Why should there be a field of study just about women and money? Are there really differences in how men and women approach money? Absolutely. Women think differently to men and they handle their financial matters in a totally different way.

Sure, equality is with us now – or is it? The gender gap is often widest when it comes to money. Women still earn much less than men. They start out with less and some never catch up. Women live longer yet many don’t have the pensions that men do.

UK women are less 'financially literate' than men, less 'financially self-assured' and more afraid of taking risks when it comes to money. (Source: The annual survey by the Financial Services Consumer Panel)

Relationships, too, are still often divided along traditional lines – women make most of the short-term spending decisions, while their partner plans and invests for the future. Women who are well-off now may still run the risk of being impoverished in their seventies.

Men are also freer psychologically when it comes to money. Women are more cautious, more careful and more traditional than men in their attitudes to financial products. (Source: The Financial Services Authority) Furthermore, almost a third of women worry about their debt, compared to just over a tenth of all men. (Source: CreditExpert.co.uk)

The approach at Sheconomics is derived from the Do Something Different principles for change and improvement. At Sheconomics we look at the way things really are for women – tackling their money habits and beliefs. Exploring their emotional relationship with money. Looking at lifestyle habits, negative thoughts, fears about the future and even how money affects their most intimate relationships.