Financial Planners are struggling to meet the needs of one in three female clients, according to research by Schroders.
Only two thirds (66%) of female clients said their financial plan was anchored to and recalibrated in line with their goals, whilst 92% of advisers claimed to be doing so.
According to the report, 62% of advisers are not currently providing a differentiated service based on gender.
This is despite 70% of advisers expressing their intention to attract more female clients.
In regards to how advisers are engaging couples, the research showed advisers are favouring the male when it comes to prioritising their communications, with two thirds (66%) stating that it is difficult to engage both parties.
Despite 54% of advisers acknowledging that both partners should be equally included in all communication and decision-making processes, 45% of advisers still have the male as the primary contact.
Only 22% of advisers said they ensure that the reviews of financial plans always include both partners. Some 56% of advisers also undertake life goal planning without involving the female partner.
This is despite the report finding that 44% of women confirming that they run their own finances and 65% investing separately from their partner (a fact that only 42% of advisers were aware of).
This overall disconnect, coupled with the lack of efforts to engage them equally, may explain why only 34% of women stated that they would remain with the family adviser in the event of their partner’s death, while 62% of advisers presumed that they would.
Philip Martin, managing director at Unique Financial Planning, said: “Over the past few years, there has been much focus given to inter-generational planning and its impact on firms. The results of this survey – particularly the disparity between female partners’ understanding and that of advisers – indicate there is still much work for us to do to develop strategies to meet that challenge.”
Women identified the key qualities they look for in an adviser, but according to the report advisers are significantly underperforming the expectations of their female clients, particularly in areas such as trust, value for money and relatability.
