Wealth and Women, a New Podcast Mini-Series by the PFS, Launches this September

Only 16% of financial advisers in the UK are women. Yet data by the Personal Finance Society (PFS) suggests women excel in the financial planning profession. 23% of Chartered Financial Planners are female and so were five of the six individual PFS Award winners in 2023/24. In fact, women have won the most prestigious PFS Awards category – the Chartered Financial Planner of the Year – for three consecutive years.

In Wealth and Women, a new five-episode podcast mini-series, the Personal Finance Society has invited some of the best female talent in financial planning today to share their experiences of getting to the top, tips for anyone trying to break into and excel in the profession, and advice for employers and bosses looking to make the most of female talent.

Our four female hosts hope to inspire a whole-profession conversation on LinkedIn. With a new episode launching every Thursday until the end of September, the award-winning Emma Hall, Hazel Bowen, Alina Burlacu and Tracy Brookes will discuss:

• Episode 1 (available as audio and video): Myths about financial planners.
• Episode 2 (5th Sept): How to encourage more women into the financial planning profession.
• Episode 3 (12th Sept): Breaking into the financial planning profession.
• Episode 4 (19th Sept): Getting to the top of the financial planning profession.
• Episode 5: (26th Sept) Challenges and lessons learnt.

The mini-series also delves into topics such as the differences between advising men and women, the female client opportunity, negotiating pay rises, the curse of the super-successful, and maternity/paternity leave. 

Don MacIntyre, Interim CEO of the Personal Finance Society said: “Financial planning is only 6 percentage points ahead of Formula racing when it comes to female representation. While the famously male-dominated motorsport now has the F1 Academy to propel female drivers and reports 40% of its audience to be women, there has been little conversation about how our profession can attract female talent and position them to excel.”

“With ‘Wealth and Women’, we are opening up that conversation and inviting everyone in the financial planning community to join the discussion currently taking place on the PFS LinkedIn page.”

‘Wealth and Women’ aims to inspire women to pursue a financial planner career path. The podcast idea came from female members of the PFS Power Panel, the PFS initiative where financial advisers share inspirational content and good practice with their peers. The mini-series is produced by the Personal Finance Society and created in collaboration with Sam Oakes and Financial Planner Life. 

ENDS

Further Information

The Personal Finance Society (PFS)

The Personal Finance Society is a professional body dedicated to building public trust in the insurance and financial planning profession. Our strapline ‘Standards. Professionalism. Trust.’ embodies our commitment to driving confidence in the power of professional standards: competence, integrity and care for the customer. We deliver that commitment through relevant learning, insightful leadership and an engaged membership. Our 40,000 members commit to high professional standards by maintaining continuing professional development and adhering to a published ethical code.

The Chartered Insurance Institute (CII)

The Chartered Insurance Institute is the professional body dedicated to building trust in the insurance and financial planning profession. Our strapline Standards. Professionalism. Trust. embodies our commitment to driving confidence in the power of professional standards: competence, integrity, and care for the customer.

We deliver that commitment through relevant learning, insightful leadership, and an engaged membership. Our members commit to high professional standards by maintaining continuous professional development and abiding by our Code of Ethics. The Chartered Insurance Institute is proud to be a member of the Chartered Body Alliance and the Institute for Global Insurance Education.

PODCASTER BIOGRAPHIES

Emma Hall

Emma Hall is a Chartered Financial Planner and Fellow of the Personal Finance Society. Her skills and professionalism were recognised early in her career when she was voted Newly Qualified Independent Financial Adviser of the Year at the Financial Adviser Life and Pensions awards in 2010 and most recently, she has won the prestigious Chartered Financial Planner of the Year award as voted for by the PFS. Emma pride’s herself in taking the utmost care and attention when creating holistic financial plans for her clients to meet their future goals and ambitions.

In her spare time Emma is a bit of a thrill seeker having just returned from a 10-day tornado chasing tour in America. She also likes to run, and row competitively.

Hazel Bowen

Chartered Fellow of the PFS with thirteen years’ experience advising clients on their finances. Winner of four national awards including Chartered Financial Planner of the Year 2022/23 and Citywealth Powerwomen 2024. Described by others as a ‘powerhouse’ and a ‘trailblazer’. 

Tracy Brookes

Tracy Brookes has 18 years of experience in the industry, with 17 of those years as a Financial Planner. She is one of the most highly qualified financial planners in the UK. Tracy achieved Certified and Chartered status by the age of 28, earned Fellowship status by 31, and at the beginning of this year, she became a Trust and Estate Practitioner at age 39. She accomplished all this while successfully managing her role as a Financial Planner and juggling the responsibilities of raising three young children.

Alina Burlacu

Alina is your go-to money mentor with over 20 years of experience in the financial industry. Awarded the prestigious 2023/2024 Financial Education Champion by the Personal Finance Society, she's a leading voice in promoting financial wellness and making money management approachable.

Alina goes beyond the numbers. She understands the psychology of money. She empowers you to set and pursue your financial goals with confidence and a healthy mindset. When she's not mentoring her clients, Alina volunteers in schools, educating young minds about all things money and mind.

Financial Planner Life Podcast

The Financial Planner Life Podcast is a careers-based podcast for the financial planning profession, having released over 200 episodes since its launch. Hosted by Sam Oakes, it consistently ranks within the top 10 on Apple's careers charts. Sam generates 5,000,000 impressions and high engagement from financial planning professionals across social platforms. Its mission is to raise awareness of this fantastic profession with the higher purpose of financial well-being for everyone in the UK and closing the advice gap.