Women Shape $124T Wealth Transfer, Future of Banking

A significant generational shift in wealth is underway, as an estimated $124 trillion will be inherited in the next 25 years, and women are positioned to inherit much of it—first from parents and then often from spouses. Already the primary financial decisionmakers in many households, women are poised to reset expectations for trust, value and relevance in banking.

Alkami Technology Inc., a digital sales and service platform for U.S. banks and credit unions, expanded on these trends in its latest report, “First Beneficiaries: How Financial Institutions Can Serve Women Through Inherited Wealth.” Building on a survey of 1,500 U.S. adults conducted from February 24 through March 14 by the Center for Generational Kinetics, the report revealed a growing divide between women’s increasing financial leadership and the experiences many received from their primary financial institutions. As women assume greater control of family wealth, respondents shared concerns that their banks may be unprepared to support their evolving needs.

The study also provided historical background underscoring how recent this progress is. Before the 1970s, women could not open a credit card account without a husband or co-signer. While society has made strides, not everyone has felt equally included in financial conversations—especially those about long-term planning and the transfer of wealth. These gaps often remain invisible until wealth changes hands, at which point the opportunity to build trust may already have passed.

Anticipating Needs

Alkami’s data showed overwhelming consensus on what matters most to female account holders: 93% of respondents identified user experience and functionality as essential, and 87% emphasized the importance of high-quality online customer service.

Despite an average primary banking relationship of 9.2 years, surveyed women showed declining confidence in their financial institutions’ abilities to anticipate their needs. Only 37% reported receiving product recommendations that felt tailored to them.

Trust indicators showed a further lack of confidence: 75% of surveyed women said they trust their institution to recommend the right products, and 76% said they believe their provider offered solutions that genuinely supported them, rather than take advantage of them.

When institutions engaged more intentionally, female respondents were more likely than men to pass along a good word. Notably, 44% of surveyed women said they would recommend a financial institution to others if they satisfied with the digital experience, as compared with 39% of surveyed men, and 41% of surveyed women were more likely to try new features, as compared with 34% of surveyed men.