Men generally die at a younger age than women. The result of this is that many women are faced later in life with the investment of large lump sums of money coming from a number of sources, such as retirement funds and life assurance. A large proportion of women receiving these lump sums have never handled large amounts before, and many have not been involved in investment at all. Widows are often the targets of unethical financial advisers who are driven more by commission than their clients interests. You don't need to be an investment expert to make sure that things don't go sour, but you must understand the basics of investment, and the different investment products and their uses. If you have an understanding of the basics and follow a number of simple rules, you should be able to protect your money. For a widow who has recently come into a large sum of money, the rules of investment are no different from the guidelines for someone who has received her first pay cheque and wants to start building real wealth. If you know your financial self, have a financial plan and (it is hoped) have no or little debt, you can start preserving and building wealth.

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Suze Orman investigates the complicated, dysfunctional relationship women have with money in this groundbreaking new book. With her signature mix of insight, compassion, and soul-deep recognition, she equips women with the financial knowledge and emotional awareness to overcome the blocks that have kept them from making more out of the money they make. At the center of the book is The Save Yourself Plan—a streamlined, five-month program that delivers genuine long-term financial security. But what’s at stake is far bigger than money itself: It’s about every woman’s sense of who she is and what she deserves, and why it all begins with the decision to save yourself.

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