Would it be more difficult to plan for retirement if you were expected to live longer, earn less and spend more time and money caring for others?

This is the financial situation many women face. From recent college graduates to women already in retirement, females in general face a more difficult path to financial comfort throughout their lives."Women have some unique characteristics that revolve around their finances," said Susan Lovejoy, a representative from Thrivent Financial in Lehighton, who recently offered a financial talk alongside Thrivent representative Michael Colson of Palmerton. "It's good to anticipate these things, and prepare for them."She noted that the average life span of a woman today is 85, and in general, women tend to live longer than men. They tend to be the caregivers in the family, devoting more time, money and energy to caring for children, grandchildren and parents.Most women will also experience a major life crisis before the age of 80. Job loss, divorce, and a serious illness or disability can all affect your finances.Finding balanceNo matter where you are in your life, finding a way to "balance" your spending is important and the first step to financial wellness. Know how much money you can expect to receive each month, and plan to spend less than that amount."Even if you have a good idea of where your money is going, writing it down is extremely helpful," said Lovejoy.Seeing the amount of money you earn and spend each month written down can be a real eye-opener, she added. It can also tell you if you need to cut back on some expenses, or are doing OK with your spending.Also consider where your money is being spent, and what you would like to be doing with your money."When you look at your monthly total of where your money is going, does that reflect your priorities? One of the first steps to becoming more in step with your finances is to take a good look at your values. Some people are really involved in the community. Others have a drive for wealth," said Lovejoy, noting that most people have multiple values that need to be balanced with each other.Take some time to list your top 10 values, and then choose the top three. You'll want to use these values to determine if you're spending your money, time and energy in a way that reflects your values."If a certain charity is important to you, or helping your children is important to you, where does that rank in what you're spending money on?" she asked. "Your values are typically something you want to portray through your decisions."Setting goals and protecting your futureYour financial goals will change throughout life. Some common goals for younger people include saving for the future, buying a home or providing for a comfortable family life. Those in retirement might be more concerned about running out of money.Once you've balanced your spending, look to set aside money each paycheck to meet these goals. If you're already retired, explore options to ensure that your money will stretch for as long as you'll need it.What do all of these goals have in common? Meeting your goals requires knowledge, hard work, and a little bit of luck. Some of the biggest financial hurdles that women face, such as a job loss, disability, or loss of a loved one, can't be controlled.Lovejoy encouraged women of all ages to review their property, car, disability, life and health insurance policies to ensure that they are comfortable with their level of coverage."Especially when you're twenty-something, you may be thinking that nothing can happen to you," she said. "In your working years, you are your most important asset. If you were hurt or unable to work, that can derail you from your financial plan," she said.Older women should consider long-term care insurance, which can pay for expensive home health care and keep you living independently as long as possible.Don't forget to set aside money for unexpected costs like a job loss or car repairs. Think of this savings as another type of "insurance" against the unexpected. Most financial planners recommend setting aside three to six months of income in a savings account or similar safe place. But even if you only have a few dollars to set aside each month, a small cushion is better than none.Finding timeFeeling overwhelmed by all of this, or not sure you have the time to devote to your finances?"If you think about how long you spent planning your last vacation, or your wedding, compared to how long you'll spend in retirement, that might give you a different lens to look through," said Colson.He noted that most people will devote hours to planning a one-week vacation, or months planning for a wedding, but don't want to spend time planning for a retirement that will likely span several decades."If you're able to get 15 minutes, twice a week, to look at your finances, what could you do with that time period?" he asked. "It doesn't seem like a lot of time, but even that small amount can be extremely helpful."Colson advised using this time to balance checkbooks, review bills, and become more organized with financial files and receipts.Retirement and beyondMost women can anticipate a long retirement, 25 to 30 years or more, and should plan accordingly."We don't stop living once we're retired. We still need to make sure the money lasts as long as we do," said Colson.He recommends that women use the three R's every few years, both during their working years and throughout retirement: revisit, re-evaluate and rebalance.Rebalancing portfolios is an important step to reduce risk. You'll also want to re-evaluate any other financial actions you've taken in the past, such as purchasing insurance."Take the time to make sure that the choices you made 5 or 10 years ago are still the right choices for you," said Colson. "If we're staying on top of things, it takes away some of that uncertainty."