In 2018, Commonwealth partnered with Ash Brokerage to enhance the insurance marketing and operations functions available to our advisors. Ash Brokerage doesn’t just specialize in insurance but approaches it with a passion that matches our own company culture, providing our advisors with untapped growth opportunities in offering protection products for their clients. I’m pleased to present the below post, in which Meghan Cormany, DI sales development specialist at Ash Brokerage, talks about the importance of disability insurance, particularly for women.

Yesterday, we focused on what financial advisors can do to help women navigate the financial implications of the end of a marriage. Today, we’ll discuss how to assist recently widowed clients.

A 2018 UBS Investor Watch Survey found that nearly 70 percent of married women from around the world believe they’ll outlive their husbands. This belief is confirmed by recent U.S. government data showing that women are living longer than men by roughly five years. Yet many of the women who experience a husband’s death are unprepared to handle the major financial issues that suddenly fall on their lap. That’s especially true for women who’ve abdicated control of financial planning and investing decisions to their spouse over the years.

Numerous studies suggest that women often defer to their spouses when it comes to making long-term financial decisions, a choice that can put them at a distinct disadvantage in the event of divorce or death of a spouse. Our posts today and tomorrow will focus on the role financial advisors can play in helping their female clients successfully navigate these life transitions.

As advisors often experience, introducing change to clients can be a struggle, especially when money—an emotionally charged topic—is involved. Financial decision-making is not always, or even typically, rational and reasonable. Although most of us think we’re capable of making rational choices, only part of the mind has the capability to analyze a problem and come up with a rational solution, and this process can be slow and inefficient.

Pursuing a goal with intention is more effective than approaching it without a plan. If you want to run a marathon, you won’t get there by running a few miles every so often. If you want to lose weight, trying a different diet each week likely won’t yield the desired results. And if you want to optimize your workflow and attract your ideal clients, accepting any clients that come your way may hinder your success. That’s where intentional prospecting comes in.