Empowering female wealth holders
Investing
5 min read
Questions?
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Today, it’s estimated that only 33% of retail assets in the US and the European Union are held by women[1].
However, that number is expected to rise to 45% within the next four years[2]. To some extent, given cultural and economic similarities, we might expect to see that trend echoed in New Zealand.
This historic generational transfer of assets poses important questions for the wider financial services industry – where representation and authenticity are more important than ever.
Against that backdrop, we recently hosted the first in a new series of events to explore the theme of female wealth ownership. On the panel were: Brigette Arnold Manaia – Director and Private Wealth Adviser at Helm Wealth; Angela Meyer and Rachel Davies – authors and co-founders of Hi Money!; and Lily Richards, the Chief Marketing and Client Officer from our sister firm, Pathfinder.
Brigette Arnold Manaia – Helm Wealth:
We know that there is a generational shift taking place right now on the topic of ‘wealth ownership’. Around the world, more women than ever are wealth generators and wealth inheritors as assets get passed down. It’s important to acknowledge that when someone has wealth, it doesn’t automatically mean that they are confident in knowing how to use it.
When we step back and look at this topic of female wealth ownership, we see three gaps: The first is that despite women becoming wealthier, they still don’t feel as empowered as they could do to make successful, long-term financial decisions. The second is that female representation among the professional Adviser population is also still not equal. And third, linked to that previous point, is that we as an industry could be doing more to evolve with the times.
That’s not to say that Helm Wealth offers some products for men, and others for women. It’s more about recognising that we collectively need to be better at educating, inspiring, and empowering women on the topic of personal finance.
Rachel Davies – Therapist, coach & author:
For me personally, it’s crucial that more women feel comfortable at the wheel of their own financial car.
Time and time again, we’ve met women who’ve told us that they don’t think it’s ‘feminine’ or ‘lady-like’ to talk about money. For some, there’s also a common feeling that money, and its associated pressures, are bad for relationships.
Clearly, there’s work to be done to empower women to feel more confident about their own financial future. The confidence to know what to do with money should not be gate-kept.
Angela Meyer – Gender equity advocate & entrepreneur & author:
It is important to recognise the systemic complexities around money. We knew, through research by the FSC, that that 80% of New Zealand women rate their financial wellbeing as being low[3]. We wanted to find out what else was going on. So, when we were writing our book ‘Money, Money, Money’, we commissioned some research into the social-cultural determinants of financial wellbeing across genders in NZ and Australia. The results were fascinating.
We found that women in Australasia are often held back by the in-built cultural conditioning timidness linked to talking about money. Despite 65% of women being expected to be financially self-sufficient, there is a notable lack in practical guidance on how to do this. Women are not bad with money; the financial system was not designed with women in mind. It is no wonder that many women, when asked what word they associate with money, said “stressed”, while for men it was “hopeful”. That’s not to say that those women didn’t have money, as some of them were ‘wealthy’ by common standards. It’s more a sign that financial confidence and empowerment are still difficult for women to experience.
We also found that 30% of New Zealanders and Australians have no financial plan – aside from winning the Lotto – and the impact of trauma on people’s ability to experience financial security is profound.
Brigette Arnold Manaia:
In my role, I’ve learnt that comparison can be exhausting. This is in the sense that people can often feel compelled to compare themselves to others when thinking about their own money-related circumstances and goals.
Broadly speaking, you will have more success in determining an effective financial plan if you make sure to focus on what you have, and what you want to achieve.
By focusing on yourself, rather than others, the path ahead suddenly becomes clearer, and goals feel achievable rather than ideological.
Lily Richards – Pathfinder:
I’m sure that point resonates with a number of people in the room, and the everyday phrase ‘comparison is the thief of joy’ comes to mind.
Something that I personally took away from the Hi Money! course that I recently did, and from reading Angela and Rachel’s new book, is that when you get clarity, you can have purpose. But without the clarity, it’s very, very hard to know where to start with financial planning.
In my view, it’s also very important to define what ‘enough’ looks like for you. That is so important when it comes to your money and your wellbeing.
Angela Meyer:
If I had to give you one tip today, it would be to please start talking about money more openly.
The normalisation of money conversations can truly be transformational. When we surveyed women for our book, we found that 71% of respondents were comfortable talking about money with their spouse. Often these were conversations about the day-to-day management of money but not necessarily about forward-looking things like investments. Talking more openly about money not only with partners, but also with friends and family, about where, how and what you want your money invested in, can support your own financial wellbeing and security, and give you more choices about your life.
Rachel Davies:
I’d echo that. My tip would be that you find a friend whom you trust, and you both share your experiences. You’ll be amazed how cathartic it can be, and you’ll probably find some shared issues that suddenly ease the burden you may have been feeling beforehand.
For a lot of people, this will feel like a totally foreign concept. And you’ll need to be clear about the person in whom you want to confide. But when it works, it can be so rewarding for both parties.
Brigette Arnold Manaia:
As Lily said earlier, be clear on your ‘enough’. But also, trust your instincts and use a trusted Adviser. The value of expert advice shouldn’t be dismissed. Managing money is tricky, and even more so when large sums are involved.
For wealth generators, decisions may focus on where to start. While for wealth inheritors, it may be more about understanding decisions that were made years ago for good reasons and how no one’s quite sure they still fit today. That’s where a trusted support team is everything. You don’t have to do it alone.
Questions?
As ever, if you’d like to discuss these themes in more detail, please do get in touch with us. Our Advisers are only a phone call away.
Throughout 2026, we will be exploring the theme of female wealth ownership in more detail. Please do keep an eye on our website and the Helm Wealth LinkedIn page.
Sources and references
[1] Source: https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/financial-services/our-insights/the-new-face-of-wealth-the-rise-of-the-female-investor
[2] Source: https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/financial-services/our-insights/the-new-face-of-wealth-the-rise-of-the-female-investor
[3] Source: https://blog.fsc.org.nz/media-release-11-march-2025
Photo credit: Angela Meyer and Rachel Davies