All sessions are shown in Eastern Time. Sessions subject to change.
CFP Board and I&WI CE Credits Pending
3:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Pre-Conference Workshop
Work on Your Business, Not Just in It.
Trying to stay on top of it all can be pretty overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Working ON IT, not just IN IT, can change everything. Imagine accessing the collective experience of hundreds of financial advisors to gain new perspectives you may have yet to consider. That’s what working on your business is all about – building a business that operates consistently, profitably, and self-sufficiently. Join Cambridge’s Colleen Bell, President, Innovation and Experience, and their seasoned Practice Management coaches, Kristen Civin and Tonia Pfeifer, as they take you through their hands-on, growth-oriented coaching program focused on goal setting, improving efficiencies, business planning, and more.
Speakers:
Colleen Bell – President, Innovation and Experience, Cambridge Investment Research, Inc.
Kristen Civin – Director, Practice Management, Cambridge Investment Research, Inc.
Tonia Pfeifer – Supervisor, Practice Management, Cambridge Investment Research, Inc.
7:00 am – 8:00 am
Breakfast With Exhibitors
8:00 am – 8:05 am
Chairwoman Welcome
Antoinette Rodriguez – Chairwoman, Invest In Women, Financial Advisor Magazine
8:05 am – 8:55 am
Are You Happy Now
1 Hour / CFP Board and I&WI CE Credits
Financial planning predominantly focuses on predicting an unpredictable future. We create detailed plans for our client’s financial life, but know these plans are at best a big guess on what actually happens. One sorely neglected item is planning for the present. Is the client happy now? If not, why not? And what can a planner do about it? In this session, Dr. McClanahan discusses how to flip the conversation to planning for the present, what to do if your client isn’t happy, and how planning for the present makes planning for the future a much easier exercise.
Speaker:
Dr. Carolyn McClanahan, M.D., CFP® – Life Planning Partners
9:00 am – 9:50 am
A: Addressing Diversity: Opportunities And Challenges Within The Wealth Management Industry
1 Hour I&WI CE Credits
Join us for a compelling session dedicated to exploring the critical topic of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) in the wealth management industry. As financial advisors and professionals, it is critical to foster an inclusive environment that reflects the diversity of your team members and the clients you serve now and in the future. In this session, we will delve into the strategies employed by leading firms to address DEIB, sharing both successes and challenges. Our panelists will share their own personal stories as well as provide actionable insights, facilitate meaningful discussions, and empower financial advisors and professionals to drive positive change within their firms and the financial industry as a whole. Join us in navigating the path towards a more inclusive and equitable future.
Key Highlights:
- Success Stories and Best Practices
- Mentorship and Sponsorship Programs
- Industry-Wide Impact
- Navigating Backlash
Moderator:
Suzanne Siracuse – Founder and CEO, Suzanne Siracuse Consulting, LLC
Speakers:
Shevawn Adams – Senior Manager, Business Enablement, RBC Wealth Management
Rona Guymon – Sr. Vice President, Annuity Distribution, Nationwide Annuities
Emma Rodriguez-Ayala – Chief Administrative Officer and General Counsel, Ariel Investments
Clara Sierra – Senior Director, Moody’s Analytics
B: Investing In Bitcoin
Bitcoin recently surpassed $68K, and clients are clamoring to know more. Join us for an all-star crypto panel and a grounded discussion to demystify cryptocurrencies, explore regulatory developments, assess the potential roles of these assets in portfolios, and understand how to manage risk.
Moderator:
Antoinette Rodriguez – Chairwoman, Invest In Women, Financial Advisor Magazine
Speaker:
Katherine Dowling – General Counsel & CCO, Bitwise Asset Management
Sandy Kaul – Senior Vice President, Head of Digital Asset and Industry Advisory Services, Franklin Templeton
Krista Lynch – Vice President, ETF Capital Markets, Grayscale
9:50 am – 10:10 am
Refreshment Break With Exhibitors
10:10 am – 11:00 am
A: The Harsh Reality: Every Marriage Ends
1 Hour / CFP Board and I&WI CE Credits
This panel will examine in depth the impact on women when marriages end in both divorce and in widowhood. Although the two events are very different, both result in serious emotional and financial changes in clients’ lives, changes that require advisors to display sensitivity and sophisticated knowledge of personal finance.
Moderator:
Carol Lee Roberts – President, Institute For Divorce Analysts
Speaker:
Cary Carbonaro, CFP® – SVP, Director of Women and Wealth, ACM Wealth
Megan Kopka – Kopka Financial, LLC
Carolyn Moor – Founder, Modern Widows Club
B: Next Gen: The Consumer of the Future
1 Hour / CFP Board and I&WI CE Credits
The next generation of consumers is here – Generation X. They are fundamentally different from Baby Boomers when it comes to needs, preferences and expectations around retirement. Last year, Nationwide embarked on a research project with over 1,000 consumers to further understand those differences and how to help them prepare for retirement. This generation is shaping up to be a force of financial independence, poised to retiring earlier and a keen appetite for financial guidance and advice. Learn more about this future consumer and what makes them tick!
Speaker:
AuBree Lucas – Vice President, Annuities Marketing, Nationwide Annuities
Lisa Meyer – Director, Annuities Marketing, Nationwide
11:05 am – 11:35 am
A: The Fragile Decade
When people are saving for retirement, they typically work with three to five financial professionals. Yet the trend we see is that as people get closer to retirement, they consolidate down to just one financial professional. Typically, this happens during the early stages of what’s known as the fragile decade – the five years before retirement and the five years after retirement. To put you in the best position to be that one financial professional, we built a conversation blueprint that helps prepare your clients for one of the biggest life transitions they’ll experience: retirement. Ultimately, the Fragile Decade is about retaining your biggest clients and their assets.
You’ll walk away with:
- A crucial blueprint to start the fragile decade conversation
- An extensive, writable consumer-approved booklet to record and document essential information
- Ideas from top producers to continue to engage clients at the latter half of the fragile decade
Speaker:
Jeannie Underwood-Kotner – Senior Vice President, Global Atlantic Consulting
B: Women, Wealth, and Wisdom: Six Strategies to Attract High Net Worth Women
The wealth management industry is undergoing a transformation as women gain control of an unprecedented amount of assets. With the next great wealth transfer underway, wealthy women are expected to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of advice. Yet are you prepared to work with high-net-worth (HNW) women? In fact, these women have different needs and expectations than their male counterparts but aren’t getting the level of service they want. This creates an opportunity for you: By better understanding their specific needs, you can be more successful at reaching wealthy women and earning their loyalty. In this breakout sessions, we’ll share six strategies for working with HNW women that can take your practice to the next level.
Speakers:
Alexandra Goodelman – Senior Wealth Planning Associate
Angie O’Leary – Head of Wealth Management, RBC Wealth Management
Cathy Walker – Senior Manager, Professional Trustee and Philanthropic Solutions, RBC Wealth Management
11:40 am – 12:30 pm
A: Knowing Your Purpose – Building Meaningful and Enduring Client Relationships
1 Hour / CFP Board and I&WI CE Credits
Managing the challenges of daily life along with leading a busy financial services firm can feel overwhelming. With countless everchanging priorities and new opportunities comes uncertainty. Join a panel of incredibly accomplished women as they share insights on ways to inspire confidence, embrace change, and help transform the industry. Explore how attitudes, values and biases can empower women to navigate and excel in the world of finance and recognize the unique perspectives and strengths that women bring to the table.
In this presentation we will cover:
- Understanding Client and Planner Attitudes
- Identifying Value and Aligning with Purpose
- Navigating Biases in Finance
- Building Inclusive Client-Planner Relationships
Moderator:
Laurie Stack – VP of Business Development and Head of the Avantax Women’s Advisor Forum
Speakers:
Diane DeOliveira, CFP®, AIF®, CRPS® – President, Wealthspring Financial Partners
Caroline Piehl, CFP® – Partner and Financial Advisor, TimeWise Financial LLC
Kami Zonin, CFP®, CDFA® – Wealth Management Advisor, Zonin Wealth Management
B: Surviving Major Illnesses: How Advisors Can Help
1 Hour / CFP Board and I&WI CE Credits
Most people suffer a serious illness at some point in their lives. More often than not, the caregiver is female. In this session, an experienced physician and two survivors will discuss what role advisors can play and how they can help both patients and caregivers deal with the physical, emotional and financial challenges.
Moderator:
Dr. Carolyn McClanahan, M.D., CFP®– Life Planning Partners
Speakers:
Catherine D. Burgess, CFP®, RICP®, ADPA℠ – First Vice President, Wells Fargo Advisors
Tina Powell – Chief of Community, Intention.ly
Antoinette Rodriguez – Chairwoman – Invest In Women, Financial Advisor Magazine
12:30 pm – 1:45 pm
Lunch Keynote
Fireside Chat
1 Hour / CFP Board and I&WI CE Credits
Can we finally say the U.S. economy is cruising toward a soft landing or are we in for a bumpy ride in 2024, as we await the central bank’s long forecasted interest rate pivot? How low will the Fed go and will that accelerate the U.S. stock market compared to global markets? Is tech overvalued or still a buy? In this fireside chat, three seasoned market strategists will decode the challenges for advisors seeking alpha and break down sector and market opportunities and possible landmines in the year ahead.
Moderator:
Tracey Longo – Washington Editor, Financial Advisor Magazine
Speakers:
Jenny Johnson – President & CEO, Franklin Templeton
Kristina Hooper – Chief Global Market Strategist, Invesco
Moira A. McLachlan – Senior National Director, Core Allocation Strategies, Senior Investment Strategist, AllianceBernstein
1:45 pm – 2:10 pm
Dessert With Exhibitors
2:10 pm – 3:00 pm
A: Working With Female Breadwinners
1 Hour / CFP Board and I&WI CE Credits
Women now account for main breadwinners in more than 30% of American households and their share is growing. This trend stands traditional perceptions of family finances on their heads and requires advisors to understand role reversals and rethinking and reordering various financial priorities. In this session, two financial advisors who dealt with clients in this situation and experienced how these family dynamics play out personally will offer an in-depth look at this emerging demographic group.
Moderator:
Cary Carbonaro – SVP, Director of Women and Wealth, ACM Wealth
Speakers:
Lisa Brown – Partner and Wealth Advisor, Corient
Kimberly Foss – Senior Wealth Advisor, Mercer Advisors
B: Make Compliance Your Business GROWTH Department – How To Take Advantage Of The New Marketing Rule
Leila Shaver will discuss the new marketing rule and how financial advisers can now promote themselves through reviews, testimonials, and paid advertisements. She will discuss how to stay compliant while taking advantage of the new marketing avenues available to advisors.
Speaker:
Leila Shaver – Founder and Managing Partner, My RIA Lawyer
Kendal Wilde – Partner Relationship Manager, Snappy Kraken
3:00 pm – 3:25 pm
Refreshment Break With Exhibitors
3:25 pm – 4:15 pm
A: Science-Backed Coaching Strategies to Motivate and Inspire Clients
1 Hour / CFP Board and I&WI CE Credits
Do you think the future of Financial Planning is more about numbers and data or helping people make positive behavioral change? While still important, all the analysis in the world makes no difference if we can’t help people make positive behavioral change. In other words, you can KNOW something is good for you, but not do it—ever have that happen? Coaching gets people unstuck. What are your go-to coaching strategies? Too much ‘push’—and Clients may back away. Not enough ‘pull’—and they won’t feel heard. Explore the skills most correlated with Advisor success and those most underused by women.
Speaker:
Sara Vita – Chief Talent Officer, Equitable Advisors
B: Marketing Mavens: EmpowerHer Marketing
Join us for an insightful panel discussion titled “Marketing Mavens: EmpowerHer Marketing,” where we dive deep into the strategies, and challenges of marketing to women in the financial industry.
In this empowering session, our esteemed panel of marketing leaders will share their personal journeys, experiences, and expertise, offering valuable insights and practical advice for navigating the dynamic world of marketing for the female audience. From breaking barriers to shattering stereotypes, our panelists will also discuss the unique opportunities and obstacles faced by women in the field and how they’ve leveraged their skills and strengths to achieve success.
Moderator:
Katherine Paulson – Chief Marketing Officer, Haven Tower
Speaker:
Erinn Ford – EVP, Advisor Engagement, Osaic
Marissa Fox-Foley – Chief Marketing Officer, Choreo Advisors
Erika Wilson – Chief Marketing Officer, Sound Income Group
4:20 pm – 5:10 pm
A: Organic Growth—The Biggest Challenge
1 Hour I&WI CE Credits
No problem confronting the advisory profession is more challenging than organic growth. Firms that want to expand their client networks need to build a long-term strategy and get buy-in from the entire organization. In this session, several experts will discuss the strategies of advisors who have managed to overcome these hurdles.
Moderator:
Marissa Foy Comerford – Senior Vice President, GregoryFCA
Speaker:
Lauren Burthey – Director, Homrich Berg
Shannon F. Eusey – Chief Executive Officer, Beacon Pointe Advisors
Nicole Johnson – Vice President, Business Development, Cambridge Investment Research, Inc.
B: Community Building in 2024 | Why Financial Advisors Should Consider Starting Their Own
1 Hour I&WI CE Credits
If an organization can transition from delivering a product or a service to building a community, they can unlock extraordinary competitive advantages and create a superior business model within financial services. Join Sheryl Hickerson, Founder and CEO of Females and Finance and Lacy Garcia, Founder and CEO of Willow for a workshop experience that will show you the business benefits of community. This interactive opportunity will show a financial advisor how to create a sense of belonging, how to foster connection among your current clients, increase your organization’s social interaction and engagement online, and make prospective clients feel more welcomed.
Speakers:
Lacy Garcia – Founder & CEO, Willow
Beth Moss – Females & Finance
5:30 pm – 6:30 pm
Networking Reception With Exhibitors
7:00 am – 8:00 am
Breakfast With Exhibitors
8:00 am – 8:05 am
Opening Remarks
Antoinette Rodriguez – Chairwoman, Invest In Women, Financial Advisor Magazine
8:05 am – 8:55 am
What Female Clients’ Longevity Means For Social Security And Medicare Planning
1 Hour / CFP Board and I&WI CE Credits
This session will drill down into exactly what advisors need to know about Social Security and Medicare, with a nod to why Social Security is especially important to women due to their longevity.
Speaker:
Mary Beth Franklin, CFP – RetirePro
9:00 am – 9:50 am
A: Risk Tolerance and Compliance through a Gender Lens
In this lively session, an attorney and an industry executive with regulatory experience will discuss how to build trust with female clients and avoid fiduciary headaches. What an aging client base and a changing regulatory environment means for your business.
Moderator:
Bobbi Rebell – Founder, Financial Wellness Strategies
Speaker:
Colleen Bell – President, Innovation and Experience, Cambridge Investment Research, Inc.
Rina Restaino, Esq. – Partner, The Schall Law Firm
B: Perspectives On Sustainable Investing
1 Hour / CFP Board and I&WI CE Credits
Sustainable investing means many things to different investors. From progressive employment policies to avoidance of environmental liabilities to strict governance requirements, investors inject their own priorities of those of clients into the conversation. In this session, several advocates of sustainable investing will explain how it informs their investing style and how it benefits clients.
Moderator:
Evan Simonoff – Editor-In-Chief, Financial Advisor Magazine
Speaker:
Catherine Avery – Founder, CAIM LLC
Gigi Norcross – Vice President, Business Development, Green Century Funds
Shivani Vohra – Portfolio Manager, Senior Research Analyst, Parnassus Growth Equity Fund
9:50 am – 10:15 am
Refreshment Break With Exhibitors
10:15 am – 11:25 am
At The Capacity Crossroads: 3 Visions For Scaling The Advisory Firm You Want
1 Hour I&WI CE Credits
The rise of recurring revenue relationship-oriented models, from charging AUM fees to monthly subscription fees, introduces a material capacity limitation for advisory firms – any one financial advisor can only handle “so many” ongoing clients, before there simply isn’t enough time (or mental bandwidth) to serve any more. And with retention rates commonly 90%+ for most advisory firms, it’s virtually inevitable that any and every financial advisor will eventually hit their personal capacity wall after enough years in the business. Once they reach this Capacity Crossroads, though, advisors must make a decision about how to scale their firm going forward.
The three primary options are to structure the firm as either a “Lifestyle” firm (maximizing income for the advisor and building a small team around them, but without any intention or desire to grow past themselves), a “Small Giant” that tries to grow focused businesses serving their particular type of clientele a particular way (and will accumulate more advisors/team over time to reach a growing number of those clients), or as an Enterprise-builders who aspires to build truly large advisory firm enterprise. In this session, we will explore the different approaches for how advisory firms scale, help advisors understand which type is the best fit for their own personal vision and goals, and give them perspective on what they should (and shouldn’t) be focused on based on their desired approach to scaling their advisory firm (i.e., what they should do/build, what they should hire, what they should NOT hire, and what they should outsource).
Speaker:
Michael Kitces – Chief Financial Planning Nerd, Kitces.com
11:30 am – 12:20 pm
A: Authentic Intelligence: AI for the Human Side of Financial Advice
1 Hour / CFP Board and I&WI CE Credits
Authentic Intelligence is the new AI for financial planning, it is the unification of the human and the technical sides of money. The other AI, Artificial Intelligence, is here to stay with many benefits but it is incomplete without the human side. This session focuses on the measurable difference the new AI can make for client’s in transition and three things you can do to consistently deliver an elevated experience for both you and your clients.
Speaker:
Susan Bradley – Founder, Sudden Money Institute
B: Bridging Generational Boundaries
Discover strategies for effectively engaging clients across different age demographics, adapting to changing preferences, and fostering meaningful multi-generational client relationships.
Moderator:
Lindsey Lewis, ChFC®, CFP® – Senior Director, Chair, The American College Center for Women in Financial Services
Speaker:
Danielle Darling – LPL Financial Advisor, Certified Divorce Financial Analyst®, Resource One Advisors
Becky Lightman – Founder, Lightman Capital
Lori Van Dusen – Founder and CEO, LVW Advisors
12:25 pm – 1:40 pm
Lunch Keynote
A Fireside Chat With Maria Menounos
Speakers:
Jennifer Connelly – Chief Executive Officer, JConnelly, Inc.
Maria Menounos – Emmy Award-winning Journalist, TV Personality, Actress
1:40 pm – 2:05 pm
Dessert With Exhibitors
2:05 pm – 2:55 pm
A: Charting the Path Forward: Insights from 2023 Women in Wealth Management Study
1 Hour I&WI CE Credits
In 2023, Carson Group launched its second annual Women in Wealth Management Study. This presentation will explore the results of our research and highlight action steps each of us can take to help improve the representation of women in financial services.
Speakers:
Samantha Allen – Senior Vice President of Marketing Strategy, Carson Group
Julie Ragatz Ph.D. – Vice President, NextGen and Advisor Development Programs, Carson Group
B: Investing In America’s Future: Innovation, Capitalism, And Opportunity Create Strong Fixed Returns
1 Hour / CFP Board and I&WI CE Credits
Yrefy is the intersection of innovation, capitalism, and opportunity, creating a competitive fixed income coupled with unparalleled flexibility in a secured and collateralized portfolio. Investors Do Well by Doing Good through Yrefy’s mission of giving people the ability to refinance their distressed Private Student Loans and pay them off with dignity.
With Federal and Private Student Loans being nearly impossible to expel through bankruptcy, Borrowers had no options until January 2017, when Yrefy was founded. With an impressive seven-year track record of Borrower success stories and a seemingly unlimited market opportunity, Laine Schoneberger, Chief Investment Officer and Managing Partner, will share how advisors can create healthy fixed returns up to 10.25% with incredible flexibility in client portfolios.
Speaker:
Laine Schoneberger – Chief Investment Officer & Managing Partner, Yrefy, LLC
3:00 pm – 3:55 pm
AI and ChatGPT
OpenAI’s astonishingly human-like ChatGPT language model burst on the scene in November of 2022 and racked up over 100 million users in only two months! Artificial Intelligence promises to revolutionize industries and possibly displace jobs at a rate faster than many of us are comfortable. The financial planning sector’s adoption of AI in marketing, productivity, and even investment selection, also brings about unique challenges due to our compliance-regulated industry. And although the financial services industry has made gender parity progress, there is still a marked underrepresentation of women, especially in the tech and AI fields. The Invest In Women Conference is honored to feature two esteemed panelists who will discuss AI, ChatGPT and all things tech.
Moderator:
Kathy Crowley – Business Development, AdvisorEngine
Speaker:
Neva DePalma – General Counsel, Smarsh
Dr. Sindhu Joseph – Founder and CEO, CogniCor
4:00 pm
Conference Ends