Why Women Must Invest More Aggressively

"Our attitudes to money are inherited from our parents," she says. "My father honestly believed he did not want me to worry about money. But I think he knew on some level that it was time for me to grow up." Stanny believes strongly that taking financial responsibility is a rite of passage into adulthood. "Women, even young women, still have this dependency or believe that someone will take care of them. It's insidious."

To go from deer-in-the-headlights to financially savvy, she says she had to look at what was holding her back and why anything financial related made her eyes glaze over. Once she saw what her problem was, she says she "got smart" by interviewing women who were smart with money. "Women need to hear from role models."

Institutional Help

In recent years, an increasing number of banks have started offering financial information and programs designed specifically for women.

Four years ago, Coral Gables, Fla.-based Gibraltar Private Bank and Trust noticed that its female client base was lacking, even though surveys indicate women often hold their family's purse strings. So the bank launched an education/networking program called Wise Women, which has opened in Florida in Ft. Lauderdale, Miami and Naples with one soon to debut in New York City.

"We see it as a relationship-building tool," says Deborah Koch, senior vice president of marketing for Gibraltar. "They are able to trust us enough to talk about their financial insecurities. Often they will confide about getting a divorce or their husband is sick and they are scared and nervous about their financial future."