But Eve Kaplan, a financial planner in New Jersey said lack of understanding of financial information isn’t necessarily a problem if a woman has the guidance of a good financial planner.
And though some may feel overwhelmed, women are continuing to make strides. Penelope Trunk, blogger for Brazen Careerist, believes the Allianz study lacks broader context, because she sees women as doing better than ever career-wise.
For example, The New York Times (NYT) reported in 2007 that in New York City and Dallas, women between the ages of 21 and 30 earn 117% and 120% of men’s wages, respectively. (However, the article also reported that nationwide, women working full-time earn 89% of what men do.)
Indeed, the Allianz study is only one study. Evidence shows that, in general, women are doing things right, getting rich and empowering themselves financially.
Here are some resources and tips to inspire you:
Almost half of all working women save for retirement.
Of the 61 million women ages 21 to 65 in the American work force, 46% put money in a retirement plan, says the US Department of Labor. (Of course, one can read this statistic as either good news -- almost half are saving! -- or bad news -- almost half aren’t!).
For retirement-savings advice: Marcia Brixey, author of The Money Therapist, recommends WiserWomen the Web site of the Women’s Institute for a Secure Retirement. The site also provides extensive information on divorce and widowhood, which experts agree shocks many otherwise financially-secure women, as well as caregiving, which often falls to the daughters in a family.
