In the world of advanced life insurance design, we often talk about risk mitigation and tax efficiency. But for Women’s History Month, we wanted to explore the narrative behind those numbers.
We sat down with Adele Zilber, CFP®, CLU®, ChFC®, Managing Director, Signature Private at Highland Capital Brokerage – Mid Atlantic. With a career spanning nearly three decades, Adele has become a leading voice in helping high-net-worth women and families navigate the complexities of longevity, legacy, and leadership.
Three Points: Adele, you’ve had a front-row seat to decades of change in our industry. What’s the most significant shift you’ve witnessed in how women approach their own financial security and insurance planning?
Adele: I’ve seen two significant shifts. First is from the advisor perspective; I am fortunate to work with more and more women advisors. I am proud that our industry has embraced the unique perspective that women can bring to the planning conversation. Second, an increasing amount of women are joining our meetings and getting involved in the planning conversation. The access to research and information is immense for the consumer, so clients are coming to meetings more well educated and engaged in the process.
Three Points: Women are living longer, healthier lives than ever before—which is wonderful news! But it also means they’re facing decades of financial decisions their mothers never had to plan for. What’s your best advice for helping women turn longevity from a risk into an opportunity?
Adele: Long-Term Care planning is the key. Not only are women most likely to be the ones who need care (because of the longevity advantage you mention), but we are also the ones most likely to give care. Long-Term Care planning not only protects women from having to invade assets and savings to pay for care, it also protects their daughters—allowing them to spend meaningful time together during the care process versus having to be the caregiver themselves.
Three Points: So many women today are navigating non-linear careers—taking time for caregiving, pivoting industries, launching businesses in their 40s or 50s. How can life insurance actually support these transitions instead of penalizing them?
Adele: Life insurance has very unique tax advantages that most clients are not familiar with, unless they have a savvy advisor evaluating all options for planning purposes. Access to cash value, long-term care acceleration benefits, and disability benefits (commonly overlooked) are the core foundations of a strong plan.
Three Points: When you sit down with a successful woman client, what’s the one insurance planning topic she’s often surprised to learn about—but wishes someone had told her about years earlier?
Adele: Mainly how a properly priced and structured product can create a tax-advantaged cash reserve to help supplement retirement. While not the only planning technique a client should be using, it is a phenomenal option for high earner clients who will have significant taxable income in retirement. Many clients overlook this strategy because it has been “sold” to them instead of presented as part of an overall financial planning tool. I have a policy I bought 10+ years ago, I wish I had bought more!
Three Points: More women than ever are primary earners, business owners, and key decision-makers. How has that changed the way you think about designing coverage? What lights you up about working with female breadwinners?
Adele: In my experience—and this is not meant to be an all-encompassing statement—women tend to be more focused on risk management. It’s not that women do not take risk with investments and other planning strategies—but they also seem to be more in tune with risk mitigation opportunities. Disability coverage is a big one—the majority of high-income clients we work with are woefully underinsured. And not to be redundant, but long-term care is always top of mind as many women are juggling the needs of an aging parent with their own obligations.
Three Points: Women are statistically more likely to need long-term care, but they’re also more likely to BE the caregiver. How do you help clients think through both sides of that equation when planning?
Adele: Again, we look at long-term care as not only a benefit to the insured; but a benefit to the family members who will now have a dedicated and relatively immediate tax-free “bucket” available to them if their parent needs care. Many female clients who ask about LTC do so because they have dealt with an aging parent and they do not want their children to share the same burden. Remember it may not be you making the decisions about your care or having to set up care givers—the nature of your issue may not allow you to be part of the decision-making process. Long-term care coverage is not only purchased because you love yourself and want resources available, but also because you love someone else enough to have a plan.
Three Points: You’ve helped countless women build financial legacies—for their families, their businesses, their charitable passions. What do you find most rewarding about helping women create impact that outlasts them?
Adele: I am working with a female client now whose primary concern is creating generational wealth for her two sons to outlast any financial or political environment. Helping clients accomplish their specific goals so they can have peace of mind that the plans and dreams they have for future generations will be executed per their wishes is very rewarding. Listening to goals, and showing them ways to meet those goals that they did not know were available to them is a great feeling.
Three Points: Life doesn’t always go according to plan, and divorce is increasingly common at every age. What role can life insurance play in helping women rebuild and protect their financial independence during and after a separation?
Adele: Long-term care planning is even more important for single women—with or without children, so they can take comfort in the fact they are protected. Also being able to provide for children (and especially grandchildren) seems to be top of mind.
Three Points: Financial services hasn’t always been the most welcoming space for women—as professionals or as clients. What do you think has gotten better, and where do we still have work to do?
Adele: I am fortunate to work with firms (including my own) that promote and support women in whatever role they would like to be—from advisor to financial planner to ultra-high-net-worth wealth strategies. One of my firms has the most women advisors in the mid-Atlantic, many of whom are top in their firm including several branch managers. Since wealth management has gone from stock trading to true financial planning and complete wealth management, I think many firms realize that listening skills and empathy are valuable assets—and part of what clients are looking for when they choose who to work with.
Three Points: If you could sit down with your 25-year-old self—or with young women just starting their careers today—what’s the one thing about life insurance and financial planning you’d want them to understand early?
Adele: Be a student of the business. Learn everything you can from anyone. Seek out mentors, even if they don’t realize they are acting as a mentor. If you plan to make this your career (and this probably applies to any career), you owe it to yourself and your clients to have the resources and tools to offer the very best service you can. That does not mean you are going to know everything, but you should have the resources and relationships to deliver for those who trust you. When you enjoy what you do, and you are good at it—you will never work a day in your life.
Adele Zilber serves as a Managing Director, Signature Private for Highland Capital Brokerage. She is a seasoned insurance planning strategist who began her career in the financial services industry in 1998. Adele specializes in helping individuals, families, and entrepreneurs find innovative ways to achieve their retirement, risk management, and legacy planning goals. She is passionate about creating a positive experience for clients throughout the various stages of the life, long-term care, and disability insurance acquisition process.
Adele holds her Certified Financial Planner®, Chartered Life Underwriter®, Chartered Financial Consultant®, certification in Long-Term Care, and Accredited Estate Planner® designations, as well as her Series 6 and 63 licenses.
She earned her BA from the University of Maryland and graduated with honors with an MBA from Loyola University Fellows Executive Program. Adele is also a member of the Forum 400, an elite group of top life insurance professionals from throughout the country for which membership is by invitation only.
Adele has served on various boards and is a past president of the Baltimore Estate Planning Council, one of the largest and most active councils of its kind in the country. She is a frequent guest speaker for local, regional, and national organizations on financial planning, life insurance, and long-term care issues. Adele lives in Baltimore and is an avid Orioles and Terrapins fan. In her spare time, she enjoys concerts, theater, golf, and most importantly, creating memories with family and friends.
Biography Disclosure:
For Financial Professional Use Only.
Registered Representatives and Investment Advisory Representatives offer securities and investment advisory services through Osaic Wealth, Inc. member FINRA/SIPC. Highland and Osaic Wealth, Inc. are subsidiaries of Osaic, Inc. Other entities and/or marketing names, products or services referenced here are independent of Osaic Wealth, Inc.
Doing business in California as Highland Annuity & Insurance Services.
HCB02518 | Revised 12/1/25
