We focus on these outcomes because differences in retirement preparedness, access to credit, and banking practices all affect the economic resources individuals have at their disposal and their financial security. Learning more about systematic gender differences in these three facets of individuals’ financial lives allows us to better understand the potential causes, consequences, and solutions to the gender inequities in wealth accumulation and economic security.

Beyond simply uncovering the disparities, this analysis provides information on the role that financial literacy, race and ethnicity, household composition, household income, and educational attainment play in these outcomes. Multiple regression models are included to analyze the persistence of the gender differences after accounting for socioeconomic characteristics and financial literacy level. The descriptive analysis suggests that men’s and women’s financial lives are different across a number of dimensions.

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