Women can get financial help

It’s unfortunate but true: If you’re a woman, you face more obstacles than men in achieving financial security. And that means you may well need to put in some extra effort.

Just how serious is your challenge? For one thing, women still face a gender pay gap – based on median incomes, women earn about 82 cents for every dollar a man makes, according to the Census Bureau. This pay gap amounts to a nearly $470,000 difference in lifetime earnings, according to an Edward Jones/Age Wave study.

Furthermore, when factoring in the career disruptions women face because of caring for children and elderly parents, that $470,000 becomes a $1.1 million lifetime earnings gap, according to the study.