One of the striking things about investing is that it's fundamentally gender-neutral!

Once you buy a stock, bond, mutual fund or any other asset, the fact that it climbs or falls in value has nothing to do with whether you're a man or a woman!

In that sense, investing offers a pretty fair playing field compared with the rest of society.

I think women (and men for that matter) would be better served by an approach to investing that emphasizes life stages and not gender. Today, women's financial needs aren't terribly unique, nor is the knowhow they need to look after them.

So for the sake of all women who understand a thing or two about investing, let's stop pretending there is a really special need.

Women are well-suited as investors, since they shop well, understand value and seldom attempt anything without first getting directions and understanding the ramifications.

On the other hand, do women really have special investing needs?

The answer to that question is simply ...

Yes!

Many women spend their prime earning years working in the home, making them the losers under the current retirement and Social Security systems. They face many challenges men never even have to think about.

Women live longer, their careers are usually interrupted by family needs, and many of them tend to be less knowledgeable and more conservative about investing.

Or even worse, some women who don't understand investing could be prime targets for unethical salespeople.

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