Women constitute a rising share of the world's wealth and wealth-management decisions. So why are they often ignored by wealth-management firms?

A new study from BCG (Boston Consulting Group) finds that 55% of affluent survey respondents-with $250,000 or more in bankable assets-said private banks need to do a better job serving women clients.

Women respondents said the banks give men more attention, better advice, better deals and better terms. They also said many wealth managers, when dealing with a couple, ignore the women clients and communicate only with the men-even if the woman is making the financial decisions.

Some wealth managers also assume women have a low risk tolerance, and therefore give them less choice, the respondents said.

'What banks need is a revolution like the automotive industry had,' said one wealthy woman from Spain interviewed for the survey, 'to finally understand that women not only sit in the cars, but also choose buy and drive them.'

Indeed, women control (i.e., make the decisions) 33% of North America's wealth. That's $9 trillion.

Yet private banks have yet to crack the wealthy-women code. In part, that is because women want different things. On the one hand, women said in the survey they want a level playing field and the same advice and opportunities that men get. On the other, they said they want services tailored specifically for women.

'This may seem contradictory,' the report said, 'but the desire for a tailored approach is really a sign that women have distinct needs and expectations as clients.'

According to the study, women are more likely than men to change their financial priorities because of life events like marriage, divorce, birth of a child or death in the family.

Women also feel that wealth advisers focus too much on short-term results rather than 'major life milestones.' They want simpler financial statements. And while men see the wealth-adviser relationshipstrictly through a business lens, women want empathy, trust and customized advice.

'Wealth is a means of life planning rather than a goal itself,' said one respondent.

Do you think women are different from men as financial clients, and if so, how so?

Robert Frank

• constitute [´kɔnstitju:t] vt.组成；构成；指定 (初中英语单词)
• wealth [welθ] n.财富，财产 (初中英语单词)
• survey [´sə:vei] vt.&n.俯瞰；审视；测量 (初中英语单词)
• financial [fi´nænʃəl] a.金融的，财政的 (初中英语单词)
• therefore [´ðeəfɔ:] ad.&conj.因此；所以 (初中英语单词)
• wealthy [´welθi] a.富有的；丰富的 (初中英语单词)
• distinct [di´stiŋkt] a.清楚的；独特的 (初中英语单词)
• divorce [di´vɔ:s] n.离婚 vt.同....离婚 (初中英语单词)
• dealing [´di:liŋ] n.交易；来往 (高中英语单词)
• ignore [ig´nɔ:] vt.忽视，不理，不顾 (高中英语单词)
• communicate [kə´mju:nikeit] vi.通讯；传达；传播 (高中英语单词)
• relationship [ri´leiʃənʃip] n.关系；联系；亲属关系 (高中英语单词)
• strictly [´striktli] ad.严格地 (高中英语单词)