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Breaking Barriers: Why Women Need Financial Advice Now More Than Ever
Amy Woolliscroft30th April 2026
We’ve all heard of the gender pay gap, but what about the financial advice gap?
In today’s complex financial landscape, many women face substantial hurdles when it comes to accessing financial advice. With a history of economic disadvantage, navigating these challenges is crucial for securing a stable financial future.
It is expected that the coming decades will see a huge transfer of generational assets, yet a woman is more likely than their male counterparts to have no financial plan in place 1, meaning that finding the right financial adviser is more important than ever.
One of the main barriers for women is the lifelong burden of caregiving responsibilities. From babies to older relatives, this nurturing role is essential for families but often falls on the shoulders of women and ultimately results in reduced lifetime earnings. This can lead to gaps in employment and a reduced ability to save and invest for the future, including retirement. This gap is particularly pronounced in the case of single parents, who may struggle to balance work, caregiving, and financial management.
Compounding this issue is the persistent gender pay gap that continues to affect women's financial prospects. Women, on average, earn less than their male counterparts for similar work 2, which directly impacts their ability to save for retirement. With less income, fewer opportunities for investment, caring responsibilities and longer life expectancy, women can face a perfect storm of challenges that can leave them vulnerable.
For both men and women, seeking financial advice is often the result of significant life events such as bereavement, inheritance, divorce, or starting a family. These situations can be overwhelming, and the stress of making critical financial decisions can be overwhelming if you don’t have a financial plan in place.
How can we help?
We know that the prospect of seeking financial advice can be intimidating but at Accession we work with our clients to make a plan that is holistic, incorporating all your life goals and working towards them in ways that are achievable. Whether you are anticipating a transfer of assets (from inheritance or divorce, for example) or are at the start of your career and really looking to make a plan that is robust for whatever life throws at it, the long-term benefits of finding a financial adviser that fits you are undeniable.
With the right advice, you can take proactive steps toward financial stability, empowering yourself and helping to ensure a secure future for you and your family, paving the way for future generations to have a really positive relationship with their finances.
Accession specialises in providing high-quality, face-to-face wealth management advice for farming families, professionals, rural businesses and families across Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire and the surrounding counties.
All three Accession financial advisers – Emma Wilcock, Joe Moricca and Richard Jones - are Chartered Financial Planners and Fellows of the Personal Finance Society, accolades held by a very small number of financial advisers in the UK and meaning we are fully equipped to help guide you through planning for the future. They are also all Top-Rated Financial Advisers with VouchedFor, the independent review platform for professional services.
If you or someone you know would benefit from speaking to one of our advisers about planning for the future, please do contact us on 01832 279170 or accession@sjpp.co.uk to discuss your requirements and get an appointment in the diary.
1 St. James’s Place. Real Life Advice 2025 - Chapter 1. On behalf of SJP, Opinium surveyed just under 12,000 UK adults nationwide in two polls between May and August 2025. Quotas and post-weighting were applied to the sample to make the dataset representative of the UK adult population. Quantative data referenced is sourced from the first poll which had a total sample of 7,995 respondents.
2 Office for National Statistics - October 2025
SJP Approved 29/4/2026