Reframing the women and wealth conversation

On 22 January 2026, Evelyn Partners hosted policymakers, pensions regulators, lawyers, academics, fintech leaders and women’s networks at our London offices to launch It’s Not About Confidence: the hidden forces shaping women’s financial futures, a new report from the University of Edinburgh’s Edinburgh Futures Institute, supported by Evelyn Partners.

Written by behavioural researcher Emily Shipp, the report calls on the financial services sector to move beyond narratives of women’s perceived ‘lack of confidence’ and instead recognise the hidden systemic, social and situational factors that shape how women engage with long-term financial planning and saving for later life. The strength and diversity of attendance underlined a shared recognition across the industry: existing explanations for women’s financial outcomes are no longer fit for purpose.

In conversation with Rachael Smith, Head of Growth at Evelyn Partners, Emily Shipp explored the report’s central findings. She highlighted the widening gender pensions gap, particularly within defined contribution schemes, and the way responsibility for long-term financial planning has shifted onto individuals at a time when lives are longer, less linear and more complex.

A central insight was the distinction between confidence and self-efficacy. The report shows that women’s apparent disengagement from long-term planning is often a rational response to context and not a result of a lack of knowledge or capability. Factors such as mental load, financial stress and limited time can constrain people’s ability to imagine and act for their future selves, regardless of financial literacy.

Emily introduced the ‘Windows of possibility’ framework, which illustrates how systemic, social and situational factors combine to either expand or restrict long-term financial decision-making. The implication for financial services is clear: better outcomes require redesigned systems, not better-behaved (female) clients.

The discussion resonated strongly with the audience, prompting debate on the implications for consumer duty, targeted support and pensions reform. Contributors emphasised the importance of advice models and digital tools, such as cashflow modelling, that create space for long-term thinking, support real-life transitions such as caring, divorce or career change, and translate insight into action rather than information alone.

As a founding partner of the Compassion in Financial Services Hub at the Edinburgh Futures Institute, Evelyn Partners is committed to helping reframe how the industry supports women’s financial wellbeing. This includes advocating for more inclusive pension design, contributing behavioural insight to policy discussions, and continuing to evolve our advice approach so it reflects the realities of modern, multi-stage lives.

By combining rigorous research with practical application, we believe financial services can move beyond deficit-based narratives and towards systems that enable better long-term outcomes for all.

It’s Not About Confidence: the hidden forces shaping women’s financial futures is available to read now. The report offers a detailed behavioural framework and practical recommendations for policymakers, providers and advisers looking to close the gender wealth gap.