Previous research (Dunn, Garon, Celik & McKay, 2021) has consistently shown a sizable gap in the financial health of men and women.  Moreover, recent data found that while financial health improved overall for the country during the pandemic, the gap between men and women actually widened. What is driving this financial health gap, and what policies and solutions can we leverage to foster parity? This paper explores the concept of a gender gap in financial health as a new way of understanding the disparate financial realities of men and women. We utilize original quantitative and qualitative research to examine the state of women’s financial health, with a particular focus on race, ethnicity, and marital status. We explore four systemic barriers to financial health – income disparities and discrimination, limited support for care, burdensome debt, and insufficient retirement savings. Data are drawn from a nationally representative survey of individuals ages 18-64, conducted November-December 2021, with supplemental focus groups held in February 2022 among women. The analysis leverages the FinHealth Score^®, a measurement framework that can assess the financial health of individuals over time.

Accepted Oral Presentation