The Conversation Is Changing. Are We?

• By: PRMA
• On: 04/10/2026 14:36:54
• In: PRMA Insights
• Comments: 0

The profile of the client is changing, and advisor conversations need to change with it. This piece highlights a few of the trends shaping women and wealth, along with simple ways advisors can be more thoughtful, inclusive, and effective in the moments that matter most.

You're sitting in a meeting with a couple. You've worked with the husband for years. He's the one who usually answers first.

So you do what you've always done. You direct the conversation his way.

Nothing dramatic happens. The meeting goes fine.

But something small just shifted.

We don't always notice these moments when they happen. They're subtle. Habit-driven. Easy to repeat.

But they matter more now than they used to.

Because the profile of the client in front of us is changing.

What's Actually Happening

Some of the numbers shared in our recent webinar, The State of Women & Wealth, presented by Steph Wagner, are hard to ignore:

• Women are poised to control 80% of the $100 trillion wealth transfer
• 40% of businesses are owned by women
• The average age of widowhood is 59
• 36% of divorces today involve couples over 50
• 52% of women are single
• For high-net-worth clients, life expectancy is closer to 92

And over the next 30 years, experts are predicting a 400% increase in people living past 100. Roughly 70% of them will be women.

That's not a future trend. That's already shaping who is making decisions, who will be making decisions, and who will remember how those conversations felt.

Where Advisors Get Tripped Up

Most advisors aren't getting this wrong in an obvious way.

It's usually not about saying something blatantly offensive. It's about defaulting.

• Defaulting to the person you've always worked with
• Defaulting to over-explaining when someone's in a transition
• Defaulting to a structure that assumes who's leading the conversation

None of it is intentional. That's what makes it tricky.

Clients notice it anyway.

The Shift Isn't Complicated

This isn't about overhauling your entire approach.

It's how you open a conversation.

It's who you make eye contact with.

It's whether you ask, “What's already familiar to you?” instead of assuming.

It's whether you pause long enough to understand how decisions are actually being made, instead of following the pattern you expect.

Why This Matters More Than It Used To

The industry is already feeling this gap.

There's real risk in not adapting. Some estimates put it at up to 30% of revenue on the line if firms fail to connect with women clients.

That's not about marketing. That's about relationships.

People stay with advisors who understand them. Or at least try to.

A Simple Place to Start

Before your next meeting, take a second and ask yourself:

Who am I expecting to lead this conversation?

We put together a short set of resources to help make this more practical, including:

• A one-page overview of key trends and what they mean in real conversations
• A set of interactive scenarios to practice how these moments actually play out

You can explore those resources and watch the full webinar for a deeper look at the conversation.