Laurie Stack, Regional VP and Head of the Avantax Women’s Advisor Forum at Avantax, joined Julie Cooling, Founder and CEO of RIA Channel, to discuss the role of women advisors in her firm and the industry.
Avantax is a tax-centric firm for financial advisors, tax pros, and CPAs. The firm has a niche at the intersection of tax and wealth. After its acquisition by Cetera Financial Group, the firm works with over 4,000 advisors. The Strategic Partnership Program allows Avantax’s advisors to work with CPAs on a referral basis.
Stack leads the Women’s Advisor Forum, which provides networking for women across the various firms that have been involved in mergers with Avantax. The Forum integrates with Cetera’s Women’s Network.
Avantax has a greater percentage of women advisors, at 24%, than the industry, at 18%. This ratio continues to grow, as 35% of advisors hired in 2024 are women. In less than a decade, women will control two-thirds of the wealth, over $30 trillion. Stack states that this provides an opportunity for the industry to provide investment education, as women have historically been less comfortable making financial decisions.
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