Unfortunately, women's pension plans just don't measure up. There is a simple reason for this. The pension you receive depends on whether you stay on the job. Today, more and more women are leaving the work force, because of layoffs, poor job prospects, or to spend more time with their families. On average, women are out of the work force for at least ten years, while men, on average, take just one year out of the work force.
Women often think that they can rely on their husbands' pensions, but they are wrong.
Let's assume that a couple is living on the husband's pension, and the woman dies. Though grief-stricken, the husband suffers no financial detriment, and goes on collecting his full pension. But let's say the husband dies first, as is ordinarily the case. Not surprisingly, most widows who are poor now were not poor before their husbands died. Whether you are married or not, here are some of the things that you can do to build a secure retirement for yourself.