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feMinine Women often
financially
blind when
finances
divorcing
Women should try to under-
stand financial matters regard-
less of their stage in life.
But when divorce becomes
part of the equation, then mon-
ey matters can become even
more monumental.
Women need money smarts, now And Oklahoma women
have reason to be financially
equipped in case of divorce.
The National Center for
stories By Laurie WinsLoW / WorLd staff Writer Health Statistics rates Okla-
M
oney matters are not gender specific, but homa second nationally,
with 5.2 divorces per 1,000
women have sound reason to take a vested residents in 2007.
interest in their financial well being. Oklahoma trailed only
Nevada.
The U.S. Census Bu-
Whether they’re facing divorce, wid- Resources to get savvy reau in 2008 reported
owhood or caring for an aging parent, that 16 of every 1,000
women have a much greater chance of Women, if you’re looking for Oklahoma women
being the lone provider and fending for some resources or sites to help had been divorced
themselves at some point in their lives. you learn more about financial during the previous
“The days of just sitting back and matters, here are some sugges- year, the highest
letting your husband take care of the tions. rate in the nation.
checkbook and living off his pension • “The Wall Street Journal Oklahoma men
are long gone,” said Tammy Blair, a Guide to Understanding Money ranked fourth at
chartered retirement planning coun- and Investing” 13.6 divorces per
selor and vice president with Arvest • “Divorce and Money: How to 1,000.
Bank. Make the Best Financial M o r e o v e r,
More women seem to be taking an Decisions During Divorce,” by Oklahoma and
interest in their financial futures, how- Violet Woodhouse Arkansas have
ever. The financial community and me- • Women’s Institute for Financial the highest
dia have done a better job of bringing Education, tulsaworld.com/wife percentage
attention to some of the unique finan- • tulsaworld.com/womensfinance of men and
cial situations that face women. • Waterstone Private Wealth women who
Also, a lot more women are in the Management has a packet to help have been
workplace today, and they have oppor- women going through divorce get married at
tunities to invest in 401(k)s, and so they organized. It includes a financial facts least three
are more interested in talking about re- checklist and cash flow: income and times.
tirement planning than perhaps they expenses worksheet. Readers can Money is
were in the past, said Blair. e-mail Melanie Hasty-Grant at the biggest is-
Courtesy
“As young women are coming out of melanie@waterstonewealth.com, for a sue that people
college, they are being taught a little copy of the worksheets. fight over, both
more about taking responsibility for household finances,” said Jane Mud- Data show in marriage and
their own actions,” she added. gett, a financial adviser and financial that 96 per- divorce. But di-
Data show that 96 percent of women planning specialist at Morgan Stanley vorce can impact
are in control of all household financial Smith Barney. “Very few people, male cent of women are women differently,
matters or share in financial decision- or female, actually receive training on in control of all house- especially women who
making, according to the Financial savings and investing unless they re- have been stay-at-home
Consulate. They also earn 52 percent ceived this from parents or grandpar- hold financial matters or moms and have never worked or
of U.S. household income. ents. share in financial decision-mak- who’ve been out of the work force for awhile,
“Some women clients have a percep- “Remember, the plans of the past and now are faced with the extra stress of
tion that men are better with financ- were significantly different because ing. They also earn 52 percent of finding a job and supporting themselves, said
es. However, most women, including U.S. household income.
women who work, take care of the SEE money E SEE Divorce E
Supercorps know how to make miracles happen
I n the business world, we tend
to use the words “miracle” or
“miraculous” in a certain way
— one that emphasizes sarcasm
rather than a state of awe.
ues about 20 years ago.
Company executives began
searching for a socially helpful
product and thought they found it
in an inexpensive powder that puri-
during a three-day Web chat, help-
ing to identify goals for the compa-
ny, such as dedication, innovation,
trust and personal responsibility.
Perhaps few companies have
mation was a success when he lost
control of it.
“He said, ‘At first, all the projects
and directions were coming from
me. But when they started coming
Such as: “It’s a miracle that guy fied water. But it didn’t sell. come as far as Banco Real, a bank from employees, they were being
has lasted three months in that job.” Although there was pressure in San Paulo, Brazil. The firm went presented almost faster than we
Or, “It was miraculous that project within the company to drop the from operating near an alley known could keep track of.’”
got finished at all.” product, PG’s top executives got for its drug dealers to being the top Along with collaborating and es-
But Harvard Business School creative instead. They started their place to work in the area, making tablishing values, supercorp leaders
professor Rosabeth Moss Kanter While the results produced by su- own nonprofit organization to give micro loans, having a green mutual create a strong sense of purpose, are
believes that much more is pos- per corporations fall short of being the powder away. fund and being the first in the re- willing to challenge assumptions,
sible. Her new book, “Supercorp” supernatural, they definitely can be “This is the new leadership gion to trade in carbon credits. are relationship-oriented and be-
(Random House, $27.50), focuses on viewed as miraculous — especially lexicon,” Kanter said. “The line be- Not coincidentally, profits also lieve in empowering and rewarding
companies that use their power and considering the bottom-line orien- tween for-profits and not-for-profits boomed. their people, Kanter says.
resources not just for profits, but for tation of many company cultures. is beginning to blur.” “They were a middle-of-the-pack And, supercorps don’t shrink
social good, as well. Through three years of research IBM is another example. When bank 10 years ago, and now are on from their commitments in tough
“These super corporations are involving 350 interviews, Kanter a tsunami and earthquake hit Asia, top,” Kanter says. “They prove you economic times.
able to harness the energy and tal- identified a handful of companies IBM used its expertise in informa- can prosper with a noble mission.” “They are focused on real change,
ents of their people to do things that that are setting standards for both tion systems to track relief supplies The Harvard professor says one not spare change,” the author says.
are miraculous,” she says. innovation and responsibility. and reunite families. common trait of supercorps is that The process of creating a set of
I heard Kanter speak recently Procter Gamble is one of the The effort was one result of a their CEOs are confident enough values and making them stick is a
at the Association of Leadership “supercorps” that might surprise “values jam” that IBM CEO Sam to suppress their egos and operate long-term commitment, she warns.
Professionals’ annual conference in you. Kanter notes that while the Palmisano conducted after he through collaboration. “You can’t launch it and leave it.”
Fort Worth, Texas, where I repre- company was founded in 1837, it took over IBM in 2002. More than Kanter noted that the CEO of the In other words, there are no
sented Leadership Tulsa. only wrote down its corporate val- 140,000 employees offered opinions Brazilian bank knew its transfor- shortcuts to creating miracles.
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