First published 1990
Financial advisor Margaret Chen thought retirement planning would be straightforward until she encounters clients whose needs don't match the textbook scenarios. When divorced teacher Janet arrives with minimal savings at fifty-five, followed by widow Ruth struggling with investment decisions, Margaret realizes her standard formulas fall short. Each woman brings different circumstances: single mothers juggling multiple jobs, entrepreneurs building businesses late in life, caregivers who sacrificed careers for family. Margaret must navigate workplace politics at her male-dominated firm while developing new strategies that account for women's interrupted career paths and longer lifespans. As she advocates for her clients, Margaret confronts her own assumptions about money and security. The story explores how women's financial journeys differ from men's, examining the intersection of gender, economics, and aging in America.
Genres: family-life, business, contemporary, non-fiction, finance, personal-finance
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: career-sacrifice, gender-roles
170 pages · Hardcover · Springer Pub Co