SUM180 Offers Online Financial Planning Service Designed by Women for Women

LOUISVILLE, KY--(Marketwired - Dec 2, 2015) -  SUM180 launches with an online financial planning service that takes a 'radically different' approach to make financial planning simple and accessible for women. The approach is based on insights from Vibrant Nation, SUM180's sister company and the leading online community of women aged 45+.

"The financial services industry has spent years and millions of dollars targeting women with so-called 'specialized' services. These efforts have proven largely ineffective. Most women don't feel well served by the status quo, and their dissatisfaction has resulted in under-participation and under-utilization; women have opted out. This represents a tremendous missed opportunity for financial services providers. More importantly, it has potentially catastrophic implications for women," said founding CEO Carla Dearing. Ms. Dearing, a Wall Street veteran, is leading the team of technology entrepreneurs and marketing specialists who created and are now launching SUM180.

"Our goal with SUM180 was to create an online financial planning service based on what women who are not financial experts in their own right need to get re-engaged and empowered to address their financial health. In addition to conducting a broad analysis of industry research, we did something radical: we asked women directly. Listening to women enabled the SUM180 team to understand why women have not responded to previous specialized financial services offerings and helped us identify the key elements of a better solution. Building on the initial insights from women, the digital model for service delivery ensures that every user is making the service better for the next woman who needs help," Ms. Dearing continued.

SUM180 is differentiated in the following ways:

• SUM180 meets women where they are. SUM180 plans are personalized to help women wherever they are right now on their financial journey; whether they're just beginning, starting over or well on their way. The subscription model ensures that even women without assets to invest receive top-level advice.
• SUM180 plans are simple. SUM180 takes the intimidation out of personal finance by breaking big goals into smaller, manageable tasks. Clients are directed to focus only on the three next steps of their financial journey at any given time. This approach is empowering for most, but especially for women who have been "tuned out" of their financial picture for a period of time.
• SUM180 doesn't try to make women financial experts. SUM180 provides the advice and "how-to" information they need, without overwhelming them with the "educational" details they don't need or want.
• SUM180 offers a community for users, unfiltered. SUM180 offers a community forum where users can support one another in their plans.
• SUM180 serves; never sells. Earning and keeping client trust is SUM180's highest priority. SUM180 is independent and never makes money based on the advice provided.

"It takes a lot of confidence to say I believe we can finally start giving women what they need and want from financial services, but I have that confidence because SUM180 was built and is being continuously co-developed with the women we serve. We meet every client where she is, we honor her priorities and, above all, we listen. It's time for a fundamental shift in how the financial services industry serves its clients, especially women. We are that change," Ms. Dearing concluded.

Additional information about SUM180 is available at https://sum180.com/.