First published 1997
Christopher Hayes confronts a stark reality: one third to two thirds of women between thirty-five and fifty-five will face poverty after age sixty-five without immediate financial preparation. As Founder and Executive Director of the National Center for Women and Retirement Research, Hayes addresses the psychological and structural barriers that leave women financially vulnerable. Women save less regularly than men, receive fewer Social Security and pension benefits, and face higher risks from divorce and widowhood. Hayes develops a financial personality test to help women identify their money attitudes and overcome gender-based resistance to saving and investing. The book combines practical investment guidance with psychological insights, using case studies and a specialized self-assessment tool called the "Women Cents Self-Test." Hayes provides targeted advice for different personality types, helping readers recognize their financial patterns and psychological barriers. The book serves as both warning and roadmap, showing women how to build economic security and plan for retirement without fear or anxiety.
Genres: business, self-help, economics, finance, personal-finance, womens-studies
Vibes: informative, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: financial-literacy, self-improvement
448 pages · Hardcover · Doubleday