GET SMART
Have you got a pension? What about savings, do you have any? If the answer to all those questions is “No” then maybe you should read Mary Waring’s The Wealthy Woman: A Man Is Not a Financial Plan.
Waring is a chartered accountant and financial adviser who also happens to be on a mission to change the way women handle and think about money. More than twenty five years in the business has taught her that when it comes to cash, women either stick their heads in the sand or rely on the men in their lives to organise their finances. Big mistake! With UK divorce rates on the rise (in 2016 there were 106,959 divorces of opposite sex couples: an increase of 5.8% compared to 2015), it sometimes pays to keep our boyfriends/husbands/partners in the dark about our wealth.
A few simple steps (checking your outgoings, organising a savings plan and setting sensible financial goals), can make the difference between having a comfortable old age or getting by on the skin of your teeth. Okay, so maybe these initiatives won’t make you rich beyond your wildest dreams but at least you won’t get a sinking feeling in the stomach every time those irritating household bills land on the doormat.
This book couldn’t have come along at a better time given that most of us won’t have the luxury of an early retirement to look forward to and will probably have to work well into our old age. If you’re still not convinced then maybe you should pray for a financial miracle, win a lottery jackpot, or marry a wealthy Premier League football player. Good luck!
Reviewed by Juliette Foster
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