Women, veterans and the Great Wealth Transfer reshape investment priorities

During the 26th annual Most Powerful Women conference, Deloitte federal health leader Beth Meagher warned that the coming Great Wealth Transfer—estimated at $124 trillion—will be dominated by women, who are projected to receive $54 trillion, followed by children and charities. She highlighted rapid growth in wealth held by women entrepreneurs, up more than 125 % over ten years, and a 300 % surge among veteran-owned businesses.

Morgan Stanley’s Seema Hingorani recounted founding the Girls Who Invest nonprofit after noticing a lack of women on asset-management teams, noting that the program has placed 5,000 college women since 2011 and supports 700 annually. She also cited Morgan Stanley’s incubator that backs women-led tech startups. Carmen James Randolph, CEO of the Women’s Foundation of the South, described a shift in philanthropic expectations toward direct impact, with a focus on maternal health and affordable housing in rapidly growing southern regions. Collectively, the speakers argued that these trends are prompting advisors to prioritize health, education and justice in client portfolios.