Case Studies
Her divorce sparked fears she didn’t know how to address…
Meet Eileen, she had been married for 36 years and then her husband left. She came to us in the throws of her divorce. While she was working on the emotional issues that comes with divorce, she was seeking help with the financial issues. Their financial discussions left her feeling totally deflated, fearful and less than confident. At times she just wanted to throw in the towel and walk away from it all, but she knew that was not the best decision for her future. Her greatest fear was ending up a bag lady. Her perceived fear stems from her lack of financial knowledge.
When we met Eileen, she quickly shared “I need to understand what we have, when I look at all our accounts it’s as if I’m reading Greek. I need guidance with my decisions but also want to learn about my investments so that I can take back control of my life”.
While many of our referrals share similar circumstances with Eileen, we have made it our mission to encourage every woman to become more engaged in her financial affairs before a life crisis occurs. Whether you have lost a spouse to death or divorce, dealing with an unexpected layoff or illness, it is never too late to learn about your money so that you feel more confident about your future.
Disclaimer: While the names and details of this story are fictional, they represent many of the issues we experience from our clients
When Bob passed, she was lost emotionally and financially…
Meet Sue, Sue was happily married to Bob for well over 50 years. They had a good partnership, Sue managed the family and Bob the financial affairs. Sue had complete trust in Bob, and then he passed suddenly. Sue was devastated.
I was introduced to Sue 6 months after Bob’s passing, while she was still emotionally distraught the bulk of her anxiety came from worrying about her finances. Even though Bob left Sue very comfortable her lack of financial knowledge was causing tremendous fear about her future. Her perceived fear was that she was unsure how her cash flow needs will be met over the long term, particularly with her love for traveling. Sue realized she needed to understand her financial situation to feel comfortable and live the life she wanted. While Bob loved their advisor, Sue did not feel the same connection and was no longer content being told what to do with her money.
Sue’s story while fictional is like so many women we meet, they come to us after losing a spouse afraid of becoming a bag lady. Their perceived fear stems from their concerns if they will be able to maintain their lifestyle and if their money will last. But what we have learned is that these women are totally capable of making smart financial decisions, they just need to be encouraged, supported, and educated about their money while they regain their emotional balance. Understanding their financial life becomes a part of their healing process.
Our mission is to encourage and support every woman in her desire to become more knowledgeable about her money. To empower her with the confidence she needs to feel more in control of her future and better able to live the life she wants.
Disclaimer: While the names and details of this story are fictional, they represent many of the issues we experience from our clients
Her savings and retirement were all she had to depend on…
For 37 years Gail had been loyal to her company, comfortable with her job and always made sure to consistently contribute to her retirement funds. While she didn’t understand how it all worked, she knew from the quarterly statements that the balance continued to inch up. Then her company took a turn, and she was suddenly laid off. While she received a small settlement, she would now have to depend on her retirement accounts to support her the rest of her life. But how?
When Gail was referred to us her primary concerns were very similar to many women we help:
Will I be okay?
Do I have to change my lifestyle?
Will I become a burden on my kids?
We quickly realized Gail had saved plenty in her 401K, lack of money was not her issue. Her biggest challenge was her lack of financial understanding. She did not understand what she had and how it would provide for her so that she could continue to live the life she deserved. This lack of understanding was undermining her confidence.
She immediately became engaged in our women’s program, attended our events, met with us regularly and asked us every question imaginable. In no time we saw Gail’s confidence grow, and she began to share her dreams for retirement. With her newfound understanding of her money, she was better able to enjoy her new freedom and loved making plans for her future.
Disclaimer: While the names and details of this story are fictional, they represent many of the issues we experience from our clients.