While divorce is hard at any age, for midlife women whose time and energy has gone into their families -- not themselves -- it's particularly important to be as savvy as possible.  Since many women are far more likely than men to suffer financially when their marriage unravels. According to the National Marriage Project at Rutgers University, a woman's standard of living will drop by as much as 27% -- compared to 10% for men -- after a divorce.

After her own experience, Melanie Johnson, our women and divorce expert, decided she wanted to help women avoid the pitfalls she didn't know about then.  When you're in midlife, if you suffer a drop in your standard of living, there aren't as many years left to make up the shortfall. Here, Melanie gives some great advice for us and for any woman we know going through this difficult transition.

There are plenty of us midlife women whose careers went to the far back burner while we raised kids and/or followed our husband's jobs for many years.  You can imagine the choices for a career in the midst of that are pretty limited.  But what if you're now ready to explore your options but have no idea where to even start?

One of our members posed this question and Sue Cullen, our resident expert on careers, gives just a TREMENDOUS answer here.  And by the way, it's perfect for anyone looking for a new direction. It will take some time and reflection, but it’s the kind of process that can be FUN!  Let yourself go with this.  It will be sooooo worth it!  

Saving for retirement is especially important for women.  We live longer than men and our employment history is often filled with gaps (from raising children) that are likely to result in lower pay scale than men’s.  It can seem daunting, but there is hope!

This article gives us some tips on where to start to ensure we are ready for retirement when the time comes!