The three founders of Directions were featured in the August 2010 cover story of Investment Advisor magazine. Click here to read the full article by Olivia Mellan: Majority Report. “Directions [is] the brainchild of three experienced, visionary financial planners—Eleanor Blayney, Peg Downey, and Elizabeth Jetton—who want to help advisors make their offices feel safer and more attractive to women, to help women ‘get in the door’ emotionally, and to facilitate the kind of dialogue that will encourage women to do preventive financial planning for themselves and their loved ones…”
Click on the links below or the media logos on the right to read articles quoting the women of Directions
Forbes Magazine– “Do Men and Women Think About Money Differently?” – 2010
“’Basically, women ask for directions. Once they’ve taken the big step of seeking advice, they tend to listen and take action,’ Blayney explains.”
Forbes Blog for WomensMedia– “The New Normal Wears Lipstick” – 2011
“At the bottom of it all, there may be a basic reason why women are not celebrating their workplace gains. They are just too tired. The role-reversal of spouses is often asymmetric: she is stepping into his shoes, but he has not entirely stepped into hers. The bulk of dependent care and household tasks still falls to her,” writes Eleanor Blayney.
– “Social Security – Beneficiaries Expect to Get a Raise” – 2011
“Peg Downey, a 68-year-old retired financial planner, says the small inflation adjustment could mean that some seniors might have to do some more belt-tightening. ‘The idea is to think creatively about the things you already have,’ she says. For example, Downey says, seniors can share resources. If one person enjoys cooking and another likes to clean, they can trade housework and avoid paying someone else to do it. Or retirees can rent out empty rooms or garages, or lease an empty plot to neighbors who want to garden.”
New York Times – “Financial Advice by Women for Women” – 2010
Regarding the financial literacy of women: “When (Eleanor Blayney) gave a speech to her fellow alumnae at Mount Holyoke College a few years ago, ‘At the end, the hands went up, and they were all stuck at the very beginning of my speech … They were scientists, professors, municipal elected officials. These were women with brains and jobs, and they were just at a loss to even know where to begin.’”
CBS Money Watch – “7 Tips to Improve Women’s Retirement” – 2011
“Women generally prefer less risky investments than men. This can be good because women don’t react as much to market movements. But women have a tendency not to invest enough in the stock market, according to Eleanor Blayney, president of the Directions for Women financial advisory service in McLean, Va. Investing in stocks provides the best odds for a portfolio to grow over the long haul. Relying too heavily on certificates of deposit or bonds can leave portfolios vulnerable to being eroded by inflation.”
The Washington Post – “That Nest Egg is Feeling Fragile” – 2010
“… Discouraging returns over the past decade and a sputtering economy that shows few signs of reviving soon are raising acute doubts about those traditional investments, leaving many families confused and frustrated over how to secure their financial future.’The real advice to individuals is that they have to be working at something they love because the reality is that they will be working longer,’ said Eleanor Blayney …’”
New York Times – “When Illness Packs a Financial Punch” – 2005
“When it comes to protection from medical bills, most people do not know where they are vulnerable until it is too late, said Elizabeth Jetton, chairwoman of the Financial Planning Association. ‘The first thing to do is look at your policy and compare it to your needs,’ Ms. Jetton said. ‘Find out what’s covered and what you have to pay for. Ask yourself: Am I healthy? Do I take a lot of medications? Are there problems that run in my family?”’
Parents Magazine – “Smart Money Moves for At-Home Moms – 2005
“‘You need retirement money in your name in case you get divorced or your husband dies,’ says Peg Downey, a financial planner in Silver Spring, Maryland. Also make sure your spouse has enough life insurance to support you and your children in the event of his death. Downey suggests coverage equal to ten times his annual salary. Consider a policy for yourself too: While you may not generate income, your husband would be faced with costly full-time child care in your absence.”
Los Angeles Times – “Love Me, Love My Credit Score” – 2010
“Some people consider (prenuptial agreements) so unromantic that they swear they would never marry anyone who even suggested such a thing. But prenups make sense for couples that come into marriage with children or widely disparate assets, said Eleanor Blayney … ‘They can take money out of the relationship, so there are no nagging questions, like ‘Hmm, I wonder if he married me for my money?’ ‘ she said. ‘By recognizing that there is a financial aspect to a relationship, they can spell out that that’s not what the relationship is about.’”
CNN Money – “Manage Your Money Like a Woman” – 2010
“More than 70% of nursing home residents are women. Yet only 14% have a long-term-care plan. Yes, the policies are expensive (average: $2,200 a year if you’re in your late fifties). But you can keep the cost manageable by buying before age 61, when premiums rise sharply. Be sure to spring for inflation protection, advises financial planner Peg Downey in Silver Spring, Md. Long-term-care costs are expected to spiral.”
Financial Planning Magazine– “Movers & Shakers” – 2005
(Elizabeth Jetton’s) advice to young planners is to have perseverance. ‘It is not about getting rich quick; you must have different expectations,’ she says. ‘You have to love the idea of helping people to use all of their financial resources to create better lives. Life is long, and financial planning is a true career path. If you approach it as a journey, then you’re going to learn a lot along the way, and your career path will evolve. And that is the most satisfying thing that you could do.’”
Financial Planning Magazine– “Movers and Shakers” – 2010
“’Women my age grew up in a world with one set of expectations and models about our role as financial beings, and now we’re in a world where almost 50% of the workforce are women; we’re the wealthier gender,’ Blayney says. ‘Women have a much larger role to play financially today, but they’re feeling dissatisfied and underserved by the financial advisory community. They’re not happy; they haven’t been heard; they’ve felt peripheral to the conversation.’”
Entrepreneur Magazine– “10 Questions to Ask a Financial Advisor” – 2009
“The first question most people ask financial planners is ‘What has your performance been?’ says Eleanor Blayney, CFP and president of Directions, LLC. … ‘Clients need to understand that’s really beside the point. Financial planning is not synonymous with investment advice,’ Blayney says … ‘A better question to ask would be, “What have you helped your clients do? Relocate? Put three kids through college? Put a retirement plan in place?”’”
CBS MoneyWatch – “Less Than 10 Years from Retirement? Get a Plan” – 2009
“Talking to a knowledgeable adviser is a good way to make sure your anxiety isn’t distorting your judgment, says Eleanor Blayney, a McLean, Virginia, financial planner. Besides, a financial planner offers broad-based retirement planning advice quite apart from your portfolio. A good plan to start paying down debt can make a huge difference to your expenses in retirement, for example.”
Wall Street Journal – “Tips for the Budget Phobic” – 2009
Regarding bucket budgeting: “This is a modern update on ‘envelope budgeting’ where housewives would divvy up the cash to run the household into different envelopes, says Ms. Blayney … ‘It’s a way of erecting a barrier between money that is to be used for one thing and money that is to be used for something else,’ says Ms. Blayney.”
USA Today – “Practical Tips for Gift Card Givers and Getters”- 2009
“Another drawback to gift cards is that the recipient rarely spends the exact amount on the card, says Eleanor Blayney … That means the recipient either spends more than the value of the card – a problem if he’s on a tight budget – or ends up with a small balance that’s never used, Blayney says.”
The Washington Post– “Dating on a Budget” – 2009
“Eleanor Blayney, consumer advocate for the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, advises dating by day. Plan a lunch date, she said … If you want to meet later in the day, do it early enough to hit a happy hour.”
AARP Magazine – “Money and Finances are Young Adults’ Biggest Concerns” – 2009
“’With the country still feeling the effects of the economic downturn, now is the time for everyone – regardless of financial status or acumen – to re-evaluate their approach to money management,’ said Eleanor Blayney.”
Wealth Manager Magazine – “Top Women in Wealth: Influencer” – 2009
“Blayney is ‘committed to the idea that financial planning needs to be different in both content and delivery for women.’ She named her new firm Directions. Her motto? ‘Financial advice for women because women ask for directions.’”
Financial Advisor Magazine – CFP Board Introduces Consumer Advocate – 2009
“Eleanor Blayney, CFP, is developing her new role as consumer advocate for the CFP Board of Standards Inc. at a time when she says it is most needed by both consumers and financial advisors. ‘In these tough, dark times it is especially important to get our message out there about our mission, which is to educate the consumer that there is such a thing as financial planning and show them what the value of professional advice is.’”
Financial Advisor Magazine – The Emerging Profile of Women Investors – 2008
“What we hear from women is that investments are overwhelming, complicated and boring. What they need is retirement planning on one hand, but they also want to know what an annuity is. There is a very wide breadth of need.”
