💸 5.5% less, right out of the gate

Stat Of The Day

5.5%

Newsflash – the gender pay gap doesn’t start with negotiation. It starts with the offer. Researchers analyzing 738,000 job offers found that, on average, women were offered 5.5% less than men – even when they had the same job title, qualifications, and experience. The gap was widest in roles coded as more "masculine" (like finance-related positions, for example), where women’s skills are more likely to be undervalued.

One promising shift is transparency. As more states and companies require salary ranges in job postings, it becomes harder for pay gaps to hide in the fine print. And when women walk into negotiations armed with real market data from places like Payscale or Glassdoor (and the confidence to ask for what we’re worth!) the odds of landing an offer that truly reflects our value get a whole lot better.

Ask Jean

Today’s question comes from Sara. She writes: "I’m a single mom with two young kids. Is life insurance something I absolutely need — or am I overreacting?"

I get it. As a single mom, the last thing you want is another bill – but protecting your family is non-negotiable. Enter life insurance. Yes, it’s yet another budget line item, but it can provide you with peace of mind that, if you were to pass, it would help replace lost income, cover debts (like mortgages or loans), and ensure the needs of your kids (everything from childcare to education) are taken care of.

Not sure where to start? Pick a policy that fits your current budget. You can always upgrade later. And here’s a bonus: rates are usually lower for women, since we tend to live longer.

Even if you can’t swing the fanciest policy, some life insurance is better than none. Start by checking out top providers and comparing rates online. Take time to do your research – read reviews, ask friends, do a little digging and find a policy that keeps your family safe without breaking the bank.

For more on what single moms need to know about purchasing life insurance – everything from how to avoid paying for coverage you don’t need to the right way to designate beneficiaries – click here.

Submit your questions to Jean here.

Things That Save You Money

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Most Americans want to age in place – but rising property taxes can make that tricky. The good news? There are ways to lighten the load, including checking out tax credits or refunds available in over a dozen states, with payouts ranging from $250 to $2,730.

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The deadline to make your 2025 IRA contribution is April 15. Consider this your friendly nudge. And, if you don’t have an IRA yet (gasp, really?), here’s one we like. It offers a 1% match on annual contributions and a 1% match on rollovers if you’d like to switch things up.

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Craving takeout but don’t want to spend the money? Try the Too Good To Go app. "You’re able to get things from restaurants that would otherwise be thrown away," explains HerMoney reader Tamra. "I got a bag of perfectly good bagels for $5 today and will freeze some and make sandwiches on them for the rest of the week." Bonus tip: Too Good To Go also offers grab bags at Whole Foods!

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Here’s some math your budget will love: renting four premium pieces from Armoire for $89/month is often less than the price of one dress from your favorite brands. Instead of spending hundreds on outfits you’ll wear once, you’re getting a rotating designer wardrobe at a fraction of the cost — no dry-cleaning bills, no impulse buys gathering dust. Sign up here for up to 60% off your first month of membership + two free bonus items!

This Week In Your Wallet

Think of it as a new spin on the "money date." This one isn’t about budgeting; rather, it’s about access. The Wall Street Journal is spotlighting the importance of couples getting on the same page about their accounts (joint or individual) – everything from bank accounts to HSAs, even your streaming services. For one couple – Payal Adhikari and Shashank Sane – this looked like sitting down over coffee to organize things in a spreadsheet and put passwords in a place they could both get to – a hard copy in a safe, as well as an online password manager. "I always tell my kids not to put things off, to do things now, and yet here I was with these things lingering in my brain," says Adhikari. "You just have to rip the Band-Aid off."

56 million. That’s how many Americans lack access to a workplace retirement plan – and President Trump says he wants to change that. During his State of the Union address, he proposed a new savings plan for workers without coverage, including a $1,000 annual match. The goal? To help lower-income employees and small business workers, many of them young, women, or minorities, according to CNBC. Details are TBD and experts are "cautiously optimistic." Retirement policy expert Jason Fichtner says big questions remain around access and ensuring the plan doesn’t undermine existing support. "We need to make sure it’s additive and doesn’t subtract from any of the other social welfare programs we have that help lower-income people," Fichtner said.

If you’ve made updates to your home recently – anything from a kitchen reno to a new roof – it’s time to revisit your homeowners' insurance. Before you panic, not every upgrade means a higher premium. Some – like removing a fireplace or redoing plumbing – can actually help you pay less."Anything you can do to improve the safety of your home will help lower your insurance costs," explains Stephen Kates, a Bankrate insurance analyst and CFP, tells HerMoney. "It never hurts to be front of mind with the things you’re doing to protect yourself."

🏡 Yes, certain changes could raise your coverage needs. But if you’re calling your agent anyway, it’s the perfect time to grab a few comparison quotes. Shopping for insurance may not be thrilling, but saving money definitely is.

Leading Sesame Street Through A Perfect Storm

Sherrie Westin’s career has taken her from the Oval Office to ABC News – but for the past two decades, she’s called Sesame Street home, working alongside Elmo and friends to help kids grow "smarter, stronger and kinder."

As Westin shares on the How She Does It podcast, she never set out to be the CEO of Sesame Workshop. In fact, when the board first asked her to step in during a transition, she recalls saying, "I don’t want to be CEO, but I’ll be interim until you find someone." That changed quickly. "I felt so empowered," she shares. "I sort of said, wait a minute, what am I thinking?"

Then came what she calls "a bit of a perfect storm." A major streaming deal ended, federal funding shifts disrupted programming and the organization had to downsize. "We knew with the media landscape changing that we were going to have to rightsize the organization. That is so hard," Westin explains. "Especially when you’ve been somewhere as long as I have to do any sort of downsizing. It is really painful."

Listen to the full episode for Westin’s advice on navigating tough seasons, building a career you love and stepping into leadership – even when you’re unsure.

Listen Now

More For You To ❤️

💵 Private equity in your 401(k)? We break down what this new retirement shift really means for you on the HerMoney Podcast.

📅 Ask Jean Bonus: "What’s the best way to keep track of paperless monthly bills so you know when they're due and don't miss a payment?"

👛 HerMoney Most Clicked: One HerMoney Staffer’s Best Goodwill Finds – And How You Can Score Your Own Deals

💳 Owe $10k + on your credit cards? Debt relief may be worth a look. Some companies negotiate directly with creditors to reduce what you owe and roll multiple balances into one monthly payment, helping you get back on track faster.

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