Women’s financial journeys have never looked more diverse. Today, women are building businesses, advancing their careers, investing, supporting ageing parents, raising families, planning for retirement, and in many cases, doing several of these at once.
While women have always played an important role in household finances, they are increasingly making financial decisions independently and taking greater ownership of their long-term financial wellbeing. That presents a significant opportunity for Financial Advisers: to move beyond one-size-fits-all conversations and build advice around the life a client is living.
In 2026, there’s no such thing as a “typical” financial journey, because there’s no such thing as a typical stage of life. A young entrepreneur is weighing risk against reinvestment. A first-time homebuyer is thinking about affordability today and equity tomorrow. A mother returning to work after maternity leave is recalculating what she can save, and when. A daughter caring for an ageing parent is balancing today’s costs against tomorrow’s retirement goals. A woman navigating divorce is rebuilding a plan almost from scratch. Each stage brings its own needs, which is exactly why the advice must change with her.
This is the increasing the reality of modern financial planning. The Advisers who recognise this, and adapt their approach, are the ones who build lasting relationships founded on trust. For glu, that starts with a simple belief: Advisers and their clients grow together. A client’s win is genuinely the Adviser’s win too.
To close out Women’s Month, Michele Jennings, Chief Executive at glu, shares five ways Advisers can ensure their advice reflects the realities of today’s female clients.
See the woman behind the need
A product may look the same on paper, but the reason behind it can be completely different. Understand her ambitions, responsibilities, relationships and life stage before recommending a solution. For glu, that means: know me beyond my numbers.
Plan for the twists and the milestones
A good Adviser builds flexibility into the plan rather than assuming life follows a straight line. Career changes, caregiving, a new relationship, a health scare: a good plan flexes around all of them, milestones and surprises alike. Life changes. Strong financial plans should too.
Make her financial independence part of the conversation
Financial independence deserves a seat at the table from the very first conversation. Frame financial security as something a woman builds for herself first: her own wealth, her own protection, her own confidence. Your money, your future, your choice.
Turn financial complexity into confidence
What actually helps is someone who makes money feel simple, relevant and doable. Someone who is the financial equivalent of a good friend, who explains, challenges and keeps her moving forward. That’s the Adviser as a Financial Bestie, someone who uses less jargon and gives more clarity. They make money feel less complicated.
Stay with her through the journey
A good Adviser stays close well after the paperwork is signed. Needs evolve as life evolves, and regular conversation lets an adviser spot the next need before it becomes a crisis. A financial need is what she needs today. Her financial journey is everything that matters to her tomorrow. glu’s role, and every good Adviser’s role, is to connect the two: building relationships around real life.
“Lasting financial relationships are built on shared value. We grow together. We win together,” says Jennings. “That’s the thinking behind ProfitBack™, our model that lets qualifying members share directly in glu’s success. The right financial solutions should do more than meet today’s needs. They should create long-term value, and reward people for what matters tomorrow, too.”
The most valuable question an Adviser can ask a client is a two-part one: what matters most to you right now? And what do you want your money to make possible, later? Because when advice reflects both, trust grows, relationships deepen and better financial outcomes become possible.
