8th Annual Invest In Women

Agenda 2023

All sessions are shown in Eastern Time.

CFP Board And Investment & Wealth Institute (I&WI) CE Credits Available.

May 1, 2023

9:30 am – 11:30 am
Pre-Conference Workshop

Navigating The Critical Ages Of Retirement Income Planning After The SECURE Act 2.0
2 Hours / CFP Board and I&WI CE Credits
Join Heather Schreiber, RICP®, NSSA®, as she takes a road map approach to the critical ages that every financial professional should know to help their clients and prospects more effectively build and navigate an informed and empowered retirement. Beginning at age 50 to age 75 and everywhere in between, Heather identifies key actionable steps to accumulate, protect, and enhance retirement income along the way. Help your clients and prospects take charge of their own financial futures.

Speaker:
Heather Schreiber – Owner, HLS Retirement Consulting

1:00 pm – 1:05 pm
Chairwoman Welcome

Antoinette Rodriguez – Chairwoman – Invest In Women, Financial Advisor Magazine

1:05 pm – 1:55 pm
Opening Keynote

Understanding & Working With Next Gen Clients
1 Hour / CFP Board and I&WI CE Credits
NextGen clients are now the largest cohort of the American workforce and their earning power is growing fast. Contrary to popular myths, they prefer human advice to robo advisors. But they also are skeptical and possess major differences from GenX and Baby Boomer clients. In this session, several NextGen advisors will outline what these clients are looking for, what their expectations are and how they want advice to be delivered.

Moderator:
Tracey Longo – Washington Editor, Financial Advisor Magazine
Speakers:
Cammie Doder – Chief Marketing Officer, Partner, Aspiriant
Kamila Elliott – Co-Founder and CEO, Collective Wealth Partners
Stacey McKinnon – Chief Operating Officer, Chief Marketing Officer, Wealth Advisor, Morton Wealth

2:00 pm – 2:50 pm
Breakout Session

A: Divorce, Second Marriages & Pre-Nuptial Agreements
1 Hour / CFP Board and I&WI CE Credits
As longevity in America increases, so do second marriages. The reality is that the rate of gray divorces is accelerating as well so the legal and financial issues that arise from bringing multiple families together has become increasingly complex. In this session, expert advisors will explain how to anticipate potential problems through pre-nuptial agreements and other arrangements designed to limit financial liability among all parties.

Moderator:
Carol Lee Roberts – President, Institute for Divorce Financial Analysts
Speakers:
Kimberly Foss – Senior Wealth Advisor, Mercer Advisors
Lisa Zeiderman – Managing Partner, Miller Zeiderman LLP

B: The State Of Women In Wealth Management
Mary Kate Gulick and Julie Ragatz, Ph.D. will review the more surprising outcomes of Carson’s first annual State of Women in Wealth Report conducted in 2022. The research dives deep into the experience of women in wealth management and how those experiences are perceived by the rest of the industry. Within the quantitative data and qualitative insights are some hidden nuggets about the progress the industry is making on the underrepresentation of women in the profession, what’s holding us back, and where we can best focus our efforts for improvement.

Speakers:
Mary Kate Gulick – Senior Vice President, Advisor Marketing, Carson Group
Julie Ragatz, Ph.D – Vice President, NextGen and Advisor Development Programs, Carson Group

2:50 pm – 3:10 pm
Refreshment Break In Exhibit Hall

3:15 pm – 4:05 pm
Breakout Session

A: The Role For Philanthropy In Building A Family Legacy
1 Hour / CFP Board and I&WI CE Credits
Philanthropy can play a unique and pivotal role in helping a family strengthen its identity, clarify its values and build a lasting legacy. Join this session to learn about:

  1. Where philanthropy fits as part of a multigenerational wealth strategy
  2. How HNW families are pursuing their passions and effecting change today
  3. Creative and innovative ideas for giving, governance and next gen engagement
  4. How you can help clients maximize their impact and benefit their family unit

Moderator:
Hannah Shaw Grove – Chief Marketing Officer, Foundation Source
Speakers:
Abbey Flaum – Managing Director, HB Wealth Management
Kristie Mitchell – Senior Manager, Schwab Charitable

B: Rising Interest Rates’ Effect On Pensions And Retirement
1 Hour / CFP Board and I&WI CE Credits
The dramatic increase in interest rates over the last 12 months has altered the calculus of retirement investing. This has a sweeping impact, both positive and negative, on pensions, defined contribution plans, annuities and retirement income in general. In this session, two leading advisors will address ways to turn the challenging new interest rate environment to the advantage of disparate types of clients with different types of retirement vehicles.

Moderator:
Debra Brennan Tagg, CFP® – President, BFS Advisory Group
Speakers:
Lisa Brown – Partner, CI Brightworth
Michelle Connell, CFA – President/Owner, Portia Capital Management, LLC

4:10 pm – 4:40 pm
Breakout Session

A: Bringing In The Next Generation Of Advisor: You Found Them, Now What?
We can all agree recruiting next-gen advisors is now a major key to success. But how do you retain them once you have them? In this session, Tammy will share why next-gen advisors require a different retainment strategy and how diversity and inclusion, financial literacy, technology, training, and support tie into it.  

Speaker:
Tammy Robbins – Executive Vice President and Chief Business Development Officer, Cambridge Investment Research, Inc.

B: How To Strengthen And Protect Client Portfolios
Equity returns are moving to a period of normalization as we experience higher levels of interest rates. Markets have become more volatile, and risk control is more important than ever. As a result, a focus on high dividends AND dividend growth should prove effective in this inflationary environment, as it did In last year’s difficult market.

Speaker:
Catherine Avery – Founder, CAIM LLC.

4:45 pm – 5:35 pm
Fireside Chat

Her Journey To Success: A Fireside Chat With Jovita Carranza, 44th Treasurer Of The United States
Jovita Carranza, the 44th Treasurer of the United States, 26th Administrator of the United States Small Business Administration, and successful businesswoman focused on expanding economic opportunity to all Americans, sits down with Merit Financials’ President, Kay Lynn Mayhue, where they will discuss Jovita’s fascinating career from part-time, night-shift box handler at UPS to becoming the Treasurer of the United States. They will also share her background and follow her journey building on informed innovation, leadership resilience, transforming vision into progress, and perseverance. A truly inspirational story not to be missed. 

Moderator:
Kay Lynn Mayhue – President, Merit Financial Advisors
Speaker:
Jovita Carranza – Former United States Administrator of the Small Business Administration, Former Treasurer of the United States

5:35 pm – 6:45 pm
Networking Reception In Exhibit Hall

May 2, 2023

7:00 am – 8:00 am
Breakfast In Exhibit Hall

8:00 am – 8:50 am
Breakout Session

A: Marketing To Women: Is It Really Different?
1 Hour / CFP Board and I&WI CE Credits
The facts: A little over 51% of the population are women. Women are different than men. Women behave differently when making buying decisions. Women influence about 80% of all household spending. So, why are financial advisors so slow to consider focusing their marketing efforts on this segment? This session will share key insights and lessons learned about marketing to women. This session will explore the common dos and don’ts and present ways you can hone your marketing efforts to this demographic. It will address how men and women make decisions differently and how to create a marketing program that is inclusive.

Moderator:
Gretchen Halpin – Co-Founder, Beyond AUM
Speakers:
Diane Bourdo – President, The Humphreys Group
Cammie Doder – Chief Marketing Officer, Partner, Aspiriant
Ashley Ilardo – Regional Director and Vice President, Dimensional Fund Advisors

B: Above and Beyond: Volatile Times Bring Out Best Practices in Client Relationships
1 Hour / CFP Board and I&WI CE Credits
The past three years have sent clients on an emotional roller-coaster, disrupting their everyday lives even as their portfolios have been subjected to unprecedented volatility. Such times of upheaval frequently increases the demand for financial advice and services that go beyond the ordinary. In this session, learn how several advisors have employed several strategies to smooth out the ride.

Speakers:
Catherine Avery – Founder, CAIM LLC.
Missie Beach, CFP®, CDFA® – Senior Financial Advisor, Wiser Wealth
Debra Brennan Tagg, CFP® – President, BFS Advisory Group

8:55 am – 9:00 am
Chairwoman Opening Remarks

Antoinette Rodriguez – Chairwoman – Invest In Women, Financial Advisor Magazine

9:00 am – 9:50 am
Morning Keynote

Understanding And Working With Female Entrepreneurs
Women are more likely to start new businesses than men. But even though many succeed in establishing sustainable going concerns, they face numerous obstacles in realizing their companies’ full potential. Raising capital is major challenge, but not the only one. This session will examine ways advisors can help entrepreneurial female clients achieve their business and personal financial goals.

Speaker:
Brie Williams – Head of Practice Management, State Street Global Advisors

9:55 am – 10:15 am
Refreshment Break In Exhibit Hall

10:20 am – 11:10 am
Breakout Session

A: The New Rules In Growing Wallet Share
Insights from an investor behavioral study
1 Hour / CFP Board and I&WI CE Credits
You are likely serving five unique client personas. Some are transparent and trusting. Others are skeptical and withholding information. In this session, you’ll learn about the emotional driver and personality traits of each client persona. More importantly, you’ll gain insights to help you identify a persona type through common client behaviors. With this knowledge we’ll offer tactics for tailoring your client relationship and communications strategies to more effectively build trust, transparency and a greater share of wallet.

Speaker:
Laura Gregg – Director of Practice Management and Advisor Research, FlexShares Exchange Traded Funds

B: Creating A Lifestyle Business
1 Hour / I&WI CE Credits
Once viewed as an option for working mothers and late-career professionals, lifestyle advisory practices are taking on a new role. In the post-pandemic world, Americans of all ages, including many clients of advisors, are reassessing their priorities in life with an eye to making their money work for them, not vice versa. This entails a different approach to life and business management, In this session, several young advisors will explain why and how they are structuring their businesses to serve clients and meet their own personal goals.

Speakers:
Chloé Moore – Founder, Financial Staples
Carey Morgan – Founder, Livelihood Planning
Lauryn Williams – Founder, Worth Winning

11:15 am – 12:05 pm
Breakout Session

A: Women In Finance: Building Your Brand
Looking for ways to grow your practice in a strategic and purposeful way? Join this panel and learn how to develop and promote your personal brand in the financial industry. This session will discuss the challenges and opportunities that women face when building their brand, as well as share practical tips and strategies for establishing a strong personal brand that reflects your values, skills, and unique perspective. Whether you are just starting out in your finance career or looking to take your brand to the next level, this session is a must-attend event for all women in finance who want to thrive in their careers.

Moderator:
Laurie Stack – VP of Business Development and Head of the Avantax Women’s Advisor Forum
Speakers:
Chrissy Lee – Chief Operating Officer, Merit Financial Advisors
Caroline Piehl – Partner and Financial Advisor, TimeWise Financial LLC

B: Mergers And Acquisitions: What Advisors Need To Know
There is shortage of financial or strategic acquirers looking to buy advisory firms. But is your firm at the right stage in its evolution to consider an offer? Price is only one factor you need to weigh in any decision. In this session, several experts will discuss what an acquisition means for all stakeholders, including clients, founders, other equity partners and employees.

Moderator:
Evan Simonoff – Editor-in-Chief, Financial Advisor Magazine
Speaker:
Kay Lynn Mayhue – President, Merit Financial Advisors
Francine Miltenberger – Managing Director, DeVoe & Company
Meredith Schwarz – Vice President, Business Development, Wealth Enhancement Group

12:10 pm – 1:20 pm
Lunch Keynote

A Fireside Chat With Jenna Bush Hager
Making A Difference: How The Power Of Compassion Changes Lives

Speakers:
Hannah Shaw Grove – Chief Marketing Officer, Foundation Source
Jenna Bush Hager – Co-Host of TODAY with Hoda & Jenna

1:20 pm – 1:40 pm
Dessert In Exhibit Hall

1:45 pm – 2:35 pm
Breakout Session

A: Why You Should Be Building A Community
From local Chamber meetings to pop-in networking happy hours, we’ve had to learn how to network over the years. It meant perfecting the elevator pitch, redoing our business cards, and anxiously be ready to answer questions anywhere and everywhere on the fly. And the truth of this? It was exhausting… and often times not money-making… and then a pandemic forced everyone to go from in-person to online… and we’re all a little hybrid in our day-to-day work now so who has time to network! Join Kristin Andree of The Andree Group and Sheryl Hickerson of Females and Finance, and Heather Fortner of SignatureFD and learn how to take all that networking acumen you’ve developed and build an engaging and money-making community instead. This session will cover connection, a little compliance, and community needs at high levels to get you excited and ready to build a community of your very own! 

Moderator:
Sheryl Hickerson – Founder & CEO, Females and Finance
Speakers:
Kristin Andree – Founder, Business Strategist, The Andree Group
Heather Fortner – Chair, Chief Executive Officer, SignatureFD

B: Managing Growth
No matter what size firm you are a part of advisors and owners are always looking for strategies to successfully scale their growth.  In this session, industry veterans Stephanie Bogan and Suzanne Siracuse discuss essential areas in which to do that including lead generation techniques, prospecting, onboarding, client service, advisor training and client experience all in the face of rising consumer demand, evolving service models and a shift to a multi-channel experience.

Moderator:
Suzanne Siracuse – Founder and CEO, Suzanne Siracuse Consulting, LLC
Speaker:
Stephanie Bogan – Founder, Limitless Advisor Coaching

2:40 pm – 3:30 pm
Breakout Session

A: Inflation, Volatility & Longevity, Oh My! What Financial Professionals Can Do To Help Women Reclaim Their Retirement Confidence. 
1 Hour / CFP Board and I&WI CE Credits
Compared to men, more women have seen their financial and retirement goals derailed due to high inflation, with nearly two-thirds of women expecting to delay their retirement. A new Nationwide Retirement Institute® survey found various setbacks are taking a toll on women’s futures and well-being. This session will discuss trends with women investors, actions that Financial Professionals can take, and solutions available to provide all retirement plan participants a protected retirement. 

Speakers:
Dee Dee Chadwick – Senior Director, Advanced Consulting Group, Nationwide
Marcy Ross – Sr. Consultant, Nationwide Financial Marketing

B: AI, ChatGPT, And All Things Tech
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. 

Speakers:
Kim Crawford Goodman – Chief Executive Officer, Smarsh
Dr. Sindhu Joseph – Founder and CEO of CogniCor
Antoinette Rodriguez – Chairwoman – Invest In Women, Financial Advisor Magazine

3:30 pm – 4:00 pm
Refreshments In Exhibit Hall

4:05 pm – 4:35 pm
Breakout Session

A: From Inspiration To Realization: How To Create A Giving Plan That Reflects What Inspires You
Last year Americans contributed nearly $500 billion to U.S. charities. While experienced donors continued to support their favorite charitable organizations through giving and volunteering, many others expressed interested in giving, yet wonder where to start. Faced with such a wide range of possibilities and worthy organizations, your starting point should begin with a simple question: How do I connect my values to the causes I’m passionate about? In this presentation, Angie O’Leary, Head of Wealth Planning at RBC Wealth Management, will introduce a practical framework for charitable giving – one that helps translates values into an actual giving plan.

Speakers:
Angie O’Leary – Head of Wealth Planning, RBC Wealth Management
Cathy Walker – Senior Manager, Professional Trustee and Philanthropic Solutions, RBC Wealth Management

B: LoMo – The Longevity Of Money
Longevity is the biggest wild card of the retirement puzzle. Many retired clients give as much as 90% of their assets to their advisors to help make their money last. In this session, learn about new ways to build income strategies. It may open up other avenues for growth as well.

Speaker:
Julie Schneider – SVP Global Atlantic Consulting, Global Atlantic Financial Company

4:40 pm – 5:30 pm
General Session

The Nexus Between Healthcare And Wealth Care For Women
1 Hour / CFP Board and I&WI CE Credits
This class focuses on integrating vital personal healthcare planning components into financial advice for women including transitions to Medicare, and how not to overspend on Medicare to keep it from wrecking your clients’ retirement! 

Speaker:
Katy Votava – Founder and President, GOODCARE.com

5:30 pm – 6:30 pm
Networking Reception In Exhibit Hall

May 3, 2023

7:00 am – 7:55 pm
Breakfast In Exhibit Hall

7:55 am – 8:00 am
Chairwoman Opening Remarks

Antoinette Rodriguez – Chairwoman – Invest In Women, Financial Advisor Magazine

8:00 am – 8:50 am
Morning Keynote

Working With Women On Their Investment Strategies
1 Hour / CFP Board and I&WI CE Credits
This panel will be a moderated discussion about empowering women in their investment knowledge and what the head of third-party wealth management at Goldman Sachs is hearing on investment strategies across various platforms that serve this empowered female client base.  Additionally, the Global Head of Quantitative Equity Solutions at Goldman will discuss recent innovations in technology, which is advancing at exponential rates, and how those advancements can help foster better investment outcomes for female advisors.  Additionally, a Morgan Stanley Atlanta based Advisor will share her career path story as well as how she is currently working with female clients, what questions they are asking her and how she is thinking about them.

Moderator:
Tracey Longo – Washington Editor, Financial Advisor Magazine
Speakers:
Raluca Bighiu, CFP® – Senior Vice President and Family Wealth Director, Morgan Stanley Wealth Management
Padideh Nora Raphael – Global Head, Third Party Wealth Management Business, Goldman Sachs Asset Management
Monali Vora – Global Head, Quantitative Equity Solutions, Goldman Sachs Asset Management

8:55 am – 9:45 am
General Session

Building An Inclusive Advisory Business
The business case for diversity is now well-understood, but many firms still struggle with retaining diverse talent and realizing the performance gains of diverse teams.

The key to unlocking the performance benefits of a diverse team is inclusion and leaders play an outsized role in creating a firm where diverse talent feels they belong. What does an inclusive leader look like? (Hidden Insights will share its proprietary model.) Participate in a deep dive into one part of the model – building healthy culture & community.

Speakers:
Abbey O’Malley – Principal, Hidden Insights Group
Jen Rutley – Founder and Principal, Hidden Insights Group

9:50 am – 10:10 am
Refreshment Break in Exhibit Hall

10:15 am – 11:05 am
General Session

No Apologies—Top ESG Managers Explain Their Strategies
1 Hour / CFP Board and I&WI CE Credits
After nearly a decade of stellar performance, ESG investing encountered headwinds last year. Growth-oriented shares favored by many ESG finally stalled, and this style of investing got dragged into political culture wars. Hear several leading managers address questions about the strategy and how they envision its future to evolve.

Moderator:
Evan Simonoff – Editor-in-Chief and Editorial Director, Financial Advisor Magazine
Speakers:
Lori Keith – Portfolio Manager, Parnassus Investments
Mitali Prasad – Portfolio Manager & Research Analyst, Trillium Asset Management
Leslie Samuelrich – President, Green Century Funds

11:10 am – 12:00 pm
General Session

Answers To Big Questions On RMDs Post-SECURE Act 2.0
1 Hour / CFP Board and I&WI CE Credits
Changes in tax laws and retirement plans have raised a plethora of questions about RMDs. The list of questions several leading experts will answer include:

Speakers:
Heather Schreiber – Owner, HLS Retirement Consulting
Jennifer Stephenson – Partner, Chief Planning Officer, Signature FD

12:00 pm – 1:30 pm
Lunch Keynote

Social Security Claiming And Tax-Efficient Withdrawal Strategies
1 Hour / CFP Board and I&WI CE Credits
The taxation of Social Security (SS) benefits and income-based Medicare premiums (i.e., Income Related Monthly Adjustment Amounts or IRMAAs), causes a typical retired household’s marginal tax rates (MTRs) rise and fall sharply several times as their income rises during most retirement years. A tax-efficient withdrawal strategy requires that retirees navigate this rising and falling pattern of MTRs. In contrast, some recommend that retirees withdraw funds proportionately from their taxable accounts, tax-deferred accounts, and Roth accounts in each retirement year, while others recommends proportionate withdrawals from taxable accounts and tax-deferred accounts in each retirement year. Proportional withdrawal strategies are designed to minimize the average tax bracket in retirement years.

However, because they ignore the impacts of the taxation of Social Security benefits and IRMAAs on MTRs, they are usually far from optimal. In this presentation, we use two cases—one of a single woman and one of a married couple—that shows the substantial additional value that financial advisors can add to clients’ accounts by helping them coordinate 1) a smart SS claiming strategy and 2) a tax-efficient withdrawal strategy that navigates the rising and falling pattern of MTRs in retirement.  

Speaker:
William Reichenstein, Ph.D – Head of Research, Social Security Solutions, Inc; Head of Research, Income Solver, Inc.

1:35 pm – 2:25 pm
General Session

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 advisers.

Speaker:
Leila Shaver – Founder and Managing Partner, My RIA Lawyer

2:25 – 2:35 pm
Closing Remarks

Antoinette Rodriguez – Chairwoman – Invest In Women, Financial Advisor Magazine