Picture this: you walk into a car dealership bank, or brokerage house ready to make an adult decision. You’ve done your homework, you know what you want, and you’re feeling confident. Then it happens—a salesperson, banker or broker looks at you like you just wandered in after you finished baking a fresh loaf of bread in your kitchen and you have a smudge of flour on your nose. Suddenly, it’s as if your years of education, life experience, and basic human intelligence have been replaced by a neon sign over your head that reads, “Help me, I’m lost!”
Perhaps the most obvious display of sexism occurs when a woman steps into a car dealership. Salespeople often bypass discussions about horsepower, safety features, or efficiency, instead steering conversations to “pretty colors” or “luxurious interiors.” The assumption? Women don’t understand cars and aren’t capable of making informed decisions. Even worse, studies show women are often quoted higher prices than men for the same vehicles—an outright scam based on perceived ignorance. It’s not just patronizing; it’s predatory. And heaven forbid you try to negotiate. You might as well have asked them to explain quantum physics. Spoiler: they’re giving you a bad deal because “women don’t haggle,” right?
Now, let’s talk banks and brokerage houses. Walking in to open an account, apply for a loan or open an investment portfolio can sometimes feel like auditioning for a role you weren’t invited to. From being asked, “Will your husband be joining you?” to enduring questioning about their financial competence, women are constantly reminded they aren’t seen as equals. Let’s not forget: it wasn’t that long ago that women needed a man’s signature to get a loan. While the laws have changed, the attitudes clearly haven’t. The condescension is so thick you could spread it on toast. It’s as if every banking employee, is channeling their inner 1800s patriarch, ready to hand you a fainting couch instead of a financial plan. And it doesn’t necessarily matter whether the person you’re dealing with is a male or female, as unfortunately, to demonstrate their equality, female bankers, brokers and salespersons try to adopt the behavior of the male representatives.
Have you ever noticed that as you are speaking, the representative has a little smirk on their lips? You know the one. That little upward curl of the lips that says, “Aww, you think you know what you’re doing. How cute.” Even if your husband doesn’t know the difference between a debit and asset, the conversation will invariably be directed towards your husband. That smirk is their way of saying, “Let’s play pretend that you’re in charge, shall we?” It’s infuriating but you need to persevere and not back down and keep on talking.
Women have adapted to this nonsense by becoming human encyclopedias. We research every detail, carry enough paperwork to fill a small library, and prepare for these interactions like we’re taking the bar exam. Meanwhile, men show up, shrug their way through the process, and somehow get better deals and less judgment. It’s almost like there’s a secret handshake we don’t know about.
Here’s the deal: we’re done playing along. If a car salesman tells us about the “pretty” features one more time, we’ll ask if the engine runs on gender stereotypes. If a banker questions our financial knowledge, we’ll ask if they’d like us to explain compound interest to them. Women aren’t just customers—they’re competent adults who are tired of being talked to like toddlers.
Just remember- it’s the 21st century, not the 1950s.
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