Studies Show Struggling Economies Hit Women the Hardest

An increasing number of women and self-employed individuals are suffering from major debt problems that, if left unattended, can eventually cause insolvency. 

Income loss is the most common reason why people enter a Debt Management Plan (DMP).

Figures from the ONS confirm the fact that the economic downturn has forced women and the self-employed to struggle to make ends meet. More and more employees who used to work full-time are now on shorter shifts or have only very few work opportunities. Furthermore, there is a skills shortage and despite jobs advertised, many do not have the skills required to fulfill those roles.

What to Do Now? 

Anyone who's faced with serious debt should get advice at the earliest possible stage. Many countries offer free advisory support, so please check government websites as a starting point.

Employees who have very limited disposable income and whose debts are below a certain threshold can resort to a debt relief order. If debts are higher, the best option would be bankruptcy. Note that every country has different rules so please check for your geographical region. 

Every financial situation is unique and any action should be done with caution. Some experts suggest that the initial step should be seeking professional help from a qualified IVA or debt adviser. More importantly, when in the midst of income loss, people should start prioritising bills and payments, such as mortgage, insurance, council tax, and other necessities. 

It's always good advice to speak with lenders and financial services first to inform them about your status and find professional assistance. 

The key to get out of a spiral of debt is to tackle impending financial problems before they really hit. This way, you can get back on your feet and eventually have your finances back in good shape. 

Financial Planning Challenges that Women Face

If you were to guess which issue women worry about most right now would you guess kids, family, our partner being faithful, health, time management, mental health or stress, or maybe even equal rights? 

The answer is...... our finances. 

This response may or may not surprise you now, but consider the following list of financial issues unique to us:

• We are more intimidated than men about financial issues 
• We earn less money than men (82 cents in the $)
• We are less prepared for retirement as we have less money to retire on
• We live on average 8 years longer than men 
• We don't know who to trust with our finances so we tend to leave it in the bank or spend it
• We are more conservative investors than men
• It is more challenging for single mothers, even more if you are a working parent
• We are caring for elderly parents 
• Our health insurance plans cost us more
• We tend to defer to men regarding long term financial decisions, even though we manage the daily household finances 
• Money may have been managed by our spouses  when married and then we do not know how to manage money if we end up divorced
• The finance Industry doesn't really cater for women and we generally don't trust the men in suits
• Women of Colour are the most dis-advantaged statistically when it comes to equality and earnings

A study by the National Center for Women and Retirement Research showed that women investors were more worried than men about running out of money in old age, preferred more conservative investments, wanted fixed/steady returns, were more unnerved by stock fluctuations and worried more about investment decisions. 

Due to this, our retirement years are severely impacted as we have earned less money, therefore we have less to retire on whilst we live longer.

Most and Anthes note that according to the Administration on Aging "...half the elderly widows now living in poverty were not living in poverty before their husbands died. 

The picture is even worse for older women in many minority groups.

The next generation of retirees may have been raised in an environment in which men handled the money decisions. 

Despite more women actually pay the weekly bills, we tend to have little knowledge of the larger family finances such as retirement plans, insurance, annuities, etc. because we defer this to our spouse's to make the decisions. 

It is essential for women to understand the 'big picture' of their finances, especially for retirement, divorce, or death of their spouse. 

Because we earn less than men, we are less prepared for retirement, and receive smaller retirement benefits, we need to make sure that our husband's retirement benefits will pass to us if our husband dies first. 

Because we may be more intimidated about asking questions of our attorney or financial advisor, we may miss crucial details (such as single-life annuity which may bring higher levels during the husband's life but that ends when the husband dies first), or incorrect beneficiaries on life insurance policies. 

During a divorce, we may be more concerned about custody issues and keeping the house than our future retirement and may agree to forgo retirement plans. 

Single parenting brings a whole host of financial challenges, including lost wages from parenting responsibilities and childcare and babysitters. 

If the extra expenses and possibly lower income are not included in the divorce settlement, as single mother may find that she is unable to keep the house and she loses the two most valuable assets: the house and her retirement plan. 

Women not only make less money than men, our health plan may cost more than for men due to mammograms, the cervical-cancer vaccine, Pap tests and pregnancy related services. 

This is unfair, but while the inequity exists, we must make an extra effort to contribute the difference to a Health Savings Account or savings program to avoid using credit to pay for the added medical bills if needed.

Another huge drain on women's finances is caring for our aging parents. 

More women care for aging parents than men. 

However distasteful it may be to condense a daughter's love for her parents into a discussion of money, this issue must be addressed so that women can prepare. 

Because of the aging baby-boomer population, these numbers will soon become staggering. 

If you add caring for young children into the mix at the same time, the financial results can be devastating. 

Because of the special issues facing women, it is crucial that we educate ourselves about finances and the realities of financial gender inequity and plan for our future. 

The male-dominated financial services industry is just beginning to realise the unique financial planning issues for women. 

This is where we come in ladies, to ensure you have the financial education so you have the knowledge you need to become financially fabulous.

We support you with the basics of financial education and ensure that you find trusted advisors that understand your issues and are helping you plan accordingly. 

Don't be afraid to ask your advisors questions (we put a guide together on this exact topic so you know what questions to ask and are fully aware of the process). 

Now is the time to begin planning for the future: 

• Have a plan 
• Increase your knowledge and understanding of financial matters 
• Utilise trusted professional advisors to implement your plans  
• Regularly monitor your progress

Femvestorsglobal is your starting point to your financial journey, we will ensure you reach your "Moneymoon Destination"

Women and Money: The Reality Today

• 55% of  women over 65 will find themselves in poverty when they retire
• 40% of unmarried women have saved less than $1,000
• 37% of women spend retirement alone 

Startling statistics ladies. 

Most women will look at these statistics and think, that's not going to be me! 

Then go right ahead and plan the next girlfriends lunch or dinner date without looking at the bank account or the credit card balance. There is very little thought of how to ensure you do not find yourself included in the above statistics. So random incessant spending will continue without thought of the consequences, down the road, looking through the long lens. These statistical groupings are placing women in poverty every day, and few know what to do about it. 

What can be done? 

Any number of actions can change these statistics and the quality of life for all women. Ask any woman and I'll bet none of them would choose any of these girlfriend groups! Talking to girlfriends is one of the first (best) things that can be done to change the destiny of their girlfriends and which statistical group they may find themselves in. Girlfriends are a powerful group. Women will share with girlfriends they have now and the ones they have not yet been fortunate enough to meet yet. 

Women are smart and sassy. They also bond together when one of their sisters is in trouble. By opening this dialogue you may find that those closest to you, may not know the facts you now know. They may not know what to do about it either. Women share information freely and impress upon their friends what no man can. Women are naturally caregivers. This sharing with each other is at the heart of women care giving.

Planning will cause you to place yourself in situations where you won't be a statistic, part of a scary stat. How, you ask? Join our community at Femvestorsglobal for free daily information, alternatively you can join our book clubs (we offer 4 different geographical time zones- so there are no excuses ladies!). We also run virtual events or private 1:1 courses. You learn more, not just about finances. 

The very person you need for the best possible information will be sent to you. As long as learning takes place and actions are taken to change the numbers, both in the financial arena and then the stats, women don't have to find themselves in poverty. 

Invest in the knowledge and wisdom of wealth. We have heard that knowledge is power. For women, learning new vocabulary, words like monetising will bring you power and wealth. Learn now how to eliminate debt forever. Your today purchase can change the purchasing power you have in the future. Wouldn't it be awesome to know how? What do you have to do to acquire enough wealth for your future? Figure out how to share your prosperity and set some aside for those you love. It will come back to you multiplied more than you know. 

Girlfriend road trips are the best!! Memories forever! This is one road trip all the girlfriends cannot miss. This incredible ride could save them more than just the cost of gas. Investing in yourself will prove to bring increase to every aspect of your life. Finding wisdom about money can keep all women from becoming a scary statistic. Within the wealth side of these statistics lies comfort, ease, pampering and peace, which is why we do not record our group events so you have a safe space to talk. 

You will be so glad you did, sooner rather than later. 

Article Source for statistics: wiserwomen.org. 2016 retirement confidence survey, EPI.org 

The Secret To Fabulous Finances

 Are you sick of living your life on credit? Would you like to have a lump sum of money you can fall back on if unforeseen circumstances strike? How about the ability to generate passive income so that you can choose how you live your life, where and with whom you spend the most precious commodity - time? 

There are only two excuses or reasons why people fail to take action on their dreams so they can live their ideal life. Not enough time or not enough money. These two key areas in our lives limit us and our potential, instilling fear that if we were to take a risk chances are we would fail. The focus generally goes to the negative and undesirable outcome which is what become reality. I would like to give you the tools and strategies to get your finances back on track and design a life that is heading towards you having your perfect ideal average day. 

The perfect ideal average day is one that is just that - average! You are not on holidays or doing things that are unusual. It is simply how you would spend your time if you had the choice to do whatever you like. You may decide to start your days late, read, socialise or go shopping. Whichever way you see it is perfect for you. 

Did you know that more than 25% of people have only 1 month of savings for emergencies in developed countries such as Australia and America? 64% also live pay check to pay check which is a statistic that continues to grow over the years.

Family budgets; I get asked 'What for?' It is staggering to know that people don't have a concept of what is going in, coming out and whether they can afford the lifestyle they are living. This is very scary and unfortunate especially when these individuals start having children and the cost of living jumps up to a new level with often less income and higher expenditure. 

I would like to share with you some of the secrets to improve your finances and start generating wealth that will see you live out your life in luxury rather than in lack. One other famous statistic to become familiar with is: By the time people reach retirement age:

•  1-2% are wealthy 
• circa 78% are on welfare and/or heavily supported by family members 
• 20% are dead 

Which statistic would you like to belong to when you retire? 

Our education around finances starts very early in life. Think about who you had as a role model around you growing up. Were they good with money or just made ends meet at the end of each pay cycle? Our beliefs about how we manage money and more importantly how we make it are set well before we turn 10 years of age.

It is very important to know what you believe about money and finances comes from and if necessary to start creating new beliefs that will serve you going forward. 

I would like to illustrate how beliefs around money are created by sharing my story in this particular area. I grew up in UK and money was never spoken about in our house. I never learned anything about money as it was never discussed in my environment- whether at home, school or with friends. I grew up believing that whatever I earnt I could spend, saving was foreign to me. Everything I earnt in my teens would be predominantly spent on Consumerism.

In my late teens and 20's, I fell in love with credit cards. As fast as I could earn I could spend. I believed that credit cards were the banks money and not mine until I received the bill. I made poor decisions and got into a lot of debt, this built up over several years. I finally threw myself into my career to pay of all my debts. Saving and investing did not occur until my mid-late 20's.

My mindset has now grown to a level that I continue to invest in my education to learn new tools and strategies that get me ahead in my finances. This is why I teach women so they can learn from my mistakes. 80% proceeds of my business goes to those without a voice.

Ladies- we need to Create Our Dignity Money

So what is "dignity money." This is the calculation of money you'll need down the road in order to live a very minimal, luxury-free life each month. It's your insurance, so to speak, against destitution, facing poverty - or being referred to as the 'bag lady'. 

You can figure out how much dignity money you'll personally need by determining the smallest amount that it will cost you to live each month. Add up what you spend each month for food, transportation, taxes, housing, telephone, utilities and insurance. Don't include any frills. 

One very important basic is your home. If you own your house or apartment, your mortgage or maintenance is likely to be one of your major expenses; it is perhaps your single greatest expense. Paying off your mortgage greatly reduces your monthly outlay and therefore reduces your total dignity-money requirement. For many women, a preference to eliminate mortgage debt is the more safer and secure option. Having to not pay any mortgage yourself is an essential step to achieving financial independence. Calculate your dignity-money needs both ways-with a mortgage and without. Depending on the current size and condition of your living costs, you may find that financial independence may arrive for you only after the mortgage is paid, whether that date is five, ten, or more years from now. 

Your dignity-money calculation can be a rough number; that's okay. It might be $1,000 a month or $10,000. Each person's sum will be different. In any event, your dignity-money figure is the target level of income for the first stage of creating your financial freedom. Your goal is to generate this amount of cash each month going forward so you won't have anxiety about the basic care of yourself in the future. If you already have your dignity money, then you can feel at ease. Knowing that you're financially secure should give you a good feeling all over and relieve whatever stressful flutters you might have had about money. If you have yet to establish your dignity money, then it's time to begin working toward it. Believe me, no outing, new trinket, or other toy is worth the cost of not taking this step. 

How do you figure out how much you need in order to generate your dignity money? The calculation is simple. Multiply your monthly dignity money number that you've calculated by 12; then add a 0. This provides an estimate of how much money you'll need to invest in order to generate the appropriate monthly income. For example, if your minimal monthly expenses are $4,000, then multiply $4,000 by 12 and add a 0. That means your yearly expenses will total $48,000. 

You will need $480,000 in order to provide you with dignity money. Why? At $4,000 a month, your yearly expenses will total $48,000. The rate of return on investments varies, of course, but history shows that a yield is approximately 10% each year. This means that you will need $480,000 in order to pay you an annual income at the rate of 10% per year, or $48,000. The same formula-monthly expenses times 12, plus a 0-works for any expense level. If your minimal monthly expenses are $6,000, you require $720,000: $6,000 times 12 is $72,000; adding a 0 brings it to $720,000. If your monthly expenses are $1,500, then you'll need $180,000. Do your own calculation. 

This calculation requires one important adjustment-deductions based on the inflation rate. Inflation gradually shrinks your money's value. Therefore, whatever figure you compute will be worth less in the future. Consequently, the amount in you will have to be somewhat greater to compensate for the effects of inflation. Unfortunately, no one can know for sure how high the inflation rate will be in the future. A high inflation rate, like the one we experienced in the 1970s, will have a strongly negative effect on the value of the money generated, just like today, we are seeing between a 5- 8% inflation rate in most western countries. Noting that the moderate inflation over the last  10-15 years (averaging around 3% a year) isn't nearly so powerful. The power of inflation grows significantly as time passes. If you are only one or two years away from the time when you plan to ease out of working, inflation will have little effect on your plans. But if you expect to work for two or three more decades, inflation will make a noticeable difference.

Let's say you calculate your dignity money to be a whopping $600,000. That seems like a lot of money, the thought of how to amass such an amount might be daunting. But if you save this $600,000 gradually, rather than all at once, it will be much less intimidating.

Lets have a look at a couple of examples: 

Rachel enjoys her museum work, and David enjoys his work, too. So they see themselves working into their mid-sixties. That's about thirty-six years from today. Using the Rule of 72, we calculate that if their money grows at an average annual rate of 10% (a conservative average return on stocks), it will double every 7.2 years. In thirty-six years, when they reach sixty-six, their current $10,000 investment can double five times: 

o $10,000 = $20,000 

o $20,000  = $40,000

 o $40,000 = $80,000

o $80,000 = $160,000 

o $160,000 = $320,000 at age 66 

So with their current savings of $10,000 alone, they're halfway to their goal! Now all they need to do is squirrel away some money each month in order to meet the other half of their goal. It is likely Rachel's income will increase with raises, promotions, and career moves, and David's contracting business is expanding rapidly. This should dramatically raise his annual profits. As they both eventually accumulate more cash to invest, they will gain more momentum. Another plus: They have only about $50,000 left to pay on their mortgage, so they will own their house by the time they want to ease out of working full-time. 

Lynn said: 'To grow my own dignity money, I estimate that I will probably need $700,000. That means I'll have $70,000 a year to live on." To advance to the next step-to live more freely, to travel several times a year, and to entertain and frolic without guilt at some of her favorite stores-in other words, to maintain her present lifestyle-she will have to have more cash invested - in excess of $1 million. And she likes to dream even bigger, and is inspired for several million dollars. The important thing to note is that  you need to begin with securing your financial necessities and then moving on. And the tools are at hand to make this process easier than our fears would lead us to believe. 

Betty figures she'll need less dignity money than Lynn does. She earns $76,000 a year as a Lawyer at a small public interest firm that specializes in environmental law. Betty grasps the principle of spending less than you earn and investing the difference and is prepared to do exactly that. Right now, her basic, no-frills monthly expenses total $3,500. She is looking for $420,000 to establish her dignity money. "If I cut back my expenses, I think I can eventually squeeze out $10,000 to invest," Betty announced. "That means you have to really shave those credit cards," I reminded her. But if Betty is able to commit $10,000 a year, she'll be in great shape by the time she's sixty-five. The benefits of securing income are pretty obvious. It's possible to handle it all along the way and still have a good time enjoying life as you go.

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Joan_Perry/216137

Is Retirement Different for Women?

In a recent interview, I was asked the following question: 'How is retirement different for women?' 

This was my answer... I think the main advantage for women is that we're more likely to have a supportive network of family and friends around us than men are. 

And I think that we're more willing to admit that we don't know things and to seek out help when we need it than men are. 

It's a cliche but it's a good example, that when women get lost when they're out driving, they stop and ask for directions. I'm sure many of us have experienced men who would never dream of asking for directions - they just carry on driving in the hope that they'll eventually find their way again. In the same way, I think that women are much more likely to seek out help and emotional support when they need it than men are. A recent report from the Equality and Human Rights Commission says that 'Women are outstripping men in a dozen different ways that mean their lives are often better than men's lives are'. It said women are more likely to be well-educated and more likely to look after their health by eating their five daily fruit and veggies and by visiting their doctor when they first start noticing symptoms. In contrast, men don't live as long as women, they're more likely to be overweight and they're three times more likely to take their own lives - presumably because they don't have those supportive networks to turn to. 

So there are advantages to being a woman that will work in our favour in retirement. 

The big disadvantage for women is a financial one, we're more likely to be poorer than men. Although we're more likely than our mother's generation to have had jobs, we're still more likely than men to spend our retirement in poverty. According to a recent report, over three-fifths of single pensioner households here in Britain - many of which will be single female pensioner households, have a total income of less than £10,000 and another, American, report from the Women's Institute for a Secure Retirement, said that more than 1 in 10 women live on less than $10,000 a year in retirement. 

There are several reasons for this poverty and they're all to do with being female: 

Women STILL make less money than men over the course of their working lifetimes, and we don't get as many promotions as men do 

Women are more likely to have worked in low-paid jobs or to have worked part-time. We are more likely to have had time out of the workplace due to raising children or looking after elderly parents, so we have fewer years to build up our retirement savings. At the same time, during that time that we are out of the workplace, we are also losing out on years of paying into a retirement plan - and if that comes with an employer contribution, we are missing out on the employer's contribution too. 

Most women who have children, have them during their most vital career-development years. Meanwhile, our male colleagues stay in the workforce, get promotions and climb the corporate ladder. When those women return to the workforce after the kids are in school, we are usually going back in at the same level that we left at years before, or, we find that our skills are obsolete, we are going back in at a lower level. So all this puts women further behind in our careers and further behind with our retirement savings. 

There are a couple of other things that contribute to women's potential for poverty in retirement. In addition to women generally earning less than men over the course of our lifetimes, we live longer, so any money we have managed to accumulate has to last us longer. 

Then we have the fact that women tend to take care of everyone else in the family before considering our own needs and so we tend to use the money to help someone else, rather than investing it for our retirement. We will help our kids out, or we will use the money to support our elderly relatives rather than sticking this into a retirement fund. 

And, finally, as far as investment matters are concerned, women tend to be more risk-averse by nature and therefore, we are more likely to be more conservative investors, which, of course, means that, by the time we retire, we probably won't have made as much money on our investments over the course of our working lives. 

Which is all a very long-winded way of saying, yes, I think retirement IS different for women... 

 Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Ann_Harrison/33702

Financial Advice For Single Women

Financial advice geared toward single women is more important than ever before. 

Roughly one-quarter of all households are currently headed by a single woman, with family sizes ranging from no kids to with kids. It might seem financially unfeasible for one woman to raise children on her own. Further complicating the situation is the fact that the majority of female-led households have a smaller income and smaller savings than households of similar size led by men or couples. 

Although no one likes to think that there is such a clear difference between income levels based on sex, most single women do have a more difficult time making ends meet; they make roughly half of the national average for other households of their size. Whether they are experiencing discrimination in the workplace, struggling to raise a family, or dealing with the aftereffects of divorce, it can be difficult to gain a solid financial foothold in today's economy and society.

Fortunately, there are organisations such as Femvestorsglobal who specialise in assisting women who support themselves financially. In addition to taking a unique approach that makes it easier to save without substantially cutting back living expenses, they can provide more realistic solutions for the long-term, as well - ones that take into account the struggles of getting by on one salary when faced with rising healthcare and childcare costs.

What Can Single Women Do to Save? 

The most important thing single women can do for themselves financially is to simply do something. It may not seem like much, but even sitting down and creating a list of goals for the future can be a vital first step. 

Step One: Figure out your current financial situation. 

How much money do you have coming in every month? How much money is going out? Where are there potential areas to start saving - even if it's as little as a few dollars per month at first? 

Step Two: Find a way to save. 

In order to get started on most savings and investment plans, you can have a small amount in hand. We  will be able to help you discover where to cut back to make those savings so that you can start investing earlier. 

Step Three: Invest. 

Single women without kids tend to be bigger risk takers than single women with families - at least when it comes to investing. That's because they don't necessarily have the day-to-day pressures of taking care of children. But the good news is that there is no one answer for single female investors. Whether you want to take advantage of a high-risk investment or you'd rather rely on low-risk bonds, there are financial solutions that will help you get the results you need - many of which you may not have considered before. In fact, some single women are surprised find that purchasing a home or making another large "dream" purchase can not only create a better standard of living, but can also be a sound financial investment. 

Finding the Right Financial Advisor 

Choosing an advisor to help you make smart decisions for the future is much like choosing someone to date; not only do you need a relationship you're comfortable with, but you need to feel confident that your advisor is doing everything he or she can to create the best possible outcome for your entire family. 

Ladies- this is where Femvestorsglobal can support you.

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Wesley_Watkis/362080

Ladies - When Are We Going to Wake Up?

Today's' woman has the all the options in the world, or do we? After all "We've come a long way" But we need to ask ourselves, "Where have we come to?" 

Please read the following statistics: 

• 49% of women over the age of 50 are single and it's on the increase

• Women's retirement income is 26% less than that of men

• 50% of 1st Marriages end in divorce

• 60% of 2nd Marriages end in Divorce

• The average female is expected to remain in the workforce until 74 due to a lack of financial resources

• Married Baby Boomers are expected to outlive their husbands by 6 years

• Of the elderly living in poverty, 3 out of 4 are women. 80% were not poor when their husbands were alive

As women we need to stop making excuses and start playing catch up! 

We cannot count on our husbands, our retirement funds or a Life Insurance policy to take care of us post our working years

The good news is that no matter what your age, there are many great vehicles to help you amass a sizable nest egg which can be invested into a cash flow vehicle

This means you will have additional income which will arrive each month to spend or save as you need. Convinced? Great! 

The next thing you will ask is "Where do I begin?" Glad you asked, if you follow these simple steps you will begin on the journey to financial freedom

1. Stop making excuses. I have heard it over and over "I am not smart enough" or "I don't have the time". Picture yourself in a dingy apartment eating cat food, and you will change your mind

 2. Self-educate 

3. Learn from others

4. Get out of debt

5. Don't put all your eggs in one basket. Get into investing- Real Estate, Index funds, ETF's, stocks to name a few. This is how all millionaires become wealthy. Your goal is to derive income from multiple sources 

6. Personal Development. You have to change your mindset to believe you are worthy

You need to understand how you got to where you are so you do not repeat your mistakes 

If you have a poverty mentality-get rid of it! 

If you are addicted to shopping, find out why and overcome it! Your only hope of success is to change your mindset. 

Remember the definition of insanity is doing the same things over and over and expecting different results! 

These 6 things are a good start to get you on the road to wealth creation. 

If you don't look out for yourself financially who will? 

Don't expect family or the government to be there

Make a change now or live with regret

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Sheila_Carothers/51874

Why Women Stay Poor

Legislation aimed at addressing the earnings gap between men and women has been around for more than 50 years. Despite that women still earn substantially less than men (80 cents in the $) and continue to work in lower paid professions. Progress is being made but not as fast as we might expect.

So how does our conditioning and make up impact our attitude to money and how does that get in the way of reaching our full potential (which should be at least equal to our male counterpart)? 

There are certainly enough motivators. We hate the fact that we don't have enough money, we know we probably spend too much and we certainly know we don't save as much as we should. 

Every day we read horror stores about inadequate retirement and old age poverty. These are still not enough to spur us into action and take control of our income generation. 

The answer lies in our conditioning and is intrinsic to who we are. Until we understand how this impacts our attitude to money, all the changes in legislation and extended maternity leave in the world will not raise our earning levels. 

Our conditioning is determined at a very early age. Some time between the ages of 0 and 8 we are taught a set of values or beliefs. In fact, David McClelland, Distinguished Research Professor of Boston University, proved it could be as early as 0 to 3 when our 'values' are determined by our parents and those most closest to us. These values impact how we feel about and respond to all sorts of things including our attitudes to money, wealth and the types of work we should be pursuing. 

The emphasis on should is deliberate. Values are all about what we believe we should be doing to please others, to please society in general and to fit in. 

For women and money this is complicated. Women today are taught the importance of being financially independent, to be self reliant because, after all, 'a man is not a plan'. However, sometimes the messages we hear growing up are inconsistent and conflicting. On the one hand, we're taught about the importance of money the need to spend and save it wisely. At the same time we are taught that it's just as important to be kind, sensitive and easy going; that the most important thing is our relationship with others and not our relationship with money. 

We are different to men: we are not taught how to be powerful or how to win at all costs. This makes us reluctant to demand what we think we deserve, including equal pay. 

To add insult to injury, going back generationally we were told at a very early age that girls are poor at maths. From this we conclude that we must be bad at finance and managing money as well. As a consequence, we lack confidence in dealing with money, preferring others to take charge. 

If our grandparents were raised during or shortly after the war, we also inherited a mentality of scarcity by our own parents, which continues to impact our attitude to risk and money as we become adults and parents in our own right.

 What has been the result? 

Besides the earnings gap which persists, a survey by the Economist Intelligence Unit on behalf of Barclays Wealth showed that we are far less likely to take risks with our money, whether in personal finance or business affairs. Women tend to place less importance than men on our income from investments and we save to reach a goal. Once the goal is reached we will often act to protect what it is that we have built up. This means we are limiting our potential to create even more wealth and be financially free. 

Men have a different attitude and game plan. The same survey showed that men claim to have better knowledge than women of every aspect of personal finance. They are more confident and as Dr Ros Altmann, Governor of the London School of Economics states, "Men have more of a mindset that you have to just go out and get it and you can see their attitude towards risk taking in the games they play." It may just be a matter of confidence or bravado, but men play to win, take less time researching investment products and invest in the longer term. 

Does this all mean we are doomed to stay poor for the rest of our lives? No! It means that what you focus on is what you get and it's time to focus on getting rich. Being rich is a positive thing. It is about flexibility, freedom and being in control. 

What do we need, to become financially free? 

1. Choose to do something about your financial literacy. 

Financial skills are not innate but learnt. We need to learn financial skills and practice them to gain confidence.

2. Spend don't save 

Invest a defined amount (minimum 10% of your net income) every month into a high income bearing savings account - but don't leave it there. Once you have accumulated enough, buy an asset which will produce passive income indefinitely. This could be an investment property which produces positive cash flow or stocks which pay dividends. Use this positive cash flow to buy a second income generating asset and continue to build assets. 

3. Develop financial goals and stick to them 

After you've built your financial skill, define how much income and assets you need to make you feel 'rich'. This will be different for each individual. If you are planning your retirement fund aim to build a fund that contains 25 times the annual amount you want to have when you retire. So, if you want a total income of $35,000 each year when you retire, you need to have $875,000 in your retirement fund.

4. Reward achievement in investment - don't use spending as emotional support 

A client wanted to buy a new Audi sportscar for $500 per month. Our challenge to her was to develop a stream of passive income to produce $500 per month within a year and then buy the sportscar as a reward. 

5. Network, network, network - but network with financially literate and clever people. 

We are told that we are great at networking so use this skill to build networks with others (both men and women) who are interested in building wealth. 

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Pam_Kennett/31862

Advice by Women For Women On How to Save - Retirement Planning

Here are some tips about retirement investing for women: 

First, we must understand that Investing is emotional. It is tied to our mindset and sometimes we don't plan far enough ahead for very personal reasons that can often be self-defeating. If you can relate, seek out advice from other women who have made the retirement decision to plan ahead.

Tie your savings and retirement goals to your personal goals. Examine what you believe your health may (or may not) be and whether or not the swimming or golfing or running a marathon goals are realistic and achievable in your retirement.

The 40-60 age group is deciding if they want to change careers, change their life goals, or stay in what they are doing right now. They are at that midway place in their lives where they are planning for their long-term goals. 

Women need 20% more than men to retire because we are living approx. five years longer than men 

Women tend to invest more conservatively than men because we fear losing our money.

• Instead of fearing losing our money, we REALLY NEED TO focus on whether we will run out of money
• If you are too conservative with your investing then your savings won't keep up with inflation
•  Your living costs for retirement will depend on your lifestyle, check out the 4% rule as a starting point
• A diversified portfolio is the best and sticking with that is important! 
• Can you afford to count on living on your retirement pot?
• Be actively involved in setting aside money. We recommend at least 10% of your monthly income to be allocated to your investing journey.

In terms of contributing to your retirement pot:

• Make use of your employer matching program if available to you (Country and Employer specific)
• Check the tax rules for self employment for your home country
• Many countries offer tax relief if you personally contribute, look out for SIPP, ISA, IRA's or applicable for your specific geographic location
• Countries such as Australia have a government agreement with employers. You employer is required to allocate a certain percentage of your income to a unique fund which you can access at aged 55

If you have a windfall of money you may or may not be subject to tax on it, so be smart with your goals and what your plans are for that money so that it lasts for you. Seek advice to ascertain your most appropriate option

• Be smart about what you get because most people go through a windfall in two years 
• Control your destiny with your good choices

Don't try to time the markets and wait it out. Buy index funds today and allocate funds monthly to take advantage of compounding and $ cost averaging

We tend to work from three cash strategies: 

1. Long-term: If you have long-term goals, have your money working long-term. 

2 & 3. Short-Term and Cash Flow: Plan your strategy and work your goals and plans around your lifestyle and what you need and want to happen. Plan for that money. 

And when it comes to retirement planning by watching the news.....

TV media hype is slanted, biased and mostly (just plain) ignorant. 

When you plan for your retirement take these tips into consideration. That way the twenty years you hadn't planned for, won't have you looking for a job at your local grocery store. 

You cannot also overlook the opportunity to start your own business. It is an true way to gain tax advantages, increase your savings and plan for your retirement. 

Dervived from Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Mischelle_Watkins/343114

Women Facing Poverty in Retirement

Women often reach retirement age with fewer pension benefits and retirement assets than men. All workers need to save more for retirement, but women face added challenges because we have lower earnings, experience higher job turnover, and have a longer life expectancy. Women generally begin retirement with smaller pensions than our male counterparts but usually live longer than men. Our retirement pot is intended to be a supplemental source of income in retirement, but too many women are forced to rely on it as our sole source support in retirement. As a result of these issues, elderly women in the many western nations have high poverty rates. 

Women Save Less than Men for Retirement 

Among the reasons that women save less than men is that women earn less than men; lower earnings equal lower retirement savings. The Equal Pay Act was passed between Mid 60's and early 70's in the majority of western nations and yet half a century later, women make only 81 cents for every dollar earned by men. According to the National Women's Law Center, "This persistent pay gap translates to more than $10,000 in lost wages per year for the average female worker."

Equal pay is not just a women's issue; it is a family issue. Women make up half of many countries' workforce and mothers are the primary breadwinners or co-breadwinners in nearly two-thirds of families. Wage discrimination harms many families by limiting their economic security now and their retirement security in the future. 

Women Have Different Work Patterns 

Women generally spend less time in the workforce due to family care-giving responsibilities, from raising children (and grandchildren) to caring for elderly parents. Also, women are more likely to work in part-time jobs that don't qualify for a retirement plan. Such job interruptions mean less opportunity to save for retirement and to contribute to a retirement fund. 

Married Women Often Rely on Spouse's Savings 

It is not unusual for many married women to rely on their spouse's retirement savings. Under traditional pension plans, benefits to married workers were paid as a lifetime annuity with benefits for the spouse. You will need to understand the details within your spouse's retirement plan to find out if you qualify to claim any entitlements on that plan should your spouse pass away and you receive the benefit automatically, 

You will also need to ensure you discuss the retirement fund should divorce proceedings arise, please don't just accept the house as a settlement without discussing all options prior to an agreement being reached.

Women Invest More Conservatively Than Men 

Studies indicate that women invest more conservatively than men. Women tend to emphasise safety over return. They often save less for retirement and then sacrifice long term growth with a low risk investment strategy. The interest rates on a bank account will not suffice given current inflation rates.

Women Need More Money for Retirement 

Women have longer life expectancies than men. Life expectancy for women now is approximately five years more than that for men. Consequently, women spend longer in retirement. For married women, 70% of them will outlive their husbands. Unmarried women (including widows) age 65 and older rely on a retirement fund for 50 percent of their total income. Because women tend to live longer than men, they are in greater danger of outliving their other sources of retirement income. 

Startling Statistics 

The latest Census Bureau data show a significant and alarming increase in poverty and extreme poverty among women, men and children. The shocking statistics is that 1 in 5 working women retire with $0.

Changes Needed to Close the Retirement Savings Gender Gap 

• Continue to work to eradicate the wage disparities between men and women 

• Increase retirement coverage for lower-wage, part-time and temporary workers

• Provide additional retirement support for women whose primary role is care-giving

• Require policy changes for countries which do not support an easy transfer of retirement funds for partners of spouses

• Allow tax-free transfers of retirement assets between spouses

• Provide investment education specific to the overly cautious investment strategy chosen by many women. 

Ultimately, the basic saving strategies are the same for men and women: start saving early, contribute as much as you can to your company retirement plan and don't take money out of your retirement plan to meet short-term needs. 

However, it is especially important for women to stay focused on saving for retirement as pay inequity and the work patterns of many women reduce our future retirement income. 

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Stacey_L_Spencer/784370

Women Can Love Investing (Yes Really!)

Ladies- We can learn to love investing. Investing is a passion of mine. I find it empowering, freeing, and confidence building! You can learn to have your money work for you and make you money, so you're not dependent on working the rest of your life. It's awesome to see money being made with your computer and not from your labour! Once you learn to invest, it's like having your own golden goose. The golden goose provides more money for you over the years and works hard, so you don't have to. 

Did you know women are better investors than men? There have been studies of men's and women's investment clubs and women consistently made more money with their investing. The reasoning is that women think through their investment decisions longer before selecting them and hold their investments longer. 

Another reason women make good investors is because investing is like shopping. We're used to comparing prices, knowing brands, and watching for sales! Investing is the same way. You figure out what you want and you wait for a good price to buy it. Heck, you do that every week!

99% of women will have to manage their own money at some point in their lives (the average age of widowhood is 59). Do you want to learn about money when you're grieving and least able to deal with it or when you choose to? 

Making money is simply a function of 3 things: the money you have to start with, the time you have to compound, and the rate you earn. The more of any of those 3 things you have, the easier it is. If you don't have a lot of money to start with, but you have a lot of years before you need the money, or you can compound (earn) a high rate, you can build wealth. 

If you want to learn how to swim, you can't cling to the side of the pool. Eventually you have to let go and try to swim. When you get good at swimming, you can eventually go into the deep end. You don't try that on the first day! It's the same thing with investing. If you want to build wealth, you can't keep your money in a savings account. You must give yourself time to learn to invest and let your money create a golden goose for you! 

The reason it's important to take some measured risk with your money, is because it allows you to get a higher return. For example, if a savings account was paying 1% interest. At 1%, it will take 72 years to double your money. Not a great way to accumulate money to retire! But the stock market has returned 10% on average over the long-term, which will double your money in a little over 7 years! That will build wealth - the savings account won't - and you will be able to have a comfortable retirement. That's why you need to invest in stocks! 

I often hear women say they don't feel "worthy" of having a lot of money. I think a lot of this stems from the fact as women, we don't know our self- worth. Studies have shown that men know what they are worth in their job and women don't. At first, it was surprising for me to hear this, but then it made sense. Women are taught to be of service, to put our needs behind others, to be polite, to defer to others. If we translate that behavior to money, it means we don't feel worthy. We give the power away. We will have fears around it and "trust" others to handle it for us. We don't need to do that. Not anymore. 

I'm here to say women, you can do it! You can overcome your fear of loss or overwhelm. Investments don't require much time to manage once you've got the hang of it. I spend less than an hour a week handling my personal investments. However, most of my time is spent reading about investments and looking for new opportunities than tweaking the investments themselves. 

I started in my late twenties with $0, I read lot of books and attended several training courses about millionaires and investing. I also looked at where Billionaires invested, listened to podcasts and taught myself how to invest in stocks and became a millionaire at age 38. It begins with having a wealthy mindset and ends with creating your legacy. Only one step involves investing! Did you know that you don't even have to have a lot of money to start investing? You can open an investment account online for free. There's no excuse not to learn! 

If you have a mentor, it can help take the fear of overwhelm away. A mentor can show you how to navigate easily, just like a tour guide can in a foreign country. Over time, you will gain confidence and realise it's not as difficult as you first thought. Like anything with practice, it gets easier - and the rewards are much better! You can learn to build serious wealth which will make your life a lot easier, less stressful, and give you a better marriage and family life. 

What is a stock? A "stock" is simply a share of ownership in a company (think of companies like your favorite brands in handbags, shoes, food, etc.). Companies sell shares of stock in their company when they want to raise money. Suppose designer Stella Mcartney wanted to open boutiques around the world? She could sell shares in her company and raise the money to do that. 

The "stock market" is simply where lots of companies are selling shares. Initially they sell shares from their company to raise the money and from there investors buy and sell them to and from each other. It's kind of like eBay, except you're buying and selling shares of companies!

But isn't it risky? Isn't it like gambling? There is risk, but you can mitigate risk several ways - buy spreading it out among multiple companies you own, by buying companies that have a low fluctuation of price, by not owning just stocks and adding in other types of investments. Some people speculate, but most people are not trying to "get rich quick", they are investing for the long-term, which is the safest way to invest. The longer you stay invested, the more likely it is you will make money with your investments. If you stayed invested during the crash of 2008, the stock market is up 80% from the low point. 

The Dalai Lama has said, "The Western woman will save the world." I believe that's true. Women are cooperative, intuitive, and we like to share with others. I see a lot of women giving to the less fortunate, like helping women start businesses with "micro" loans. The average loan someone in a foreign country needs to start a life-changing business to feed their family is only $27! The women in villages teach others in the village how to run a business, so the effects are far reaching and magnified. 

Isn't it time you empowered yourself to learn about money and investing? Isn't it time you felt your own worth and independence? Learning to create wealth yourself will do that for you and investing is a way you can build a lot of wealth. You just have to decide to do it and find a mentor to reduce the learning time and improve your success rate. Soon you will have your own golden goose and love investing too! 

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Linda_P._Jones/303130 

Strategies For Women To Secure Your Financial Future

Regardless of marital status and current financial situation, even if you are well off right now things can change fast- redundancy, divorce, separation, business foreclosure, medical conditions, high household debt or even debts incurred by your partner that you are liable for (such as gambling or personal loans). 

Nevertheless, here are some techniques to secure your financial future. Noting that the below will go along way towards protecting you, no matter what life has in store: 

If you're married, open your own savings account, in addition to the accounts you have with your husband or partner - which should include a joint emergency fund worth about 10% of your combined income - put aside 10% of your personal annual income in your own name, Why? Because either one of you can clean out a joint account at any time furthermore, having a savings account in your own name - without your husband or boyfriend - ensures that you have funds available in case of disaster, illness, or disability. 

Get your own credit card. Having at least one card in your own name that you use regularly establishes your credit history; if you're married, it will give you some protection if anything goes wrong with your husband's credit. Good credit is crucial for everything from getting a low mortgage rate to opening a mobile phone account. Open a retirement account if you do not have one. 

Here is a scary statistical study: 2.5 million US women age 65 and over live in poverty - more than twice the number of men in poverty in that age bracket. So, whether you're single or married, you need your own retirement account. Not only does your own retirement account protect you in case of divorce, its fun to control the investment options. Join your plan at work if your company offers one. Although many experts recommend saving 10% of your income for retirement, even if you're saving only the minimum, a little bit will make a big difference over time. 

Plan for the worst, if anyone depends on your income or your husband's income - like your kids, an aging parent, or even yourself - you both need enough life insurance to support those dependents in case one of you dies unexpectedly. Most single people without kids don't need insurance, unless they support another family member. 

A rough rule of thumb: Insure your husband/partner for 7 to 10 times his salary, if the family depends on your income; use the same rule for your own life insurance. And if either you or your partner is not working, consider a minimum of $250,000. Most people won't necessarily need life insurance forever - usually just until your kids can earn their own income. That's why it's a smart move to buy "term insurance," which covers you for a set period of time - say, 20 years. 

If you support a family member who will never be able to live independently - like a disabled child or parent - or if you'd like your spouse to be protected through your old age, you should consider "permanent insurance," such as whole-life policies. These cost more but cover you for your entire life as long as you pay the premiums.

Get organised. In an emergency, you don't want to waste time rummaging for important papers or passwords. Once a year, list all your bank accounts, credit cards, loans, investments, insurance policies, and other financial data in one place - keep it all on paper with any PIN numbers or access codes in a safe-deposit box or other safe location, or in a secure computer file. You also need to list the name of your lawyer, where your will is, and details about any other assets you have. 

Build your own relationships. Develop your own relationship with any financial professionals that you use in your family, The worst time to try to make that happen is after an emotional situation, like a death or divorce. Attend all appointments and sit in on all phone calls with financial planners - and ask as many questions as it takes for you to truly understand your financial picture. Above all, don't sign any financial documents without knowing what they mean. If you take steps now to build relationships and understand your finances as a whole, you - and your money - will be better off. 

Lastly, invest your money to the wisely. Here are the things to be considered in choosing your investment options: Security, Legality, check for hidden charges and Low transaction fees, offers premier services, Convenience and Stability

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Christopher_Panlaqui/148070