As we celebrate International Women's Day this March, it's the perfect moment to honor something that doesn't always make the headlines but changes lives every single day: financial education for women.
The financial world has historically been male-dominated — but more importantly, financial conversations have too often excluded women. That's changing. And it needs to change faster.
The Moment Nobody Prepares For
Picture this: A woman has spent decades as the heart of her household — raising kids, managing schedules, supporting her spouse's career. Then, unexpectedly, she loses her partner. And suddenly, she's staring at a stack of bills, a retirement account she's never logged into, a life insurance policy she can't find, and a world of financial decisions she was never invited into.
This is not a rare story. It is the story for millions of women every year.
About 80% of women over 65 are widows or unmarried — compared to roughly 40% of men — largely because women live longer. And yet, studies indicate that roughly 1 in 3 women have no clear knowledge of their spouse's life insurance policies or retirement account details before their spouse dies. According to AARP, nearly half of all widows face serious financial strain within the first two years of losing a spouse — struggling to manage bills, taxes, and retirement income they've never handled before.
Widowhood is already one of life's most painful transitions. Financial confusion, fear, and vulnerability should not have to be part of it.
This is exactly why financial education for women isn't just empowering. It's essential.
The Gap Is Real — And Closeable
The numbers tell a story we can't ignore:
- The average woman retires with 30–40% less in retirement savings than men, due to career breaks, the gender pay gap, or simply being less involved in long-term financial decisions during a marriage.
- Only 46% of women feel very confident managing investments, compared to 61% of men.
- Women are more likely to be the surviving spouse — and less likely to have been the one managing the portfolio.
These aren't character flaws. They're the result of systems and cultural norms that have, for too long, left women out of the financial conversation. But here's what matters: gaps can be closed. Confidence can be built. And it starts with education.
Knowledge Is the Greatest Gift You Can Give Yourself
Whether you're 35 or 65, married or single, just starting out or approaching retirement — understanding your finances is one of the most powerful things you can do for yourself and the people you love.
Financial literacy means knowing:
- What accounts exist in your household and how to access them
- How your retirement income works — and what happens to it if your spouse passes first
- What your insurance policies cover (and what they don't)
- How to read a beneficiary designation and why it matters
- How to create or update an estate plan that protects your family
These aren't topics reserved for the wealthy or the finance-savvy. They're life skills — and every person deserves to have them.
Women Who Know, Teach
Here's something beautiful that happens when women become financially educated: they share it.
Women are among the most influential financial educators in their families and communities. A mother who understands compound interest teaches her daughter to start saving early. A widow who navigated the estate process guides her sister through the same. A woman who finally sat down and learned her retirement plan becomes the one her friends call when they don't know where to start.
Financial knowledge doesn't just protect one woman — it ripples outward through generations.
Why Women in Finance Matter More Than Ever
Women bring something unique to financial advising: empathy without sacrificing expertise. They ask the questions that get to the heart of what a client actually needs. They hold space for the emotional weight that financial decisions carry — especially during life transitions like divorce, loss, or retirement.
Women now control a growing share of global wealth, and increasingly, they're seeking advisors who understand them — their goals, their fears, and their desire to be genuinely heard, not just managed.
That's not a soft skill. That's a superpower.
Spotlight: The Women of Cornerstone Financial Group
At Cornerstone Financial Group, we don't just talk about empowering women — we live it every day through the incredible women on our own team.
🌟 Danielle McKenna — FPQP™ & Licensed Insurance Agent
Danielle has been a cornerstone of our team (pun intended) since 2016. As a Financial Paraplanner Qualified Professional™ and licensed insurance agent, she specializes in life insurance, long-term care, and Medicare planning — the very areas that become most critical when a spouse passes or a family faces a major life transition.
Remember that statistic — 1 in 3 women don't know the details of their spouse's life insurance before they need to? Danielle is exactly the kind of professional who helps change that. She works with clients before the crisis hits, ensuring families are informed, prepared, and protected.
What makes Danielle exceptional isn't just her credentials. It's the way she walks alongside clients during some of the most overwhelming moments of their lives, turning complexity into clarity.
💼 Victoria Drehobl — Director of Client Relations
Victoria joined CFG in 2025 with a background in education and family and estate law — two fields that are entirely about protecting people and helping them navigate life's biggest transitions. She is a lifelong learner in every sense — always pursuing growth.
As Director of Client Relations, Victoria ensures that every client feels seen, heard, and supported from the moment they walk through our door. Her background in education means she has a natural gift for making complex financial topics feel approachable — which is exactly what helps close that confidence gap. Because when a woman walks out of a meeting understanding her finances, everything changes.
Together, Danielle and Victoria represent what we believe financial services should look like: knowledgeable, compassionate, and deeply committed to the people they serve.
A Call to Action — For Every Woman Reading This
If you've been meaning to sit down and truly understand your household finances, let this be your sign.
- Schedule a meeting with your financial advisor — and bring all your questions.
- Ask to be included in every financial conversation, not just the ones deemed "relevant" to you.
- Know where your accounts are, what your policies cover, and what your plan looks like if everything changes tomorrow.
- If you've lost a spouse or are navigating a major transition, reach out. You don't have to figure it out alone.
- If you have daughters, nieces, or young women in your life — talk to them about money. Normalize it early and often.
Financial confidence isn't something you're born with. It's built — conversation by conversation, question by question.
Looking Ahead
The statistics are sobering. But they are not destiny.
Women like Danielle and Victoria remind us what's possible when women are not just included in finance, but celebrated and elevated within it. Their work — and the work of women across this industry — is making financial futures brighter for entire families.
This International Women's Day, we celebrate not just women in finance, but women who are financially informed, financially empowered, and financially fearless.
You deserve to know your numbers. You deserve a seat at every table. And you deserve a team that champions you every step of the way.
Happy International Women's Day — from all of us at Cornerstone Financial Group.
Disclosure: For specific estate planning or tax planning advice, please consult a qualified estate planning attorney or tax advisor/CPA. This content was generated utilizing the help of AI research and is intended for informational purposes only. Please consult a qualified professional for personalized advice. Sources:
AARP. "Financial Security of Widows." AARP Public Policy Institute, www.aarp.org.
Collinson, Catherine. "Retirement Security Across Generations." Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies, www.transamericacenter.org.
FINRA Investor Education Foundation. "The State of U.S. Financial Capability." FINRA Foundation, www.finrafoundation.org.
U.S. Census Bureau. "America's Families and Living Arrangements." United States Census Bureau, www.census.gov.
U.S. Department of Labor, Women's Bureau. "Women and Retirement Savings." United States Department of Labor, www.dol.gov.
LIMRA. "Life Insurance Awareness and Ownership." LIMRA Research, www.limra.com.