Be proactive! Be involved!

• It is your money...you have every right to feel comfortable and knowledgeable about the decisions being made to manage your financial circumstances.
• Learn what you have and where it is.
• Make sure you understand what it costs to lead your lifestyle and how that it would be impacted by a major life event such as a death, illness, divorce, or job loss.

Asking Questions is an Important Part of the Investment Process

• There are no silly questions.
• You do not need to be an expert to ask questions. What matters to you?
• Keep asking until you feel your question has been answered. If ultimately you and your advisor do not communicate well, maybe it is not the right fit. Do not assume that it is you.

Establish Your Own Relationship with each of your Professional Advisors (lawyers, accountants, financial advisors).

• It is critical that you have your own, direct relationship with any advisor even if you are married. This means attending meetings in person or being on conference calls (even if you cannot join all of them) and maintaining contact by email or telephone.
• In the event of unforeseen circumstances (death, illness, divorce, job loss), having an existing relationship will reduce your stress as you will already have a comfort level with your advisors. Further your advisor will be better able to serve you under such circumstances as your advisor will already have a sense of your values and priorities.

Know What You Want and Don’t Want!

• Decide, articulate and plan accordingly. It is important to have a sense of what is important to you. This does not have to be in financial or legal terms. However, if you are able to clearly communicate what you want now and in the future and what steps you are willing to take to achieve those goals, an advisor will be much better able to serve your needs.
• It is equally important to know what you do not want. If you are uncomfortable with a type of stock or investment (for example: tobacco, gaming, fast food, etc.), let your financial advisor know. If you do not want to turn over ownership of your home to your children during your lifetime ("life's use"), let your trusts and estates attorney know. Armed with this knowledge, they will be better able to suggest solutions with which you will be comfortable.
• Emotions are OK! It is often not wise to make decisions based purely on emotions. However, factoring in emotions is...you have to live with the choices you make.

If You Want To Learn More, Do So! There is a broad array of sources to get you up-to-speed:

• Websites: CNBC and Yahoo! are two popular sites
  
• Investment Advisors - See the BFS Difference
• Investment Clubs
• Books: See our Recommended Reading List for some ideas
• Attend/set-up a monthly speaker series on topics of interest

Engage a Professional Advisor

• This could be an investment advisory firm such as Bradley, Foster & Sargent, Inc., a broker, or a financial planner.
• Please see the link below to see how we believe we can help you and other women in your community.

Whatever else you do, please be proactive. Too many women wait until a moment of crisis to address their financial circumstances, and as a result, make a difficult time even more stressful. Being proactive is the best way to provide yourself with some peace of mind and the best way to make sure your wishes are known and implemented, particularly in a moment of crisis.