February 19th kicks off the Fierce 50 Campaign, a group of 50 top women bloggers–over 50–who are collaborating with brands to crush stereotypes about women and age. I’m excited to be part of this amazing group and want to introduce one of my fellow Fierce 50 women, Annette Findling.
Annette helps women create personalized wealth management strategies that give them financial independence. More than anything, Annette wants women to have choices.
Annette Findling is the founder of the Chicago-based Stonebridge Wealth Advisers, LLC and has spent the last 25 years growing and protecting her clients’ investments. Her Rich Women Rock is an online resource for women embarking on their path to financial independence.
Annette’s created an ingenious speaking platform called, “How to Build Your Financial Closet,” to help women better understand investing. Annette’s discovered that a woman’s investment risks correlate with her personal style of dressing. I love this clever approach because she takes large cap growth stocks, large cap value stocks, bonds, etc. and equates them with different designers and ways of dressing.
At her speaking engagements, Annette uses a rack of clothes to make investing easy to understand. For instance, if you wear edgier fashions like a moto jacket with studs on it, you’re someone who may want some riskier investments in your portfolio. If your style of dressing is more conservative, you may want to stick with more conservative, safer investments with guaranteed return on investment. Like most of our closets, however, we have a mixture of clothes. It’s the same thing with building our investment portfolio.
Annette and her husband live in the suburbs outside Chicago, and both work in the city. Since the last of their children will leave the nest for college in the fall, Annette and her husband are thinking about what they want the next chapter of their lives to look like. The idea of ditching their long commute and walking to a restaurant or a gallery in the city sounds more and more appealing.
Last week Annette and her husband were in Los Angeles and had tickets to the Grammys! Her 17-year-old son and his jazz band auditioned and were selected to perform at the Grammy after parties. What an exciting experience for the whole family.
While Annette appreciates the strong men who mentored her at a young age, she also learned to sidestep men like the one who told her, “Women should be barefoot and pregnant at home.” Clearly Annette did not choose that path, but instead, chose to empower all women to become financially independent.
If you’d like to learn more about The Fierce 50 Campaign, please contact me, Brenda Coffee, or visit this page where you’ll find each of the women participating in The Fierce 50 along with their blog posts. If you or someone you know is interested in joining or supporting the movement, contact [email protected] for more information. We have lots more planned for this year and beyond so, stay tuned.
20 Comments
Equating our investment/retirement account with different types of clothes we have in our wardrobe is genius and easy to understand. Brava, Annette!
I get it! I finally get it! The closet worked!
I am in awe of women who get things done.
And supportive. Did I mention supportive?
Thank you all!
Isn’t it a brilliant strategy, Diane? Thank you! Brenda
What an exciting project!!! So looking forward to reading the posts
I love it when I find great women who are focused on helping other great women succeed! Thanks, Michelle. Brenda
You go, girl! What a great campaign and I definitely want to read more about being financially independent. This sounds fascinating to me. Thanks for sharing.
So many of women over 50 don’t see a day when they aren’t working well into their golden years. We need someone like Annette who can help us build financial independence. Thanks, Rena!
Her example of clothing to explain financial investment is superb! #thefierce50
We’re a powerful group, aren’t we Glenda?
Glenda, Isn’t that brilliant? She’s made investing relevant and not intimidating. Brava, Annette! I appreciate your comment, Brenda
Wow, You both are so fascinating! I am so glad the Fierce 50 has brought us together. I love Annette’s creativity in her presentations, especially since finances are definitely not my strong suit – would love to see her speak. And, you Brenda, love that your blog is about anything and everything and it is clear that you do it with brilliant humor, which just makes everything better. And, did I read that you have four boys?? Hats off to you. I have four as well, but two of each. It’s so nice to meet another mom of four, we understand each other. I can’t wait to explore your website and your blog. And, hopefully you will visit my blog regularly, but just so you know I can’t guarantee sultry all the time!!
Hi Cherie, Happy you got something from Annette’s financial analogy and that you like my blog! I used to have the Top Breast Cancer blog for several years but got to the point where I couldn’t write about cancer anymore. Now I love writing about everything, so glad that appeals to you. No, I never had children, but love so many of my friend’s kids like they’re my own. Please come back, and I’ll see you on your site! Thank you, Brenda
It is women past 50 writing me the big checks. Almost all with the same story. Money spent for children, husband always spent money on what they wanted, now, it’s their turn.
After 2008, those women increased dramatically.
Funniest story of 50+ woman hiring me, her husband had put new carpet in his small airplane. She was getting her landscaping, every last bit ! A matriarch with several children, many grandchildren, she had always tilted in their favor financially. That bit of carpet did it !
Another reason for women 50+ hiring me is interesting too. Life events with children, graduating college or getting married or 1st grandchild is coming.
Garden & Be Well, XO T
Carpet in the airplane would push my “get what I want” buttons, too! Great story! I’m not surprised women over 50 are keeping you busy! xoxox, Brenda
What a great post! Look forward to more from the Fierce50 campaign….
Thank you Holly! We’re working toward bringing you more! Brenda
Great project! So many women are scared of money. This sounds like an excellent approach!
After my first husband died, I learned how awful our financial situation really was. I’d never taken an interest, but when I had to sell the things out of my house just to keep the lights on? I got interested real quick! xoxox, Brenda
I don’t know which I liked more- the Financial Closet or the Fierce50 campaign. Your post lead me down a trail of morning reading as I moved from blog to blog.
Thank you, Beth! You made my day sweet lady! xoxox, Brenda