Georgina, my wife, says she does not find investing scary but perhaps that's because we often talk about it at home. Not doing it, of course, is simply not an option for millions of American women.
Numerous studies show that women are in worse financial shape than men in the United States.
Women typically earn less, live longer and leave the workforce more often to care for children and aging relatives. Therefore, women must invest, and invest smartly, to make up for lost ground. But in all the surveys I've seen, more women than men also say their parents never discussed money matters with them, let alone investing. The most recent studies found that the number of women who expect to work past retirement age has gone up, from 57 percent in 1998 to 65 percent today - many not because they want to but because they have to, to make ends meet. Against this backdrop, it is no wonder that many financial-services firms are going all out to try to reach women they see as potential clients.