Personal Finance Advice for Women Who Struggle with Money

Written by adminAugust 3, 2018
Saving

Women are often the backbone of most American families. They are the caregivers and the glue that keeps everyone together. They’re also typically the financial stewards and keeper of the checkbook. But, studies show they are a vulnerable demographic when it comes to having personal finance knowledge.

Usually, it’s the men who make the money, do the investments, prepare for retirement, and because of this, more women leave it to their husbands to figure all of that out. Women who have a credit score below 700 are particularly inept at being financially prepared.

A survey by Elevate’s Center for the New Middle Class revealed that only 39% of women believe they have the right skills to manage their money. Because women live longer than men, it’s imperative that they prepare for life outside of retirement with their spouses. They need to go above and beyond knowing how to balance a checkbook.

Also: http://financialhelpers.com/4-things-every-parent-should-know-about-student-loans/

Of course, these statements do not imply women are just dumb with money, but rather they fall behind their male counterparts in taking the initiative to understand and prepare for their financial futures, leaving it to their husbands to figure it all out. This can leave them in an incredibly difficult personal finance situation.

Women are more likely to have their hours cut at work, three times as likely to have lost their job than men, and rarely have a safety net around them, like emergency savings.

Here are 3 ways women can educate themselves further and bridge the knowledge gap:

1) Unleash the Power of Apps

For women who aren’t knowledgeable in finances and struggle to keep up, there are a lot of apps out there that can help you figure it out. Apps can be helpful by showing you how to budget properly and stash away cash for an emergency. Doing this not only offers you better control of your finances, but peace of mind as well.

2) Get Aggressive About Personal Finance Education

Surveys show that non-prime women with lower credit scores have basic knowledge, usually learned from their parents, on how to manage their money. Beyond that, they’re clueless. Times have changed and women must be more aggressive in learning what they don’t know about saving, investing, and preparing for retirement.

You can study blogs, read books written by experts, take classes, and even counsel with professionals to catch up on tips and strategies you can use every day.

3) Follow Up on All Your Options

It’s sort of like having a contingency plan. Look ahead at all the issues and problems that could happen. What if you suddenly needed $2,000? How would you get the money? What if your car fell apart and insurance failed to pick up the bill? What if the economy took a downturn and you lost your job?

Be prepared for any and all personal finance situations that could happen any given day. By being prepared for these things, you won’t be caught in a stressful situation without a plan.

Personal finances aren’t too difficult to master if you give it time and energy to learn. If you find you’re struggling to save money or work isn’t that stable, a lot of women turn to online entrepreneurship to fill in the gap. It allows to make extra money while still being flexible around their family’s needs.

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Women Need to Save More than Men

Written by adminJune 4, 2018
Saving

In today’s world, we seem to be entering a new financial revolution for women. Talk of the pay gap has increased, which has led to women gaining more respect and equal pay in the workplace.

Despite this new-found attention, women still are iffy about money. They lack confidence in saving for their future, don’t like to talk about it, and would almost rather talk about anything else.

According to a recent survey, only 52% of women feel their confident enough in managing their investments. That’s just over half of all women!

There’s still a strong feeling that men are providers and they take care of the family, but there’s a fairly large loop hole that many couples don’t think about when planning for retirement: women live longer than men.

This is why it’s super important to help women understand that financial matters aren’t just about empowerment, but having the ability to survive if something bad happens.

Lorna Sabbia from Merrill Lynch agrees.

“As women are at a tipping point to achieve greater financial empowerment and independence, it is even more essential that we support women in helping them pursue financial security for life. This includes encouraging women to invest more of their assets, save earlier for retirement, and pursue financial solutions that closely align to their personal values and life paths,” she said.

There’s a real investment gap between men and women and it’s troubling. Investing often seems like a ‘man’s game’ and can seem too analytical. They do well with other aspects, like budgeting, but investing isn’t a strong suit for most women.

On average, women live 5 years longer than men. 84% of all people over 100 are women. While this is a continuing trend, a little less than half of all women worry about running out of money. This is not a fear that will go away anytime soon, especially as technological developments allow us to live longer.

This is a major problem that needs to be addressed. Over half of all women say they regret not investing more while they were able. 60% say they didn’t invest because they just didn’t have the knowledge necessary. 34% cited a lack of confidence.

To combat this, women should consider hiring a financial planner and taking the time to learn how to properly invest.

It also shouldn’t be a subject women shy away from with their husbands. They should be in on the front lines and discussing ALL aspects of future saving, including investments, so they understand how it works and they know what their options are when the time comes.

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