Why Financial Brands Need to Stop Treating Women Like “Men with Purses”

For too long, financial services marketing has spoken to women as if we’re just smaller versions of men — same logic, same motivators, same definitions of success. But the data — and the emotion — tell a different story.

Women now control over $14 trillion in personal wealth in the U.S. and influence 85% of household financial decisions. Yet the majority still say the industry “doesn’t get” them. That disconnect isn’t about dollars — it’s about design. Women don’t just want products that perform; they want brands that see them — their life stages, caregiving roles, ambitions, fears, and emotional drivers around money.

Money, for many women, is not about power or status — it’s about security, autonomy, and recognition. It’s about being trusted to know what’s right for ourselves and our families. When brands fail to honor that emotional context, they don’t just lose customers; they lose credibility.

The future of financial growth depends on shifting from education to empathy, from “targeting women” to designing for women. That means:

• Building trust before transactions.

• Speaking to life goals, not just financial goals.

• Designing experiences that make women feel emotionally safe — not overwhelmed or underestimated.

Financial services has a once-in-a-generation chance to rewrite its relationship with women. The ones that listen — truly listen — will lead.