Financial Security -- Do guys outearn gals?

Catherine Hill was the lead researcher on a study sponsored by the American Association of University Women. Her study found that one year out of college, women earn only around 80 percent of what their male colleagues do. This pattern holds true across industries, except for a handful of ones, including engineering and education, in which women earn about the same. Ten years out, women make 70 percent of what men do.

Here are some advice on making sure we are earning as much as the guys, from the July 2007 issue of Glamour:

-- Do salary surveillance. payscale.com, salary.com, indeed.com, womenworking.com, jobsearchabout.com, and websites for your field

-- Promote yourself. Research show that men are four times more likely to ask for more money than women when a job offer is made. "But leave it to the prospective employer to talk money first," says Tory Johnson, CEO of Women For Hire, a recruitment firm. "Otherwise you could lowball yourself." When asked about your current salary, if you think it's low, reveal it and add, "I'm not earning enough, given my experience and the market value." If you get a skimpy offer, express interest in the job, then say, "Based on my research, I think I should be earning more." Don't bring up personal reasons you need extra money (like a rent increase). Give your supervisor a list of your achievements a month before your review, says Lois P. Frankel, author of "See Jane Lead." "Say that you'd like to remind her of your successes as she determines raises."

-- Seek out companies with women on top.

-- Two pending bills in Congress: the Paycheck Fairness Act (HR 1338/S 766) and the Fair Pay Act (HR 2019/S 1087) would require employers to pay women and men equally for comparable jobs. Urge your legislators to back them (for emails, go to usa.gov). If we don't take action, we'll be passing this problem to our daughters and grand-daughters.