California Business Minute™

Hi, I am Tim Johnson and welcome to the California Business Minute.

According to a study by Financial Finesse Inc., an employee benefits company
from Manhattan Beach, men are more apt to pay bills and pay bills on time
then women.

Two-thirds of men but just one-third of women said they regularly pay their
credit card balances in full. Also, 90 percent of men said they pay their
bills on time each month but only 74 percent of women said so, it said.

The report found that 71 percent of men but only 53 percent of women have a
handle on their cash flow so they spend less than they earn each month. More
than half of men but just a third of women said they have an emergency fund
to pay their bills for a few months if they lose their job.

Forty percent of men but just 24 percent of women said they were confident
their investments were allocated appropriately, while 73 percent of men but
just 40 percent of women said they had a general knowledge of stocks, bonds
and mutual funds.

The participants in the research were filling out online questionnaires to
enroll in financial education programs given by Financial Finesse, which
provides employee benefits to some 300 businesses -mostly larger companies
nationwide. Most of those answering the questionnaires earned between $60,000
and $75,000 and were assessing their own financial situations from January
through April 2009, Davidson said.

I am Tim Johnson and this has been the California Business Minute.