Women, A Growing Force in Business

Women, A Growing Force in Business

More woman than ever are in the workforce 1, they are starting businesses at twice the rate of men, and about a third of working women earn more than their spouses 2. The male oriented world of financial services is taking note.

The number of high net worth women, those with three million dollars or more in investable assets, is growing at nearly double the pace of men in this group, that’s according to a recent survey by 1)Merrill Lynch. How do they do it?

Paying attention to detail is key to Jeanette Nostra’s job. As president of G-III 2)Apparel Group she supervises marketing 4, merchandizing and product development for the company, 3)keeping close tabs on everyone from division 4)VPs to designers. Her hands-on management style has helped her rise through the ranks at the apparel maker 5 over the past two decades, and her compensation during that ascent 6 has contributed to her assets.

Jeanette: As a young girl growing up in 5)Brooklyn, money was tight, so I didn’t come from money and I didn’t grow up in a house where money was in, fairly decent supply, it was quite short. So my assets certainly come from both my husband and I working.

Studies show most women with high net worth from 6)Carly Fiorina to 7)Meg Whitman to 8)Andrea Jung, have worked for their fortune rather than inherited it.

As women have become a powerful force in business, many have caught up with men in terms of earning power and assets. In fact, 43 percent of Americans who have over a half a million dollars in assets, are women, and financial services firms are increasingly servicing this high net worth group.

Many of these women have different priorities than men when it comes to managing their money.

Josephine Linden (Coldman Sachs): Women will approach the investment, differently than men, they tend to be more risk-oriented, rather than return-oriented, and they also want to have a very strong connection with their financial advisor 7.

A recent Merrill Lynch survey of wealthy women, those with three million dollars or more in investable assets, found nearly all of them work with an advisor or private money manager. Women, are very interested in relationships and advice. Women are interested in having long term relationships, feeling comfortable with what they’re doing, getting education about it.

Merrill’s survey showed as they become more educated, wealthy women are interested in tapping into sophisticated investment strategies, like private equity 8 or direct investments. And where wealthy women differ most from men is in their interests in socially responsible investing.

Hannah Grove 9 (Merrill Lynch Investment Managers): These women were building families at the same time they were building careers and they’re interested in things that go beyond the realm of pure investments and the bottom line. They’re interested in re-investing in their community, while they’re investing for themselves.

As wealthy women work their way through the highest levels of corporate 10 America, one of the final steps becomes planning an exit strategy.

Debra Nichols (Wachovia): If they’re owning their own business, they’re thinking about succession planning or if they have worked in corporate America you know, potentially looking at some single stock concentration...
Since the tech boom went bust 11, Nostra admits her retirement 12 savings 13 aren’t set, yet but she’s not concerned.

Jeanette: We balance between, I would say bonds, 9)mutual 14 funds, stocks, equity investments, and an annuity 15 here and there, so it’s really a combination.
After all, a balance portfolio 16 is a winning strategy no matter what your net worth.

注释:
1) Merrill Lynch 美林证券（美国著名证券公司）
2) apparel [E5pArEl] n. 衣服
3) keep tabs on 监视，查核
4) VP 即vice 3 president， 副总裁
5) Brooklyn 布鲁克林区
6) Carly Fiorina 卡莉·菲奥莉娜，惠普公司首席执行官
7) Meg Whitman梅格·惠特曼，eBay公司首席执行官
8) Andrea Jung 钟彬娴，美国雅芳集团首席执行官
9) mutual funds 互惠基金

商界女精英

越来越多的女性走上了工作岗位，她们创业的增长速度是男性的两倍，有大约三分之一的职业女性收入超过了她们的配偶，一直以来把男性作为主要服务对象的金融服务领域正在关注着这一现象。
美林证券最近的一份调查报告指出，那些有着高值净资产的女性，即那些拥有可用于投资性资产在三百万美元或以上的女性，她们的人数正不断增长，其增长速度差不多是这一群体中男性增长速度的两倍。她们是怎样成功的呢？
留意细节是珍妮特·诺斯特的工作关键。作为G-III服装集团的总裁，她为公司管理着市场营销、商品销售和产品开发等环节，监督着公司的每一个人，包括从各部门的副总裁到设计师。在过去的二十年中，这种亲力亲为的管理作风使她在服装界一步一步地往上走，而她在晋升过程中获得的薪水不断地为她的资产添砖加瓦。

珍妮特: 作为一个在布鲁克林区长大的女孩，日子总是拮据的，由此可见，我并非天生富有，不是在一个东西样样齐全的富裕家庭中长大，而是很多东西都没有。因此，我的财产毫无疑问是来自于我的丈夫和我本人的工作收入。
研究显示，包括从卡莉·菲奥莉娜到梅格·惠特曼及钟彬娴在内的大多数女性，她们的财富并不由继承而获得，而是通过自身的艰苦奋斗得来的。
由于女性已经成为生意场上的一支主力军，她们当中的许多人在挣钱能力和财富方面已经赶上了男性。而实际上，在拥有超过五十万美元资产的美国人当中，就有43%是女性。金融服务界正为这一拥有巨额净资产的人群提供越来越多的服务。
在理财方面，这群女性中的许多人的着眼点会与男性不同。

约瑟芬·林登（高盛投资银行）: 在对投资的态度上，女性与男性是不一样的。她们会更加冒险，而不是太关注投资回报，而且她们希望与自己的理财顾问保持牢固的关系。
美林证券公司最近对那些拥有三百万以上可用于投资资产的有钱女性做了一份调查，报告显示：她们中几乎所有人都与理财顾问或私人金融经理打交道。女性通常对与他人的关系和他人的意见很感兴趣，她们重视与他人保持长期的关系，对自己的投资行为感到满意，并从中学到知识。
这项调查还表明，随着有钱女性在这方面的知识积累越来越多，她们开始着手更为复杂的投资策略，如私募投资或直接投资等。有钱的女性与男性最大的区别就是她们对那些负有社会责任的投资感兴趣。

汉娜·格罗夫（美林投资经理）: 这些妇女在事业上努力工作的同时，也在建立自己的家庭，因此，她们感兴趣的不仅仅是纯投资的东西或投资回报的底线。她们在为自己投资的同时，也对社区的再投资饶有兴趣。
随着越来越多的富有女性逐步升到美国大公司的最高管理层，她们采取的最后的措施之一就是为退出做准备。

黛布拉·尼科尔斯（美联银行）：如果她们有自己的公司，她们会考虑继任问题；如果她们为美国大公司工作，她们会考虑把投资集中在一个股票。
自从科技泡沫破灭后，诺斯特承认自己的退休储蓄还没定下来，但她并不担心。
珍妮特：我们会在证券、互惠基金、股票和股权资本投资，还有养老年金之间进行权衡，所以这实际上是一个投资方式的结合体。
说到底，不管你的净资产值是多少，一个平衡合理的投资组合始终是获胜的策略。