In the past, it was often assumed that the man would be the breadwinner in a family. As times changed, that morphed to an assumption that even when both spouses worked, the husband would typically earn more than the wife. It seems, however, that is no longer a safe assumption to make in Florida or the nation at large. A 2010 study indicates that single, childless women are, on average, out-earning their male peers. This could mean they might need to protect themselves more by insisting on prenups if they eventually decide to get married.
What are the reasons for single women out-earning their male counterparts? A senior consultant at Reach Advisors suggested that, for South Florida women, higher education and the downturn in male-dominated industries like construction account for a large portion of the difference. She also believes that as women continue to earn more college degrees than men, the gap may continue to increase. The days of assuming that prenups tend to benefit the future husband more than the future wife may now be over.
Apparently, single women are also ahead of men when it comes to buying homes. Statistics published by the National Board of Realtors show that after married couples, single women are buying the most homes -- yet another reason for single women to consider asking future spouses to sign prenups in the event they choose to marry.
It is an unfortunate truth that not every marriage flourishes as much as newlyweds hope, so prenuptial agreements can often be a way for both parties to protect themselves. If single women continue to out-earn single men and continue to purchase homes that could conceivably become marital property without the protection of a prenuptial agreement, prenups may become of increasing importance among women -- just one more sign of the changing times in American society.
Source: Sun Sentinel, "Single women earning more money, degrees," Donna Gehrke, June 18, 2012
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