If we made women’s unique strengths, concerns, and preferences the financial norm, what would we see?
Learn to invest like a woman.
Get your free copy of the book today!
As Featured In
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:
What Women Want
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.
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.
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?
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 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.
© 2019 The Humphreys Group, Inc. All rights reserved.