News & Insights

Women are becoming increasingly important stewards of wealth, shaping decisions across families, philanthropy, governance and community impact. This creates an important moment for advisers, trustees and community leaders to support capability, confidence and purposeful decision-making

A transfer with a female face

For decades, conversations about wealth have often been framed around male ownership and financial leadership. Yet, the reality is changing rapidly. Across New Zealand and internationally, women are becoming increasingly important stewards of wealth through their own careers and entrepreneurship, through inheritance, and through their central role in family decision-making.

The New Zealand context

In Aotearoa, this shift is being amplified by what many describe as the largest intergenerational wealth transfer in our history. JBWere research estimates that around $1.6 trillion will transfer between generations by 2050, with approximately $27 billion expected to change hands this year alone. Women are likely to play a central role in that transition, often as surviving partners, brothers, estate executors, trustees and earlier family decision-makers.

Influence beyond ownership

Yet the story of women and wealth is not simply about dollars passing from one generation to the next. It is about influence. Research consistently shows that women often approach wealth differently, viewing financial resources through the lens of purpose, family and intergenerational wellbeing, community impact and long-term outcomes.

A broader leadership role

Women are not only investors and donors. Women are frequently convenors, caregivers, governors and connectors. Philanthropy, in particular, is increasingly becoming a space where women exercise leadership and shape change.

Capability before confidence 

Women’s growing influence is occurring alongside persistent financial inequities. Women still face lower retirement savings, partly as a result of interrupted career pathways, and lower participation in high-growth investment opportunities. While New Zealand’s gender pay gap has narrowed, historically to as low as 5.3%, women continue to have lower average KiwiSaver balances and are more likely to report feeling underprepared for retirement. At the same time, studies show women often score highly on measures of financial literacy and decision-making, yet many report lower confidence than men. Put simply, capability frequently exists before confidence does.

The Future of giving

For philanthropy, this presents both an opportunity and a challenge. As more women become key stewards of wealth, fundraising, governance, advisory services and giving structures need to evolve alongside them. Traditional models often assume a donor who is already comfortable discussing wealth and making philanthropic decisions. Increasingly, that assumption no longer holds

As women’s financial influence continues to grow, so too does the opportunity to shape a more confident, purposeful and enduring approach to wealth for generations to come. 

Please reach out to your JBWere Adviser if you would like to better understand how we can help.