Women moving women forward.

It's no surprise for anyone to hear that being a woman in the U.S. today is very different than it was only a short while ago. Over the past few decades, women have boosted their earning power, their financial acumen, their confidence, their affluence and their influence.

Today, women control 60 percent of wealth¹ and own 40 percent of the businesses in the U.S. -- businesses growing at twice the rate of U.S. firms as a whole.² Women are on the verge of outnumbering men in the U.S. workforce, and by 2028 the average woman is projected to earn more than the average man.³ Proof that in this modern era, women are moving forward, effecting change and gaining momentum.

Less evident is what is driving this change. Changing times? Social progression? In part, but Women & Co. research shows that women build wealth from within. They see their personal traits -- hard work, discipline and intelligence -- as more important for building financial success than external factors such as education, family and luck.⁴ While past generations of women were discouraged or shied away from money management, modern women are taking the reins when it comes to earning, saving, planning and investing their wealth. A generation ago, 39 percent of women considered themselves knowledgeable about investing. Today, 82 percent do. Their number one source of financial information? Their own reading and research.⁵

I've seen this bear out within the Women & Co. community and within my own life. My mother and her mother were both entrepreneurs who were ahead of their time in terms of financial confidence and independence. As COO of Women & Co., I've seen hundreds of women turn out year after year for our Master Class seminars, all in an effort to move themselves forward financially.

Harnessing this momentum and engaging women in these conversations is what we're all about at Women & Co. For 10 years, we, alongside our community, have helped women build financial confidence and independence by sharing financial insights, tips and actionable ideas. To learn more about the economic momentum of women, request a copy of our most recent report, Looking Back. Moving Forward. Have an insight you want to share? Post your comment here. We look forward to hearing from you.

NOTES

1. U.S. News and World Report, 2008

2. Harvard Business Review, 2009

3. The Nielsen Company, 2009 and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2009

4. Women & Co., 2008 and 2010

5. Women & Co., 2010