More working women than ever are prioritising their needs now over their future financial needs.
That’s according to financial advisors HerMoney, who say that while 67% of the working women they surveyed believe they have between average to excellent understanding of financial products and their finances, 64% say they can’t afford a pension.
While 47% of those interviewed do have a private pension, reasons for not having one were wide ranging.
These included the assumption the individual will live off a State pension (28%); the admission that they do not understand or had never considered starting a pension fund (20%); and a belief that pension funds are unreliable and might fail (14%).
12% of respondents say they will be provided for by their husband or partner, or by children or another relative, and 9% of those questioned, mainly in the 18-40 age cohort, said they were too young to put money into a pension as retirement is a long way off.
A further 11% of the women said they have other assets, such as savings, investments or property that will provide an income in retirement.
On the big question of adequately funding retirement, 36% expect to have enough money to last through retirement. Similarly, 36% do not, and 28% say they are not sure. Only 38% of women claimed to be aware of the total amount of money they’d need to save to fund a comfortable retirement.
Dublin Chamber of Commerce are set to mark International Women’s Day with a forum for women in business this evening at the Davenport Hotel in Dublin. Beginning at 5.30pm, speakers will address the challenges of business from a woman’s perspective.
