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Men vs. Women: Who Saves More — And Why It Matters
Plus, the latest in market news.
Happy Sunday, and welcome to Benzinga’s financial advisor newsletter.
Today we're talking about savings and the gap between men and women. New data shows men, on average, hold nearly double the savings of women, but the story behind the numbers is more complex. Read on to see how advisors are rethinking strategies to help clients bridge this gap and prepare for what’s ahead.
Plus, a look at all the top stories and market activity from this past week.
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INDUSTRY CHATTER
The latest inflation data reminded markets that the fight against rising prices isn’t over yet as the Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation gauge — the PCE price index — came in hotter than expected at 2.9%. With policymakers divided on the timing of rate cuts, Friday’s reading underscores just how stubborn inflation has been, and how sensitive it can be for household finances.
That kind of pressure hits every demographic, but it doesn’t squeeze everyone equally. Inflation affects savings behavior, retirement readiness, and can widen the gap between where clients are today and where they want to be tomorrow.
So what’s the impact between men and women when it comes to savings?
A recent survey shows that men come out ahead, however, the story behind the numbers is far more nuanced — and far more relevant to how advisors plan with clients.
Men, on average, hold nearly double the savings of women and report higher satisfaction with their progress. Women, particularly in their prime earning years, report saving less and express greater dissatisfaction. At the same time, much of the gap is tied to structural realities: stagnant wages relative to men, career interruptions for caregiving, and lower lifetime earnings that reduce the ability to save and invest aggressively.
For advisors, this is a planning opportunity. Lower lifetime income often translates into smaller retirement contributions, reduced Social Security benefits, and heightened longevity risk. These aren’t issues solved with a tighter budget alone. They require thoughtful modeling, proactive conversations about career breaks, and strategies that reflect how life actually unfolds.
It’s also a reminder that every client needs a plan that works independently. With divorce rates still elevated, relying on a dual-income projections can create blind spots. Stress-testing plans at the individual level — not just the household level — adds another layer of protection.
By reframing the savings gap as a planning gap positions you to do more than close financial shortfalls. It allows you to build stronger relationships rooted in real-world realities, and helps prepare clients for transitions they may not expect.
It was shaping up to be a relatively quiet week for markets, until Friday delivered a cascade of market-moving headlines.
Fresh economic data showed the U.S. economy expanded at just a 1.4% annualized pace in the fourth quarter, a sharp slowdown from 4.4% in the prior quarter and well below expectations for 3% growth.
At the same time, the Federal Reserve's preferred inflation gauge accelerated to a 3% annual rate in December, with the monthly increase of 0.4% marking the fastest pace since February.
President Donald Trump pointed to the prolonged government shutdown as a key driver of the weak growth print, arguing it shaved at least two percentage points off GDP.
But the real jolt came hours later, when the Supreme Court issued a landmark decision striking down the administration's tariff authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).
The Court ruled that IEEPA does not authorize the president to impose tariffs, grounding its reasoning in separation of powers.
“The Framers gave ‘Congress alone' the power to impose tariffs during peacetime," the Court wrote, adding "the whole power of taxation rests with Congress."
The Court did not address whether the administration must refund more than $130 billion in tariffs already collected under the emergency declarations.
"The good news is that there are methods, practices, statutes and authorities… that are even stronger than the IEEPA tariffs available to me," Trump said in a press conference following the decision.
In response to Court’s ruling, Trump unveiled a new 10% global tariff under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 and confirmed that existing Section 232 and Section 301 tariffs remain "fully in place and in full force and effect."
He said, "We have alternatives. Great alternatives. I can charge much more than I was charging," he added.
Trump suggested the refund issue could face years of litigation.
A day earlier, trade data revealed another blow for the America First agenda.
The U.S. goods and services deficit widened to $70 billion in December, while the full-year 2025 trade gap reached $901 billion — essentially unchanged from 2024 — suggesting tariffs have had no impact on narrowing the imbalance, a central goal of the administration's policy.
Meanwhile, economists and policymakers are increasingly focused on artificial intelligence's growing impact on the labor market.
Federal Reserve Governor Michael Barr recently flagged mounting challenges for younger workers in digital services.
In an exclusive interview with Benzinga, Oxford Economics economist Nico Palesch warned that advances in robotics could soon disrupt physical jobs, potentially affecting up to 20% of the workforce.
Weekly Market Performance Recap
S&P 500 Top Performers (5-Day Change):
S&P 500 Top Laggards (5-Day Change):
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THE WEEK AHEAD
Economic Data
Monday: Factory orders, Fed Speech (Waller)
Tuesday: S&P home price index, consumer confidence, wholesale inventories, Fed Speeches (Bostic, Waller, Cook)
Wednesday: Fed speeches (Barkin, Schmid)
Thursday: Initial jobless claims
Friday: PPI, construction spending, Baker Hughes total rig count
Earnings
Monday: Domino's (DPZ), Hims & Hers (HIMS), Dominion Energy (D)
Tuesday: Home Depot (HD), MercadoLibre (MELI), Workday (WDAY), HP (HPQ), NRG Energy (NRG), Keurig Dr. Pepper (KDP)
Wednesday: Nvidia (NVDA), Salesforce (CRM), Lowe’s (LOW), TJX (TJX), Snowflake (SNOW), Zoom (ZM), Trade Desk (TTD)
Thursday: Intuit (INTU), Dell (DELL), Warner Bros. (WBD), Monster (MNST)
Click here for the full calendar of economic data and earnings reports.
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