Professional Women Drive Household Investing, Yet Many Still Feel Unqualified to Talk About Money

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New research from First Internet Bank and Life Of And finds 84% of professional women play a direct role in household investment decisions, but 66% have avoided a financial conversation because they felt underqualified

FISHERS, Ind.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- First Internet Bank and Life Of And today released “Fluent in Everything but Wealth,” new research on how professional women manage money, invest and talk about their finances. The survey of 627 U.S. women who work full-time finds that most already lead their household’s investing, but many stay out of financial conversations because they don’t feel qualified.

“Many high-achieving women feel like they need to be subject matter experts before they can join the conversation,” said Nicole Lorch, President and Chief Operating Officer of First Internet Bank. “But women are already making important financial decisions every day. As more wealth passes into women’s hands in the coming years, confidence will matter as much as knowledge. Our job as financial professionals is to help women turn what they already know into confidence about what comes next.”

Women Already Make Most Household Investment Decisions

According to the survey, 59% of women make most of the investment decisions in their households, and another 25% share those decisions equally with a spouse or partner. In total, 84% play a direct role in how their household invests.

That role doesn’t always come with confidence. Two-thirds (66%) have avoided a financial conversation because they felt underqualified or uninformed, and that share rises to 74% among women ages 35 to 44. Women in this group are often weighing decisions about careers, homes, family and retirement at the same time, during their peak earning years.

Moving From Saving to Investing

Most women have the basics down, with 74% able to save confidently for a specific goal and 70% able to manage a household budget without help. Investing is where confidence drops. Only 26% feel confident building an investment strategy on their own, though that share climbs with income, from 19% among women earning $50,000 to $74,999 to 36% among those earning $150,000 or more. Higher earners also face more complex decisions about taxes, retirement accounts and investments.

Women Want Better Tools, Trusted Advice and Peer Support

Women learn about money from many sources, including family, the media, financial advisors and their own experience. Asked what would help them build confidence, respondents split evenly: 42% chose a better understanding of financial concepts, 41% chose access to a trusted advisor and 41% chose clearer financial tools. Women want both knowledge and practical help.

Peers matter too. About a third (34%) rarely or never have in-depth conversations about investing with friends or colleagues, and 41% would be interested in joining a wealth-focused peer group. Among women who have joined one, 66% say it changed how they think about money.

“High-achieving women run teams, negotiate deals and manage their households’ money every single day, and yet two-thirds of them have stayed quiet in a financial conversation because they didn’t feel qualified,” said Tiffany Sauder, Founder of Life Of And. “Many of these women are already making investment decisions while still questioning whether they belong in the conversation. For a lot of them, the gap is in confidence more than knowledge, and talking openly with trusted peers and advisors can help close it.”

The Fluent in Everything but Wealth report is available at firstib.com.

About First Internet Bank

First Internet Bank opened for business in 1999 as an industry pioneer in the branchless delivery of banking services. With assets of $5.9 billion as of September 30, 2026, the Bank provides consumer and small business deposits, consumer loans and specialty finance services nationally. The Bank also offers commercial real estate loans, commercial and industrial loans, SBA financing and treasury management services. Additional information about the Bank, including its products and services, is available at firstib.com. The Bank is a wholly-owned subsidiary of First Internet Bancorp (Nasdaq: INBK). First Internet Bank is a Member FDIC.

About Life of And

Life of And helps ambitious women build careers and families they’re proud of, without believing they have to choose between them. Founded by entrepreneur Tiffany Sauder, who spent 20 years building the marketing agency Element Three, Life of And reaches women through its podcast (300+ episodes, part of the IBJ podcast network), a corporate Program that helps employers support and retain working women, executive mini-retreats, speaking and coaching. Life of And is based in Carmel, Indiana. Learn more at www.tiffanysauder.com.

Methodology

First Internet Bank and Life Of And commissioned a survey, fielded in September 2026, to understand how professional women approach financial management, investing, wealth-building, and conversations about money. The survey was conducted by Centiment among 627 U.S. women employed full-time, ages 25–55, earning $50,000 or more annually, and holding an associate degree or higher. Percentages may not total 100% because of rounding. Multi-select questions may total more than 100%.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261112310276/en/

Investor Relations:
Paula Deemer
Director of Corporate Administration
(317) 428-4628
investors@firstib.com

Media:
PANBlast for First Internet Bank
Zach Weismiller
firstib@panblastpr.com

Life Of And
Tiffany Sauder
tiffany@tiffanysauder.com

Source: First Internet Bancorp