Financial planning & advice for women – whenever they need it

Financial advice for women often needs to account for years men rarely lose from a career. Many women take time off work for childcare or to care for a relative.

This can make financial planning more important when they return to work. Those years can leave a gap in pension savings that a normal calculator does not explain well.

A shorter working history often means a smaller pension pot later on, even after a strong career. Good advice looks at the whole timeline, not just the latest salary.

Why financial advice for women starts differently

The gap shows up clearly in the numbers. Government data shows women aged 55 to 59 hold median pension wealth of £81,000, against £156,000 for men, a gap of 48%.

Across all savers, PensionBee puts the average pot at £16,169 for women and £25,652 for men, a gap of 37%. The gap starts small, at around 16% early in a career, then widens through career breaks, part time work, and lower average pay.

At Regulated Advice, we see a similar pattern in our numbers. Of our last 100 appointments booked, 37 were for women, well below the share for men.

Our fund size data tells a different story. Across those same 100 appointments, in July and August 2026, the average fund size was £259,000.

Women in that group averaged £307,000, higher than the overall figure and higher than men. It suggests women who actively seek advice through Google tend to have larger funds than the national average for women overall.

Requests for a female advisor for financial advice

We sometimes get asked for a female advisor, and we try to help where we can. It is not common, because the advisor profession itself is still mostly male.

When we find a suitable match, we make the introduction. Where it is not, we still pick an advisor with real experience in divorce settlements and career break planning.

Divorce is often the first time women seek financial advice

Many of our appointments with women follow a pension sharing order after divorce. For many, it is the first time they have ever needed a financial advisor.

A settlement can split pensions built up during a marriage. You need a proper explanation to understand what that share is really worth. Getting it wrong can prove difficult to fix later.

Common themes in financial advice for women enquiries

Looking back through 37 recent enquiries from women, the average age was 58.9. These cases show the different reasons women seek financial advice. Pension led enquiries slightly outnumbered investment led ones, at 56% against 44%, or 15 cases against 12.

Fund size also varied by type. Pension led cases averaged £396,000, while investment led cases averaged £267,000.

A few clear patterns stood out once the cases were grouped together.

• Old pensions from past jobs needing to be brought together (29% of cases)

• Not happy with the current advisor and looking to switch (19% of cases)

• A pension linked to a divorce settlement or wider life reset (10% of cases)

• Money left to a child or grandchild (14% of cases)

• A choice about a deferred state pension (5% of cases, but a striking one)

• A joint appointment booked with a husband as well as her own pot (19% of cases)

• Savings spread thinly across many providers, one case with 19 different providers (5% of cases)
  
  

Case study

A woman aged 61 had a £100,000 Aviva pension awarded through a divorce settlement, and wanted the pension reviewed alongside her income options. She also had an older workplace pension worth £40,000, which she believed was a final salary scheme she could not access until 65.

We only book an appointment once the pension sharing order is legally in place, rather than getting involved at the divorce stage itself. Once the order is in force, moving the pension is straightforward work for most financial advisors.

Her advisor reviewed the Aviva pension for income options now, and flagged that the older scheme would likely need separate specialist advice closer to age 65.

Summary

Financial advice for women often starts from a different place, shaped by career breaks and, often, divorce. A pension sharing order is commonly the first moment advice is sought at all.

Requests for a female advisor are rare but accommodated where we can, even though the wider profession is still male dominated. What matters most is finding an advisor who understands these cases well.

If you are approaching a divorce settlement or returning to financial planning after time away from work, talk to an advisor who has handled cases like yours before. Find a financial advisor.

Further reading

For more information on financial planning for women, including state pension rules and how long careers affect retirement income, visit the UK government's pensions guidance.