Newark, July 17, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The majority of women have emerged as primary breadwinners, whether they like it or not, according to Prudential Financial's (NYSE:PRU) latest biennial study on the "Financial Experience & Behaviors Among Women." The study, in its 12th year, finds that 53 percent of the more than 1,400 women surveyed are primary breadwinners, with increasing numbers of women assuming this role as a result of partners losing jobs during the financial crisis, divorce and women deciding to marry later.
See video from Prudential at: http://inr.synapticdigital.com/prudential/womenstudy/
The results of the survey, which was significantly broadened in
2012 to include women of all income levels, larger representation
of women from diverse backgrounds and comparative data on men's
financial attitudes, also shows that, despite their role as
breadwinners, only 20 percent of these women feel well prepared to
make financial decisions, compared to 45 percent of men.
"While our past research focused on women who are primary or joint
financial decision makers, this new data shows that consistent with
demographic trends and reflecting the impact of the financial
crisis, the majority of women today are financially responsible for
generating their own and their families' income," said Susan
Blount, senior vice president and general counsel, Prudential
Financial. "The study shows that with women in more control than
ever of their finances, they face significant challenges when it
comes to financial decision making, and admit to a lack of
knowledge about financial solutions that can help them."
At a time when women are taking greater responsibility for their
own and their families' finances, the study shows that women
earning $50,000+ have become less confident about maintaining their
lifestyle in retirement since Prudential began collecting this data
in 2004. Prudential's 7th biennial study of the "Financial
Experiences & Behaviors Among Women" polled 1,410 American
women and 604 American men between the ages of 25 and 68. A copy of
the report, educational information and resources are available at
www.prudential.com/women.