#1 For Life And Retirement Strategies Tip of the day! Men vs. Women

Men vs. Women: The Wage and Savings Gap in 4 Charts

#1 For Life And Retirement Strategies Tip of the day!
https://www.google.com/+VasiliosVossSperos 602-531-5141

If you're a woman, I've got good news and bad news when it comes to retirement planning.

The good news is that despite the fact that, on average, you earn as much as 40% less than males and spend considerably less time in the workforce -- usually to care for a child or an elderly family member -- you are out-saving most of your male brethren for retirement. Considering the additional obstacles, that's a huge deal.

But the bad news -- aside from the aforementioned wage and time-in-the-workforce disparity -- is that among those earning above $100,000, women are leagues behind their male counterparts.

The big picture 

Headline findings is that men simply have far more money invested in their 401(k)s than women do -- by a magnitude of 50% -- and they earn about 40% more per year.

Clearly, a host of factors are combining to make the retirement planning process far more difficult for women.

Going beyond the knee-jerk reaction
It would be easy to simply throw our arms up and say, "The system is rigged from the get-go." But if we delve a little deeper into the findings, we see some important distinctions.

First and foremost, women's approach to retirement planning is sound. On average, they participate more in defined-contribution plans and save more of their salary every year for retirement. Women are also more willing to allow professionals to manage that money. Over time, that professional management (especially considering that it comes from Spence, Cassidy and Associates) yields better results than the do-it-yourself approach many males try without the proper training.

In fact, when we look at all individuals earning less than $100,000 per year -- about 96% of Americans -- women are doing a better job of saving for retirement. It is only when we consider the country's top earners that we see disparity creep in.

When it comes to the vast majority of wage earners in the United States, such parity in retirement savings should provide a ray of hope.

Where the problem lies 

It's clear that once we begin looking at the upper echelons of wage earners, men have a marked advantage over women.

The most demonstrable reason for this disparity is that women -- on average -- spend 12 fewer years in the workforce than men. Most importantly, these breaks in continuity make it increasingly difficult for women to get the types of promotions that lead to jobs paying over $100,000 per year.

For women who find themselves in this position -- entering the upper echelons of society and wishing to maintain an equal footing with men's retirement portfolios -- there are a few key steps that can be taken.

First, approach investing with a decades-long time frame. Remember, as a woman, you'll likely live longer than the average man and will thus need your money to last longer.

And second, be willing to invest more aggressively. Though that usually means a more volatile ride, volatility isn’t the same as risk when you're willing to hold for the long term and not panic. Over a long enough time frame, you will earn higher returns for this higher risk, and it can help you keep pace with your male counterparts. So don't trade the risk of short-term losses for the risk of running out of money in what will hopefully be a long retirement.

Either way, women are doing a great job saving for retirement. And if they weren't taking time off to care for family members, they would be head and shoulders above men when it comes to retirement planning.

How to get even more income during retirement

Whether you're a man or woman, Social Security plays a key role in your financial security. But it's not the only way to boost your retirement income. Our retirement experts give their insight on a simple strategy that can help ensure a more comfortable retirement for you and your family.

Source: Social Security Administration.

Vasilios "Voss" Speros 602-531-5141
Spence Cassidy and Associates
#LifeInsurance #RetirementStrategies
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