PocketSmith explores Australian women’s financial journeys and the role of Open Banking

Source: Pocketsmith / Reputation Edge

A recent poll of 270 women conducted by Open Banking-powered personal finance app PocketSmith has uncovered a strong affinity for messaging that highlights moments of reinvention.

Regardless of life stage, half of respondents described themselves as ‘writing the next chapter’ of their wealth creation journey, suggesting financial progress does not necessarily map to a neat timeline.

The poll was designed by PocketSmith’s chief marketing officer Dora Yip and her team.

“Our poll shows women prefer a positive, intentional approach to their finances, with ‘writing the next chapter’ emerging as the most popular description of their current journey,” Yip said.

The poll was delivered interactively at a women’s wealth event in Sydney earlier this month. The 270 female respondents ranged in age from early 20s to mid 60s.

The event’s attendees were asked to describe where they are in their wealth creation journey using the metaphor of writing a book.

Response options were: writing the next chapter (50%), navigating a plot twist (23%), in my favourite chapter (14%), and turning the page (13%).

“What stands out to us in the PocketSmith marketing team is that you have to give women language they can relate to,” Yip said.

“In Open Banking, the language is often focused on technical features, whereas in traditional financial marketing it can be transactional, even patriarchal,” she added.

“Our poll shows women are especially drawn to messaging around reinvention and taking control,” Yip said.

Examples given by respondents writing their next chapter include: buying a first home with the help of a mortgage, giving up full-time employment to become a digital nomad, and downsizing from an empty-nest family home into a luxury apartment.

“Open Banking and fintech tools can support women to make informed decisions and plan their next chapter with greater confidence. Having visibility over your money, and the ability to explore different financial scenarios, can help to shape those moments of reinvention while retaining control,” Yip said.

The majority of women who said they were ‘navigating a plot twist’ cited a recent relationship breakdown as the reason.

“We know from academic research that women with higher financial literacy are better placed to recover from divorce. For women who previously relied on a partner to make financial decisions, there is something incredibly empowering about being in control,” Yip said.

PocketSmith was the winner of ‘Best App’ at the Open Banking Expo Awards 2026.

The company is a bootstrapped, profitable, 18-year-old fintech headquartered in New Zealand, proudly serving 396,000 customers in 190 countries by syncing bank feeds from over 14,000 institutions.

The app’s core brand promise is ‘all the features you need to manage your money’, including innovative features like customisable categorisation, what-if analysis, and powerful forecasting tools.

Read the full list of winners of the Open Banking Expo Awards 2026 in the winners’ supplement and watch the highlights video here.