Building Wealth, Building Confidence
Women are more educated, more employed and have more buying power than ever before. But while the narrative around women and money is changing, many women still struggle with financial confidence. According to one study from McKinsey, only 25% of women say they’re comfortable making investing and savings-related decisions on their own.
At Mercer Advisors, we’re fiercely committed to amplifying women’s financial confidence.
Read on to learn how we’re leading the charge to create better financial outcomes for women—and how we can help you work toward financial security.
Why Women Need Specialized Financial Advisors
Women have unique challenges—and preferences—when it comes to building long-term wealth.
- Longer lifespans mean more years to fund, and since women are more likely to be single into their elderly years, they are more likely to require expensive long-term care.
- Lower savings due to the historical pay gap, and the fact that women are more likely to take time away from paid labor for caregiving purposes, can hamper women’s ability to rely on the magic of compounding to build their nest egg.
- Higher emphasis on values-based investing means that many standard model portfolios simply don’t meet women’s expectations for responsible investing.
- Less time to bring all the elements of their financial life together can mean that women fewer opportunities to find tax efficiencies and eliminate excess fees from multiple advisors.
The good news? A financial advisor that specializes in women’s wealth management can help you address these realities. They’ll understand your financial needs and offer specific services to match.
How Mercer Advisors Supports Women’s Financial Goals
As we saw above, women have unique financial planning needs that deserve to be met. For any situation you’re in — single, married, divorced, widowed, a parent, a stay-at-home partner, the breadwinner, a business owner — our experienced team at Mercer Advisors will take care of you and help achieve your financial goals.
Having a fiduciary financial advisor that’s legally obligated to act in your best interests helps ensure you’re getting the best possible advice for your specific situation.
We help women amplify their wealth and become more financially confident in three key ways:
Tailored Plans & Portfolios
We craft strategies that fit women’s unique realities, align with women’s values and deliver long-term wealth.
Unified Solutions
We bring it all together under one roof, saving women time and energy.
Relentless Advocacy
We champion women within our company and communities.
Specialized Wealth Planning Services for Women
- Personalized financial planning tailored to longer lifespans
- Detailed cash flow planning to demonstrate financial security
- Social Security claiming strategies to maximize payouts
- Values-based investing: SRI/ESG overlays or specific stock restrictions
- Healthcare planning, including Medicare premiums and long-term care
- Strategies to maximize philanthropic impact and reduce taxes
- Unified wealth management through one point of contact to save you time
- Life transition guidance: career changes, divorce, or loss of a loved one
What You Can Expect from our Financial Advisors
As a woman, your financial journey is unique—shaped by your career path, caregiving roles, personal values, and retirement goals. When it comes to navigating these complexities, having the right financial advisor who truly understands your perspective makes all the difference. Here’s what you can expect from our dedicated team:
A clear vision of the path forward.
Collaborative decision-making.
As your trusted partner, we’ll help you avoid making short-term financial decisions that could result in long-term consequences. Our goal: To help you set achieve the best possible long-term financial outcomes.
A financial plan and portfolio that’s uniquely yours.
You have an opportunity to shape your financial life in accordance with your wishes — no one else’s. You envision your new future, and we’ll create the plan and portfolio that’ll help you get there.Wealth Management Solutions for Women
At Mercer Advisors, we understand that women face unique financial challenges and opportunities. That’s why we offer tailored wealth management solutions designed to support and empower women at every stage of life—whether you’re growing a business, leading your household, or navigating a major life transition.
FAQs about Financial Planning for Women
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Women face unique challenges, such as pay gaps, longer lifespans, and caregiving responsibilities, which can impact wealth-building. Having an investment strategy to help address these challenges can be rewarding in the long run. Here are some ways to get started:
- Pay yourself first; automate savings and invest early to let time and compound growth work in your favor.
- Having a portfolio that reflects your values can help ensure that you feel motivated to further invest—and potentially build more wealth—because you’re supporting causes you believe in.
- Regularly review your performance: Help ensure you’re on track with a well-diversified investment portfolio. If you have a wealth advisor, meet consistently to confirm your portfolio continues to support your goals.
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Comprehensive wealth management can help women create a comfortable lifestyle throughout their retirement years, but many times retirement planning overlooks the fact that women tend to live longer, make less money, and need extra healthcare.
- Build a financial plan that includes saving for healthcare, emergencies, and lifestyle goals over your longer lifespan. Addressing your longevity can help ensure you have sustainable income to fund all the years of your life—in accordance with your preferred lifestyle.
- Stay actively involved in household finances to understand your overall wealth – including your investment portfolio, taxes, estate plans, and insurance.
- Any plans for retirement should incorporate realistic financial scenarios, ensuring preparedness for changes like a spouse’s death, divorce, or illness. It’s better to have a plan in place when you’re faced with a crisis than having to create a plan to manage a crisis.
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For women caregivers, your natural inclination is likely to put others first. Having a financial plan with specific goals can make it easier to take care of your own needs so that you can create the time and space you need to provide for others. After all, you can’t pour from an empty cup.
Financial planning for caregivers consolidates your financial life and clarifies specific next steps to help you make more informed decisions about your future. Consider these four tips, especially if you’re in the “Sandwich Generation” that’s responsible for caring for children and aging parents at the same time:
- Manage saving and spending: Create a budget that factors in both short-term responsibilities and long-term financial goals. Allocate funds for emergencies and make use of tools like savings apps or spreadsheets to track expenses.
- Get help from specialists: Consult with a financial advisor who can guide you through tax strategies, investing, retirement planning, estate planning, and caregiving costs.
- Practice self-care: Caregiving can take a serious emotional and physical toll. Set aside funds and time for activities that rejuvenate you, such as hobbies, travel, or therapy sessions.
- Set reasonable expectations: You cannot do it all—and you shouldn’t. Be open with family members and involve them in financial and caregiving decisions. It’s okay to delegate and seek external support.
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Women’s insurance needs are highly dependent on their specific situation—and they will likely change over time. Beyond the basics of health insurance and property & casualty insurance, women should consider the following insurance policies.
For women supporting others, it’s critical to ensure you have adequate life insurance and disability coverage. Protecting your income and assets can help safeguard your ability to support your family/dependents in the long term.
Due to longer lifespans, women should also consider long-term care insurance to help cover costs for nursing homes, assisted living, or in-home care.
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Single women should focus on building a strong financial foundation to help ensure long-term security and independence. Key considerations include:
- Saving: Build an emergency fund and allocate money for retirement and healthcare.
- Investing: Diversify investments across stocks, bonds, and retirement accounts for balanced growth – and be sure to diversify which types of accounts using. Tax-advantaged accounts like 401ks may help boost your savings, especially if there’s an employer match.
- Retirement Planning: Account for longer lifespans and increased costs for healthcare, including assisted living or in-home assistance.
- Insurance Coverage: Have health, disability, and long-term care insurance to protect against uncertainties.
- Estate Planning: Draft a willand decide who will inherit your assets and make important decisions if you become incapacitated.
Meet a Few of Our Certified Financial Advisors for Women
Our talented advisors offer deep expertise helping women navigate complex aspects of financial planning.
Empowering women in their financial journeys means recognizing their unique challenges and opportunities. Together, we can build a strategy that reflects your values and helps secures
your future.
Working with women to instill confidence in their financial future is one of the best perks from my role. Let’s create a plan that honors your aspirations, reflects your values, and secures a lasting legacy for you and the generations to come.
Women are increasingly taking the lead in wealth. We’re ready to provide the guidance and resources you need to navigate your financial life with confidence.
Women and Wealth Accolades
With women comprising nearly half of our client-facing team and a third of our senior leadership team, (in an industry where only 16% of advisors are women [Financial Planning Association]), we’re distinctively positioned to help more women achieve financial success.
We want to welcome more women into the wealth management space—whether that’s through employment or owning their financial power by working with an advisor.
We’re particularly proud of these recent accolades:
