Smart Women Finish Rich

Take nine steps in planning your financial future.

Women often are financially vulnerable: they earn less than men, live longer, and may lack fiscal fundamentals. Rose Bach decided she would be different.

Bach was the chief wig buyer at Gimbel’s department store in New York City. Although she and her husband were poor, she decided that investing was the key to success. Without any advice, she bought as many stocks and bonds as she could and encouraged her grandson to do the same. At age seven, he made his first stock purchase after saving his allowance for months: three shares of McDonald’s.

Inspired by his grandma’s example, author David Bach went on to advise countless women about gaining financial security. Many women don’t know the details of their family finances, though it is increasingly common for a woman to become her family’s financial mainstay. In the United States, women sign “seven out of ten personal checks,” are responsible for “upwards of 52% of all earned household income,” and own more than nine million small businesses – a majority.

To plan for a secure future and gain control of your finances, take these nine steps:

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