Women who get divorced are often already over 40

People often speak of “the 7-year itch,” but the figures of the Federal Statistical Office show that marriages tend to end after 15 years. For women, this means that they are most likely to get divorced in their 40s. Specifically, 3 out of 10 women get divorced between the age of 40 and 49. In addition to emotional stress, divorce also has financial consequences, especially for women and particularly regarding retirement provision. These knock-on effects are difficult to make up for with age.

A conventional division of roles still applies in many marriages, with the higher-income husband managing the long-term finances. This is confirmed by the UBS Investor Watch Study. Joint long-term financial decisions are only made in 2 out of 10 marriages. This financial dependence puts women at a disadvantage when they get divorced. Although AHV entitlements and pension fund assets for the period of the marriage are divided equally, when they reach retirement age, women often end up with lower pensions than if they had remained married. Making up for this difference after divorce is often difficult – especially after the age of 40 and after prolonged unemployment or part-time work. That’s why women should actively engage with their finances both before and during their marriage and plan their retirement savings well. Tools such as the UBS Pension Calculator can help.