Women & investing: A note from the editor

There is no doubt that women investors represent a tremendous growth opportunity for financial advisers.

However, study after study shows that women are not being serviced or paid attention to as much as they should be by advisers.

That’s why InvestmentNews has committed to a new, fully integrated initiative that aims to educate financial advisers about the intricacies, nuances and tactics for working with existing — and prospective — female clients.

In several stories in the Special Report that we just published, we looked closely at what advisers need to do to attract and retain female clients. Specifically, we examined how — and why — many advisers are missing out on this lucrative market. We also looked at how Social Security benefits play a critical role in providing retirement income for women.
In addition, the report examines the generational issues advisers must contend with when working with female clients.

To support this coverage, InvestmentNews also surveyed financial advisers to learn more about their attitudes and abilities to work with female clients. We discussed some of the challenges all advisers face in working with women — while we offered an expanded look at the differences between male and female advisers in a report generated by the data team at InvestmentNews. And for some fast — but key — facts about women and their wealth, we also produced a slide show of 10 important stats every adviser needs to know.

But we didn’t stop there. We wanted to connect you with women and their stories about how they have been forced to take control of their own finances (or their parents’, in some cases) and how they went about getting assistance from financial advisers. As part of this integrated initiative, we also have rolled out a four-part INTV series focused on Women and Investing, which gives you a firsthand look at the lives and needs of four women — whose stories very well could be told in your own office one day.

We also want to hear from you directly and connect you with experts. InvestmentNews is also presenting three webcasts as part of this yearlong Women and Investing initiative. The first webcast, “Attracting Women Clients: Adviser Success Stories,” will take place April 17. It features panelists Karen Altfest, principal adviser at Altfest Personal Wealth Management, Eleanor Blayney, president of Directions for Women, and Don Grant, a second vice president with Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC.

Two more Women and Investing webcasts will follow Aug. 14 and Oct. 30.
For those advisers who want to dive deeper into the topic, we also are hosting white papers on our website, provided by our Women and Investing sponsors, that should educate advisers on both the opportunities and challenges of working with female clients.

Women not only represent an $18 trillion market for wealth management, but they increasingly are becoming the primary decision makers in households. Understanding their needs for financial advice — as well as their financial fears and goals — will be the key to developing meaningful relationships with women.
We’ve committed to this important initiative because we know how many of you are committed to your businesses — and ultimately deepening relationships all of your clients.

We hope our coverage is informative and thought-provoking. And as always, we welcome your feedback.