Does finance have a women problem? Or do women have a finance problem?

How industry needs to better cater to needs

The financial services industry has not always catered well for the needs of women.

Products and services tend to be built round a linear model - work, save, retire - which makes little accommodation for the more volatile savings patterns of women. Too often, women are left relying on husbands and partners for support. To my mind 'a man is not a plan' - women need plans of their own. It is easy to define the problem, less easy to suggest ways to solve it. However, with a vast gender pensions gap and many women having little or no idea what to expect from their retirement, we would argue the system needs to be more accommodative and financial advisers have a crucial r...