Last week, I posed the following question:  

What are you doing to equip women with the tools to manage their wealth, pass it down to the next generation successfully, and thus make our society better?

Well, I heard some great responses and I am proud to be a part of a community who wants to equip the next generation of leaders. My answer to this very question is quite simple – I am launching the Charisse Says Show, to help you keep building the wealth and invest. While I invite and encourage men to join in, I especially want to speak to the ladies.

I have a special spot for my gals because the data suggests that we will be making more decisions, and when we do invest, we do it quite well. And, when we empower our women with knowledge and confidence, they rise to the occasion. As a woman, I am a living testimony to the joy one feels after making investments and taking it to the next level.

And, everyone should care because women are leading the financial decisions of many of our households, and thus their actions affect us all. In fact, results from a Pew Research Center survey show that a record 40% of all U.S. households with children under the age of 18 include mothers who are either the sole or primary source of income for the family. The share was just 11% in 1960.

If you do not believe me, here’s what the research says about women versus men when it comes to money and investing:

• Women respondents rank themselves highest on their knowledge of managing debt (33% give themselves an “A”) and lowest on their knowledge about investing (just 7% get A’s). – Prudential Study on the Financial Behaviors of Women

• 8 in 10 women confess they have refrained from discussing their finances with those they are close to. But, 75% of women want to learn more about money and investing. The study also shows that confidence is a leading factor holding women back. – Fidelity Money Fit Study

• There is a gap in savings behaviors--whereas close to half of men (45%) are willing to take on a high risk in order to achieve a good return on investment, this falls to just 28% of women. Also, for women investors, cash represents a greater proportion of their total investment than men, 68% compared to 59%. – Blackrock Global Investor Pulse Survey

• Results from the Merrill Lynch Investment Personality Assessment show that women were far more likely than men to say they had lower levels of financial knowledge. But, roughly half of women and 55% of men say that they personally wanted to take part in making changes to their investment approach. And, nearly 100% of participants, regardless of gender, said they desired the support of an experienced advisor or money manager to help in making productive investment decisions. – Merrill Lynch Behavioral Study on Women and Investing.

• Men trade 45 percent more than women. Trading reduces men’s net returns by 2.65 percentage points a year as opposed to 1.72 percentage points for women, leading to an almost 1 percentage point difference in returns. – Quarterly Journal of Economics, 2001

• In a research study by automating investing platform, women investors change their asset allocation less than men. Research has shown that when you make more frequent allocation changes, like men do, you can hurt your returns. – Betterment Research Study

The differences between men and women when it comes to investing suggest an opportunity to help women to gain confidence and make investment decisions. Well, the Charisse Says Show is coming this Wednesday to fulfill just this goal. Through the blood, sweat, and tears, it is finally here.

The show will offer a practical and entertaining series that motivates women to achieve their dreams by continuing to build their wealth. This 10 episode series is the loving push needed to turn thoughts into action when it comes to investing, saving, and earning money.

When it comes to money, many people are scared of making the wrong choices. They are afraid of losing the money they already have and being misguided by false information. Well, I want to empower viewers to use what they already have as a way to make investments and have fun at the same time. I want to remove the fear when it comes to money and creates sound strategies needed to achieve financial goals at any income-level.

So, tune in this Wednesday, September 30th at 7pm CST and join the journey to take it next level. Let’s go!