The Advisor Group of independent broker-dealers says it is working with The W Source networking organization to support the success of its female advisors.
"Providing actionable solutions that can have an immediate and significant impact on the growth and success of our female advisors is a key commitment for us. Our Women Forward program's focus on education and mentorship is a great example of that," said Advisor Group Executive Chairman Valerie Brown, in a statement.
Advisor Group includes 5,000-plus advisors affiliated with FSC Securities, Royal Alliance Associates, SagePoint Financial and Woodbury Financial Services. It is hosting its 12th annual W Forum conference for female advisors this week in New Orleans.
"When we learned about The W Source, we knew it was a perfect complement to our existing programs," Brown explained. "By providing playbooks, coaching support and more, the W Source is a unique program designed to make it easy for women advisors to establish their own local professional networking groups."
Cerulli Associates sets the share of female advisors at 16%, or about 50,000 of the roughly 300,000 advisors nationwide, but women account for 28% of rookie advisors. The Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association says about 19% of all advisors are women.
