For years, women have dedicated themselves to building careers, raising families, and caring for loved ones. Retirement isn’t just the next chapter—it’s our turn. Our turn to invest in ourselves, reclaim time, and pursue passions set aside while caring for others.

Yet, financial concerns still may cast a shadow of doubt on retirement. Many women feel unprepared and fear they will outlive their savings—not due to lack of ability, but due to a lack of education and empowerment. As a society, we haven’t always equipped our daughters with the tools of financial literacy, preventing them from investing strategically and reaping the benefits of compounding their wealth over time.

It’s time to change that. Click here to download the full guide or continue reading to learn about actionable strategies tailored to the unique opportunities and challenges women face as they approach retirement.

Understanding Your S.W.O.T: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats

Strengths

• Financial Resources: As a successful woman, you likely possess significant assets, including a robust investment portfolio, real estate, and other retirement resources. This is a powerful foundation for your retirement.
• Existing Knowledge & Experience: You have a history of managing your life and making significant decisions. You're not starting from scratch; you're building upon a lifetime of experience and wisdom.
• Single-Point Decision-Making: After the loss of a spouse or post-divorce, you are the sole decision-maker. This is a powerful strength, allowing for thoughtful action to align your finances with your goals and values.

Weaknesses

• Longevity & The Caregiver Penalty: Women, on average, live longer, requiring a longer-lasting portfolio. This is compounded by the "caregiver penalty," where time out of the workforce to care for children or aging family members can lead to lower lifetime earnings and Social Security benefits.
• The Wage Gap Factor: The disparity in earnings impacts women's savings and lifetime earning potential. This affects Social Security, pension benefits, and even financial literacy.
• Financial Confidence Gap: In some relationships, financial management was delegated. This can create a feeling of being overwhelmed or lacking confidence in making complex financial decisions alone.
• Emotional Decision-Making: Grief, stress, or anger from a recent transition can lead to a state of heightened emotion, which can cloud judgment and lead to suboptimal financial choices.

Opportunities

• The Social Security Optimization Opportunity: If you are divorced or widowed, you may be eligible for higher spousal or survivor benefits that can provide a significant, inflation-adjusted income stream for life.
• Portfolio Repositioning: A life transition is a natural inflection point to realign your goals, risk tolerance, and income needs. A shift may be needed in your portfolio to support new needs and goals.
• Tax-Advantaged Techniques: Change creates new tax considerations. Techniques such as Roth conversions, strategic withdrawal sequencing, and tax-loss harvesting can significantly help reduce your tax burden.
• Legacy & Philanthropy: Goals and priorities around your legacy may evolve as a result of a new chapter in life. Create a legacy that truly reflects your values.

Threats

• Inflation & Market Volatility: Inflation erodes purchasing power, and a sudden market downturn can devastate a portfolio. These external factors can threaten the long-term viability of your retirement plan.
• Healthcare & Long-Term Care Costs: As women live longer, the cost of healthcare and potential long-term care becomes a significant risk to financial security. A catastrophic medical event could wipe out a lifetime of savings.
• Information Asymmetry & Scams: During a vulnerable time, you may be a target for bad actors or simply receive poor advice. The complexity of the financial landscape can make it difficult to discern good advice from bad.

Building Confidence: Four Components of Wealth

Confidence comes from understanding where you are, where you want to go, and how to get there.

Assets

• Qualified retirement accounts like 401(k)s and IRAs are the foundation.
• Under current tax law, catch-up contributions are available after age 50.
• Personal savings provide flexibility.
• HSAs can be powerful for healthcare.

Expenses

• Biggest categories: housing, transportation, healthcare, food & entertainment.
• Healthcare costs rise significantly with age.
• Spending often decreases in later retirement years, but healthcare may offset those declines.

Income

• May come from work in retirement, Social Security, pensions, annuities, investment dividends, business ownership, or real estate.
• Delaying Social Security can increase lifetime benefits.
• Diversifying income sources can provide stability.

Liabilities

• Debt includes mortgages, loans, and credit cards.
• Aim to reduce high-interest debt first. Consider whether to pay off your mortgage before retirement.
• Reverse mortgages exist but carry risks.

It is our belief that women, once educated, are excellent savers and investors.

• On average, women save a higher percentage of their income than their male counterparts.
• Women’s portfolios often outperform men’s because they trade less frequently, avoiding the “behavior gap.”
• Women are taking more control of household investment decisions.

Actionable Techniques for Success

Ideas to capitalize on your Strengths and Opportunities while helping mitigate your Weaknesses and Threats.

Centralized Financial Life

Create a single, organized digital and/or physical place for all financial documents. This simple act demystifies your financial life and empowers you with a clear, holistic view, boosting your confidence.

Legacy & Beneficiaries Audit

Inventory every account with a beneficiary designation (e.g., 401(k), IRA, life insurance). This is a simple but critical task. Update beneficiaries as needed to align with your goals. This single step can prevent catastrophic legal and financial outcomes.

An Integrated Longevity Plan

Don't view investments and healthcare separately. Work with your advisor to project potential healthcare costs into your financial plan and explore strategies like long-term care insurance or dedicated investment accounts to hedge against this major threat.

Time Horizon & Tax Optimization

Work with your advisor to align your short, mid, and long-term needs with your investment portfolio. Evaluate tax optimization tools (both today and in the future) to maximize your after-tax wealth and design a portfolio to sustain your needs.

By strategically addressing your S.W.O.T. and employing these techniques with the assistance of a trusted financial advisor, you can transform a moment of transition into a powerful launchpad for a future of financial independence and personal fulfillment.

Designing A Meaningful Plan

Your retirement will be unique to you. To design a meaningful plan, consider:

• Where you’ll live: Location affects everything from housing costs and taxes to healthcare access and proximity to family. The right place can stretch your dollars further while supporting your well-being.
• Healthcare needs: Medical expenses are among the biggest unknowns in retirement. Planning for insurance, long-term care, or chronic conditions adds security and reduces stress.
• How long you might live—and whether you may live alone: Women often live longer than men, which means additional years of expenses to cover. Planning for the possibility of living alone ensures you’ll have support and resources later in life.
• The people and causes that matter most: Whether it’s helping children, giving to charity, or volunteering, knowing what you value most ensures your resources align with what brings meaning.
• How you’ll handle unexpected expenses: Emergencies—medical bills, home repairs, or family needs—are inevitable. Liquidity and flexibility keep surprises from derailing your plans.

A financial advisor can help you build a retirement plan that balances your must-haves you’re your nice-to-haves, aligning your financial resources with the lifestyle you want.

A Comfortable Retirement Depends on Things You Can Control

Uncertainty is part of life — but many of the most important retirement levers are within your control.

When You Retire

Retiring later can increase Social Security benefits and savings, while retiring too soon can mean stretching limited resources.

How Long You Plan For

Planning for a longer lifespan helps ensure your savings last and provides a valuable safety cushion.

How You Invest

Balance is key. Too much risk can cause losses at the wrong time; too little may not generate the growth you’ll need.

How You Spend

Spending habits directly impact how long your funds last. A realistic, flexible budget helps keep you in control.

The sooner you start planning, the more options you’ll have. And while unexpected challenges will always arise, a thoughtful strategy can help ensure you face them with confidence.

Stories of Transformation

Retirement is not the end of a career—it’s the beginning of a new chapter. We’ve seen countless women turn uncertainty into empowerment, proving that this stage of life can be the most fulfilling yet.

Jenny’s work with women has shown her one truth again and again: when women take ownership of their financial journey, they unlock possibilities they never imagined.

Redefining Purpose Beyond Work

Women who once tied their identity to a career now find joy in mentoring, volunteering, or launching second-act ventures.

Financial Control Reclaimed

Women who once doubted their financial savvy now manage their wealth confidently, having built systems and strategies to keep them in control.

Legacy in Action

Many channel their wealth into causes they love—funding scholarships, supporting local nonprofits, or setting up charitable trusts that reflect their values.

Owning Our Turn

Becoming financially savvy doesn’t just happen—it starts with action. By learning how retirement works, seeking professional advice to help make informed choices, and owning your financial journey.

It is our turn—to take control, to shape the retirement we deserve, and to step boldly into the next chapter of life.

Women in Transformation: A Program Designed for You

Women in Transformation is a dedicated financial planning program built to support women through life’s most significant transitions. Whether facing widowhood, divorce, career shifts, or the leap into retirement, this program is designed to meet women exactly where they are.

What makes Women in Transformation unique is the way we combine three essential elements:

• Technical Competency: A strong foundation of expertise ensures you receive sound, data-driven advice. From Social Security optimization to portfolio design and tax strategy, your plan is grounded in clarity aligned with your values.
• Empathy: Transitions often come with uncertainty, grief, or overwhelm. We don’t dismiss those emotions; we create space for them. With compassion, we bring order to what feels fragmented, helping you move forward one step at a time.
• Objectivity: Money and emotion are two sides of the same coin. Our role is to be a steady, objective partner—keeping your long-term vision in focus while recognizing the emotions that naturally surface.

Women in Transformation is about helping women not just survive a transition, but emerge from it stronger, more secure, and ready to embrace the future with confidence.

All investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. Nothing contained herein should be construed as individualized advice and is for informational purposes only. Different types of investments involve varying degrees of risk, and there can be no assurance that any specific investment will be suitable or profitable for a client's investment portfolio. Past performance is no guarantee of future performance. Seven Springs Wealth Group is an investment adviser registered with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Registration does not imply any level of skill or training. For a complete discussion of Seven Spring Wealth Group’s services and fees, you should carefully review the firm’s disclosure brochure available at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov