Candid money conversations with women clients made me realise that financial needs of women are no different from men. Women need adequate life & health insurance just like men. They also need to plan for their personal aspirations and retirement as men. What they do not need is women oriented insurance/pension policies, personalised savings A/c offered by banks, customised debit/credit cards or loans. They are all the same as for men. So, what is different about women when it comes to money? It is the life situations which typically apply to women. Hazy career path post marriage, sabbatical from work after child birth, compromise with low pay jobs to balance personal commitments, support to spouse in his job relocation abroad, part-time jobs, eventually turning full-fledged stay-at-home mom, unable to financially help parents/siblings, increased life expectancy than spouse, struggle to pick up pieces of financial life after spouse’s death, etc. It is for these situations that women need to financially prepare themselves. They do not need personalised products; they need personalised solutions. And the first step towards this is financial literacy. Women need to educate and read up. Financial empowerment comes not just from earning good money but also by learning to manage it well.