Planning-focused firms have edge with women

Rebecca Pomering has no doubt why she wants a female-friendly practice. “Our premise is that more and more women are making financial decisions for their families and driving decisions about providers,” said Ms. Pomering, chief executive of Moss Adams Wealth Advisors LLC, which manages about $1 billion. Compared with men, women are less likely to see portfolios as a form of competition and more “as a means to an end to achieve their goals in life,” she said. “Organizations that are more planning-focused will appeal more to women,” Ms. Pomering said. Recruiting and developing women in the practice is an important part of the strategy. Moss Adams has six partners, two of them women. Both are in the Seattle office, where the lead adviser is also a woman. The hope is that potential female recruits can see themselves fitting in well. Perhaps the biggest benefit of a female-friendly firm: Female clients tend to refer other women, Ms. Pomering said. “They refer friends even more than men do,” she said. “They share resources.”