Building bridges, breaking barriers
Why do only 20% of couples participate in financial decisions equally?
Even today, half of women leave big financial decisions to their spouse or partner. For our third Own your worth report, we wanted to find out: do men play a role in women’s behavior? Can men help change the dynamic? We discovered that it will take both women and men to turn the tide. Take a look at the findings—and the solution to help couples share decisions.
Most women and men want to make decisions together
Time constraints and indifference may prevent women from getting involved
Couples who make decisions together are more confident about the future
Watch highlights from our special events
Love and money do mix, with Paulina Porizkova
Career. Marriage. Motherhood. Divorce. Widowhood. Model and author Paulina Porizkova has seen it all, and shares her advice for making sure you are taking control of your finances.
Touching audiences, changing Hollywood with Laura Dern
Oscar Award-winning actor and producer Laura Dern shares how her fight for equal pay is breaking the glass ceiling in Hollywood, and how she talks money with her daughter.
Own your worth 2020
An all-star line-up—featuring Billie Jean King, Lisa Leslie, Paula Polito, Paulina Porizkova, Elaine Welteroth and Dr. Jill Yavorsky—shares their own stories of money, power and resilience.
Get started
Frequently avoided questions
The most important questions can seem overwhelming. But it's time to start asking them. You’re more than ready for the answers, and we have a few ideas below.
When you’re moving forward you may need cash to fall back on.
Consider saving and keeping some cash for an adequate emergency fund.
New Financial Goals Kickstart Guide
It’s time to reevaluate how your financial goals fit with the goals you have for your life. Meeting with a Financial Advisor can help you build a comprehensive plan and remove some anxieties around the unknown. Here is a list of questions to talk with a Financial Advisor about right now:
- Do I have enough to sustain my lifestyle?
- What is my updated net worth and asset allocation?
- Does my current budget align with my goals?
- Are my values reflected in my individual financial plan?
- Am I saving enough and in the right places?
There is a tremendous benefit to communicating openly about money. Sometimes it helps to take the emotional charge out of the conversation and plan what you say in advance. Here are some tools to help get you started.
Money Talk
When you open the lines of communication early and often, money talks don’t have to be contentious. UBS research shows that partners who share financial decisions feel more positive about the future and less anxious about money.1
Financial Dreams Kickstart Guide
Dreaming about what you want your money to do can be fun. Use this Financial Dreams Kickstart Guide to get going.
- What do you want to accomplish in your life?
- What are your main concerns?
- What do you want your legacy to be?
- Who are the people that matter most to you?
- How do you plan to achieve your life’s vision?
Express your desire to join in the financial decisions with your partner.
Our fill-in-the-blank money talk guides are the perfect way to organize your thoughts when it comes to commonly avoided conversations. Start planning now.
Few conversations are as important as planning for a future without you or your spouse. Who will make important decisions in the case of a death or illness? Who will care for your loved ones? How will you pass on your wealth? If you and your partner don’t make decisions now, they could be made without you later.
Money Beliefs Kickstart Guide
These conversations are tricky. You and your partner may have different ideas about what you want your money to do, both now and after you're gone. If you understand why your partner feels differently, it will be easier to come to an agreement. Use this Kickstart Guide to help start a conversation that gets to the root of both your values.
- Who do you want to receive your wealth if you’re no longer able to enjoy it?
- Who are the most important people in your lives and how should your wealth be divided among them?
- Do you and your partner agree on how much to leave to your children, if any?
- Do you want to leave anything to the people or causes you care about?
- Do you want to put any parameters around inheritance?
- If you and your partner disagree, can you find a compromise with elements that are important to you both?
Make a plan with your partner to take care of your family if something happens.
Our fill-in-the-blank money talk guides are the perfect way to organize your thoughts when it comes to commonly avoided conversations. Start planning now.
Supporting your parents isn’t something everybody plans for. When you’re ready, let your parents know you want to discuss finances because you care so much about them.
Cash Cushion
If you need to help care for someone else down the road, you may want to increase your cash to cover their needs as well. Contact a Financial Advisor to help you plan.
Talk to an Advisor Checklist
- Financial and estate plans
- Savings and checking accounts
- Emergency funds
- Expenses
- Pensions and Social Security
- Retirement accounts
- Investment accounts
- Life insurance policies
- Long-term care policies
- Loans, credit lines and other debt
- Trust accounts
- Real estate
- Annual gifting
- Charitable giving
Discuss a financial plan for the future with your parents.
Our fill-in-the-blank money talk guides are the perfect way to organize your thoughts when it comes to commonly avoided conversations. Start planning now.
