Thanks ci...but you know, in some ways I was really naive...
here's a story I related to my step daughter when she was about 15 or 16 and had officially come out of the closet to the family.
We talked about with her lifestyle, she was going to be able to make her own decisions financially, and was not going to "lean on a man" and let him make the choices. I told her how when I was I think a junior in college, a professor was discussing this brand new thing that had just come out called an "IRA" I couldn't believe it worked the way it did, and was really excited about it.
I had never made any investments by myself, so wasn't sure how to go about it....I remember I got dressed in my most adult outfit, and went down to a Merrill Lynch, and asked to speak to someone about opening one of these "IRA's" I was scared to death of saying the wrong thing!
Anyway, an older gentleman with white hair and great suit came out and took me back to his office. I asked him some questions, which he really didn't seem to want to answer....then he asked me if I was working...
"well, I'm in college, but I work part time"
He asked me if I could put in x amount (whatever the maximum was at the time) every year....wellllll...I wasn't sure if I could....hadn't thought about that (didn't realize you could put in less and build up) anyway, I was feeling smaller and smaller, like some little kid.
Then, the clincher...he said to me "You need to just let your father handle this for you. You're still a young lady in school, and then you'll get married and your husband will do this"
I was SO embarrassed I just slunk out of there...as he I'm sure thought he "saved" me from thinking...That had an impact on me for quite some time.
Re: having "a husband to take care of this for me"...my first husband saw to it that in less than 2 years he spent every penny of his, every penny I came into the marriage with, and then some.
Not like I didn't know how to make good financial decisions by that time, but it's hard to do when you go to get some money, and it's just gone, spent...and you know you weren't the one spending it.
I gotta 'nother good story if you wanna hear it...