Empowering women through financial literacy

Jane Bourette wants to empower the women in her community to be financially strong and the way she does it is by educating them about financial literacy.

Bourette is owner of Coast to Coast Financial Planning in Chatham, Mass., where she provides retirement advice to clients.

Outside of her practice, she volunteers with WE CAN, a nonprofit organization that supports women going through life transitions and challenges. WE CAN provides women with referrals, services and resources to help them achieve independence.

“They serve women on Cape Cod who are in transition,” Bourette told InsuranceNewsNet. “It could be a woman who has just moved here and doesn’t know anyone, a woman who has lost a loved one, a woman who needs housing or has lost a job, a woman who is going through a divorce, a grandmother who is raising her grandchildren.”

Bourette said she supports the organization by financially supporting some of its events. She also is a resource for those who need professional advice.

Long-term care a financial literacy focus

Her focus is on women who have been through helping relatives and are now concerned about that type of care for themselves.

“I’m available to talk about long-term care, retirement issues or estate planning issues,” she said.

Bourette said the topic that generates the most requests for information and help is long-term care.

“The big fear is not being able to pay for it,” she said. “The second issue is not wanting to go to a nursing home unless they absolutely have to. And if they have to receive care, they need to know how they pay for it. And the biggest misconception when I speak to people on this topic is that they believe Medicare pays for that, and it doesn’t.”

Bourette said the women she educates have the basic concerns of “who will to take care of me and how will I pay them?”

She also educates women on making sure their affairs are in order, so that their loved ones aren’t left with a financial or legal mess after their death. “That’s a huge financial literacy issue as well,” she said.

Susan Rupe is managing editor for InsuranceNewsNet. She formerly served as communications director for an insurance agents' association and was an award-winning newspaper reporter and editor. Contact her at Susan.Rupe@innfeedback.com. Follow her on Twitter @INNsusan.

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Susan Rupe is editor in chief, magazine, for InsuranceNewsNet. She formerly served as communications director for an insurance agents' association and was an award-winning newspaper reporter and editor. Contact her at susan.rupe@innfeedback.com.