The Aite research found that female CFP professionals are particularly invested in financial planning. Thirty-three percent provide written and multigoal financial plans to three-quarters or more of their clients, compared with 22% of their male counterparts.
On average, female CFP professionals have given retirement planning advice to 80% of their clients, while male CFP professionals have worked with 73% of clients on this topic and female advisors without certification have provided retirement planning to 66% of clients.
Their focus on financial planning does not detract from credentialed women’s investment management responsibilities, according to the research. Female CFP professionals are as likely as their male counterparts to derive a majority of practice revenue from assets under management and financial planning service fees.
In other research findings, female CFP professionals present themselves as more confident than credentialed male professionals in these areas:
They also lead in career satisfaction, with 53% expressing satisfaction, compared with 42% of credentialed men and 35% of other female advisors.
Female CFP professionals are likelier than their male colleagues to report that they pursued certification to feel more confident and to enhance their knowledge.
Furthermore, 69% of women surveyed say the effort to obtain certification was worthwhile, compared with 49% of men. A similar breakdown occurs on the likelihood of recommending CFP certification to colleagues.