While neither gender has an exclusive lock on money management skills, the financial deck is stacked against women.  They earn about 75% of what men make.  In a divorce, they get fewer of the assets and more of the children.

Women have come a long way, but the odds are stacked against them when it comes to financial matters.  Worse, many women view money and money-related tasks as necessary evils, not opportunities to even the odds.

Here are 12 smart moves to make:

1. Set a financial goal.
2. Train yourself to be financially independent.
3. Buy your own home.
4. Fund your retirement account.
5. Plan for long-term not crisis management.
6. Start investing.
7. Don't fear risk.
8. Don't go it alone.
9. Get emotional support, if you need it.
10. Be more confident in salary negotiations.
11. Venture out of your financial comfort zone.
12. Know that it's never too late.

They live longer, and one in eight elderly women lives in poverty, versus one in 12 men, according to 2003 figures from the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services.  "A lot of women believe wealth is a four-letter word," says Ginita Wall, CPA and co-author of It's More Than Your Money - It's Your Life!  "They are particularly afraid of the negative reputation wealth has - power, greed, corrupt connotations."

If you bank on Prince Charming, you're in trouble.  "All marriages end eventually, either through death or divorce," says Wall.  "It's usually the woman left behind."  While women handle most day-to-day finances, the majority of women leave long-term financial planning to their husbands - mistake.  "Always be aware of the finances, even if your husband is handling the money," says Wall.  "Be aware of what's happening.  Stay involved."

Opt for long-term planning over crisis management.  "Women, especially, don’t get serious about money until they lose a job, lose a spouse, or are near retirement," said Barbara Stanny, author of Secrets of Six-Figure Women.  For her book, Stanny interviewed women earning from $100,000 to $7 million annually.  "The biggest surprise I had, bar none, was how few of these women were wealthy," she said.  Many of them were living paycheck to paycheck, but at a higher level than their middle-income counterparts.