Women, Wealth, and Well-Being
Women's assets and financial independence is growing. Women are wielding more power today- and even more so in the future. As women gain more financial responsibility, more knowledge is needed to make educated choices. Women have generally been underserved by the financial services industry. Our focus is on making women more confident with their financial decisions.
Women's power is growing as evidenced by
- Congress has the highest percentage of women in U.S. history
- 1,242 female athletes participated in the 2018 Olympics
- Women start businesses at 2x the rate of men
- 57% of recent degree earners are women
- Women have taken on increased leadership roles
Women are
- Acquiring more wealth than ever before
- Set to inherit the majority of $30T in intergenerational wealth
- Breadwinners or co-breadwinners in majority of homes
- Projected to own $93T of total global private wealth by 2023
There are still a number of challenges such as
- Women earn 82 cents per dollar a man earns
- Women tend not to see themselves as investors
- Career breaks can mean missed job opportunities
- 41% of women haven't started saving for retirement
Women want to be secure financially, feel confident about investing, be debt free, balance different goals, invest to fulfill goals, and learn about investing.
Each woman has a different story. Everyone's wants and needs are deeply personal. That being said, there are a few distinct commonalities women share that make women's life journeys unique to those of men. Women tend to see money as means to an end. Women use money to achieve personal goals, fulfill commitments, or for an issue they care about.
5 Steps to build your financial foundation
- Get organized: Collect investment statements, recent tax returns, insurance policies, retirement accounts, and estate and trust documents.
- Define your goals: Every goal has three components: dollar amount, time frame, and whether it is a need or want.
- Know your numbers: It is important to understand your net worth which is composed of both assets (what you own) and liabilities (what you owe). It is also important to understand your cash flow which is composed of your income (what goes in) and your expenses (what comes out).
- Get invested: To start investing, first know yourself, your goals, and your needs. Ask for help, know your options, start now, and stay invested.
- Plan for your unique life path: Your life is unique. So is your financial strategy.
