4 simple ways your female clients can improve their financial literacy today

New research published by PA Future (7 March 2025) reveals that on average, women have lower levels of financial literacy and confidence than men. The survey found that:

• Just 19% of women felt they received a good education on money management in school compared to 23% of men.
• More women than men claimed to have limited or no understanding of financial products such as mortgages and insurance.
• 64% of women said they had little or no knowledge of investment, compared to 43% of men.
• 53% of women admitted to not understanding pensions, compared to 34% of men.

This gender divide could make it harder for women to build the wealth they need for their short- and long-term needs.

Fortunately, there are some simple ways your female clients can improve their financial literacy today. Here are four tips to help them feel more confident about managing their wealth.

1. Review finances and create a budget

Your clients could develop a better understanding of their financial situation by regularly reviewing how much money they have coming in and going out each month.

This might allow them to:

• Track patterns of spending, saving, and investing
• Understand how their money mindset influences their behaviours
• Identify unnecessary expenses and costly money mistakes
• Spot opportunities for increasing savings and investments.

This knowledge could help your female clients set achievable financial goals and take control of their finances. Indeed, creating and sticking to a realistic budget is a simple yet effective way to build confidence in managing money.

What’s more, by regularly reviewing their finances, your clients may be better prepared to cope with unexpected life events, such as divorce.

Read more: Financial planning after divorce – A motivational and practical guide to empower your female clients

2. Listen to financial podcasts

Modern life is often busy. On any given day, your female clients may be juggling work, childcare, and social commitments.

So, it’s no surprise that improving their financial literacy might be way down the to-do list for many individuals – if it factors at all.

That’s where podcasts come in.

There’s a world of educational and insightful content just a download away. If you have female clients who feel they don’t have time to learn more about managing their wealth, listening to podcasts could be a fantastic solution.

A quick Google reveals a long list of programmes your clients might want to add to their playlists, such as the Money Clinic from the Financial Times and the Money Box by BBC Radio 4.

Of course, there’s no substitute for professional financial advice (more on this later), but podcasts can provide a useful foundation of knowledge, provided your clients choose them with care.

3. Use financial apps and tools

There’s a wealth of user-friendly mobile apps and digital tools that could help your clients get to grips with different aspects of wealth management, such as budgeting and investing.

For example, many banks allow their customers to automate savings and investments. As such, your clients could simplify and streamline budgeting by sending a fixed amount of their monthly income directly to their pensions, ISAs, and other accounts.

There are also apps you can buy that are designed specifically for budgeting and tracking spending, such as YNAB (You Need A Budget) and Monarch Money.

Reducing the stress and effort of money management might encourage your female clients to bump “improve my financial literacy and confidence” to the top of their priorities.

4. Regularly seek advice from a financial expert

Building a long-term relationship with a trusted financial expert may be one of the most powerful ways your female clients can improve their financial literacy.

Here are a few key benefits of working with a professional:

• Tailored advice and guidance – Podcasts and apps may help your clients build their financial knowledge and understanding in a broad sense. However, they can’t offer the bespoke support that an expert can provide through one-to-one meetings.
• Peace of mind – A qualified and experienced professional can provide unbiased advice that is grounded in data and knowledge of industry best practices. This could instil invaluable trust and confidence that empowers your female clients to engage with their finances.
• Improved financial knowledge and skills – A financial expert can identify gaps in your female clients’ knowledge, understanding, and self-belief. They can then provide relevant ongoing education, such as clarifying complex financial jargon and explaining the rationale behind their recommendations. This may enable and encourage your female clients to take greater control of their wealth.
• Strategic financial planning – By bolstering your female clients’ skills and confidence in these ways, a financial expert can help them set meaningful goals and develop strategies for achieving them.

Get in touch

As a female financial expert who specialises in supporting women, I can guide your clients on a journey of ongoing education and empowerment.

This could be a crucial step towards building the financial literacy and confidence they need to take control of their wealth.

If you’d like to find out more about how I can support your female clients, I’d love to hear from you.

Please contact me at lottie@truefinancialdesign.co.uk or call 0330 088 9138.

Please note

This article is for general information only and does not constitute advice. The information is aimed at retail clients only.

All information is correct at the time of writing and is subject to change in the future.

A pension is a long-term investment not normally accessible until 55 (57 from April 2028). The fund value may fluctuate and can go down, which would have an impact on the level of pension benefits available. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. 

The tax implications of pension withdrawals will be based on your individual circumstances. Thresholds, percentage rates, and tax legislation may change in subsequent Finance Acts.  

The value of your investments (and any income from them) can go down as well as up and you may not get back the full amount you invested. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. 

Investments should be considered over the longer term and should fit in with your overall attitude to risk and financial circumstances.

Note that financial protection plans typically have no cash in value at any time and cover will cease at the end of the term. If premiums stop, then cover will lapse.

Cover is subject to terms and conditions and may have exclusions. Definitions of illnesses vary from product provider and will be explained within the policy documentation.

FP34751 APPROVED BY 2PLAN WEALTH MANAGEMENT ON 18.07.2025