Real women.
Real numbers.

From never having invested to building six-figure portfolios,

saving hundreds of thousands in fees, and retiring early.

These are their stories.

From never having invested to building six-figure portfolios, saving hundreds of thousands in fees, and retiring early.

These are their stories.

CHF 400k

saved in fees over 25 years

CHF 90k

portfolio built in 15 months

Age 48

projected retirement

140+

women who took control

Which status matches you best?

NOT YET INVESTING

You've been saving.
Now let your money work for you.

These women had savings, growing bank balances, and a pension sitting in cash — but had never invested a single franc. Here's what changed.

Stephanie Launay

50 years old | Switzerland | Works in a private family | French | Single

Her challenges

Had always saved but had never invested — no third pillar, no investment account, no plan
Deep belief from upbringing: "Money is not important" and "it's better not to depend on banks"
Bank balance growing with no idea what to do — didn't even know she was losing money to inflation
Completely alone financially — single, no family safety net in Switzerland
Had zero investing vocabulary — words like ETF, third pillar and inflation were all new

What changed

Opened an investment savings plan: CHF 1,500/month into ETFs
Opened a VIAC third pillar pension — had none before
Built an untouchable emergency fund
Reviewed and upgraded her health insurance
Created a personal 18-month wealth creation roadmap with Cristina
Started talking openly about money with friends — and began advising her own father
Mindset transformed completely: from "money is not important" to actively planning her future

"Finance is just the surface of the door. But then you really go deep into your own life, your own choices, your own fears, your own blockages."

Kinga Frater

50s | Switzerland | General Counsel | Single

Her challenges

"I always just spent my money" — estimated hundreds of thousands on clothes, bags, jewellery over the years
Had never invested despite a 25-year corporate career — wanted to open a brokerage account but delayed for months
Mother developed dementia — Kinga suddenly responsible for managing the family's wealth with no tools to evaluate an advisor
Sister had no interest in managing her own finances — the whole family looked to Kinga

What changed

Found a trusted female financial advisor — with Cristina as a neutral mentor throughout the entire search
Advisor now manages Kinga's wealth, her sister's finances, and her mother's inheritance
One contact. Complete family clarity. Zero overwhelm.
Joined herCircle to maintain financial education without managing everything alone
Went from "there was always just enough" to feeling super relieved and in control

"I think that pension planning should be part of your studies — because nobody will take care of that for you."

Jessica Bubenheim

20s | International: US · DE · CH | Sustainability Expert in Finance

Her challenges

Finance felt like a "black box" — she felt uneasy and too afraid to even be curious
Had assets and accounts across 3 countries with no unified strategy
Needed structure but had no idea where to start

What changed

Built her first international investment portfolio across the US, Germany, and Switzerland
Made her first ETF investment (70% stocks / 30% bonds) — fully automated via Interactive Brokers
Started a budget overview and monthly tracking routine
Shifted her identity: the course itself was the strongest investment decision she ever made

"For me, it used to be a black box, and I felt uneasy about being curious. Now, I am curious. You have given us an entry into a whole new world."

Selai Nasery

30s | Switzerland | Architectural Designer | Single

Her challenges

Had a brokerage account but had no idea which ETFs to buy — the account sat empty
Finance was a topic only men discussed in her professional and social environment
Followed finance podcasts for knowledge but lacked the peer support to go from learning to action

What changed

Invested for the first time in her life — the brokerage account finally put to work
Opened a dedicated investment account and began placing first trades
Started following bite-sized financial news regularly
Began talking openly about money with female friends — became a "her Financial Freedom ambassador" in her circle
Started spreading financial awareness in her community — recommending hFF to friends

"Working in a male-dominated industry can be challenging. If no one will give me a seat at the table, I will create my own table."

Manuela Frischknecht

Late 30s | Hong Kong | Marketing | Married | Mom of 1

Her challenges

Was spending money with no idea what was actually in her bank account — no budget, no overview, no plan
Had never invested a single franc — the whole topic felt out of reach, as if you needed large sums to even begin
Wanted to feel more secure and capable when talking to financial professionals — but didn't know where to start
Finance felt like something for people who already had it figured out — not for a true beginner like her

What changed

Created her first budget — and for the first time, knew exactly what she had
Started investing — money put to work for the very first time
Now travels with complete financial confidence, knowing her numbers at any moment
Gained the confidence to engage with the financial industry on her own terms
Discovered the most liberating insight of her financial journey: you don't need hundreds of thousands to start — small is enough

"My biggest takeaway from the course is that I now have a budget and can travel as I know what I have in my bank account — and I'm finally investing my money."

BEGINNER INVESTOR

You started.
And then everything changed.

These women had taken their first steps — but without a clear strategy, structure, or the right guidance. Here's what happened when they got serious.

Federica Di Carlo

30s | Italian living in Switzerland | Website Manager | Single

Her challenges

Had never invested — felt deeply insecure about making the wrong decision or losing money
Pension spread across multiple countries with no investment strategy
Had big life goals — a sabbatical, real estate in Milan, early retirement — but no financial plan to reach any of them

What changed

Built a CHF 90,000 investment portfolio within 15 months — from zero
Took a 6-month sabbatical with complete financial confidence — knowing exactly how it fit her plan
Tracks her finances every month using the her Financial Freedom finance tracker — solo money dates with herself
Added crypto and luxury stock satellites alongside a strong core portfolio
Still investing and growing — one year on, more confident than ever

"Money is like everything: it seems hard at first, but once you understand it, it becomes much easier."

Nadine Ebmeyer

40s | Switzerlands | Entrepreneur AI & FinTech CEOs | Post-divorce

Her challenges

Had to rebuild her wealth from scratch after her divorce
German investment portfolio with a financial advisor charging high fees + hidden fund fees stacked on top
Had never calculated her retirement number — no idea how much she needed or if she was on track
Didn't know what she actually owned, what it cost, or what any of it was invested in

What changed

Switched German portfolio (~EUR 50k + EUR 500/month) to a robo-advisor → EUR 230,000 saved over 25 years
Swiss pension optimised — moved to a more suitable strategy with lower fees
Made an informed real estate decision: bought out her brother's share of a jointly owned property
For the first time: knows exactly what she owns, what it costs, and how much she needs for retirement

"The biggest support in becoming your own boss about your finances is her Financial Freedom — it is a support structure to really get there."

Megan McGill

39y/o | American living in Switzerland | Philanthropy | Married | Mother of 2

Her challenges

Was making extra pension contributions but had no idea what was in her pension or how it was invested
Financial advisor had recommended a mutual fund — she later discovered it had similar holdings to a passive ETF but far higher fees
Had started investing but without strategy or real understanding of what she held
Carried a fear-based relationship with money — inherited from her mother's experience of financial scarcity
Strong sustainability values but found it "substantially disappointing" how hard it is to invest sustainably in mainstream finance

What changed

Opened a brokerage account and began investing actively for the first time with a clear strategy
Set up an investing account for her children's investments — sustainability-aligned, long-term
Moved her third pillar to lower fees, easy to use, sustainability preferences available
Ditched the high-fee mutual fund recommended by her advisor → switched to a passive ETF with similar holdings
Invested more into her pension and understood what was in it for the first time
Now have a full financial overview as a couple and are investing regularly together
Blocked time in the family calendar: "Megan is researching finances — leave mum alone"

"My attitude has shifted from fear to something really positive and agency-building. That's a pretty real gift."

Diana Koepping

40s | Switzerland | Chief Marketing Officer | Married | Mom of 2

Her challenges

Had strong inherited limiting beliefs about money — her parents associated it with hardship, never with possibility
Parents worked hard and saved but never taught her to manage or invest — she inherited the silence, not the skills
In her 44 years had never once thought about finances — not with her husband, not with herself
No shared financial strategy with her husband — money was never discussed at the table

What changed

Started a daily "what do I celebrate today" practice to actively rewrite her money mindset
Changed her computer password to a wealth affirmation — a daily reminder she sees every time she works
Cancelled 90% of unnecessary subscriptions and redirected that money to investing
Her teenage sons now own stocks — she enabled their first investment of over CHF 100 each
Started challenging her husband directly on financial decisions — with confidence
Openly discusses money with friends, family, and children for the first time in her life
Is actively working toward a CHF 100,000 portfolio milestone within 18 months

"It's not scary anymore. I challenge my husband now. I just started a month ago and was not thinking about finances at all in my 44 years — but the way I speak about it is different now."

INTERMEDIATE INVESTOR

You had the wealth.
You just needed to know if it was working.

These women already had portfolios, advisors, and financial histories — but had never truly looked under the hood. The results when they did were extraordinary.

Angela Ryan

Late 50s | Pharma Biotech Business Leader | From Ireland · lived in 4 countries | Single

Her challenges

Had a financial advisor managing ~CHF 800,000 — but no idea if the strategy was right or the fees were fair
Despite substantial wealth, was afraid money would run out in retirement
Multiple country tax returns consumed all her attention — the portfolio was never examined
Didn't know which questions to ask her advisor — and had no way to evaluate his answers

What changed

Reviewed her full portfolio with Cristina — learned exactly which questions to ask
Negotiated fee reduction of 0.7% → saving CHF 400,000 over 25 years
Paid off her mortgage — a deliberate, fully informed decision
Consciously chose to keep an aggressive investment strategy — against her advisor's recommendation — because she now knows her WHY
Has full transparency on her transactions, costs, and allocation for the first time
Now on a personal mission: passing financial knowledge to her nieces

"It is an absolutely wonderfully safe environment — and from that it springboards your own personal success and growth, as a person and also your finances."

Elvira Hausler

40s | Switzerland | CEO & Founder | In a relationship

Her challenges

Felt that men always knew more in financial conversations — she felt disempowered
Had the knowledge to start but no structure or peer support to actually act
Self-employed with a complex pension situation in Switzerland — no clear strategy

What changed

Built a full "phase 2" investment strategy for the second half of her life
Pension optimised as a self-employed person in Switzerland
Started having open money conversations with friends and acquaintances — a major behavioural shift
Now mentoring her 18-year-old goddaughter to start investing early
Can hold her own with any financial counterpart and ask the right questions

"I feel more comfortable, I feel more confident. I can take up a conversation where previously I felt the other person — most of the time a man — would know more than I do."

Merel Niewkerk

30s | Netherlands | Head of HR in Finance | Married

Her challenges

Received a large severance package — searched for a financial advisor, but every offering was far too expensive
Pension had been sitting in cash for years — she didn't know she had to choose an investment strategy
Had real estate with family but no independent liquid wealth strategy
Multi-country background (NL, Spain, HK) — complex cross-border financial picture

What changed

With Cristina by her side, chose a robo-advisor and brokerage account over the expensive advisory offering
That 2% annual fee difference = CHF 300,000 saved over 30 years
Pension invested for the first time — moved from cash to a proper strategy
Took a full year off — living comfortably, knowing her financial plan was solid
Now comfortable discussing ETFs and wealth managers — sends money date updates years later

"She still sends updates years later — from her regular money dates with her girlfriends. That says everything."

Nina Reinhart

Late 50s · | Married w 2 daughters | Angel Investor & Co-Founder | Switzerland

Her challenges

Had an existing portfolio (stocks, real estate, angel investments) — but was procrastinating on specific areas and never optimising
Carried a deep limiting belief: "I cannot earn without being a slave" — rooted in a corporate burnout a decade earlier that made growing money feel associated with greed
Had tried to get her daughters interested in investing for years without success
Paralysed by "timing the market" — felt she needed perfect conditions to invest

What changed

Enrolled in hFF together with both her daughters — generations taking action at the same time
Resolved the burnout-money-greed belief: investing is abundance, not greed
Added crypto and gold to her liquid portfolio as new diversification assets
Established regular money dates with her husband — now have a joint financial strategy
Daughters went from zero to actively investing within the program