With the upheaval of the past few years, the levels of anxiety among Australians about being able to afford retirement has jumped. While both men and women have felt that pressure, women in particular are collectively more vulnerable to this, given most will retire with a balance significantly lower than their male counterparts.
Some figures put that disparity at around $136,000, by no means a small gap. But many women have not confronted this reality, leaving that anxiety to build and fester. The Age this week reported on one such woman, Bernadette Janson, who suffered sleepless nights before deciding something needed to be done.
Ms Janson was in her late 50s at the time of this ‘crisis’ point, and she has since made changes to help ensure an affordable retirement. This has resolved her ‘sleepless nights’ issues and she is now encouraging other women over 50 to act.
“If you’re in your 50s and feeling like life is almost over, really, it has only just begun. You have time,” she said.
Are you a woman over 50 who worries about retirement affordability? Do you know of resources that may be able to help?
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