As part of a new offering announced March 27 from the OneAmerica Financial Female Retirement Professionals Program, OneAmerica Financial and Broadridge Retirement and Workplace are collaborating to provide 30 female financial advisors the opportunity to train for and earn the Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF) designation, free of charge.
Created and chaired by Sandy McCarthy, president of Retirement Services at OneAmerica Financial, the Female Retirement Professionals Program aims to engage, empower and elevate women in the financial services industry. Many of the program’s cohesive and multi-faceted offerings—with everything from proprietary research to webinars, best practice guides, thought leadership and more—are centered on findings from the team’s survey of more than 200 female financial advisors, and a corresponding whitepaper that details what McCarthy calls “the 4 Cs”—confidence, community, connection and culture—factors found to fuel success for women advisors.
“Our program goes beyond simply recognizing the importance of recruiting and retaining more women to financial services—which of course is a critical first step,” said McCarthy. “We’re looking to go deeper, though—translating our findings into action and tangibly supporting the growth of women’s careers to maximize opportunities in financial services. We’re taking the 4 Cs to heart.”
The program’s mission struck a chord with Broadridge Retirement and Workplace as it closely aligns with the overall firm’s commitment to advance Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the market and communities they serve.
“Broadridge is proud to continue its work to minimize the gender gap in the financial advisor community by investing in training that will aid in the development and careers of women and people of color. The AIF designation will provide the advisors with valuable training that supports the 4 Cs, differentiates them and helps them deliver superior value to their clients” said Cindy Dash, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Broadridge Retirement and Workplace.
McCarthy said she is thrilled to be able to extend this offer to women advisors—and to implement access to professional certification as an element of the Female Retirement Professionals Program.
“What Broadridge Retirement and Workplace is offering here is incredibly generous,” said McCarthy. “Together, we have the potential to have a significant impact on this group of advisors—and the clients they currently serve and will serve in the future. The impact will be exponential. It’s inspiring to see our industry colleagues joining forces to make a difference.”
The AIF designation, ranked as one of the top 10 financial certifications by U.S. News & World Report, prepares investment professionals and those managing investments on behalf of others to carry out their fiduciary responsibilities. AIF training teaches advisors how to properly conduct due diligence and formalize an investment strategy so they can demonstrate to clients and prospects that their best interests always come first.
Click here to learn more about the AIF Designation, which is part of Broadridge Retirement and Workplace’s learning and development suite of solutions.
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• Intermediaries Expand Efforts to Recruit Women Financial Pros
