The United States is in the midst of the largest intergenerational transfer of wealth in its history, and an unprecedented share of that wealth is landing under women’s control.
But according to a sweeping new study, the more pressing challenge is not preparing women to receive that money.
It is helping them feel confident enough to lead the decisions that come with it.
Women’s Financial Confidence
The study, called HerWorth, surveyed 10,012 women online from late 2025 through early 2026, making it one of the largest national studies to date examining women’s financial confidence, decision-making patterns, and relationship with wealth.
Researchers combined a nationally fielded paid panel with an organically recruited cohort, yielding a sample spanning regions, income levels, and life stages.
The findings paint a striking picture: just 31% of women say they feel highly confident managing their own finances. Yet that confidence is not evenly distributed, and the study suggests it is not primarily a function of wealth.
Women who take the lead in their own financial decisions report nearly three times the confidence of those who do not.
Women who work with a financial advisor report roughly a 60% increase in financial confidence.
And nearly 40% of women say they want more room in their lives to focus on their finances.
“HerWorth confirms something we have observed for years: financial confidence is not created by wealth alone,” said Shannon Eusey, Co-Founder and Chairman of Beacon Pointe, the firm behind the study.
“When women become more involved in financial decisions, they ask different questions, make more informed choices, and become more confident over time. That is where real transformation happens. As more wealth shifts into women’s hands over the coming decades, helping women build that confidence may be one of the greatest opportunities facing our industry. We hope these findings inspire more conversations, greater engagement, and stronger partnerships that empower women to lead with confidence.”
The results, researchers say, reinforce years of observation from Beacon Pointe’s Women’s Advisory Institute and its team of women leaders and advisors, who have long held that women thrive financially when given access to education, trusted guidance, and the confidence to take an active role in decision-making.
Engagement Over Passivity
That theme of engagement over passivity surfaced repeatedly among the advisors involved in the study.
“The HerWorth study highlights the importance of understanding how we can best serve women,” said Heather O’Neill Fairbanks, CFP, ChFC, Partner and Managing Director at Beacon Pointe. “In my 35 years of serving women, I’ve seen firsthand the value of creating an environment where they feel comfortable asking questions and receive guidance tailored to their unique needs.”
Jill Steinberg, CDFA, MBA, also a Partner and Managing Director at the firm, described the effects of that engagement as reaching well beyond a client’s balance sheet.
“As an advisor, it’s important to create a space where women feel seen, heard, and empowered,” Steinberg said. “In my experience, educating women and encouraging them to make financial decisions builds confidence that extends well beyond their financial lives.”
For Beacon Pointe CEO Matt Cooper, the study’s findings affirm an approach the firm has pursued for years.
“At Beacon Pointe, we’ve long believed that financial confidence is built through trusted relationships, personalized advice, and meaningful engagement,” Cooper said. “HerWorth gives us powerful new data that helps us better understand how to continue supporting women as they navigate increasingly complex financial decisions.”
Taken together, the findings suggest that as trillions of dollars continue to change hands over the coming decades, the institutions positioned to serve the women receiving it will be measured not simply by the size of the accounts they manage, but by whether the women behind those accounts feel equipped, informed, and confident enough to lead.
