Trust is not authorized to and does not provide legal or tax advice. Our advice and recommendations provided to you are illustrative only and subject to the opinions and advice of your own attorney, tax advisor, or other professional advisor.

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