LIMRA Consumer Research
Industry Issues
Increased education levels together with more women working have resulted in a growing share of couples where wives out-earn their husbands, which could affect decision-making roles. This study reports on the trends in identifying the Family Financial Officer (FFO) among young couples since 1965, and discusses whether the FFO concept is still relevant today.Key Findings
- Today’s married Millennials/younger Gen Xers (ages 25-44) have broken from traditional financial responsibility roles.
- Relative incomes of spouses play a large role in identifying the FFO.
- Overall, a somewhat larger proportion of husbands have the responsibility for making decisions about investments/savings, insurance products, and money management activities.
- FFOs are relevant for the financial services industry today.