Women control about $14 trillion in assets in the U.S., which is comparable to the gross domestic products of China and India combined—and they are under-served by financial advisors. The industry needs to hone its services to reflect the growing power of female clients. To read the full article in Financial Planning, click: Rich Women Increasingly Call the Shots, Wealth Management Execs Say.
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Leaders of the accounting profession have made substantial efforts to increase diversity in the workforce, but a survey suggests that more needs to be done to improve inclusion of African-American staff. Among other things, leaders should seek to prevent unconscious bias and ensure that informal networks are welcoming of diverse membership. To read the full article in the Journal of Accountancy, click: Challenges Continue for African-American Accountants.
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When attempting to quantify the return on investment of diversity programs, companies should start by monitoring metrics such as employee engagement scores. Once this process is complete, companies should focus on improving problem areas with incremental, quantifiable goals. To read the full article in Forbes, click: Tips for Evaluating the ROI of Diversity Programs.
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Deloitte and Accenture were among the top large companies for women in a ranking by Comparably that accounted for factors such as workplace culture and compensation. To read the full article in Women Entrepreneur, click: Ranking Highlights Top Companies for Women, Diversity.
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Here is a look at how one accounting firm has sought to boost diversity by offering flexible work-life balance initiatives as well as providing training and developmental programs meant to aid career advancement. To read the full article in The CPA Journal, click: Strategies to Retain and Advance Female Employees.
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Publicly sharing diversity numbers—positive and negative—can be beneficial to companies because it shows a willingness to openly address diversity issues. Sharing the numbers also allows for a company to be held accountable for future progress in reaching diversity goals. To read the full article in CNN, click: Why Sharing Diversity Data Publicly can be Good for Your Company.
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I consider myself a fiscal conservative and a social liberal. As an African-American, I have long been sensitive to issues like racial and gender equality. The last 12 months have been polarizing in America, from the #MeToo movement to tiki torch-bearing white nationalists to Black Lives Matter and the NFL national anthem protests. Our national melting pot is looking like anything but. To read the full article in Financial Planning, click: Should Diversity be Part of Clients’ Portfolios?
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“One of the greatest powers is to be able to take one person’s idea [and] another person’s idea and make [them] more powerful by bringing them together.” To read the full article in Heleo, click: Know Thyself, Know Thy Company: Microsoft’s CEO on Seeking Purpose at Work.
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Some wealth management firms are finding that solutions to two of the industry’s big stumbling blocks—succession planning and diversity—may be intertwined. Indeed, a link between the two emerged when firms began to diversify their advisor staffs, according to executives. To read the full article in FinancialPlanning, click: Is Diversity the Key to the Succession Plan Challenge?
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If you are on a quest to find the career of your dreams, look no further. Take control of your career with these four tips from Mark Astrinos, CPA, PFS, who shares how he built a career in financial planning as a CPA and emphasizes the need to follow your passion. Be sure to check out this new hub with free guidance, tools and resources to learn more about how you can start or expand your services to individual clients. To read the full article in AICPA Insights, click: Four Ways to Jump-Start the Career You Really Want.
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Some wealth management firms are finding that solutions to two of the industry’s big stumbling blocks—succession planning and diversity—may be intertwined. Indeed, a link between the two emerged when firms began to diversify their advisor staffs, according to executives. To read the full article in FinancialPlanning, click: Is Diversity the Key to the Succession Plan Challenge?
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The dominoes keep falling—allegations of sexual harassment are rampant. Who is next? The wounds are open, and it is time to start healing. Before we can do that, though, we have to wonder why we have not seen more reports out of the wealth management industry recently. In part, I believe it is because our male-heavy finance culture went through a slew of sexual harassment cases in the 90’s, including the egregious “boom boom room” case at Smith Barney. To read the full article in FinancialPlanning, click: How Small Financial Advisories can Prevent Sexual Harassment.
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Greater Disruption and Change Awaits the Financial Services Industry FinTech, or financial technology, has disrupted the financing industry. The FinTech revolution has not only changed the financial services industry, but it has also changed specific sectors, including: retail banking, lending and financing, payments and transfers, wealth and asset management, markets and exchanges, insurance, and blockchain transactions, just to name a few. It will continue to be vital for those who work in such sectors to learn how the FinTech revolution affects them immediately, as well as their future careers and business dealings. This article traces and history and shares the…
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How to Tap into the Business Benefits of Diversity It’s not enough to have a diverse workforce and leadership team. Companies also need to have leaders who recognize the value of the ideas their employees share. Sylvia Ann Hewlett, founder and CEO of the Center for Talent Innovation and Hewlett Consulting Partners LLC, discusses when a diverse company has these types of leaders, it tends to report better business performance in certain metrics. To read the full article in the Harvard Business Review, click: Creating a Culture Where Employees Speak Up.
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The AICPA’s Accounting Inclusion Maturity Model helps organizations assess their current diversity and inclusion practices in four core areas: workforce, workplace, marketplace, and community and supplier relations. To find out more on AICPA’s tools, click: Where does your firm stand on Diversity and Inclusion?
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Recognizing How a Position-Based Perspective Limits Communication The topic of communication, diversity, and perspective may initially seem like basic common sense. However, exploring how you and others look at things through our own lenses based on personal experiences shapes how we interact with others. In this article, the author shares his views on what limits communication and what it takes to effectively communicate with others.
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In 2014, a study by Chicago United documented a lack of diversity in leadership roles within American companies noting that more than 75 percent of executives are white. This fact should be of concern to big businesses because diversity in leadership roles has real benefits including better customer relationships, increased employee creativity, and improved quality of work. In this article, by Peter Gomez and Susan Medina for Talent Management Magazine, they discuss six ways companies can attract more diverse employees. Read how to diversify your company at Diversity Executive online.