This costs women hundreds of thousands over a career

The Financial Realities Women Still Face

What the numbers say—and why it matters for the people you care about

August 26 is Women’s Equality Day—the anniversary of the 19th Amendment, when women gained the right to vote. That was more than a century ago, and a lot has changed since then. But when it comes to the financial picture, some of the gaps are still wider than you might expect.

These aren’t just numbers on a page. They show up in real households—maybe yours, maybe someone you love—and we think they’re worth talking about openly.

The Earnings Gap Hasn’t Gone Away

In 2024, women working full-time, year-round earned about 81 cents for every dollar men earned. And that gap actually got wider—for the second year in a row. It may not sound like much on a per-dollar basis, but over the course of a career, it adds up. We’re talking about smaller paychecks, lower retirement contributions, and reduced Social Security benefits that can compound over decades.¹

A Longer Life Means a Longer Financial Runway

Here’s something that doesn’t get enough attention: women in the U.S. live an average of nearly five years longer than men. The most recent CDC data puts life expectancy at 81.4 years for women and 76.5 years for men. That’s a meaningful difference—not just in terms of health, but financially. More years mean more expenses, more health care costs, and a higher chance of managing those years on a single income.²

Caregiving Takes a Financial Toll, Too

Women are still far more likely to step away from work to care for a child or an aging parent. In 2025 alone, more than 455,000 women left the workforce, and among those who left voluntarily, 42% cited caregiving as the main reason. Each year out of the workforce is a year without employer retirement contributions, without salary growth, and without adding Social Security credits. Those gaps can follow someone well into retirement.³

Why We’re Bringing This Up

This isn’t about making a political statement. It’s about making sure the financial picture we’re looking at together is a complete one. A strategy that doesn’t account for a longer life expectancy, an earnings gap, or a potential career break may be missing something important.

These are the kinds of details that are easy to overlook—but they can make a real difference when you’re looking at the full picture for your household.

<sup>1. Census.gov, 2024
2. CDC.gov, 2026
3. Catalyst.org, January 2026</sup>