Although it is improving, there is an economic cost to being a woman that reverberates into retirement. It results from multiple long-term socio-economic conditions.

The first is that women have consistently earned less than men, and real wages have stagnated.  Currently women earn about one-fourth less than men.  The disparities are even greater for black women, who earn about 30 percent less and Hispanic women, who earn about 40 percent less (census.gov). The Center for American Progress calculates that over a forty-year career life, that difference may add up to $300,000 for lower earners, $431,000 for average earners and $723,000 for higher earners.

Women are also less likely than men to start their careers in, or get promoted to management positions.  A March 2010 Catalyst article in the Harvard Business Review reports that "women continue to lag men at every single career stage, right from their first professional jobs."  Women comprise only 5 percent of CEOs of the Fortune 500 companies.  A 2014 Grant Thornton International Business Report survey, featured in the March 6, 2014 issue of Forbes, found that the number of women in senior management has "stagnated" at 24 percent since 2007. This means that most women miss out on the majority of lucrative executive benefits that may help secure their retirement.

An August 14, 2013 article in the Wall Street Journal, quoted an Aon Hewitt study, which said that the 401(k) gender gap is even bigger than the gender pay gap. The study showed that the average man's 401(k) savings was $100,000 dollars.  The average woman's 401(k) retirement saving's was $59,300 dollars- a full 40 percent less.

Women are more likely to leave the workforce for childcare and eldercare.  This redirects their resources of time, money and energy away from retirement saving.  It also hinders career progress.  Studies by Claudia Goldin of Harvard show that when women reenter the workforce, they permanently lag behind in pay and promotions.

Women who leave the workforce for caregiving also incur consequences for Social Security. Women receive about one-fourth less than men in Social Security benefits, $13,236 versus $17,004. Nearly 30 percent of women over age 65 rely on Social Security for virtually all of their income, a rate that increases with age. The percent of women older than 65 living below the poverty level of $11,670 was 11 percent versus 6.6 percent for men, and 18.9 percent versus 11.9 percent for those living alone.  Women who turn on Social Security early for financial reasons permanently lock in a lower lifetime benefit in what may be their only pension.

Women also tend to work in industries that don't offer retirement plans, so they miss the opportunity for wealth building through an employer match. With women's average income hovering around $38,345, it is difficult to see how women would have any discretionary income left over for retirement saving.

Marital status is also a factor. Married women fare best, divorced and widowed women next best. Never-married single women incur the most cautious outlook for retirement.

The longevity gap between men and women is narrowing, but women still outlive men, and end up living out their later years alone.  Greater longevity is accompanied by larger risk of diminished purchasing power due to inflation.

The many socioeconomic issues facing women and retirement raise concern. What if the old method of trying to save enough for retirement doesn't work for women?

New strategies are needed if women are going to thrive in retirement. Women should consider working longer in their careers, and part-time in retirement.  Women should also consider non-traditional residence sharing - renting out empty bedrooms, getting a roommate, and downsizing.  With the savings from reduced housing expenses, women could make financial investments in income-producing vehicles. Women could also turn their hobbies - for which they already have the skills, tools and materials - into profitable home-based businesses.

Women need to understand the role they play in their own retirement and take responsibility. They need to become financially literate and realize they will need income for life.  Women need to create stackable income streams to empower their retirement security and meet their monthly spending needs.

Women should also start talking to other women about retirement planning.  What are their friends doing to prepare for retirement? What if they got together once a month over coffee to start a conversation about women and retirement? They might discover that they have ideas, talents and resources to share with other women, which might enhance the retirement planning experience and success of a larger scope of women.

About Donna M. Phelan

Donna M. Phelan has spent more than 18 years at some of Wall Street's largest and most prestigious investment firms. She holds an MBA in finance from the University of Connecticut, and provides personal financial advice to clients coast to coast. The author of "Women, Money and Prosperity: A Sister's Perspective on How to Retire Well," (www.donnamphelan.com), she has lectured at conferences nationwide on a broad range of financial topics and has published numerous articles on investments, retirement and financial planning. Phelan was formerly president of the American Association of Individual Investors (AAII) Connecticut state chapter and was active in the Financial Women's Association (FWA) in New York.

(DES MOINES) - Gov. Terry E. Branstad today appointed Joe Cortese Iowa's Workers' Compensation Commissioner. Cortese will replace Michelle "Miki" McGovern, who had been serving as the acting Commissioner since September 2014. A photo of Cortese can be found here.

"With over thirty years of experience in workers' compensation, I'm confident Joe Cortese will serve as an independent and fair commissioner," said Branstad. "I appreciate Miki's service to the department and the state in the interim."

The Workers' Compensation Commissioner is the head of the Division of Workers' Compensation which is part of Iowa Workforce Development. Workers' compensation has the responsibility of administering, regulating, and enforcing the workers' compensation laws. Though the workers' compensation commissioner's office cannot represent the interests of any party, the agency provides information regarding the provisions of the Workers' Compensation Law, the rights of the parties, and the procedures the parties can follow to resolve their disputes.

Cortese practices workers' compensation law at Huber, Book, Cortese & Lanz, where he is a partner. He has been with the firm, formerly Jones, Hoffman & Huber, since 1981. He has been a partner since 1985. He received his Bachelor's degree from Indiana University and earned his J.D. with honors from Drake Law School. He is a member of the Iowa State Bar Association, Polk County Bar Association, Iowa Association of Workers' Compensation Attorneys, Iowa Defense Counsel Association, Defense Research Institute and a founding member of the American Academy of ADR Attorneys.

Cortese will assume the role of Commissioner effective February 16, 2015. His appointment is subject to Iowa Senate confirmation.

If you haven't already already registered for February's session, we have room and would love for you to join us!  Information about the remaining sessions can be found below and for any additional questions, phone calls are always welcome.

Changing How You Perceive the Role of Your Investment Advisor
By: Jeff Bucher

On the surface, when people think of an investment advisor, financial planner or retirement planner, what they think of is someone that's going to assist them with making the selections of their stocks, bonds and mutual funds. As you transition into the retirement stage there are many other important areas of retirement that also need to be considered.  Selecting the right retirement guide that will be able to help in all of these areas is crucial for you to have a fulfilling retirement.

We call ourselves many different things, Financial Planners, Investment Advisors, or maybe even Retirement Planners.  Regardless of the title, you probably go to us all for the same thing - to use our knowledge and expertise regarding the financial markets to invest your funds for you. On the surface, this describes the role of the advisor.  However, we feel that this limited role of the advisor specifically covers one period of your investment lifetime, the accumulation period, when you are trying to build and grow your wealth.  As you transition into retirement (the portfolio distribution phase), it's important that the advisor begin to take on a larger role when it comes to your financial well-being.  As an advisor that specializes in the distribution phase, the investment selection must be complimented by a strategy of when best to file for Social Security Benefits, a plan to minimize the amount of taxes that will be due, and a sustainable withdrawal strategy to ensure that your needs will be met for the remainder of your lifetime.

Fiduciary vs. Suitability

When it comes to the investment selection, it's very important to understand what type of advisor with whom you're working. There are two different types of advisors that plan within two different sets of rules. There's the investment advisor, who is held to a fiduciary standard, and then there is the registered representative, or an insurance professional, who is held to a suitability standard. Understanding what standards that they're held to and how they're compensated is part of the investment selection process that, as the consumer, you need to be aware of. The differences are crucial.

A fiduciary standard is a legal obligation where the advisor must act in the best interest of their client and puts the client's best interest ahead of their own.  It is the highest standard of care available under law.  Fiduciary advisors can be regulated by the SEC or state regulators.  An example to explain this standard is an advisor with two identical products that have different fees, who must recommend the one that is lower in cost.  They can't recommend the product that makes more money for them or their company.  A fiduciary advisor is often paid by a quarterly fee that is calculated as a percentage of assets.

According to the FIRNA Industry Professionals manual, the suitability standard requires that a registered representative or insurance professional must have a reasonable basis to believe that a recommended transaction or investment strategy involving a security or securities is suitable for the customer.  This is based primarily on financial objectives, current income level and age, in order to complete a commissionable sale of a financial product.  There is no requirement to find the best investment for you, only ones that are seemingly suitable for you.  They offer a range of products for sale carried by the company he or she represents.  The way that someone with a suitability standard gets paid is by commissions calculated as a percentage of money invested into the product.

Which type of advisor would you like to work with after hearing the differences between the two?

What to expect from a retirement planner

As we transition into retirement, the investment selection is still part of the process, but there's more to expect from a retirement planner.

Important questions we need to ask include :

• How are we going to create an income/distribution plan of these assets that's going to be reliable and sustainable for as long as you live?

• How do we select a social security filing strategy that will best meet our needs it?

• How are we going to protect your standard of living from inflation?

• How are we going to reduce your tax obligations?

• How are we going to position these assets in a way that you still have the liquidity that you need for all kinds of emergencies and related discretionary spending?

• How can we position things in such a way that you have the income stream you need and, at the same time, have the flexibility to handle life's unknowns?

• How can we help protect you from the risks of a long term illness?

• How do we select the right health care plan to best meet your needs and resources?

• How do we protect the legacy that you want to leave behind for your heirs?

Transitioning into Retirement

Again, as we transition into this retirement phase, investment selection is part of the process. But now we need to focus more on an income plan, which encompasses social security planning, tax planning, planning against inflation and health care planning - all of these things are added into the picture. So, during this transition, the perception that you have of your investment advisor needs to take on a new role. Often, with new clients, we find that there hasn't been a transition, which means the client is being greatly underserved.

At Citizen Advisory Group, (www.citizenadvisory.com), our program offers a much more comprehensive approach to the retirement planning side of things. We pull in the investment selection with an income/distribution plan that includes planning for social security, longevity and taxes. We unify all of these different pieces to create a very well-rounded plan. This allows people the safety and security to go out and enjoy their retirement lifestyle and spend their money without the fear associated with running out of money during their lifetimes.

About Jeff Bucher

Jeff Bucher is president of Citizen Advisory Group, (www.citizenadvisory.com), and is an Investment Advisor Representative of AlphaStar Capital Management, an SEC Registered Investment Advisor. He has a life and health insurance license with the state of Ohio. His membership affiliations include the exclusive Ed Slott's Master Elite IRA Advisor Group™, National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA), the National Association of Fixed Annuities (NAFA) and the Forum 400. He has earned Top of the Table honors through the Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT).  Jeff has been featured on the Toledo, Ohio television affiliates for NBC, CBS, FOX, and ABC. Bucher is a former standout wrestler at The Ohio State University, where he earned an athletic scholarship and honed his leadership skills en route to earning four varsity letters.