Just when you thought that legislative, judicial, law-enforcement, media, and reproductive biases in favor of women were the epitome of double standards, there is new evidence that “life control” is increasingly shifting to the female domain: in four years, women also will rule men financially. Remember this the next time the waiter brings the check to your table, and your woman insists that YOU pay it — or worse, you acquiesce.

By 2010, women will own all the power points of society. According to a new study by Allianz, a mammoth-sized financial-services firm, women in that year will control 60% of US wealth (Allianz news release displayed below). Here are the other critical Allianz findings:

• Today there are one-third more women graduating from college than men.
• Women’s median income has increased 60%+ over the past thirty years, while men’s median income has hardly increased at all.
• The number of women earning $100,000+ has quadrupled in last decade.
• Sixty percent of women with business degrees outearn their husbands.
• Women account for half of all stock-market investors.

What’s laughable is that, despite the professional and financial gains women have made and continue to make, Allianz indicates that they’re still unhappy! If you’re surprised, read my article, “If Women Were Happy,” to understand why.

Where’s this wealth coming from? Here are five common sources of female wealth:

• Wages, business earnings, and investments
• Family inheritance
• Becoming widowed at a young age
• Lucrative divorce settlements, alimony, and child support
• Being wined, dined, vacationed, and bejeweled during the dating process.

This Allianz announcement should be a big wakeup call to men. As I have been exhorting for some time, you must rethink the way you relate to women: View them as peers and refuse to tolerate their attitudes of entitlement and demands for special privileges and deferential treatment.

Little by little, women have been eating your lunch, literally and figuratively. And, it’s YOUR fault. Why? Because you have equated your money with your masculinity. You have believed that women are the weaker sex, that your mission in life is to take care of them. Well, the numbers tell a different story. Now that the power clock is running out, it’s time to equate chivalry with impotence — not power. Any man who continues to play ostrich by ignoring this admonition does so at his own peril.

Women are graduating from college in higher numbers than you. At a rising rate, they will outearn you. They make most of the household-spending decisions. They match you in stock ownership. And, four years from now, they will control most of the money in this country (to learn more about women in the US workplace, read from the US Department of Labor: Women’s Bureau). How much longer will you wait to act?

To err through commission is one thing, but failing to act is the biggest sin of all. Look at the situation in Iran. How many times over the past few years has sabre-rattling Iran promised to negotiate about curtailing its nuclear capability and then announce that it won’t negotiate? Too many to count. All the while, naive, head-in-the-sand Uncle Sam hoped for the best. Hope is not a strategy. Proof: Today, Iran test-fired a new submarine-to-surface missile during war games in the Persian Gulf. It won’t be long before such missiles are nuclear, when it will be too late for Uncle Sam to act. Then, the power of the world will unalterably shift. See any parallels?

How will our society look in 2010? I envision acrimony between men and women to skyrocket, resulting in an even-larger number of men refusing to get married and the out-of-wedlock birthrate to continue climbing unabated (already 35% for whites and 70% for blacks). The solution is so simple — men and women treat each other as peers — yet so few are interested in solving anything. They’d rather destroy each other in family courts. During all the battling, unfortunately, men are losing their power and influence.

Since 1930, Pluto was the ninth planet. Last week, it was demoted to dwarf status. Do you still think that wining & dining women makes you Master of the Universe? Think again, pal.

[EXTRA: Forbes List of World’s 100 Most Powerful Women: 2006]

About the Author

Marc H. Rudov is an investment banker and business consultant residing in Silicon Valley, CA. He is the author of the book, The Man’s No-Nonsense Guide to Women: How to Succeed in Romance on Planet Earth^TM (ISBN 0974501719), and 24 articles.

Rudov’s book, articles, blog, and podcasts are available at TheNoNonsenseMan.com.

Copyright ©2006 by Marc H. Rudov. All rights reserved.

================================================================

Despite Unprecedented Wealth and Power,
Most Women Feel Financially Insecure, Allianz Study Finds

Lack of financial knowledge leads to fears of losing all their money

NEW YORK, NY. - (August 22, 2006) - After decades of escalating education, income and participation in the workplace, women are expected to control 60% of the wealth in the United States by 2010 — an unprecedented milestone in the empowerment of women. Yet despite this economic gain, women feel financially insecure and unprepared to handle their growing wealth, with nearly half worrying about becoming a bag lady, according to the new Allianz Women, Money, and Power Study.

The study results also serve as a wake-up call for the financial services industry, which has a long way to go to meet the needs of female financial decision makers. The study found:

• Regardless of the fact that women are more educated, more involved in financial decisions and are controlling more of the wealth than ever before the vast majority (90%) feel somewhat or not at all financially secure.
• Despite this level of insecurity, women say financial security and freedom are 15 to 20 times more important to them than money-related status or respect.
• Along with this financial insecurity is this tremendous fear of losing all their money and becoming a bag lady — about half of women had the “bag lady” fear, and surprisingly, almost half of the wealthier women (those who earned more than $100,000 annually) also felt this way.
• Lack of knowledge is the biggest barrier to women getting more involved in managing household finances — four times as much a barrier as lack of time.

“The financial services industry has largely handled the financial needs of women the same way they handle men’s needs,” said Mark Zesbaugh, CEO of Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America. “Given women’s evolving role in the economy and society, and now the insight we’ve gleaned from this research, the time is right for the financial services industry to adapt their approach to women.”

“In the last century, women revolutionized their roles in politics, family, and the workforce. This century, we are witnessing women breaking through the final barrier to gender equality — financial empowerment,” said Dr. Ken Dychtwald, America’s leading gerontologist, author of twelve books on aging-related issues including Age Wave, Age Power, The Power Years, and Workforce Crisis, and president of Age Wave. “This study enables us to develop a clear vision of women’s evolving financial roles and their distinct aspirations, challenges, and needs.”

“This study will guide financial advisers as they help female clients find effective financial strategies,” said Lisa Resnick, president of life and long term care insurance for Allianz. “Despite the insecurities women feel about their financial futures, women who already work with a financial advisor told us they feel more financially secure, confident and optimistic.”

Women’s roles in society, the economy, and at home have evolved to where an increasing amount of decision-making and control falls to women. Unlike women in previous generations, today’s woman finds herself in an unprecedented societal and economic shift:

• The percentage of women in the workforce almost doubled in the second half of the last century, from 32% to 62%.
• Today there are one-third more women graduating from college than men.
• Women’s median income has increased 60%+ over the past thirty years, while men’s median income has hardly increased at all.
• The number of women earning $100,000+ has quadrupled in last decade.
• Sixty percent of women with business degrees outearn their husbands.
• Women account for half of all stock-market investors.
• It is expected that by 2010, women will control 60% of wealth in the United States.

Allianz engaged Age Wave to design The Allianz Women, Money, and Power Study to provide insight into women’s relationships with money and investing, particularly at a time when women are at an all-time high in terms of their college graduation rates, numbers in the work force and earning power. The survey was conducted by Harris Interactive® and asked 3,183 people — 1,925 women and 1,258 men — to identify their attitudes and behaviors towards money.

The Allianz Women, Money, and Power Study identified four key themes that illustrate women’s relationships with money and investing, and the gaps the financial services industry needs to fill in helping women meet their goals.

1) Financial Insecurity, Avoid Becoming a Bag Lady. The study found that financial insecurity defines women and their relationship with money:

• Regardless of the fact that women are more educated, more involved in financial decisions and are controlling more of the wealth than ever before the vast majority (90%) feeling somewhat or not at all financially secure.
• Nearly two-thirds of women said the best thing about having money is feeling secure and not the things money can buy.
• This insecurity may explain why women are twice as likely as men to have a secret stash in case of a financial emergency.
• Women who work with a financial advisor feel more responsible, confident and optimistic and more likely to have financial clarity, security, and satisfaction.

2) Personality Matters. The Allianz Women, Money, and Power Study identified five distinct personas from commonly recognized fictional characters that reflect women’s attitudes towards money and investing. The smallest percentage said they wanted a man to take care of them, while the largest percentage — over a third — consider themselves to be savvy and self-reliant investors.

• Cinderellas — 8% of women hope that Prince Charming will make everything okay and feel they lack sufficient knowledge to make smart financial decisions.
• Alices in Wonderlands — 17% of women are confused by all the financial choices and avoid financial responsibility.
• Wonder Women — 18% of women feel capable of handling whatever comes their way, feel confident, empowered, extremely knowledgeable about money and investing, and most likely to work with a financial advisor.
• Belles — 23% like to handle things equally with their partners, are communicative and happy with their marriages where household finances are concerned.
• Goldilockes — 35% of women thoroughly research their options before making financial decisions, they are confident, analytical and highly knowledgeable about household finances.

3) He Said / She Said. When it comes to finances, women and men have dramatically different approaches and perceptions of the other sex:

• Women view themselves as carrying more responsibilities and are therefore burdened with more worries; men see themselves as more analytical and more open to taking risks.
• The lack of savings and too much debt are the major sources of financial conflicts between men and women.
• Women are more likely to attribute arguments about money to issues of power and control, while men are more likely to attribute it to trust.
• While almost all husbands and wives say the ideal way for a married couple to meet with a financial advisor is for both of them to meet together, nearly half say they act alone.
• According to wives, husbands overestimate their leadership role when it comes to savings and investments — by a factor of three to one.
• Overwhelmingly, men find financially independent women sexy, while only 4% of men disagreed.

4) What Women Want — Financially. The study provides advice for financial planners to help them better understand women’s financial goals:

• For women, lack of knowledge is women’s biggest barrier to getting more involved with managing savings and investments — four times as much a barrier as lack of time.
• Women have a unique financial profile: they want less worry, less aggressive investing, more security and predictability, more simplicity and easier access to understandable financial information.
• Women are more than twice as likely as men to choose to work with a female financial advisor; however, 80% of financial advisors are men.
• Mature women — who seem to be much more empowered and in control of their lives than younger generations — have some sage advice to offer Boomer and Gen X/Y women: plan early, learn about finances/investing and strive for financial independence. The adage of “marrying well” no longer works — marry someone who is financially stable –  was at the bottom of the list by a factor of 10 to 1.

The Allianz Women, Money, and Power Study demonstrates that the financial services industry can better position itself to work with women through key changes such as:

• Understanding that women are taking more control of their and their families’ finances.
• Acknowledging that we as a society are not educating our children about money.
• Playing a more active role in making sure financial education is more widely available in schools.
• Having more of a presence in women’s publications to promote financial literacy to women — in both the editorial and advertising pages.
• Recruiting more female financial advisors.
• Recognizing that women from older generations are ready to give advice to Generations X and Y.
• Realizing that it’s not just about women vs. men, but about the differences in women and segmenting according to age, personality traits, attitudes, and behaviors.
• Focusing on empowerment, rather than power.

¹Trendsight Group
² Bureau of Labor Statistics
³ Department of Education
⁴ Marketing to Women, by Marti Barletta
⁵ U.S. Census, Annual Demographic Survey
⁶ Marketing to Women, by Marti Barletta
⁷ Private Banker International, 2003
⁸ Trendsight Group

Study Methodology

Harris Interactive^® fielded a nationwide online survey for Allianz and Age Wave among 3,183 U.S. adults — 1,258 were men and 1,925 were women. The margin of error for the total sample was approximately +/- 2%. (See the full methodology document in the press kit.)

The online survey was conducted in the United States between May 4, 2006 and July 5, 2006. Figures for age by sex, education, race/ethnicity, region, income and net worth were weighted where necessary to align them with their actual proportions in the population. Propensity score weighting was also used to adjust for respondents’ propensity to be online.

About Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America

Founded in 1896 and based in Minneapolis, Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America provides fixed and variable annuities, life insurance policies, and long term care insurance products in the United States. Known for innovation, performance and customer service, the company has become a leader in the North American life insurance industry. Allianz products are offered through a network of over 220,000 independent financial professionals. Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America is one of the primary companies of Allianz AG, the 16th largest corporation in the world based on revenue (Fortune, August 2006). Allianz AG employs over 177,000 people worldwide.

About Age Wave

Age Wave was created in 1986 to guide leading companies and government groups worldwide in product and service development — geared to aging boomer and mature population segments. The company’s far-reaching explorations and innovative solutions have fertilized and catalyzed a broad spectrum of industry sectors from vitamins and cookies to automotive design and retail merchandising to mutual funds and health insurance. Age Wave’s services include groundbreaking primary and secondary research, cutting-edge brainstorming, business development guidance and a wide range of highly acclaimed presentations, communications and education programs. (http://www.agewave.com/)

About Harris Interactive^®

Harris Interactive is the 12th largest and fastest-growing market research firm in the world. The company provides research-driven insights and strategic advice to help its clients make more confident decisions which lead to measurable and enduring improvements in performance. Harris Interactive is widely known for The Harris Poll, one of the longest running, independent opinion polls and for pioneering online market research methods. More information about Harris Interactive may be obtained at http://www.harrisinteractive.com/.

Will California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger further enable the disgraceful, irresponsible behavior of miscreant moms by extending their baby-throw-away plan to 30 days from its current three days? This is a HUGE dilemma facing the governor, now running for reelection. Mr. Schwarzenegger must decide whether to let California join 17 other states in granting this outrageous female right by signing AB 1873 into law (see article below).

These self-surrender, or safe-haven, laws allow “parents” (read: mothers) to shed their unwanted newborns — akin to returning DVDs and library books — at designated hospitals, police stations, and fire stations, no questions asked. At one time, 47 states allowed these miscreant moms to dispose of their babies within 72 hours of giving birth, and then change their minds 14 days later. Now, the ”progressive” states are extending that dropoff period to 30 days.

On both sides of the political spectrum, disingenuous lawmakers are heralding this bill as pro-life. What they really mean to say is this:

“We are forbidden from criticizing females. To get reelected, we must condone almost everything women do. If they want to get abortions, fine. If they want to discard their newborns at fire stations, great. If they want to fraudulently become pregnant and stick men with 18 years of child support, even better. The last thing we can do is demand that women deal with the consequences of their behaviors. In politically correct America, that is verboten.”

US and state legislators have given women every conceivable way to opt out of parenthood (Roe v. Wade, safe-haven laws, and Plan-B pills); they have given men no such options. This violates the equal-protection clause of the US Constitution’s 14th Amendment. If a woman becomes pregnant, even in the case of failed birth control, all fetus/child decisions henceforth are hers. This is juris contemptus in action!

Today’s coddled girls grow up hearing: ”Responsibility is old-fashioned. There is a law to shield you from everything and everyone, including yourself.” Second-class boys, however, quickly learn that they are expected to march in the “shovel brigade” behind the female parade.

Will Governor Schwarzenegger do the right thing by vetoing this ludicrous bill and exhorting women not to get pregnant if they don’t want to be mothers? Or, in an era where ”the right thing” is an obsolete concept, will Mr. Schwarzenegger endorse the behavior of miscreant moms to get himself reelected? We shall see.

About the Author

Marc H. Rudov is an investment banker and business consultant residing in Silicon Valley, CA. He is the author of the book, The Man’s No-Nonsense Guide to Women: How to Succeed in Romance on Planet Earth^TM (ISBN 0974501719), and 23 articles.

Rudov’s book, articles, blog, and podcasts are available at http://www.TheNoNonsenseMan.com/.

Copyright ©2006 by Marc H. Rudov. All rights reserved.

====================================================================

Bill extends time for parents to abandon babies

By Edwin Garcia

MediaNews Sacramento Bureau — 08.25.06

SACRAMENTO - The 2-week-old baby bundled in a blanket was discovered, dead, in the trash can outside a Jack in the Box restaurant in Newark last winter.

His mother or father could face murder charges if authorities ever find them — but if Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger approves legislation sent to his desk Thursday, parents in similar, troubled situations could avoid prosecution beginning next year if they abandon their children at hospitals and designated fire stations within 30 days of birth.

The legislation, AB 1873 by Assemblyman Alberto Torrico, D-Fremont, was inspired by the Newark case. It seeks to extend the current self-surrender law, which gives parents 72 hours to turn in their newborn children to emergency health providers — no questions asked — without being charged with a crime.

At least 17 states have similar, 30-day laws.

A spokesman for Schwarzenegger said the governor had not taken a position on the bill.

As of last month, 153 newborns had been turned over since the current law took effect in 2001, according to state statistics. Through September 2004 — the most recent statistics available — 78 percent of the babies were surrendered alive. But other children continue to “fall through the cracks,” Torrico said, because parents either don’t know about the existing law, or need more than three days before deciding to give up their child.

“At its core, the bill is about saving babies’ lives,” Torrico told the Assembly, “and making sure that these young mothers understand that they have options besides leaving their babies in a garbage can, as happened just a mile from my house in January and just two blocks away from a fire station.”

He called his measure one of the most important bills of his political career, saying it has the potential to save many lives.

Torrico initially proposed a one-year surrender period, similar to laws in Missouri and North Dakota, and asked for $5 million to help promote the law throughout California, but legislative committees struck down the provisions.

The bill’s final version passed the Assembly on a 64-4 vote, though it was opposed by district attorneys who fret that abusive parents can harm their children and hide any signs of abuse for nearly a month.

Torrico and supporters of the measure countered that under the proposed law, and the current law, parents who drop off babies at a safe-surrender site such as a hospital emergency room and are suspected of physically hurting the child can be prosecuted for child abuse, and face up to six years in prison.

Some cities and counties opposed the measure out of concerns over costs of social workers and adoption consultants.

And the state Department of Social Services, which promotes the existing law through bilingual posters and brochures, suggested Torrico’s legislation was unnecessary.

“Unless it can be shown that babies older than 72 hours are being abandoned, and could be safer under the `Safely Surrendered Baby Law’ than under the voluntary relinquishment procedures, it is not necessary to change existing law,” the department stated in a letter opposing the measure.

Most abandoned babies, whether dead or alive, were newly born, the letter stated.

Assembly member Tim Leslie, R-Roseville, who supports the current law but argued against the measure, wondered if new parents who can’t handle changing diapers will abandon their children. “It’s an act that devalues humanity and devalues our children for up to 30 days,” Leslie said. “You just can’t give your child away.”

Assembly member Bonnie Garcia, R-El Centro, defended the measure, which she called a “pro-life” bill. “For those of you that are never going to have the experience of a baby moving and kicking inside of you, I don’t think you’ll ever understand this,” said Garcia, the mother of an 18-year-old.

Garcia, who has worked as a community leader, said she’s known of teenagers who got pregnant and faced difficult decisions: “The only choices they saw out of it was either to hide the pregnancy, or find a way to destroy that child.”

Proponents of the bill also argued that women who give birth by caesarean section are almost always in the hospital at least three days after the child is born.

At a news conference before the measure was passed, Torrico, a father of two small children, expressed disappointment that his latest version of the bill was stripped of $5 million to promote the law in a multilingual public-awareness campaign.

Many mothers, he said, still don’t even know about the existing, three-day surrender law.

Just last week, an 18-year-old Livermore woman — who told police she was raped by a relative, and hid her pregnancy from her family — gave birth in a bathtub and allegedly suffocated the baby with a plastic bag.

Later that day, police found the tiny body in a trash can at the side of her house. The mother, Carmen Gil, is being charged with murder.

As you may know, I appeared on The Tom Leykis Show as an in-studio guest, on July 25, 2006. It was a great honor and thrill.

What you may not know is that Tom had read my article, “Chivalry Died in the Garden of Eden,” on July 10, 2006. He devoted an entire hour to it. Tom’s comment about my article: “I think it’s brilliant! Don’t you?”

To listen to this amazing segment, CLICK HERE.

Please forward this blog posting to all your friends. I’m sure they would want to hear it as well.

There they go again, MissBehaving. Girls are flocking to work as interns on Capitol Hill, dressed like little whores. Why? The usual reason: to get men to notice and hire them. But, wait, aren’t today’s girls serious about being respected for their brains? Yeah, right.

As the story from ABC News indicates (see below), these girls, whom ABC calls “skinterns,” shamelessly admit the objectives of being scantily clad. Apparently, when push comes to shove (pun intended), females choose body over brains to get ahead. It’s been eight years since the Monica Lewinsky scandal — just enough time for America’s amnesia to set in — so, I guess we can forgive these girls their ignorance. After all, ignorance, temporary insanity, and bipolar disorder are their top excuses for everything, right?

The good-old double standard reigns supreme. There are EEOC and VAWA laws in place to protect women from uncomfortable working environments and unwanted advances. Yet, there are no laws proscribing women from taunting the hell out of men, are there? Of course not: lawmakers always overprotect and indulge women, regardless of their REAL behaviors and double standards.

Once again, the silence from the National Organization of Women (NOW) about Hussies on the Hill is deafening. Why? Because NOW — and feminism — is all about trashing men, not about holding women accountable for their actions. And, you also notice that no male members of Congress are publicly castigating these young hussies … because they never criticize women, for fear of losing the female vote.

How much longer do you guys want to continue tolerating this nonsense? How much longer do you women want to continue diminishing yourselves?

About the Author

Marc H. Rudov is an investment banker and business consultant residing in Silicon Valley, CA. He is the author of the book, The Man’s No-Nonsense Guide to Women: How to Succeed in Romance on Planet Earth^TM (ISBN 0974501719), and 22 articles.

Rudov’s book, articles, blog, and podcasts are available at http://www.TheNoNonsenseMan.com/.

Copyright ©2006 by Marc H. Rudov. All rights reserved.

=============================================================

ABC News, Aug. 12, 2006 — When it comes to style, most of the 535 members of Congress wear conservative suits that reflect the power on Capitol Hill.

For some of their fresh-faced interns, however, skimpy tank tops, jeans, short skirts and flip-flops are the “underdressed” norm.

“In what I’m wearing, you can see a lot of skin, and I’ve seen a lot of girls walk around maybe not buttoned up,” said Erica Matson, a congressional intern. “These girls wear tight pants, too, and they think maybe they’re not pushing the limit, but they are.”

With hopes of one day entering the political work force, as many as 20,000 interns begin that summer climb on Capitol Hill. Many will arrive at the most-popular address — the White House — with their tongues wagging.

“These kids all come out, and they’re still wearing tank tops and flip-flops, and that’s where the action is,” said Alex Pareene, editor of Wonkette.com, a political Web site.

The site sponsors a “Hotties on the Hill” contest, highlighting the sexiest interns on Capitol Hill.

“The easiest way to stand out is to not dress conservatively, and maybe if you can get noticed, you might get a full-time position,” Pareene said.

The intern “skin” debate, however, isn’t limited to the nation’s capital.

“Gen Y — or millenials, as they are often called — don’t have the same sense of respect for hierarchy or authority as older generations do,” said Tory Johnson, founder and CEO of Women for Hire. “What is often happening in that case is, we are leaving an impression of young and sexy instead of young, smart, sophisticated and savvy.”

Nicole Williams coaches young women entering the work force, and says while some interns are calculating, others are just clueless about real-world business attire.

“This isn’t a frat party. This isn’t about who’s the hottest chick out there. You are working for someone,” Williams said.

Not all interns are on the same fashion page about what’s hot and what’s not.

“We’re here with some very important people,” said congressional intern Billy Williams. “This is a privilege to be working here.”

Still, some interns say looking hot is their ticket to a better job.

“You’ve got the summer to prove ‘I can work here’ or ‘I can’t work here,’ so to get noticed, why not?” Matson said.

We all remember what happened to Monica Lewinsky, who just wanted to be noticed.

WATCH THE VIDEO: This story was reported by Andrea Canning for “Good Morning America.”

Tired of those blind dates where she shows up to meet you, 10 years older and 30 pounds heavier than in her photo?

Once you have invested in my book — The Man’s No-Nonsense Guide to Women — and received your bonus “NoNonsense Rules of Internet Dating,” subscribe for FREE to my NoNonsense Dating Tips Series.