Many American women are ill-prepared financially for retirement, in part due to a variety of disadvantages they have long faced.  As a result, after retiring many women end up living near or below the poverty line and some are forced to return to the workforce.  Due to financial constraints, retirees may also be forced to make difficult choices about their lifestyles and about where, how, and with whom they live.  In this presentation, I review the literature on the risks women face as they prepare for retirement and their golden years.  I conclude by discussing what can be done to increase women’s retirement preparedness.