If we made women’s unique strengths, concerns, and preferences the financial norm, what would we see?

Learn to invest like a woman.
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Power of the Purse

At The Humphreys Group, it’s no secret we applaud and encourage the many ways in which today’s women are breaking through gender stereotypes. Since our firm’s founding, we have championed women as they’ve scaled the learning curve of personal finance and investing.

Lately, we’ve been especially fascinated by the stereotypes that still permeate discussions about women and money. These phrases probably sound familiar:

Myth 01: Men Are Better Investors Than Women

Myth 02: Emotions and Personal Values Should be Kept Separate From Money and Investing

Myth 03: Women Are More Risk-Averse Than Men

Myth 04: Women Lack Confidence When It Comes to Money

Myth 05: Women Are Less Interested in Investing

Myth 06: Women Are Less Knowledgeable About Math and Investing

Myth 07: Women Need Extra Help Understanding Their Finances

Myth 08: Women Can’t Save Because They Spend Money Irresponsibly

Myth 09: Women Will Save Enough for Retirement if They Set Up a 401(k) and Play by the Rules

Myth 10: We Should Focus Our Time on Fixing the Gender Income Gap, Not the Wealth Gap

Designing a New Blueprint

In this book, we take a deep dive into decades of research and data around women, money and personal finance to distinguish myths from reality.

Turns out, the financial services industry is experiencing an overdue wake-up call when it comes to women and money. Today’s financial institutions were built by and for men, so it’s no surprise that the “norm” does little to reflect the strengths and preferences of women.

So, we ask:

What would happen if we flipped the narrative? What if we designed the world of personal finance, using the strengths and preferences of women as our starting points?
What if those strengths and preferences were seen as the advantage that they are, rather than something the status quo needs to somehow accommodate or tolerate?
If we were to create a financial services firm that was designed for and addressed the needs of women, what would it look like?

Invest Like a Woman

In each of the myths we explore throughout the book, we make observations and provide some recommendations.

What if we put it all together?

What would it look like to “do money” like a woman?

To make a long story short, here is a list of our guiding principles:

The Manifesto

Define Success on Your Own Terms

We’re talking about more than just financial metrics. True success comes from accomplishing your goals — by achieving your heart’s desire and living your best life. We pledge to challenge ourselves to think past one-dimensional measurements, like rate of return, and instead choose to focus on enriching the parts of our lives that matter most to us.

Collaborate and Share Wisdom With Like-Minded Women

Living in possibility means opening our hearts and minds to each other. We believe in sharing our stories and experiences with our family, friends and colleagues. In doing so, we learn from and empower others to achieve their hopes, dreams and goals. And most importantly, we truly believe that when we support and lift each other up, we are all more effective, smart and successful.

Put Unnecessary Complexity to Rest

Our financial goals and priorities are real, profound parts of our lives — and they deserve to be handled with the utmost authenticity. We speak to our clients in simple, straightforward terms, without condescension or presumption. Through it all, we lead with compassion and encouragement, while helping our clients recognize, and feel confident in, their knowledge and abilities.

Approach Money Management With Acceptance and Positivity

We commit to a service philosophy that is grounded in strong relationships and deep connection. Investors are interesting and passionate human beings; they are not their balance sheets. We believe that talking about the values behind the numbers is crucial to achieving financial success. Harnessing our emotions can be a powerful tool for positive change and better financial outcomes.

Talk About the Process

Financial advisors excel at focusing on the analytical side of investing — and they’re pros at crunching the numbers behind any long-term projection. But that’s only part of it. They must also work just as hard to acknowledge and learn about the values that lie at the core of their clients' financial decisions. We pledge to always serve our clients and the broader community of investors from a place of truth and transparency (while always embracing our inner nerds).

Make Room for Expertise and Empathy

The financial world is often characterized as stuffy and sterile — emotionless. But we choose to believe a different story. So often, the financial situations we face in our lives are deeply personal and emotional. We believe that financial matters require both expertise and empathy, in equal measure. Anyone who focuses on one at the expense of the other is presenting a false choice.

Empower Clients With Education and Support

Your mother was right: There is no such thing as a stupid question. Like most things in life, financial knowledge is power. The right education can make all the difference in critical financial decisions — and we pledge to arm our clients with the tools and resources they need to do so successfully, without judgement or disdain.

Engage in Crucial Conversations

Remember: Bringing empathy to the table doesn't necessarily mean you have to embody Pollyanna. As advisors, we will always be willing to tackle the tough stuff and ask important questions with kindness, compassion, realism and candor. By engaging in these conversations — be they difficult, awkward or celebratory — we put our clients on the path toward long-term financial success.

Vote With Our Dollars — and Make Them Count

Our commitment to women’s empowerment and success extends far beyond the realm of our industry. We direct our financial resources to enterprises — local and national alike — whose brands embrace our values. We support the companies whose products and services take women seriously and afford them the respect we all deserve.

Bring Ambitious Women to the Forefront

We champion women who own their ambition — women who are unapologetic about who they are and what they want out of their personal and professional life. We see the word, “ambition,” in a positive light and embrace it as our new normal, something we all aspire to be.

The Authors

Diane Bourdo and Hallie Kraus

Diane has dedicated her life’s work to helping clients make smart financial decisions. For nearly 30 years, she has implemented investment management and financial planning strategies that allow our clients to create lives that reflect their values. She is also a passionate champion of women. Nothing is more gratifying to her than seeing a client discover, and step into, her financial power.

After completing her degree in psychology at the University of California, Santa Cruz, a career in the financial services industry may have seemed to some an unlikely path. Hallie first provided counseling at Consumer Credit Counseling Service where she worked with clients on a wide range of financial planning topics. Next stop, Merrill Lynch. She created comprehensive financial plans and conducted regular client reviews to analyze and monitor their goals – and converted them into action steps to ensure success.

What Women Want

Stats That Matter

Numbers matter, but so does context. Take a look at the data behind women’s smart investing choices, the narrowing gaps, and the work still ahead for personal wealth, income, and retirement.

What Are Conversation Circles?

Conversation Circles create opportunities for women to have authentic conversations about the important aspects of personal finance beyond the numbers. These conversations foster a deeper knowledge and understanding which enables participants to align their financial decisions with their values. What we have seen is that when our money and values are in alignment, we are happier, more conscious of, and more engaged with our own financial management.

What Are Some Example Topics?

A great topic for a first-time circle is “Money Stories: Legacies and Lessons”, which prompts us to be curious about the money stories we tell ourselves. How did we learn them? How do they help or hold us back? We are continuously developing new topics as they emerge from our conversations and welcome the opportunity to describe any of the circle topics below in greater detail:

Giving with Gladness (usually held in November/early December)
Navigating Difficult Money Conversations with Loved Ones
Apron Strings: Cut, Tied or Tangled? Providing Financial Support to Adult Loved Ones
Fiscal Unequals: Finding Common Ground with Friends and Family
What’s Your Worth: The Art of Advocating for Ourselves
Who’s in Charge: Your Head or Your Heart?

What Happens at a conversation circle?

Our Conversation Circles are structured and facilitated to provide time for personal reflection and interpersonal connection and include content and exercises that lead to concrete action steps. Our circles consist of a group of 12-15 women sitting together and talking about money and everything that goes with it – from our successes and fears to stories, behaviors and legacies we’ve adopted over the years. Each woman participates based on her own level of comfort and desire, and some choose to sit and listen.

We begin by discussing the principles, practices and agreements that determine how the circle functions. These tenets provide the framework that allows each woman to feel safe sharing her experience: the circle is conscientiously set up to be a judgment-free space. The conversation and the structure of the session are guided by a specific topic. You can expect specific exercises and prompting questions so that each woman, introvert and extrovert alike, may find an entry point if she wishes.

During the two hour circle, the activities vary. We may break into pairs or do a writing exercise, and also have time to share as a whole group. Throughout the event, we provide background information and empirical research on the topic to enrich the discussion and put it into a broader context. We open and close the circle with a relevant poem, and we often connect further after the circle is closed over dessert and rosé.

We Invite You to Join Us!

Let’s start talking about women and money in an unapologetic and unabashed way. For our part, we will continue to address the challenges our clients face, encourage them to venture outside their comfort zone, and empower them to recognize the strengths they already possess, in finance and beyond.