Nine Notes on Wearing the Pants Part I

Once upon a time, little girls were brought up to believe that prince charming would arrive in their lives and take care of them forever. Their pretty little dresses and soft little smiles would take care of business.

Not any more.

Today, more and more women are the sole providers of their households. Either they have chosen not to marry, or their husbands have been downsized, or died, or they are divorced.

Today, many, many women are the primary wage earners in their families, that is, they earn more than their husbands. For years, this was a dirty little secret among gifted women who were rising in the executive ranks. They displayed normal marriage pictures, to most of their friends. It was not nice to wear the pants in the family. Other womens husbands were not to know that poor Joe wasnt making all that much, or that his salary was far smaller than his wifes overtime wages. Loss of respect for the man among other men in the social and business circle was to be prevented, often at emotional cost to the woman as well as the pretending success man in the house.

Thankfully, the new millennium is seeing continuing change in this area. Although womens salaries and executive status still do not match up to mens, women not only wear the pants; it is extremely difficult to find a dress in womens clothing shop. Dress for success very often means pantsuits, right up to the few female United States Senators and the First Ladies.

And as women have increasingly been forced or invited by life to manage their own resources, they now need to be guided by thoughtful financial planners. Men knew this long ago. It is a myth that men have a natural aptitude for money management that women lack. The wealth-building success of men has historically depended upon their partnership with other men who were wiser and better informed---about breaking opportunities; about long-term investing; about changes in the market; about planning form retirement.

These men relied upon their family bankers, their Wall Street advisors, their hand-picked team for success down the road, their financial old boys network.

It is past time for women to do the same.

Working women of every age need to take a good look at the team they build around themselves for healthy long-term lifestyles. Maybe, in the case of women, Circle is a better word. Instead of sewing circles or scrapbook circles or neighborhood circles, women need financial circles; investment circles; PROSPERITY CIRCLES!

Women live longer than men---their resources must last longer. Women earn less than men---their resources must stretch farther. Women are societys caregivers, for children, parents, and critically important volunteer and charitable organizations---their resources must cover many, but not at their expense.