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Women Taking the Reins on Their Finances

March is Women’s History Month, and we want to celebrate the achievements of women around the world. Women are making incredible advancements socially, culturally, politically — and yes, economically. Traditionally, finance is a field that’s been associated with men, from financial advisors to household financial managers. But, things are changing. 

According to Boston Consulting Group, women control nearly one third1 of the world’s wealth today. And more women are managing household finances as well – 70% of millennial women take the lead in financial decisions, as opposed to just 40% a generation before. Arguably, there’s never been a better time to champion women as they invest, accrue wealth, and build a bright financial future for themselves and their families.

Why Financial Independence Matters

Financial independence can be a game changer for men and women alike. Simply put, becoming financially independent means generating enough income and accruing enough assets to care for yourself for the rest of your life – rather than depending on someone else to provide it for you. At SageSpring, we support women who step into financial freedom in this way, whether alongside their partners or as a single adult. 

If you’re a woman who wants to take the reins on your finances, we would love to walk alongside you. There are two main ways you can step into financial independence: 

1. Build a financial plan that works for you. 

From creating a household budget to paying off debt, it’s important to have a well-drawn plan that works for your goals and lifestyle. When you use your resources wisely, you can step into the driver’s seat of your own financial future. 

2. Invest into your future. 

According to a recent study, less than 50% of women invest in the stock market.2 But when you choose to strategically invest your resources, that money has the potential to accumulate, furthering your financial progress in life. We encourage you to invest into your future by saving for retirement, making wise investments into the stock market, and building an emergency fund.

How to Plan Your Finances as a Woman

Taking stock of your current financial situation is one of the best ways to build a better financial future. A strong financial foundation can be built when you know where you stand and set goals for where to go next. If you want to get a clear picture of where you are financially, here’s what we recommend considering.

Evaluate your household budget. 

Write down all of your income sources, along with your fixed and variable expenses. This will help show you where you may need to reduce specific expenses or where you have extra money to save.

Save for the short term. 

Unexpected expenses are an unfortunate part of reality for all of us from time to time. But when you have a cushion to land on, these unpleasant surprises can cause less of a stir. By creating  an emergency fund for these scenarios, you can be better prepared for the unplanned circumstances. 

Pay off your debt. 

When you have a clearer picture of your financial situation, this gives you the opportunity to see  how to pay off your debt, from credit card bills to student loans or other looming expenses. If you need help creating a plan that works for you, one of our  financial advisors can help. 

Save for the long term.

You can do this by allocating  a portion of your income to savings, whether that’s through a company retirement account, an IRA, or another long-term personal savings goal. We recommend that this money be “untouchable” once it’s been deposited so that you can accrue wealth for the future. 

Women and Investing

Smart investments have the potential to positively impact on your finances as well. In order to create a plan that works well for you, it’s important to determine your retirement goals and expenses. Once you’re set up with a steady retirement savings plan, you can invest wisely in other places according to your cash availability and risk tolerance. 

There are a variety of investment options available, and each of them offer advantages and risks. To identify what type of investing works best for you, we encourage you to meet with a financial advisor who can help. Our process is unique by first identifying your goals, preferred timeline, and risk tolerance, and then choosing a method that aligns with those factors to start building a financial future you’ll be proud of!

At SageSpring, we have a number of incredible female advisors who are passionate about helping women succeed when it comes to finances and investing. Start a conversation with one of our team members today to get trusted resources and guidance. We’re here to answer any questions you have and help you continue down the road to becoming financially savvy.

Our team of female financial advisors would love to hear from you. Click their information below to reach out today!

Katie Centofonti, CFP
Centofonti Wealth Team
katie.centofonti@sagespring.com

Laurie Snively
Snively Wealth Team
laurie.snively@sagespring.com 

Elisa Jones
Sircy-Hurd Wealth Team
elisa.jones@sagespring.com 

Melissa Jones, CFP
Tunstall Wealth Team
melissa.jones@sagespring.com 

Jennifer Herendon
Aull Wealth Team
jennifer.herendon@sagespring.com 

Lindsey Wilson
Hart Wealth Team
lindsey.wilson@sagespring.com

Hannah Patterson, CFP
Deering Wealth Team
hannah.patterson@sagespring.com

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615.861.6100
Jeffrey Dobyns
Jeffrey T. Dobyns

CFP®, CLU, CHFC

President, SageSpring | Financial Advisor, RJFS 
615-861-6102

Jeffrey T. Dobyns

President, SageSpring | Financial Advisor, RJFS

Jeff Dobyns has enjoyed extraordinary success providing comprehensive financial planning to retirees, entrepreneurs, entertainers, and executives by taking the time to truly know his clients, understand their goals and develop and execute their ongoing, strategic, financial plans.

Jeff earned his finance degree in business administration from Ohio University and has held executive positions with financial planning firms for more than two decades. After serving as Vice President of Investments of Lykins Financial Group, CPA’s, in his hometown of Westerville, Ohio, Jeff moved to Nashville, Tennessee to found SageSpring Wealth Partners in 2002. As its President, Jeff has led SageSpring to remarkable success, holding the distinction of being one of Raymond James’ top independent contractor offices, and a member of its Chairman’s Council*, every year since 2008.

Jeff’s true calling, however, is working directly with clients, helping them plan their financial futures in a manner that aligns with their values and helps provide them with financial confidence. To help meet these goals, Jeff leads the team of Dobyns Wealth Team and also incorporates the expertise of attorneys, accountants and other professionals to provide quality financial, tax and estate planning, and ongoing asset and risk management.

As independent advisory businesses, neither SageSpring Wealth Partners nor Dobyns Wealth Team hold any assets on behalf of clients, with such custodial and brokerage services being provided by Raymond James. As a leader in wealth management, Raymond James has an exemplary reputation and today serves more than $930 billion in client assets through 8,200 financial advisors worldwide (as of 9/30/2020).

In order to meet the highest standards of professionalism and ethics in the industry, Jeff is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM practitioner**, a Chartered Life Underwriter and a Chartered Financial Consultant. Jeff is also a participant of the Dave Ramsey SmartVestor program.

Jeff’s work and personal life are both guided by his faith and the Christian principles of honesty, generosity, compassion, and integrity. Accordingly, Jeff devotes considerable time and resources to a number of causes, including serving as a board member of Men of Valor, a prison ministry and mentoring program. He is also on the advisory board of The Signatry of Middle Tennessee, which works with families to increase their charitable giving to their favorite causes. Additionally, Jeff is on the advisory board for Halftime Institute, an organization that coaches marketplace leaders to discern and engage in their life purpose. Lastly, Jeff serves on the board of the Legacy Center of Nashville, a collaboration of independent coaching resources. He is a past board member of Porter’s Call, a Nashville charity that provides free counseling for musicians and their families, and the Martha O’Bryan Center, which empowers those in poverty to transform their lives through work, education, employment, and fellowship.

Jeff and his wife, Amy, are raising their family in Brentwood where they are members of the Brentwood Baptist Church, and their children, Gracyn, Hunter, and twins Tanner and Logan, attend the Christ Presbyterian Academy. For recreation, Jeff enjoys hunting, fishing and just being outdoors.

* Membership is based on prior fiscal year production. Re-qualification is required annually.

**Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. owns the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER, CFP® (with plaque design) and CFP® (with flame design) in the U.S., which it awards to individuals who successfully complete CFP Board’s initial and ongoing certification requirements.

SmartVestor is an advertising and referral service for investing professionals (“SmartVestor Pros”) operated by The Lampo Group, LLC d/b/a Ramsey Solutions (“Ramsey Solutions”). Pursuant to an arrangement between Ramsey Solutions, SageSpring Wealth Partners and your advisor, your advisor pays Ramsey Solutions a flat monthly fee to: (a) be a SmartVestor Pro, (b) advertise services through the SmartVestor website, and (c) receive client referrals in the form of an initial introduction to interested consumers who are located in your advisor’s Pros geographic region. SageSpring Wealth Partners does not endorse and are not affiliated with Ramsey Solutions, except with respect to the arrangement described above, and neither Ramsey Solutions nor its agents are officers or employees of SageSpring Wealth Partners. Further, neither Ramsey Solutions nor its agents are authorized to provide investment advice or act in any way on behalf of SageSpring Wealth Partners, except in connection with providing your contact information to your advisor.

Ramsey Solutions’ relationship and agreement is between SageSpring Wealth Partners only. Raymond James Financial Services, Inc. is not affiliated with the solicitor arrangement between Ramsey Solutions and SageSpring Wealth Partners.

Raymond James is not affiliated with any of the organizations mentioned above.