Lindsey Lewis Discusses AI in Financial Services
In the article, Lewis, who is chair of the American College Center for Women in Financial Services, discusses the rapid growth of artificial intelligence (AI) and how certain tools that leverage AI can be used by financial advisors to promote efficiency and enhance overall client experience.
Lewis also shares several specific examples of AI tools advisors can use to create video content in 2023 and beyond, as well as use cases for each tool, and benefits advisors can reap by using these programs.
Read on to learn more about this topic as Lewis educates readers with several effective tips and tricks for using AI in their workplace.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Insights
Women Making History
![Margaret Bradshaw portrait](/sites/default/files/inline-images/cb15-margaretbradshawpainting.jpg)
Throughout the history of America, women have always had to fight for everything they had. It took 93 years for the first women to gain the right to vote in Wyoming. It took 192 years for the first woman to serve as a member of the Supreme Court. This country still has not seen a woman president, even 248 years after the Founding Fathers came together in Philadelphia to establish this country. Simply put, America has not always been the land of opportunity for women that it has for men.
Still, it is for this exact reason that society must appreciate the strong women that have dedicated their lives to breaking down barriers and paving the way for generations of women that follow in their footsteps. As such, The American College of Financial Services is proud to spotlight the life and accomplishments of Margaret I. Bradshaw, CLU® during this Women’s History Month. Bradshaw was the first female agent hired by the John Hancock Insurance Company in Providence, Rhode Island in the late 1920s. From there, she eventually became the first woman to earn her Chartered Life Underwriter® designation in 1931, a mere four years after the designation’s creation.
Leading the Way
This was the start of a successful and influential career for Bradshaw, who went on to found the Rhode Island Chapter of the Professional and Business Women's Association, serving as the association’s president1. She also established herself as an industry leader through her unwavering commitment to ethics throughout her lifetime until her passing in 2011 at age 106. Through the Margaret Bradshaw Lecture Series at The College and her numerous donations to the American College Center for Ethics in Financial Services, Bradshaw made it clear that the integrity of the profession was a top priority to her—a commitment she demonstrated on numerous occasions throughout her life with generous financial contributions to The College. Bradshaw sought to pass on her commitment to ethics in financial services by providing lectures and teaching courses at Brown University, demonstrating to younger generations of financial services professionals what it means to be a champion of ethics in the field.
At the President’s Dinner in November 2023, The College recognized Bradshaw by awarding her with a Huebner Gold Medal, the highest honor The College bestows to individuals who have proven their commitment to The College and its mission.
Closing the Gap
Bradshaw’s contributions are not limited to The College though. Thanks to the trailblazing of women like Bradshaw, the profession has become a far better place for women. As of 2021, 46.3% of all life insurance agents were women2, and 30.1% of all financial advisors were women3. Female life insurance agents also earn 91 cents for every $1 earned by men4, a significantly smaller wage gap than the overall American wage gap that sees women earn 82 cents for every $1 earned by men5.
It is important that these trends continue. Women are expected to inherit $30 trillion by the year 2030, representing the greatest transfer of wealth in history6. Any individual inheriting wealth should consider speaking with a financial advisor, but many people also prefer to speak with advisors that look like them or may share similar life experiences. It is for this reason that woman financial advisors will be critical to the tremendous wealth transfer taking place over the remainder of this decade.
Honoring the Legacy
In honor of Margaret Bradshaw and other trailblazers in the industry, The College continues her legacy by serving as an advocate for women in financial services as they become a larger presence in the field like never before. Through the American College Center of Women in Financial Services, the Women Working in WealthSM community, and support for women staff members, The College aims to be a champion for women in the same way Bradshaw was and continues to be, even 13 years after her passing.
And statistics would indicate progress is being made. As of November 2021, according to The College’s Diversity and Inclusion Triennial Survey, 51% of full-time staff were female, a near perfect representation of the United States population, which is 50.4% women according to the United States Census Bureau.7
Ultimately, it is the goal of The College to help shape the financial services industry to create a better future for all Americans. Through the efforts of women like Bradshaw, progress is being made toward these goals every day. So it is with great honor that The College uses this Women’s History Month to reflect on the life and legacy of Margaret Bradshaw and express a sincere hope that her works continue to grow.
FinServe Ambassador Champions the Power of Next-Gen Disruption
![Alanah Philips](/sites/default/files/inline-images/cb15-finserve-insight-alanahphillips.jpg)
As a member of The College’s FinServe Network, co-chair of its Next Gen Advisory Task Force, and host of The College’s former podcast program for next-gen professionals, NextGen in 10, Phillips has been a highly visible and active advocate for The College’s power to change the profession – as well as its responsibilities to nurture and empower the next generation of financial services leaders and innovators.
Breaking Into a Brand-New Field
In her younger years, Phillips confesses she had no idea she’d end up in the financial services industry.
“For a long time, I thought I was going to be a retail store manager or some kind of human resources professional: working in Starbucks HR or running a Target store was the height of my ambition,” she said. “I only ended up jumping into financial services because some changes in my personal life meant I needed a more stable schedule and because managing people and working in retail can be crazy.”
Initially, Phillips was hired as a recruiter for a large financial services company, a position she saw herself as well suited for. But there was an obstacle in her continued lack of knowledge about the industry she found herself in – so she decided to ask for help.
“The first time anyone at the company mentioned annuities, stock, or bonds, I had no idea what they were talking about, but I wanted to learn,” she said. “I started by interviewing the advisors I worked with to get the basics and learn the ropes. A few of them even let me sit in on their client meetings.”
Eventually, Phillips earned several financial services licenses, and her knowledge was further broadened by her professional advancement, moving from recruitment to training and development for new professionals and assisting in buying up new practices to fit them into. While the industry sometimes gets a bad rap for its competitiveness, she says she was highly fortunate in those early years that her coworkers were so open and willing to support her.
“My managers let me experiment early on; they encouraged me to get into things like website development and to get exposure to working with different types of teams at different levels,” she said. “We had some good years together, but eventually my goals and beliefs were no longer aligned with the company; I wanted to be more of an advocate for advisors. That’s when I decided I wanted to go out on my own.”
The Power of Next-Gen Professionals
After over seven years at a major firm, going it alone was intimidating – but Phillips says she was committed to her mission to expanding the opportunities of young professionals in financial services and showing them the possibilities at their fingertips. This led to her to her current role as an educator, recruiter, and guide in helping advisors seeking new options to “break up” with their broker-dealer, as well as getting involved with student and young professional groups. The more she saw from the next-gen individuals she worked with, the more impressed she was.
“A lot of people complain about the laziness and entitlement of the younger generation, but the ones I’ve met are ambitious, intelligent, educated, and know what they want,” she said. “They’re so far ahead in a lot of ways, but they often don’t know how to communicate what they’re looking for appropriately in a professional setting or navigate complex power dynamics. They believe in setting boundaries and working smarter, not harder – the challenge for them is getting their managers and organizations to buy into that worldview.”
In fact, Phillips says, next-gen professionals – especially women and those from diverse communities – represent the future of the financial services industry with their fresh perspectives, creative energy, and innovative ideas.
“There’s so much data now on how diverse teams perform better, especially teams with people of different genders on them,” she said. “If you’re a manager in the business, the idea that you still have to have a business case to justify hiring more women, for example, is absurd. Financial professionals are all about returns on investment, and having young and diverse perspectives is the key to securing them.”
In her work with other next-gen members of the industry, Phillips was introduced to The College by a former faculty member and saw the potential in its message and mission. She joined an early incarnation of its Next Gen Advisory Task Force and took on a growing leadership and advocacy role over the ensuing years, culminating in a reimagining and relaunch of the initiative under the leadership of herself and Lindsey Lewis, MBA, CFP®, ChFC® of The College’s Center for Women in Financial Services. The two continue to collaborate on many projects, including co-hosting representation-themed episodes of The College’s Shares podcast. She says in the future, she hopes to pursue a College education program such as the CFP® Certification Education Program to enhance her knowledge of financial planning further.
“These days, I tend to gravitate toward people and places that align with what I believe, and I believe very strongly in The College’s efforts to empower next-gen professionals,” she said. “Events like the Conference of African American Financial Professionals (CAAFP) and groups like the Center for Women in Financial Services do an amazing job of spreading The College’s message and I love watching them grow.”
Overcoming Barriers to Entry
While the financial services industry has made much progress, Phillips says there are still many challenges to overcome in incorporating more diverse perspectives and people into the profession. Her favorite analogy compares the industry to a piano – an instrument originally created specifically for men’s hands.
“Since men have larger hands than women, any woman who wanted to be a concert pianist would have to either have bigger hands or be willing to injure herself in pursuit of her goal,” she said. “In financial services, all the systems and structures were built around older, whiter men because for a long time that’s who had the money. Mentalities may have shifted over time and women have much more power today, but the piano still hasn’t changed, and neither has financial services. Until we rethink these basic structures and attitudes, we’ll continue to have trouble with female representation in the industry.”
Phillips says the financial services industry needs to try something different – and she sees a lot of potential in the Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) and independent space, where she gets most of her clients. With the advent of new technologies like social media and artificial intelligence (AI), she’s seen many next-gen advisors adopt them to great success.
“We need to amplify their voices so the industry establishment knows these things work,” she said.
As for next-gen professionals themselves and those new to the industry, Phillips says the key to success in the business today is threefold. Advisors need to have an ideal audience for their services in mind and know what they may need help with, whether it be child care and saving for college, starting or exiting a business, insurance coverage, or another niche they can specialize in. Additionally, transparency is of paramount importance as financial professionals need to be as open and honest with their clients and with prospects as possible. Perhaps the most important piece, however, is for advisors to be authentically themselves.
“Some of the stuff I share on social media is goofy, and while some people may choose not to work with me because they think I’m silly, I probably wouldn’t match up well with them anyway,” she said. “By being yourself, you may repel some people, but the ones you’ll attract and keep will form a much higher-quality community and better relationships.”
Phillips says she often encourages professionals to share their personal opinions on social media as part of this strategy.
“Having a strong opinion in public about something can be scary, but fence-sitting is boring and your ideal clients aren’t looking for that,” she said. “You can’t differentiate yourself without opinions, and it makes you stand out from the canned content a lot of other people put out there.”
In all, Phillips says she relishes her role as a champion of disruption in the industry whether it be through a greater role for women, RIAs, next-gen professionals, or other means.
“We need to rethink why we’re doing things the way we are and ask ourselves why we do them,” she said. “If you don’t have an answer or you think there’s a better way, experiment. The best time for growth and evolution is when someone decides to shake up the status quo.”
Ethics In Financial Services Insights
Five Key Questions for Ensuring Responsible AI in Financial Services
![Man working with AI technology at his desk](/sites/default/files/inline-images/cb15-fivekeyquestionsforensuringresponsibleaiIinfinancialservices.jpeg)
Azish Filabi, JD, MA, Executive Director of the American College Cary M. Maguire Center for Ethics in Financial Services, and Neeraja Rasmussen, Founder and CEO of Spyglaz and an advisory council member of the American College Center for Women in Financial Services, explore the vital link between responsible AI and financial progress in a recent article published by Financial Advisor Magazine. They shed light on key principles and inquiries guiding this transformative journey and uncover essential aspects to navigating this dynamic landscape, shaping the trajectory of responsible AI, and determining its impact on the financial industry.
As the financial services landscape undergoes a profound shift due to the integration of AI, cultivating responsible and trustworthy AI systems has become paramount. Filabi and Rasmussen delve into the intersection of AI and financial services, emphasizing the imperatives of unbiased, fair, and dependable AI within the context of high-stakes decision-making in the financial industry. Unveiling five pivotal questions, this article serves as a strategic guide for financial leaders. The encompassing crucial features of trustworthy AI addressed within range from the establishment of rigorous data and algorithm audit procedures to the integration of responsible AI principles throughout the technology development process.
Critical questioning is also a strategic necessity for industry leaders navigating the complex landscape of AI adoption. This dialogue ensures a commitment to developing AI technologies aligned with the highest standards of ethical responsibility and integrity. The National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST)’s efforts to standardize trustworthy AI terminology and the inclusion of trustworthy AI principles in the DARPA AI Forward initiative further exemplify the comprehensive approach to addressing the complexities of this transformative field. As financial institutions grapple with the challenges of AI integration, these insightful questions are invaluable guidelines for discussions with both internal teams and AI vendors.
To explore these insights and other strategic guidance on fostering responsible AI, read the article published by Financial Advisor Magazine.
To learn more about artificial intelligence in financial services, you can explore further research findings from the Center for Ethics in Financial Services.
Women Working in Everything
![Graphic of diverse women](/sites/default/files/inline-images/cb15-womenworkingineverything.jpg)
Every day, I am inspired by the women in my life. I grew up with four sisters and no brothers. My mother was my first best friend. My wife of nearly 40 years is my forever best friend. Together, we raised our two daughters with the foundation and the faith to become strong, independent women (and raised our son to respect strong, independent women). In celebration of Women’s History Month, I believe all of us—men included—can honor the women in our lives and the women in American history by supporting the positive trajectory women are taking toward a better future. Or at a minimum, by not blocking it.
Allow me to explain. Before I became the first Black president and CEO of The American College of Financial Services, I was the first Black insurance commissioner in Kentucky, the first Black president of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, and the first Black person elected to New York Life’s executive management committee. When I see a woman shatter a glass ceiling, I see familiar challenges and opportunities reflected in the glass.
When I see a woman shatter a glass ceiling, I see familiar challenges and opportunities reflected in the glass.
Although our stories and our breakthroughs differ, I know firsthand what it’s like to be the “first.” But as my family name would imply (I’m the “third”), and as anyone who has been a first may tell you, we also have a keen awareness of those who came before us. And we hold a special sense of hope for whoever will come next. The first is never the only.
So when I see a woman on the path to becoming a first, I feel the least I can do is move over and let her enter traffic at her own best pace—fueled by her God-given talents, her personal drive, and her applied knowledge. Nothing should stop her.
Now I have to ask: Who or what is stopping women from entering the financial services profession? According to the latest US Census Bureau data, women make up just over 50% of the population; yet less than a third (31%) of financial advisors are women. The fact that the profession is so disproportionate seems like something’s blocking the onramp. This is why The American College Center for Women in Financial Services exists: to promote gender parity in the profession through education, research, and networking. The Center facilitates a community known as Women Working in WealthSM, which is also the name of the Center’s newsletter.
This is why The American College Center for Women in Financial Services exists: to promote gender parity in the profession through education, research, and networking.
As a brother, son, best friend, husband, father, and professional, I support women working in all disciplines; but—as an empathetic “first”—I have a special place in my heart for the women who are working in arenas that may be considered “male-dominated.” Women Working in [Construction, Engineering, IT, and Wealth], I see you!
And someone we all see lately is the contemporary basketball great, Caitlin Clark of Iowa. On February 15, Clark surpassed the NCAA Division I women’s record set by Kelsey Plum in 2017. On February 28, Clark became the top-scoring women’s basketball player, breaking the unofficial record held by Lynette Woodard of Kansas since 1981. Clark’s accomplishment also shined a spotlight on the lesser-known women’s basketball player Pearl Moore, whose all-time record set in 1979 is still higher than Clark’s but not included for comparison because it occurred at Francis Marion College, which is not NCAA Division I. What a wonderful phenomenon when the excellence of one player shines a light on another!
This month, on March 3, Clark set the all-time NCAA Division I scoring record, breaking the record set by men’s basketball player Pete Maravich of LSU in 1970. In that moment, Clark marked a spot in basketball history—not only women’s basketball history. Clark’s greatness as a player is a story of human potential, both for women and men. What a great example of where women are headed in all arenas!
In the final moments of the postgame press conference that followed, a reporter asked:
“You have now scored more points than anyone who has ever played [NCAA] Division I men’s or women’s basketball. As much as you say that record isn’t what you’re thinking about, when you hear it like that, is that going to hit you at some point?”
Clark’s answer:
“Oh, for sure. It's really crazy to think about. Honestly, if you would have told me that before my college career started, I would have laughed in your face and been like, ‘No, you're insane.’
I've always been able to score the ball, but I don’t think people really understand how many amazing players have come before me and been able to score the ball and do it at such a high rate and do it for teams that are really, really good.
And just to be in the same realm of all these players that have been so successful, whether it's Pete [Maravich] or whether it's Kelsey Plum or Lynette Woodard—all these people have just given so much to the game.
Hopefully somebody comes after me and breaks my records and I can be there supporting them. And that's what makes the game of basketball so fun.
But yeah, it'll definitely hit me at some point. Thanks.”
I can’t think of a better way to close out this blog—or this Women’s History Month in March of 2024—than to reiterate Clark’s hope for the future: “Hopefully somebody comes after me and breaks my records and I can be there supporting them.”
Whether you are breaking glass ceilings or breaking records (assets under management, revenue, or hours of CE!); whether you are playing in one division or another (wealth management, retirement, life insurance, tax planning); whether you are new to the game or at the top of your game—The College and I support you on your path to make history.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Insights
Scholar Appreciation
![Military veterans writing together](/sites/default/files/inline-images/cb15-sitrepq12024story5insight.jpeg)
This message has been included with the scholar’s approval. A Center for Military and Veterans Affairs Alumna Heather Caral, military spouse of U.S. Navy Active Duty, expresses her gratitude to the Center for Military and Veterans Affairs upon completion of the ChFC® program:
I wanted to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude for the Center’s guidance and unwavering support throughout the two years of the ChFC® program at The American College of Financial Services. I truly appreciate the impact it has had on both my professional and personal growth.
The scholarship backed by donors from the program made me feel like I had a community cheering me on every step of the way.
The accomplishment I've achieved means a great deal to me, and I am optimistic about the opportunities that the future holds. Thank you for believing in me.
2024 Center for Military and Veterans Affairs Initiatives
![2024 Planning Calendar](/sites/default/files/inline-images/cb15-militarycenter2024initiatives.jpeg)
2024 Center for Military and Veterans Affairs Initiatives
With a successful 2023 behind them, the Center for Military and Veterans Affairs is looking forward to advancing its strategic priorities and initiatives in 2024.
First, the Center will be focused on engaging more individual donors and corporate and foundation partners to advance its mission of providing scholarships to active duty, guard, reserve members, veterans, and their spouses.
The Center will continue to award scholarships for the Wealth Management Certification Program® (WMCP®) focused on transitioning personnel to the civilian sector or into financial services and its cohort program to aid in its scholars’ success.
The Center will work to host future Military Resource Group (MRG) webinars and provide educational and professional development opportunities for its scholars and MRG members at both events for the Center and The American College of Financial Services. In 2023, the Center developed a Military Consumer Financial Education Program through partnerships with military financial educational foundations and this year will work to increase participating companies.
FinServe Ambassador Champions the Power of Independent Advisors
![Independent Advisors RIA working at his desk](/sites/default/files/inline-images/cb15-finserveterryparhampowerofindependentadvisors.jpeg)
Along with his wife (Kennah) and two other partners (Warren and Jennifer), Parham runs Innovative Wealth Building (IWB), an RIA firm headquartered in California, MD, but with a reach that spreads across the country. It’s a successful business that operates alongside many of the giants in the financial services industry – a fact that always pushes RIAs to continually seek new ways to grow and scale. The journey between these two worlds is one that Parham himself has navigated.
“When I went to college, I had no idea what I wanted to be when I grew up,” he says. “I was lucky enough to land an internship at Northwestern Mutual when I was 20 and as those summer days just flew by, I realized this was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.”
After his experience with a large national firm like Northwestern, Parham’s professional career started out a bit smaller as a financial advisor for First Command, a boutique firm mostly serving the military community. He was eventually promoted to district manager and associate director of training, helping to welcome many other new advisors to the field, before deciding to take a leap over to Prudential, one of the largest firms in the industry.
“Working at Prudential really opened my eyes to what was out there,” he says. “At my previous company, I hadn’t gotten much of a chance to experience life outside of the fishbowl. During my time at Prudential, I learned a lot more about the industry and the vastness of the opportunities that I wasn’t even aware of. I also began engaging in more complex planning with high-net-worth clients, something I’d never gotten to do before, and I wanted more of that.”
Independence in Practice
Once his contract with Prudential was up, Parham decided to make another leap: from the corporate world to the field of independent advising. This was the genesis of IWB.
“After almost 10 years in the industry, I knew what I liked and what I didn’t like, and I knew that I could use those ideas combined with my strengths to build a financial planning utopia for my clients,” he says.
“When you’re independent, you can do what you think and know is best for your clients. Instead of having to keep your opinions to yourself and toe the company line, you’re free to chart your own path.”
The transition to independence, as Parham describes it, broke down into three core promises to the clients he worked with: better investment services, better technology, and lower fees. The first two sprung from his newfound freedom as an independent advisor to make the decisions he felt were right for himself and those he served, and the last was made possible by the lack of overhead that larger companies have to factor into their service models. While the process of building the new firm was a multi-year endeavor, he says he noticed the difference right away – as did many of his clients.
“The first sign that we were moving in a good direction was that by the time we had finished transitioning all our clients over to IWB, many of them were already recommending us to other people,” he says. “When we first started, we didn’t even have a website. Now, we get requests through it for new client introductions multiple times a week.”
However, Parham also isn’t shy about the challenges that independence brings – including a massive amount of decision-making that can sometimes be overwhelming.
“When you’re independent, you don’t have a parent company to fall back on. If things aren’t excellent, nobody’s on the hook for that but you,” he says. “It’s a big world with a lot of choices, and if you’re not careful, you can fall victim to decision fatigue. It’s like birthday shopping for a significant other: there are so many options out there, but how do you decide on the best one?”
The Armor of Knowledge
In the midst of all these choices, however, Parham says one thing has helped keep him on course: the education he received from The American College of Financial Services.
“Being an RIA instead of working for a broker-dealer is like swimming in the ocean as opposed to a pool. It can be lonely, and there may even be sharks in the water. Working with The College has shown me there are lots of people out there just like me, and has allowed me to collaborate with others in ways that have proved to be mutually beneficial for all parties.”
Parham says that he was initially self-taught when joining the industry, but began his learning journey with The College through its CFP® Certification Education Program to earn the coveted industry-standard mark. From there, he took advantage of The College’s interconnected programming to branch out to the Chartered Life Underwriter® (CLU®), Chartered Financial Consultant® (ChFC®) and Wealth Management Certified Professional® (WMCP®) designations.
“The College’s education has been like body armor for me,” he says. “The WMCP® especially gave me the knowledge and confidence to work with more up-market clients and higher-net-worth individuals I’d never spoken with before, and I’ll absolutely be a lifelong learner.”
One of Parham’s more recent acquisitions is the Retirement Income Certified Professional® (RICP®) designation, which he says has helped him focus on the critical needs of clients at or nearing retirement, including Society Security claiming, long-term care and longevity risk, asset management, and wealth transfer. However, it’s also given the tools to approach another pool of clients as well–those who may be young, but are already looking to set themselves up for the future.
“A portion of my clients are from the West Coast and the Los Angeles area–people in their 20s and 30s who may be high earners but not rich yet–and many of them don’t know that small steps today can reap big benefits for tomorrow,” he says. “Almost everyone wants to retire, and even people who don’t think they’ll be able to will usually jump at the chance if you show them it’s possible and what to do about it. The difference between having a $900,000 nest egg and having maybe more than $3 million in the bank can sometimes be as simple as a few small adjustments–and that’s the knowledge the RICP® has given me.”
Maintaining RIA Excellence in a Changing World
Building and running an independent practice is a lot of hard work, Parham admits–but when asked if he ever second-guesses his decision, his answer is a definitive no.
“Going RIA has led to an almost unbelievable improvement in my career and in my life,” he says. “If you do it right and prepare for it properly, you’re going to wonder how you lived without it. People ask me if the grass is greener on this side of the fence, and I sometimes tell them that if you go RIA, you might realize you didn’t even have any grass on the other side to begin with.”
Parham compares the business of running an independent practice with the idea of owning a home as opposed to renting one: when renting, you might not have to be as focused on all the things to do, but owning comes with a greater sense of pride along with the responsibility. He does acknowledge, though, that further change and evolution is needed both in the profession and in society.
“The RIA space is probably less diverse than the broker-dealer world, and our industry as a whole isn’t as diverse as many others,” he says. “When you look at the wealth distribution in America and the types of people who generally hold the wealth, you get a sense of why that might be, but it’s not just that; many aspects of the industry just aren’t meant to cater to certain populations who may want to get into it.”
Parham cites paid family leave as one such policy, as many companies in the financial services industry still may not offer it to their employees–especially working mothers.
“We’ve made some progress, but overall financial advising as a profession isn’t set up to accommodate many people’s lives and circumstances. As a result, the financial services industry tends to have a very high rate of attrition. We need to rewrite the rules, and that’s where the RIA space comes in. Here, I can be more flexible and do things that I believe are the best practices to attract and retain diverse talent. I can really be a part of the change.”
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Insights
Cohen Veterans Network
![Cohens Veterans Network logo](/sites/default/files/inline-images/cb15-sitrepq12024story3insight%20%281%29.jpg)
Cohen Veterans Network (CVN) was founded by philanthropist Steven A. Cohen, who made a $275M commitment to launch a network of mental health clinics in April of 2016 to serve veterans and families. CVN’s focus today is on post-9/11 veterans, active duty, and families. These areas of focus represent a concerted effort to get ahead of transitional challenges before they become chronic or acute. Each Cohen Clinic assesses veterans based on their specific needs and makes every effort to see pre-9/11 veterans based on clinician availability.
Cohen Veterans Network is a national network of mental health clinics that serves post-9/11 veterans, active duty service members (with a TRICARE referral) including National Guard and Reserves, and military family members. There is no cost for care for those without insurance and the ability to pay will never be a barrier to care at CVN clinics.1
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Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Insights
Partnership with First Command Educational Foundation
![First Command Educational Foundation Take Command Logo](/sites/default/files/inline-images/cb15-sitrepq12024story2insight%20%281%29.jpg)
The American College of Financial Services is proud to partner with First Command Educational Foundation on the TAKE COMMAND Financial Education Program!
- Online interactive financial education program for active duty, guard, reserves, veterans, and their spouses
- Developed, delivered, and driven by two nonprofit entities dedicated to improving financial readiness and economic situations of those who serve
- Credit transferable to other College courses and programs