Recently, the internet has begun to debate whether financial advice is gender specific — or whether different advice is needed for both men and women. The discussion was kicked off by a TikToker named Paige after she made a video about how she doesn’t take advice from successful men.
According to Paige, men can become wealthy much more easily than women, as many women have to take care of their children. As a result, Paige says that men giving financial advice cannot give accurate guidance to many women.
TikTok Ignites Discussion Over “Making It”
Paige on Tiktok (@sheisapaigeturner) recently opened up after listening to Casey Neistat’s podcast and hearing about how he was able to gain success as a social media influencer. Neistat explained how he had to stay consistent with his drive, no matter what.
Paige made a video pointing out that she couldn’t listen to Neistat, as he clearly wasn’t the primary caregiver of the child he had when he was 15. If he was, she says he wouldn’t have been able to do the things he talks about.
Why Some Women Won’t Listen to Men’s Financial Advice
Paige explained that she won’t take financial or career advice from men now — even if they are successful. “I tend to take their advice with a grain of salt because I do not think it is applicable to women and mothers in particular,” she said.
Many women quickly took to the comments to agree with her, sharing how difficult it is for women, especially mothers, to listen to men giving financial advice when they don’t understand a mother’s daily life or point of view.
Studies Show Women Feel Ignored by Financial Advisors
Paige on TikTok isn’t alone about getting annoyed when listening to financial advice from men. A study detailed how women who do get male financial advisors are often left feeling as if their problems and issues are ignored.
Instead of helping them, these advisors don’t take the time to understand what their issues are. This leaves women feeling frustrated about the lack of proper advice they’re receiving.
Do Women Need Different Financial Advice Than Men?
Normally, many would immediately say that no, women don’t need different financial advice than men. But after so many women have opened up about not getting the correct advice from men in the past, the discussion has changed a bit.
Most of this change has to do with being a mother. Some advice just doesn’t help mothers. Often, the mother is the one in charge of the bulk of the caregiving — so, many women believe that different financial advice is needed, in this regard.
The Internet Says Women Do More
As Paige on TikTok said when annoyed by Neistat’s story, “The whole time I’m listening to it thinking — where’s your kid? None of these things are possible with a two-year-old baby. You can’t sleep on somebody else’s couch with your two-year-old baby. You can’t stay out till 4 am with your two-year-old baby.”
That, in itself, is why so many women have backed Paige online. As primary caregivers of the home, women cannot do what fathers like Neistat say they’ve done to reach success.
A Mother’s Success vs. A Father’s Success
Many on the internet have claimed that it’s easier for a father to become rich and successful than a mother. To them, Neistat’s story has confirmed this idea.
“This kid is probably with his mom,” Paige said. “This kid is with his mom probably 90% of the time. She’s probably doing 90% of the work, paying for 90% of the things, and raising him essentially on her own.”
Studies Show the Difference Between Men and Women
Unfortunately, quite a few studies show how men and women are treated differently when it comes to financial advice. A recent study revealed that financial advisors are more likely to recommend expensive products to women than to men.
Another study shows that women receive worse advice from financial advisors than men do. As a result, it’s clear to see that these are some of the reasons why women are no longer listening to men when it comes to money guidance.
Women Want to Hear from Women
So, if women don’t find aid from men when it comes to finances, who can they turn to? Many online want to hear more from women — and mothers.
Paige also would like to see this. “If it were a mother telling that story, you would know what she did for childcare,” Paige said. “How she paid for everything for that child, where they lived, who supported her, what was her village like, like you’d know those things.”
Many Women Support Men to Reach Success
Another reason why many online say that men reach great success? They have women who back them.
“When they tell us any kind of advice about how they became successful, it’s because they had women supporting them,” Paige explained. “The problem is if that woman, if she, his baby mama, wanted to do the same thing that Casey did, would that have been possible?”
The Inequalities Mothers Face
Though women across the board seem to be having difficulties when it comes to getting accurate financial advice, mothers face even more hardships.
According to a study, mothers are less likely to be hired if they have a child than women who do not. This same study also found that, when offered jobs, mothers are offered a lower salary. This study, therefore, corresponds with those who say it’s harder for mothers to achieve success.
Female Financial Advisors
Some female financial advisors have begun to give advice only to other women. These advisors claim they understand how women may need different advice than men.
However, others believe that men and women should receive the same kind of financial advice — and also can be inspired by the same type of financial gurus. Therefore, this issue may remain to be split for the foreseeable future.
