This is a sponsored post for SheSpeaks/Prudential.

When I was doing our taxes this year I realized that while I made a contribution to an investment account in my name, I didn’t actually invest it. So all of last year when I thought my money was making me money, I earned less than $1. I had no idea I was supposed to pick what to invest in after I transferred it! My husband looked at me like it was common sense and I knew at that moment that would learn everything I could about my financial portfolio.

Did you know that women have 30% lower retirement balances than men?¹ Or that 44% of women have no life insurance and those that are insured don’t carry enough?² Many women are out in the workforce contributing to their household income, but some are just starting to think in general about their financial futures.

Prudential has been researching the financial challenges women face for several years. Back in 2014-2015, Prudential launched the study “Financial Experience & Behaviors Among Women,” which revealed that while women are taking control of household finances, they are no more prepared to meet long-term financial goals than they were a decade ago. Honestly, in my household, I manage all the money for bills but my husband handles all the retirement investments.

There are four gaps that exist for women financially:

Wage and Income Gap: With many women still earning less money than male counterparts, there is less money to invest. The wage gap also impacts social security payments women will receive.

Investment Gap:  Women don’t invest to the same degree as men.³ This one strikes home for me. I don’t invest as much as my husband, I delay investing and I get lower returns due to my low risks.

Women are living longer and living alone: With many women living 5-6 years longer than men do, it is especially important for them to be prepared.⁴

Time Gap: On average, women in the U.S. spend 28 hours per week on household chores – 65 percent more than the average for men.⁵ All those hours are unpaid of course and are not figured into financial planning.

Becoming aware of the financial gaps women face is the first step to overcoming them. While financial planning can be scary, overwhelming and just something you don’t want to think about, remember how much happier you will be when you are older. Lots of vacations and not worrying about money is something I am looking forward to as I get older.

This is the view I want to afford to see many more times as I get older:

Why do you want to own your financial future? Take the first step to owning your financial future, and go to ownmyfuture.pru and connect with Prudential advisor near you.

1. Source:  Prudential Retirement analysis reflecting defined contribution plan balances of Prudential record-kept plans as of December 31, 2015
2. Source: LIMRA study, Life Insurance Ownership in Focus, U.S. Person-Level Trends: 2016

3. http://fortune.com/2016/05/11/sallie-krawcheck-ellevest-launch

4. Source: Prudential Retirement analysis; National Center for Health Statistics, Health, United States, 2015: With Special Feature on Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities. Hyattsville, MD. 201
5. Source: Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, October 2016, http://stats.oecd.org/index.aspx?queryid=54757