So Much For the Feminine Mystique

By Lee Barney, editor

It's not so surprising that women earn an average of 80 cents on the dollar men earn. It doesn't even come as a shock that their 401(k) balances are about $57,000, 40% less than the $95,000 to $100,000 men have stored away. That's attributed to the fact women earn less in the first place and often leave the workplace for years, permanently or opt to work part-time in order to raise children and act as caregivers for their elderly parents. What's most shocking is that this stark savings gap is going to continue at least into 2050, according to the frank estimates of Employee Benefits Research Institute researcher Jack VanDerhi.