Secondly, yes there maybe a welfare state but do you want to be dependant on it? Supposing future governments decide to reduce or stop these payments.

Fact:

• At age 65, an average man will live some 19 more years. The average woman will live another 22 years.
• You will probably spend 25% to 30% of your life in retirement, needing large sums of money to support yourself in the manner that you want.
• Recent figures show that individuals between the ages of 25 and 44 are saving about 1/3rd of the amount they will need to support their current lifestyle in retirement.
• It's a sad fact that in many countries you are now forced to make you own pension provision if you are to have any chance of a comfortable retirement, because the value of the government pension that you could once rely on, diminishes every year.

The Graphic Story of 100 young people now aged 25...

40 Years later at retirement
Of those who live to retirement,
93% will be depending on friends, relatives and charity.
Where will you be?

"I am a woman and my husband will have a pension and provide for me"

Yes, that may be the case but are you certain about that. For instance currently in the western world one marriage in two ends up in divorce and one second marriage in two also ends in divorce. How do you know he will be there to look after you?

Whether you have your own income or not more and more women today are becoming aware of the need for financial independence in retirement. For instance:

Women's earnings tend to be less than a man's, meaning lower pension benefits.

Up to 50% of women don't have a company pension plan and still depend on their husband to support them in retirement.

A woman is currently less likely than a man to receive an adequate pension, therefore they can be exposed to greater risk of not having enough money to live comfortably in retirement.

Women live longer on average than men do so they often have to survive longer on less money.

Only about 20% of all women get an adequate pension, therefore many are approaching retirement without financial security.

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