WEST Wisdom Blog

Join WEST on September 21, 2021 from 5 – 6:15 p.m. Eastern time for a free financial planning webinar from RBC Wealth Management Advisors Gabrielle Clemens and Lisa M. Austin. Gabrielle and Lisa will draw on their combined experience in estate planning, family law, and sustainable investing to walk attendees through the basics of planning for an unpredictable future, focusing especially on the risks of cognitive decline. They'll discuss how to approach and understand options for structuring finances to answer the question, "What if something happens?"

Topics: Women, Financial Planning, Wealth Management, Transitions, Work Life Balance, Life, Resilience, Upcoming Events, Relationships, Discussion, Resources, Solutions, Balance, Tools, Self-Awareness, Decision Making, Support, Impact, Risk, Learn, #WESTevent, #WESTorg, Investing

Having just concluded WEST's fiscal year, we would like to thank our 2020-2021 Board Officers: Meena Subramanyam, President; Etta Jacobs, Vice President; Meredith Fisher, Clerk; Eleanor Howe, Treasurer; and Chesley Chen, Advisor & previous Co-Chair. Meredith and Chesley completed their board terms in June and we welcomed a few new Board Members to the team in July. Learn more about WEST's Board of Directors.

Topics: Leadership, Women, Financial Planning, Wealth Management, Transitions, Career, Community, Work Life Balance, Resilience, Success, Women in STEM, Discount, Upcoming Events, Professional, Discussion, Financial, Resources, Interactive, Lessons Learned, Tools, Career Path, Developing Your Skills, Self-Awareness, Decision Making, Confidence, Strengths, Values, Impact, Career Development, Empowerment, Advice, Learn, #WESTorg, Gender Parity, Grow, goals, Purpose

Join WEST on June 17, 2021 to hear from Melissa Nuñez, a Certified Financial Planner ^TM and Accredited Investment Fiduciary®, as she shares strategies for building financial resiliency and maintaining level financial footing, especially in the face of the unexpected. Melissa will help us reflect on the challenges and changes we have faced during the COVID-19 pandemic and help us plan to meet future financial goals, from paying off debt to buying a home to saving for retirement. Tickets for this event are free thanks to our sponsor, CliftonLarsonAllen.

Topics: Women, Financial Planning, Wealth Management, Transitions, Career, Community, Work Life Balance, Resilience, Success, Women in STEM, Discount, Upcoming Events, Professional, Discussion, Financial, Resources, Interactive, Lessons Learned, Tools, Career Path, Developing Your Skills, Self-Awareness, Decision Making, Confidence, Strengths, Values, Impact, Career Development, Empowerment, Advice, Learn, #WESTevent, #WESTorg, Gender Parity, Grow, goals, Purpose

What’s in your portfolio? Join us on Thursday, 4/29 at 5:30 p.m. EST to hear experienced financial advisors explore strategies for aligning your investment portfolio with your personal values through impact investing.

In this interactive discussion, we will hear from Judith Reed, a financial advisor at Morgan Stanley who specializes in helping women in the Life Sciences industry create financial plans for themselves and their families, and William Gambardella, Executive Director of the Morgan Stanley Wealth Management Global Investment Office (GIO). 

Topics: Women, Financial Planning, Wealth Management, Career, Success, Women in STEM, Upcoming Events, Discussion, Financial, Interactive, Change, Values, Impact, Learn, #WESTevent, #WESTorg, Gender Parity, Sustainability, Investing

You’d never leave your smartphone on the factory settings, so why set-and-forget your retirement?

For many of us, the effort we put into planning our next vacation far exceeds the attention we give to retirement planning. You waded through so many forms when you started that new job. Retirement stuff got the ‘set-and-forget’ treatment.

Topics: Events, Financial Planning, Wealth Management, Career, Women in STEM, Financial, Economics, Compensation, Own It, Empowerment, Women in Business, Be Fearless, Be Brave

For many of us, negotiating our compensation package with a potential new employer can be a scary experience. In fact, almost 20% never negotiate their salaries. Fear and lack of confidence are the main reasons for not asking your real worth. But of the people who overcome their fear and do negotiate, many end up getting a bump close to 10%. So, learning to negotiate your compensation package is an important skill to learn.

Topics: Events, STEM, Women, Financial Planning, Science, Career, Community, Cambridge, negotiation, Women in STEM, Networking, Upcoming Events, Gender Pay Gap, Stock, Compensation

In today’s competitive market for talent, many employers are offering attractive compensation and benefits packages. In addition to salary, bonus, and equity compensation, “softer” benefits like expanded maternity leave, flexible schedules, and wellness programs are becoming more common.

Topics: Events, Financial Planning, Wealth Management, Career, Cambridge

Are you planning a career change? Thinking of jumping to a competitor? Has a recruiter contacted you about a new job opportunity? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you will need to have a strategy in place to negotiate the best possible compensation package for yourself.

Topics: Events, Women, Financial Planning, Wealth Management, Transitions, Career, negotiation

Today, more women are advancing to senior positions within the life sciences industry. Along with added responsibilities, senior executives usually receive stock options or other forms of equity compensation as part of their compensation packages. In this lunch program, financial advisor Beata Dragovics provides an overview of the various forms of equity compensation, along with current compensation trends within the life sciences industry. Attendees will learn how to optimize their equity compensation packages, with a particular focus on managing concentrated wealth. Other topics include the tax ramifications of exercising stock options, along with tactics for treating equity compensation as a vital piece of your overall financial plan.

Topics: Events, Financial Planning, Wealth Management

Did you know that 57% of women have more earning power than before, that women are making major investment decisions, and 60% of women are the "breadwinners" of their families? Therefore, it is crucial to be informed and proactive about financial planning.  Beata Dragovics from Freedom Trail Financial takes a quite different and effective approach to financial planning, starting with the individual's values to set financial goals and plans. Beata graciously shared her take on 5 mistakes most people make when it comes to financial planning below. If you're interested in learning how to avoid these mis-steps, evaluate your own values and how they can map to your own financial goals and plans please join WEST for an interactive session with Beata on October 26th at 6pm. Participants will leave with a clear sense of how to plan for their values and how to set financial goals as it relates to compensation, equity, and savings. 

Topics: Events, Women, Financial Planning, Wealth Management