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Women have long been the chief operating officers of their households — the ones who remember the dentist appointments, plan the birthday parties and keep everything running thanks to countless tabs open 24/7 inside their heads.
I get it, because I’m a wife and mom first. But we can’t let the invisible labor and emotional burden of the day-to-day stand in our way of long-term planning.
Married or not — and it should be noted that more Millennials are unmarried than previous generations at the same age — women need to be the chief financial officers of their households. The stakes are high.
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Women, on average, live longer than men. And women are projected to control two-thirds of America’s wealth by 2030, according to a 2025 report by McKinsey & Company.
That shift is already underway and makes 2026 an ideal year for women — single, married, divorced, widowed, raising a family or empty nesting — to shore up their finances and plan for their future.
Here are six savvy financial moves women at every age and stage of their financial journey should make this year.
Savvy Move No. 1: Organize your documents now
Often, people wait until tax time to tidy up their financial lives, but this annual ritual represents only part of the picture.
What if everything related to your financial life and life in general — not just the things you need to hand to your accountant or access for your tax filing — was organized all year long, year after year?
Imagine the space in your brain you’d free up knowing that receipts, account statements, insurance policies, powers of attorney and other estate planning documents, birth certificates, passports, Social Security cards and more were all in one place?
You can do this electronically, of course. But there’s something about the assurance of having hard copies on hand. You can create your own filing system or check out products like the Nokbox, which offers fireproof boxes with files labeled for everything you need to organize.
You could do this in one afternoon and call 2026 the year you truly got your financial house and your life in order.
Savvy Move No. 2: Tackle debt and make savings automatic
Pay down your debt and begin to save 20% of your gross income.
Many financial advisers will favor saving over paying down debt if you can make more in interest on money you sock away.
And, of course, not all debt is equal. Your mortgage is different than your credit cards.
Still, too much debt can impact you psychologically and make it harder to get to your bigger financial goals, so plan to knock it down so you can build up your savings.
Ways to make your savings automatic include contributing the max to your employer-sponsored retirement plan and directing a certain portion of money each month to your emergency savings (or cash equivalent) account and 529 education plans if you are saving for college.
Making it automatic keeps you from automatically spending it.
Savvy Move No. 3: Build a cash cushion
Building on the savings theme, it’s always a good time to beef up the “heaven help us” account. Strive for having six months’ worth of living expenses available in case of emergency.
People often think that means in case of a job loss, and that’s a big one. But other stuff can happen, too. You could need to step back at work to care for a child or aging parent.
There are other ways to ensure cash flow beyond savings. For example, it’s smart to have a home equity line of credit in place for emergencies, just so long as you don’t spend it all on home projects, credit card debt or vacations.
This line of credit can be a lifeline and also buy you time to build up your cash cushion.
Savvy Move No. 4: Protect yourself
Ask yourself what has changed. If you’re starting a family, it might be time for you or your partner to add a term life policy to replace future income in a worst-case situation.
Or perhaps you have life insurance but not disability insurance. Did you know you are more likely to become prematurely disabled than to die prematurely?
Or, if you have a new teenage driver in the house, you might consider taking out an umbrella insurance policy.
Savvy Move No. 5: Audit and review investments
You should understand the purpose of and timeline for each investment — along with your risk tolerance — so that you can determine the right asset mix for each investment portfolio.
For example, perhaps your first baby is now a high school senior; it’s probably time to dial down the aggressiveness of that 529 college savings plan.
Maybe you plan to retire sooner than you originally anticipated, or you just got a dream position and plan to extend your career.
Either way, you will want to adjust the asset allocation and corresponding level of risk on your retirement plan investments.
Savvy Move No. 6: Dare to dream
Please take a moment to dream big. Not just about 2026. But about what you want for your life years into the future.
Why are you working so hard right now? What is your “why”?
Short-term, tactical goals are nice. But the big picture — retiring when you want, vacationing when and where you want, starting a business, buying a beach house, living abroad, setting up a philanthropic organization or foundation — is even richer.
If you know what you’re working, saving and investing toward, the better your chances for staying on the path to getting exactly what you envision and deserve in 2026 and beyond.
