6 Ways Men and Women Differ When It Comes to Money

“The differences between men and women have taken on increased importance in today’s conversations about American culture . . .”

Based on information from the Census Bureau, financial institutions, and a credit score company, this article by describes the following six ways that men and women differ when it comes to money.

1. Men make more for the same work.
2. Women are better at managing personal debt.
3. Men pay off their student debt faster.
4. Men save more in their “rainy day” funds.
5. Women use sounder strategies, but with less confidence.
6. Men save more for retirement.

More information about each of the above statements including statistics is provided in the article.

For more information, click here.

Teaching Suggestions

You may want to use the information in this blog post and the original article to

• Discuss the specific differences cited in this article in more detail.
• Create examples of how men and women can use this information to improve their long-term financial security.

Discussion Questions

1. Based on U.S. census data, women make about 79 percent of what men do for the same work. If you were a woman in this situation, what could you do to increase your salary?
2. According to this article, women are better at managing personal debt than men. How can the decision to pay off personal debt impact a person’s ability to establish a financial plan, buy a home, or invest?
3. Pick one of the areas where men are weaker and one of the areas where women are weaker. Describe how you would improve on this factor for a man or a woman.