- Scottsdale, AZ
Financial Planning for Women
Women today are earning more, investing more, and making more financial decisions than any previous generation. Four out of five partnered and employed women are either the primary income earners or contribute equally to their household’s finances.
But some advisory firms default to one-size-fits-all portfolios or meeting dynamics that leave women feeling talked at rather than listened to. At ARQ Wealth, our approach directly addresses the difficult scenarios women face, helping them get on the right track for long-term success.
Schedule a free consultation with ARQ Wealth today to learn more about the ARQ Women and Wealth Collective™ or call us at (480) 331-3925.
Why Women Require a Unique Approach to Financial Planning
Women navigate several unique financial challenges that require specialized attention. This isn’t our opinion. It’s backed by statistics. For example, women are more likely to have:
Career Interruptions: Women are more likely to step away from the workforce to care for children or aging parents, which reduces earnings and makes it harder to save for retirement. A mother with one child typically sees her lifetime earnings drop by 28%, and each additional child reduces earnings by an additional 3%.
Longer Retirements: Women live longer than men on average, so their retirement savings need to stretch further. At age 65, the average life expectancy is 21.1 years for women, compared to 18.6 years for men.
Retirement Savings Gap: Women’s retirement balances are often 30% lower than men’s, largely due to lower lifetime earnings, fewer years of employer contributions, and smaller Social Security benefits—all of which compound over time.
These issues often work in tandem and snowball over time. The result? A significant need for specialized wealth management and financial planning that addresses the specific financial goals of women.
What Makes Our ARQ Women and Wealth Collective™ Different
The ARQ Women and Wealth Collective™ is designed to build a financial planning experience where women feel heard, educated, and in control. We’ve instituted three guiding pillars to help achieve that.
Pillar 1: The Women’s Advisory Council
The Women’s Advisory Council is a group of female clients and community members who provide ongoing feedback to shape the initiative and drive progress. Their voices guide everything from the topics we cover in workshops to the comprehensive resources we create to the way we structure our meetings.
Our goal is to adopt a community-driven approach to address the immediate needs of current and future clients. If you have ideas, feedback, or missed opportunities about how we can better shape this initiative, we want to hear them.
Pillar 2: Educational Workshops
Knowledge builds confidence. That’s why the ARQ Women and Wealth Collective™ includes a series of educational workshops designed to be practical, approachable, and relevant to the scenarios women often face.
Our workshops cover financial topics with real-life applications, including interactive sessions, guided checklists, and honest conversations about money. Workshops are guided by a financial advisor, and topics include:
- Understanding your current financial picture, including income, expenses, assets, and liabilities
- How to read and evaluate your investment accounts
- Retirement planning fundamentals and common mistakes to avoid
- Tax advice for different life stages and income levels
- Navigating financial decisions through divorce or the loss of a spouse
- Building an emergency fund and managing debt
- Estate planning essentials: wills, trusts, and beneficiary designations
- Planning ahead for a brighter future, fueled by financial growth
Every workshop includes take-home resources such as checklists, guides, and transition planning tools, so you can continue learning at your own pace. We would love to have you at one of our workshops.
Pillar 3: Specialized Support Areas
This initiative is centered around areas that are especially impactful for women. These include:
Divorce Financial Planning: Divorce can reshape your entire financial picture in a matter of months. We help you understand asset division, retirement account splits, tax implications of different settlement options, and how to build a realistic budget for life on one income. If your marriage lasted 10 years or more, we’ll also help you evaluate Social Security claiming strategies based on your ex-spouse’s record.
Widow Transition Planning: The financial decisions that follow a spouse’s death can feel relentless. We help you triage the time-sensitive items first (insurance claims, account access, Social Security notifications) and then rebuild your long-term plan at your pace. Our goal is to give you clarity without pressure during one of the hardest seasons of your life.
Retirement Longevity Planning: We develop withdrawal strategies, Social Security optimization plans, and tax-efficient income sequences tailored to longer time horizons. Every plan is stress-tested against scenarios like early market downturns, inflation spikes, and living to 95.
Major Life Transitions: Discussions of how your finances change during career breaks, caregiving, inheritance, returning to work, or starting a business. Each of these scenarios triggers a chain of financial decisions that affect your taxes, retirement savings, insurance, and long-term goals. We help you quantify trade-offs, adjust your plan, and move forward with confidence rather than guesswork.
Confidence-Building for First-Time Female Investors: Only 53% of women feel confident managing investments—a gap that’s often the result of a lack of exposure, not ability. We start with your goals (not products), explain concepts in plain language, and build a portfolio that matches your risk tolerance and timeline. No question is off limits, nothing is assumed, and you’ll never be judged for where you’re starting.
How do I get started?
Begin by scheduling a free consultation with one of our financial advisors. Click below to request a meeting.
Giving You Confidence and Agency to Manage Financial Decisions: Our Guiding Principles
Principle 1: Active Listening
Before we build a plan, we listen.
A financial advisor will learn about your financial needs, your goals, and what keeps you up at night. We don’t lead with product recommendations or portfolio pitches. We lead with questions and genuine curiosity about your situation.
Principle 2: Education Without Judgment
There’s no such thing as a bad question in our office. Whether you’re investing for the first time or reevaluating a complex portfolio after a major life change, we meet you where you are. Our advisors break down financial concepts and key takeaways in plain language and check in to make sure everything makes sense before moving forward.
Principle 3: A Fiduciary Standard, Always
ARQ Wealth is a fiduciary advisory firm, meaning each financial advisor is legally and ethically required to act in your best interest. Our recommendations are based solely on what serves you best.
Once your plan is finalized, we’ll coordinate with your attorney (or help you find one if you don’t have one) to draft new documents or update existing ones.
Why I Built This: A Note From Carly
As the first female advisor at ARQ Wealth, Carly was the pioneering voice behind the ARQ Women and Wealth Collective™.
“Both of my parents are social workers, and growing up, I watched them navigate life with very little financial education. When they divorced, they were each trying to reinvent themselves on one income, making big decisions without much guidance. Some of those decisions could have been avoided with the right education and support, and today they’re in situations that aren’t ideal — not because they didn’t work hard, but because they didn’t have the tools.”
That experience shaped Carly’s belief that financial outcomes are often about access to education and support, not effort or intelligence. Carly’s mission is to make financial planning a place where women feel safe asking questions, challenging assumptions, and taking ownership of their financial futures. This even could include inspiring the next generation of female financial advisors.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the ARQ Women and Wealth Collective™ for?
Any woman who wants to feel more confident and informed about her financial decisions. That includes women who have faced unique financial challenges, such as divorce, widowhood, career changes, retirement planning, and first-time investing.
Do I need to be an existing ARQ Wealth client to participate?
No. Our workshops, resources, and initial consultations are open to all women, regardless of whether you’re currently an ARQ Wealth client.
I’m going through a divorce. Can ARQ Wealth help with that specifically?
Yes. Divorce involves complex financial decisions around investments, retirement account splits, tax implications, and budgeting for a new chapter. Our advisors have experience guiding women through this process with care and precision.
Can I attend a workshop with a friend or family member?
Absolutely, community is a focal point of our initiative. The more women who feel comfortable talking about money, the better.
Take the First Step With ARQ Wealth
Take the First Step With ARQ Wealth
You don’t have to navigate this alone. Whether you’re going through a divorce, adjusting to life after the loss of a spouse, planning for a longer retirement, managing a career shift, or investing for the first time, we’re here to help you build clarity and confidence on your terms.
Schedule a free consultation with ARQ Wealth today or call us at (480) 214-9572 to learn how joining the ARQ Women and Wealth Collective™ can work for you. You can also find great downloadable resources on our website, such as our sample financial plan.