Women are inheriting wealth and they’re expecting more from digital banking

A quiet shift is happening across households and balance sheets and it’s not one credit unions can afford to miss.

Over the next twenty-five years, more than $124 trillion in wealth will change hands in the United States. While much of the industry focus has centered on younger generations as heirs, research shows that women will be the first in line to receive a significant share of that wealth—particularly as spouses and daughters inherit family assets.

For many, this may also be the first time they serve as the face of the banking relationship, not as a co-signer or secondary contact, but as the primary financial decision-maker.

Picture this: a woman loses a spouse after thirty years of marriage. She’s never managed the investments, the loans were held in her husband’s name, has only passively engaged with their institution’s digital banking platform, and now she’s tasked with overseeing estate planning, bills, taxes, and day-to-day financial operations. Or consider the daughter navigating probate after the sudden passing of a parent, unsure which accounts are active and whether the credit union has the right beneficiaries on file.

In both scenarios, the member is grieving a significant loss, while also being poised to manage the financial responsibilities. She’s carrying the emotional weight and the responsibility of financial stewardship, often without prior experience or support. Unfortunately, financial commitments don’t give pause to life events. The mortgage still needs to be paid, grocery expenses are incurred, and at the end of the day, she still has to worry about managing familial finances.

These aren’t rare edge cases. According to Fortune, baby boomer widows are expected to inherit $40 trillion, while young women are projected to receive another $47 trillion over the next two decades.

Women are loyal account holders, but oftentimes underserved. In Alkami’s latest report, First Beneficiaries: How Financial Institutions Can Serve Women Through Inherited Wealth, findings from a national study reveal that women value ease, trust, and personalization above all in their digital banking experience:

Yet, despite being long-time account holders (women report an average 9.2 year relationship with their financial institution), women are less likely than men to expect their relationship to grow in the following year—with 60% of women expecting their banking relationship to stay the same. Likely because only 37% of women describe the targeted offers they receive from their financial institution as relevant to their unique needs.

This signals an opportunity and a challenge. Without the right tools in place, it can be difficult for traditional digital banking platforms to support life transitions. However, by tapping into the power of Anticipatory Banking, credit unions can better understand their members on a 1:1 level, based on data insights from their financial behaviors, and act before a need is expressed.

Anticipatory Banking is more than personalization, it’s a proactive vision built on empathy and insight. Anticipatory Banking understands context, predicts needs, and makes support feel personal—at scale. In a time when so many women are navigating major life transitions, credit unions have an opportunity to deliver meaningful support before it’s ever asked for.

This means reimagining how and when help shows up, for instance:

These moments are opportunities to build trust. They demonstrate that her credit union understands her financial needs and her life, without requiring the member to raise her hand.

With the right technology and intentional strategy, credit unions can anticipate needs based on behavior, life stage, or transaction data. By meeting those needs with thoughtful, timely experiences that are 1:1, not one-size-fits-all, it positions the credit union as a trusted partner.

Women are shaping the future of multigenerational wealth. Credit unions have an opportunity to build relationships that last beyond a life stage, for a lifetime. To be part of that legacy, it requires a mindset shift: from reactive to anticipatory, from transactional to deeply relational.

Start by listening, invest in tools that predict, and recognize that personalization is a strategy for building trust, loyalty, and generational impact.

Download the report to explore what women want from digital banking and how your credit union can rise to meet the moment.

The research findings published in this article were sourced from a national research study conducted in partnership with Jason Dorsey and The Center for Generational Kinetics (CGK) of 1,500 digital banking Americans. From research to community-driven events and content, Alkami’s Women in Banking Initiative is committed to amplifying female voices and empowering financial institutions to better serve and support women at every stage of their financial journey.