Slightly more than one-third (35%) of women and men are advisor-assisted, the most common of four decision-making classifications for both genders. From there, female and male decision-makers part company, however.

Women who are not advisor-assisted are most likely to be advisor-dependent (34%), while men who are not advisor-assisted are most likely to be self-directed (25%). By comparison, 20% of men are advisor-dependent, and 15% of women are self-directed.

Among households with shared decision-making responsibility, 33% are advisor-assisted, 30% are advisor-dependent and 19% are self-directed.

When they need an advisor, 70% of women and 62% of men turn to a professional advisor. Women are next most likely to seek help from a full-service broker (32%), compared with 48% of men.

Women are more likely than men to seek advice from a certified financial planner (16% vs. 15%), a registered investment advisor (13% vs. 9%), an investment manager (10% vs. 6%), an accountant (10% vs. 5%) or family members or friends (7% vs. 3%).

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