Contributed by Eileen Stoner of The Stoner Group

As women, there are many influences on our journeys in life and wealth.  There are gender gaps in terms of longevity, attitudes toward financial risk-taking, roles, responsibilities and more.

Can we at least partially offset some of these “gaps” with a sound approach to our finances? As a woman financial professional, one of my goals  is to be able to inspire women of all ages to increase their comfort level with, as well as their knowledge about, individual finances and investments.

Being open minded and having conversations about money, finance, and investments with other women in your sphere of influence could be beneficial.  In the past, conversations about money may have felt taboo or impolite to some. But because we are so exposed to such a variety of topics through social media today, talking about financial matters seems rather tame. Rather than remaining quiet, think instead about how being more conversant with financial  topics can help you become more “empowered.”

Through either one-on-one dialogues or through small groups, it has been discovered that women tend to think about their wealth more in terms of security as opposed to opportunity.[1]  As women, we may tend to frame our thoughts about money and investing in terms of affording certain lifestyles for ourselves and our loved ones over the long term.

It’s ok to talk all things financial.  Earning, spending, saving, giving, investing and more!  So why not start that conversation or be a part of one? Let’s connect and grow!

[1] Barclays Wealth and Ledbury Research.