There is a void in the industry where women represent just 15%–20% of financial advisors.1 What’s more, the number of female CFP® professionals has remained stagnant at 23% for at least a decade.2 As a female financial advisor, there is a substantial opportunity to remain aligned with your values while still enjoying career success and without sacrificing your earnings potential. Do not settle for income and career limitations imposed by someone else.

It’s Time to Take Action

Breaking away and starting your own advisory practice doesn’t have to mean starting from scratch. Redesign your career. Control your compensation trajectory. Forge a real path to partnership, while receiving support from a community of like-minded advisors.

We call it “independence with options.” The Wealth Advisor Alliance can help find the right path for you while keeping your options open as your journey evolves. You choose your path:

Path 1

Affiliate as a semi-independent advisor with Forum Financial Management, an established advisory firm with $7.3 billion in assets managed or serviced, where 29% of our partners are women. With our team, you can avoid the year-long registration process and compliance requirements, expensive tech setup costs and having to develop a brand and promote yourself from scratch.

Path 2

Launch as an independent RIA with your own brand while leveraging the Wealth Advisor Alliance’s fully supported technology and BackOffice operations team. Our services include:

  • Reporting and Trading: Outsource trading and operations so you have more time to focus on serving your clients and building your team
  • Tools and Technology: Realize efficiencies with innovative technology solutions that enable a more streamlined client experience
  • Compliance, Billing and BackOffice Support: Delegate operations, marketing and compliance to a team of qualified professionals with broad experience in client service and support

As your practice grows, you can always choose a different path and may aspire to become a full equity partner in our parent company, Forum Financial Management.

If you have any questions about the results generated from the calculator above or want to talk about your current situation, please contact us by email at team@waalliance.com or schedule a conversation with WAA Advisor Development Officer Brian Shapiro.

The Independence with Options Calculator is intended to serve as a basis for further discussion with the Wealth Advisor Alliance. Although great effort has been taken to provide accurate numbers and explanations, this information should not solely be relied upon for making decisions.


1 Steve Garmhausen, “Women Make Great Financial Advisors. So Why Aren’t There More?” Barron’s, June 8, 2019.
2 “Women’s Initiative.” CFP Board. Accessed April 17, 2020.