It’s Hard Out Here for a …. Woman?

... because women are still being charged extra for being female.

It’s funny how you can know something, but it doesn’t really set in until you read about it in numerical form. The Nation’s article “The High Cost of Being a Woman” by Bryce Covert was that moment for me. Not only did she mention the same things I already knew (women are charged more for everything, we make less than males, blah, blah, blah ..) but she was able to bring them to a level that’s easy to understand. Her article got some help from a Jezebel article and a Marie Claire article.

From Jezebel

When it comes to home loans, the Consumer Federation of America found in 2006 that women were 32 perecnt more likely to end up with high-interest subprime loans, even if when they had better credit ratings than the men. This may not be a case of discrimination, but rather the result of the way women tend to shop for things. Economists theorize that we rely on word-of-mouth rather than just taking the lowest rate from whomever is offering it. We aren’t as likely to negotiate either, which puts us at a disadvantage when buying cars, homes, or other big items like appliances.

Some other interesting points from both articles include:

  • On average, women now pay $200 more for a car than a white man would, and black women pay a whopping $400 more.
  • The gender wage gap stood at 82 cents on the dollar for the same work men do. That gap ends up costing women $431,000 in pay over a 40-year career.
  • Women pay more just to get their shirts dry cleaned (even though a “blouse” and a man’s dress shirt is basically the same thing).

As we are all becoming more savvy about personal finance, it’s important to remember that we all have agency. It’s up to each of us to know the P.I.L. of every loan and stand up for ourselves. We don’t have to beg for anything. We know what our assets are, we know what we need/want, and we’re going to find professionals that bring value to our financial lives.

PEACE,

Shay

The Voluptua Project

I’m so excited about being featured on The Voluptua Project today!

For those of you that aren’t familiar with the site, here’s what it’s about:

“The Voluptua Project™ caters to voluptuous women of ALL sizes but chiefly those size 6/8-18/20 and the men that love them.We provide access to curve-friendly resources, promote HEALTH, spirituality and wellness in addition to a rock solid experience – online and off – to connect with one another.

Additionally, the project seeks to effect social change through community activism and support groups offering assistance with a host of empowerment and encouragement programs that address issues such as health/weight issues, self-esteem and an introduction to entrepreneurship.”

Take a look at my feature and browse the site. There are great articles about fashion, perception, and more.

Visit The Voluptua Project. It’s the site for curvy ladies and real gents.

Buy Money Matters: The Get It Done in 1 Minute Workbook

Are you looking to support your local bookstore? Awesome! You can find my new book Money Matters: The Get It Done in 1 Minute Workbook at these fine stores:

Smiley’s Bookstore
Carson, CA

Zahara’s Books N Things
Inglewood, Ca

Want to purchase online? Get your copy at Amazon.com.

I’m scheduling Meet & Greets now. Come chat with me at:

Feb. 6th Smiley’s Bookstore Carson, CA
Feb. 27th Malcolm X Library San Diego, CA
April 3rd Zahara’s Books N Things Inglewood, CA

See you soon!