The Three Legs of the Stool

Many older women rely on Social Security as their primary or only source of retirement income—it keeps almost 40 percent from falling into poverty. However, Social Security replaces only 40 percent of an average worker’s wages. That 40 percent is not enough alone, and the fact that they are without other sources of income such as pensions or savings is one of the major reasons why so many older women live at poverty’s door.