Latest news with #MeredithMoore
Forbes
30-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Why Entrepreneurial Wealth Is Really About Freedom, Not Just Profit
Meredith Moore is the Founder & CEO of Artisan Financial Strategies LLC. She is fascinated by the interplay between gender, money and power. We don't start businesses just to work harder. We start them to gain more control—over our time, our income and our lives. But somewhere along the way, that freedom gets lost in the grind. Revenue might be up. You may be hiring. But if every decision still routes through you, are you actually free? The truth is that business success without personal freedom is just another job—one you can't even quit. Revenue Isn't Enough: Freedom Requires Structure Entrepreneurs often chase growth thinking it'll eventually lead to more flexibility. But without the right structure, more revenue can just mean more responsibility. Creating recurring revenue—retainers, subscription models, management fees—is one of the simplest ways to buy back your time. When cash flow doesn't require your presence, freedom becomes possible. People Are The Linchpin Time freedom is directly tied to team design. If your business can't run without you, then you are the bottleneck. I worked with a founder who built an eight-figure company, yet she hadn't taken a real vacation in years. The turning point wasn't revenue—it was building a leadership layer. Once we pointed out that design flaw, she was able to correct it, and less than a year later, she took a two-week unplugged trip. The business not only survived but grew. According to the Exit Planning Institute, owner dependence is one of the biggest drags on business value: 'A business that is dependent on the owner will never reach full value potential.' Ironically, the less your business needs you, the more valuable it becomes—and the more freedom you create. Liquidity Means Options Many business owners have all their net worth tied up in the business. That's risky not just financially, but emotionally. Freedom comes when you have access to clickable capital—money you can move with the click of a mouse. Think cash reserves, brokerage accounts, cash value insurance and business liquidity. You need assets you can tap quickly when life moves. Building economic value outside of your business is key because, on average, 80% of most business owners' net worth is locked inside the business itself. Liquidity gives you breathing room. It gives you clarity. And most importantly, it gives you choices. Exit Visibility Isn't Optional Even if you're not planning to sell anytime soon, you should be thinking like an owner who could. It starts with knowing your valuation drivers, cleaning up your financials and building a succession path. These aren't just exit strategies. They are freedom strategies. In 2023, 75% of business owners said they plan to transition in the next 10 years. But do these leaders have a written plan or advisory team in place? Most owners wait too long and are forced into exits they didn't design. Whether your future looks like an employee stock ownership plan or a strategic sale, the best outcomes go to the owners who started planning five to 10 years out. Here's an example: A client of mine with a $2 million professional services firm believed she was in good shape for an exit maybe a decade later. But once we reviewed her value drivers and mapped out a succession plan, we uncovered operational risks tied to her constant presence. By building a sales process and elevating team leads, she freed herself from daily involvement in the short term and built real enterprise value. Freedom Isn't A Fantasy—It's A Design Problem We tend to romanticize freedom like it's a 'someday' reward for hard work. But freedom isn't a finish line. It's a natural consequence of having the right elements in place: • A system • Recurring revenue • Transferable operations • Liquidity • Exit visibility These are the pieces that buy back your time—the most valuable asset of all. You can rebuild wealth. You can grow again. But you can't get time back. Forbes Finance Council is an invitation-only organization for executives in successful accounting, financial planning and wealth management firms. Do I qualify?
Forbes
02-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
The Longevity Gender Gap: Why Women Must Plan To Outlive Their Money
Meredith Moore is the Founder & CEO of Artisan Financial Strategies LLC. She is fascinated by the interplay between gender, money and power. In the world of longevity, women are winning. But it's not always a victory. According to the Social Security Administration, the average life expectancy for a woman in the U.S. today is about 81 years, five years longer than the average man. You can clearly see the real-world implications of that gap in nursing homes across the country. Women outnumber men by more than 2-to-1 in long-term care facilities. And often, they're there alone. I've seen it firsthand in my own family and in the lives of the women I advise. One woman I met while visiting a facility was 94, sharp as ever, but outlived her husband by 22 years—and her money by seven. Her children were grown with their own families and challenges, and she found herself in the unnerving position of having to make do with less in her most vulnerable years. That's the part of longevity we don't talk about enough: the silent risks of living too long. The Financial Cost Of Longevity Planning for a long life sounds optimistic—and it is. But it's also a financial imperative. • According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 54% of women 75-plus are widowed. • The average annual cost of a private nursing home room in the U.S. is now over $125,000. • More than 80% of centenarians are women. Women not only live longer, but they often live those final years solo and underfunded. Factor in career interruptions, gender pay gaps and the disproportionate onus of unpaid caregiving, and it's easy to see why the longevity bonus becomes a financial burden. Healthcare: The Sleeper Expense Beyond basic living expenses, the single greatest threat to financial longevity may be healthcare. A Fidelity report estimates that a 65-year-old woman retiring in 2024 will need roughly $165,000 to cover health care and medical expenses throughout retirement—and that doesn't include long-term care. Women are more likely to suffer from chronic conditions such as osteoporosis, Alzheimer's and autoimmune diseases. These medical issues don't just drain physical vitality; they also siphon away retirement savings. Why Women Need A Different Financial Playbook In my work with high-earning women, I talk about autonomy as much as asset allocation. Women have to think through serious questions about the last stages of what may be a very long life: • What if I live to 100? • Who will advocate for me if I can't? • How do I build a portfolio and a plan that supports independence over time? Financial longevity isn't just about not running out of money—it's about having choices. Choices in where you live and who cares for you. Choices about the kind of life you want to lead, regardless of whether your spouse, children or partner are in the picture. Redefining Success In A Long Life Twenty years ago, I was diagnosed with glioblastoma, or brain cancer. Statistically, I should be gone. But I'm here. And I've seen what it means to survive when the math says you shouldn't. This experience has redefined everything I believe about longevity. I now understand that it's not just about defying death—it's about designing a life worth living, even at 80, 90 or 100. For women, that means being financially resourced enough to have power, dignity and control in our later years. Longevity is coming for many of us, ready or not. And for women, it's no longer enough to aim for financial independence at 65. We need to think in terms of financial endurance. Because chances are, we won't just outlive our spouses. We might outlive everyone—and everything—we thought we were planning for. The information provided here is not investment, tax or financial advice. You should consult with a licensed professional for advice concerning your specific situation. Forbes Finance Council is an invitation-only organization for executives in successful accounting, financial planning and wealth management firms. Do I qualify?
