Young women lead surge in demand for advice 

ifa

Almost half (46 per cent) of investors aged 18 to 29 now plan to seek financial advice in the next 12 months, according to the ASX Australian Investor Study 2026, but one adviser says the cost of delivering it is putting advice out of reach for many. The figure is up from 28 per cent three years ago and has outpaced demand across the broader investor base, where 37 per cent of investors intend to seek advice compared with 32 per cent in the previous study in 2023. Women make up 61 per cent of the estimated 950,000 Australians planning to start investing in the next 12 months, marking the first time in the study’s history that women have significantly outnumbered men among intending investors, who will join a record 11.5 million Australians already investing outside super and the family home. 

“What is particularly encouraging is the next generation of investors entering the market,” ASX managing director and chief executive Anthony Attia said. “Social media has made investing more accessible and less intimidating, while increased earning capacity, inheritances and divorce settlements have given women greater financial independence,” TruWealth Advice founder and principal financial adviser Natallia Smith told ifa. “Interestingly, younger women are increasingly viewing investing as an alternative to home ownership, particularly as housing affordability becomes more challenging.”

The rest of this article can be found at ifa.com.au.