The retirement crisis is a women's crisis - and the numbers are shocking! For every dollar men have in wealth, women have just 32 cents. Even worse? That gap is growing, not shrinking.

In this episode, I speak with Kristine Beese, Founder and CEO of Untangle Money, about the alarming wealth gap affecting women and why traditional financial services aren't designed for our needs. Kristine shares powerful insights from her journey as a former stock analyst and portfolio manager to building a FinTech solution that's actually helping women take control of their financial futures.

We explore the real drivers behind wealth inequality, the hidden costs women face throughout their careers (hint: it's between $500K-$1M in lost earnings in the US and Canada), and why financial stress hits women harder. Kristine also breaks down her practical "hours worked" framework that removes judgment from spending decisions and explains why robo-advisors might be your best investment ally.

🔑 Key Highlights:

• Women have lost ground on wealth accumulation — from 36 cents to 32 cents per dollar over just one decade
• Why women plateau in earnings at age 40 while men continue earning $10K-$25K more annually for 25+ years
• The powerful "hours worked" framework that transforms how you think about money and joy
• Why every rich person has a financial plan, but middle-income earners don't — and how that needs to change
• How living to 95 (not 90) completely changes your retirement planning strategy

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristinebeese/

Website: https://www.untangle.money/

👉 Monica

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/monicamillares/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@moni_millares

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@moni_millares

Follow for more discussions on building FinTech products with customer and commercial impact and to stay updated on the latest episodes.

We cover

[00:00:00] The retirement crisis is a women's crisis

[00:02:00] Shocking stats: 32 cents on the dollar wealth gap

[00:06:00] Why the wealth gap keeps growing

[00:11:00] Untangle Money: Building purpose-driven FinTech

[00:15:00] Women's financial superpowers we don't talk about

[00:18:00] The $500K-$1M career earnings gap explained

[00:24:00] The longevity paradox: Why living longer is actually a superpower

[00:28:00] How financial stress affects women differently

[00:33:00] Why Untangle Money threw out traditional financial planning

[00:39:00] The revolutionary "hours worked" spending framework

[00:49:00] Managing spending with joy, not judgment

[00:55:00] Why robo-advisors beat 80% of professional investors

[01:00:00] Planning for 95, not 90: The retirement reality check

[01:08:00] Key takeaway: Every rich person has a financial plan

SEARCH QUESTIONS

Why is the retirement crisis worse for women?

What is the women's wealth gap in 2025?

How much less do women earn than men over their careers?

Why do women plateau in earnings at age 40?

How to calculate what I can afford using hours worked?

What is Untangle Money and how does it work?

Why are women better investors than men?

How much money do I need to retire at 65?

What is the best robo-advisor in Canada?

Should I use Wealthsimple?

How to remove judgment from spending decisions?

Why is financial stress worse for women?

How to align spending with joy and values?

What is the pink tax and how does it affect women?

How to start investing with limited money?

Why should financial plans go to age 95 not 90?

How to create a financial plan on a budget?

What can women do about the wealth gap?

How to make a financial plan without thousands of dollars?

Why do traditional financial services fail women?

#WomenAndWealth #FinancialPlanning #WealthGap #PurposeDrivenFinTech #RetirementPlanning

Disclaimer: This episode does not constitute professional nor financial advice and does not represent the opinion nor views of my current, past or future employers. The guest has agreed to record and release our conversation for the use of this podcast and promotion in social media.