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If there is in fact a gender disparity in investing behavior, it is likely due to social factors of those genders, not anything inherent.
Agree, the alleged "gender-dependent" factors are usually social factors. In fact, I can't really think of anything that is truly gender-dependent except different purely physical (ie, not even that is psychologic) roles of women vs. men in procreation.
I've always wondered why Jehovah's Witnesses push window washing as a career? What is it about window washing?
Most Window Washers are self-employed [unless you are on a crew that focuses on high buildings and use the climbing harnesses] Your entire business can fit inside a 5-gallon bucket.
If you have 20 clients in the city where you currently live, you can pack up and move 1,000 miles away and startup a business the next day in an entirely different city.
If you need to travel across country for a mission field assignment, and you are expected to have full-time employment the day after you arrive at your destination. Window washing works for this.
Also if you are a US Citizen who has never volunteered to have a Social Security number and policy, it is an easy way to have a job [since many employers today erroneously assume that SSNs are required].
My wife of 30 years is an LPN,, but due to health issues can't work anymore.
We don't have kids, don't travel since we got out of the military, don't take lavish vacations or drive new cars.
For much of our married life I was sole support. I took a job I hated but with good benefits. There was a good pension and I also invested in a supplemental retirement plan.
I got the chance to retire early and rolled my supplemental plan over into a land purchase. My pension is set up so that I take a little less now, but if I go first she'll receive my full pension payments as long as she lives.
Yes I'm old fashioned and see my wife's welfare as my responsibility so between my pension, her SSI and mine, as well as selling the property if she needs to, she will be provided for.
I took that responsibility for her and I when we married. I feel it's incumbent on me to fulfill that responsibility, and I have. She'll never have to be cold or hungry, she won't have to fear losing our home, and her medical is also taken care of.
It's what married couples used to do. Take care of each other.
My wife of 30 years is an LPN,, but due to health issues can't work anymore.
We don't have kids, don't travel since we got out of the military, don't take lavish vacations or drive new cars.
For much of our married life I was sole support. I took a job I hated but with good benefits. There was a good pension and I also invested in a supplemental retirement plan.
I got the chance to retire early and rolled my supplemental plan over into a land purchase. My pension is set up so that I take a little less now, but if I go first she'll receive my full pension payments as long as she lives.
Yes I'm old fashioned and see my wife's welfare as my responsibility so between my pension, her SSI and mine, as well as selling the property if she needs to, she will be provided for.
I took that responsibility for her and I when we married. I feel it's incumbent on me to fulfill that responsibility, and I have. She'll never have to be cold or hungry, she won't have to fear losing our home, and her medical is also taken care of.
It's what married couples used to do. Take care of each other.
In my case, I never married the long-term boyfriend, and our finances were strictly separate. Pragmatically, the marriage would have greatly complicated and possibly ruined my long-processing immigration case in the US (he was not American), but in fact even more importantly, I think our mutual independence greatly contributed to the quality of the relationship (which relationship was based strictly on mutual interest, attraction and loyalty, not on anyone needing or taking money from the other). He died suddenly and without a will at 59 (he was previously healthy as a rock, and a possibility of dying never crossed anyone's mind), so his assets automatically transferred to his very old parents in his country of primary residence. His family did ask whether I was interested in anything he left behind, but I wanted only his ashes and some memorabilia with no monetary value. All his assets ended up being passed through his parents (who had no interest in his stuff either) to the kids of his brother. With my healthy capability to take care of myself, it would have been totally assinine to take any of his money and property, which certainly can benefit the young niece and two nephews who still need to pursue education and probably will live much longer than I.
It's what married couples used to do. Take care of each other.
Yes and no. I'm glad it's working out for you and your wife, but a non-negligible number of women have been left hung out to dry when wedded bliss didn't last forever, or the husband died and left them broke. And not just in the current era.
In my case, I never married the long-term boyfriend, and our finances were strictly separate. Pragmatically, the marriage would have greatly complicated and possibly ruined my long-processing immigration case in the US (he was not American), but in fact even more importantly, I think our mutual independence greatly contributed to the quality of the relationship (which relationship was based strictly on mutual interest, attraction and loyalty, not on anyone needing or taking money from the other). He died suddenly and without a will at 59 (he was previously healthy as a rock, and a possibility of dying never crossed anyone's mind), so his assets automatically transferred to his very old parents in his country of primary residence. His family did ask whether I was interested in anything he left behind, but I wanted only his ashes and some memorabilia with no monetary value. All his assets ended up being passed through his parents (who had no interest in his stuff either) to the kids of his brother. With my healthy capability to take care of myself, it would have been totally assinine to take any of his money and property, which certainly can benefit the young niece and two nephews who still need to pursue education and probably will live much longer than I.
If married, pensions usually offer benefits to a widow that will not pass down to any other familial relationship. Realizing that you did not and do not need the money; but, he paid into a system and never got anything out. So, that was money left on the table.
I knew a guy who had a great career and a pension. He was divorced for quite a while and had a live in girlfriend. He was in Hawaii with his son in law and felt really ill. They cut the trip short. He was diagnosed with liver cancer. He tried to marry his girlfriend in the hospital (he did); but, he didn't realize that he needed to be married to her for 9 months in order for her to get his pension (he could have retired 3 years prior (at 56)). The guy only had 3 weeks (all in the hospital).
He could have done better planning; but, oh well as it sounds like the rest of his assets may benefit the next generation.
My wife of 30 years is an LPN,, but due to health issues can't work anymore.
We don't have kids, don't travel since we got out of the military, don't take lavish vacations or drive new cars.
For much of our married life I was sole support. I took a job I hated but with good benefits. There was a good pension and I also invested in a supplemental retirement plan.
I got the chance to retire early and rolled my supplemental plan over into a land purchase. My pension is set up so that I take a little less now, but if I go first she'll receive my full pension payments as long as she lives.
Yes I'm old fashioned and see my wife's welfare as my responsibility so between my pension, her SSI and mine, as well as selling the property if she needs to, she will be provided for.
I took that responsibility for her and I when we married. I feel it's incumbent on me to fulfill that responsibility, and I have. She'll never have to be cold or hungry, she won't have to fear losing our home, and her medical is also taken care of.
It's what married couples used to do. Take care of each other.
This is cute and all. However, the reality is that most men in America are not financially secure. This leaves the dependent wife in dire straits.
Don't think it's "cute" but rare. Few people, men or women, are financially secure these days.
I think there's some rose-colored glasses going on as well. Not all past married couples happily stayed together and/or ensured the surviving spouse could keep coasting.
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