Facebook Twitter Linkedin

About Our Programs

National Resource Center on Women & Retirement
Appalachian Savings Project
iOme College Challenge
Latina Savings Project
Women's Financial Challenges:
WhyWomen-slides2
WhyWomen-slides2 3
WhyWomen-slides2 2
Previous image
Next image

Key Financial Issues

Caregiver Resources – Financial Caregiving Hub
Divorce
Financial Fraud & Scams
Health & Long-Term Care
Retirement Planning
Saving & Investing
Social Security
Widowhood
Why Women

Highlights

Loss of a spouse can result in financial vulnerability. Life insurance can help you avoid a financial impact. For more information, see WISER’s factsheet: Are You Sure About Life Insurance?

Now available in Spanish! WISER’s guide, Financial Steps for Caregivers/ Medidas Financieras para los Cuidadores.

Your Future Paycheck® Calculator is an annuity calculator. See how a lump sum payment would be converted to a monthly amount.

Five Questions to Ask Your Mother or Grandmother offers help with meaningful conversations to have with important women in your life. The booklet won GOLD honors from National Mature Media Awards.

Planning Tool: The Longevity Illustrator from the American Academy of Actuaries and Society of Actuaries asks about your health and demographics and shows the likelihood that you (and your partner) may live to certain ages.

A New York Times article highlights the financial challenges for for many Latinas when it comes to long-term savings, and mentions WISER, our partner, MANA, and the Latina Savings Project.

 

WISER partner Transamerica Institute’s latest survey report on women’s retirement shows more than four in 10 working women (41 percent) expect to retire at age 70 or older or do not plan to retire.

Poverty rates among older Americans rose from 8.9% in 2020 to 10.3% in 2021. For many older minority women, the poverty rates were even higher. Pay inequity contributes to this outcome. See WISER’s factsheet: The Story is in the Numbers

WISER and partners, the National Caucus and Center on Black Aging, Inc., and MANA, A National Latina Organization, spotlight challenges that put older minority women at risk for poverty in old age and highlight opportunities for change. Report: Your Future Paycheck: Minority Women and Retirement Income

News from WISER

WISER / National Council on Aging (NCOA) National Surveys – What Women Say: Insights and Policy Solutions for Lifelong Financial Security includes a website,  fact sheet and surveys. Findings: half of U.S. women ages 25+ are struggling financially today, and 90% or more support bipartisan policy solutions to help. Read the press release.

 

Congratulations to WISER’s iOme Challenge Winners: Benjamin Ault and Hans-Jacob Larsen Nesheim of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Read the essay, US Retirement Policy: Personalizing Retirement Security.

 

WISER is 2023 Award Winner of the American Society on Aging’s Advancing Economic Security for Older Adults Award! Read the press release.

 

BLOG: The U.S. Department of Labor recognizes WISER President Cindy Hounsell who has been “Increasing women’s financial education and retirement security since 1996.”

 

WISER was on BRN Weekly’s Secure Saturday, discussing how women are still playing financial catch-up to men and provisions of the SECURE Act that help improve women’s financial security.

 

WISER’s The Story is in the Numbers: shows poverty rates among older Americans rose in 2021. For many older minority women, the poverty rates were even higher.

About WISER
Why Women
Wondering where to begin? Check out the "Start Here" page.
Top 5 Retirement Challenges for Women
  • Women usually live longer than men but tend to save less for retirement
  • Women make 82 cents to every dollar a man earns.
  • Women are more likely to work part-time jobs without access to workplace savings plans.
  • Women are still the primary caregivers, often leaving jobs to care for family members.
  • Older women rely on Social Security; for many it is their only source of income.
WISER’s goal is to help women make the best financial decisions they can by providing the information and resources needed to take action and create a secure financial future. 
*   WISER’S PUBLICATIONS AND FACT SHEETS ARE AVAILABLE TO DOWNLOAD AND PRINT FOR PERSONAL AND INDIVIDUAL USE ONLY. 
IF YOU WOULD LIKE MULTIPLE COPIES FOR DISTRIBUTION, PLEASE CONTACT WISER.   *

Noteworthy

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has several reverse mortgage resources for prospective and current borrowers and their families:

Your Future Paycheck® calculator is an annuity calculator. See how a lump sum payment would be converted to a monthly amount.

WISER partner Retirement Clearinghouse reaches new milestone in helping workers  save for retirement. Press release.

yahoo!money interview with WISER’s Cindy Hounsell: Expert explains the ‘dirty secret’ when it comes to retirement and women

MarketWatch – The divorce of Bill and Melinda Gates gets attention – things to know about ending a long marriage. Interview with Cindy Hounsell (President, WISER)

MarketWatch article by Kerry Hannon: Women have made strides financially — why are we still afraid to talk about money?

Featured Resources
Featured

I-Bonds Paying Interest Rate of 6.89%

Savings Bonds are often considered a safe and trustworthy investment because the U.S. government backs them. There are different types of savings bonds, the most recent and one of the most popular types being the I Bond.  A key feature of the I Bond is that it is inflation-protected.

Read More »
Financial Fraud and Scams

Money Mule Scams

Money Mules are typically the unwitting victims of fraudsters who are tricked into receiving and forwarding money as part of a money laundering scam or other fraud. Do not let yourself become a money mule. Here’s what you need to know.

Read More »

Media Resources

In this article (and video), Kerry Hannon, Yahoo! Finance Senior Columnist discusses Seniors: This year’s big increase in Social Security benefits is falling short.

Her Two Cents Podcast is hosted by Laura Webb and Faith Doyle. Somebody to Lean On: The Cost of Caregiving features Guest Cindy Hounsell of WISER, the Women’s Institute for a Secure Retirement and a discussion of the cost of Caregiving and how you can protect yourself both financially and emotionally as you navigate this journey with your loved one.

Corporate gerontologist and caregiving expert, Sherri Snelling interviews Cindy Hounsell of WISER (Women’s Institute for a Secure Retirement) on the Caregiving Club. Cindy talks about a new tool from WISER for caregivers called the Caregiver Financial Hub.

Social Security: Learning How the System Protects Your Financial Future
socialSecurityMattersLogo

SSA Blog, 3/2/23, by Cindy Hounsell, President, WISER

Women’s income security continues to be a challenge. Women are overrepresented in the low-wage workforce, and many must work part-time to accommodate family caregiving responsibilities. As a result, many women have lower Social Security benefits and fewer savings in personal accounts and workplace plans.

How much you will receive from Social Security? Sign up for a my Social Security account to get an estimate of future benefits. Learn more: Social Security & Women.

Facebook Twitter Linkedin

Copyright @2000-2023 WISER. All rights reserved.
WISER® is registered trademark of the Women’s Institute for a Secure Retirement. U.S. Registration No. 2264185

Click to access the login or register cheese
Scroll to Top