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?

Available in Spanish!

WISER’s guide, Financial Steps for Caregivers/ Medidas Financieras para los Cuidadores.

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.

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

The New York Times, and the San Juan Star Daily have articles highlighting the financial challenges 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 / 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.

News from WISER

REGISTER! October 4, 2023WISER’s Annual Women’s Retirement Symposium: Women & Retirement: Improving the Pathways Forward. Event will be virtual and in-person in Washington, DC. AGENDA

New report, Caregiving wallops retirement savings: Here’s how. See WISER’s Financial Steps for Caregivers and the Caregiving Hub for additional resources.

WISER trainer featured in this New York Times article, Your Finances in Retirement: When Do You Turn Over Control?

The Broadcast Retirement Network features an interview with Cindy Hounsell of WISER and Ramsey Alwin of NCOA discussing the results from the recent “What Women Say” survey. Watch the video here.

August 26th, Women’s Equality Day, reminds us that the majority of older women around the world are struggling in old age — women live longer and need more income to avoid poverty. Become a Wiser Woman: pay attention to what happens to Social Security & Medicare —  the bedrock programs for the majority of older Americans and their families.

Just released: Longevity Literacy Study shows individuals with strong longevity knowledge are more likely to plan and save for retirement while working, and they tend to experience better financial outcomes in retirement.

8/15/23 Moms Equal Pay Day raised awareness about pay inequity between mothers and fathers in the workforce. See: AAUW’s Fast Facts: Mothers in the Workforce.

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.   *

Featured Resources

Featured

I-Bonds Paying Interest Rate of 4.30%

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.

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Media Resources

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 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.

Click to access the login or register cheese
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