A Woman's Web

By Sharon Epperson

It's amazing what some women will talk about with each other, even if they're barely acquainted. Some are as excited about discussing their sex life--or someone else's--as they are about letting you know where they found a pair of Manolo Blahnik shoes for 50% off. But they will rarely reveal how they cut their credit-card debt, chose the mutual funds in their 401(k) or put a budget together after their divorce. Discussions about money and investing are "too personal," or at least they used to be.

But that's changing fast. Financial advice geared specifically at women has become a thriving industry, encompassing targeted marketing by Wall Street, special attention from the financial press, innumerable books--and now some useful websites. Muriel Siebert, who runs the discount brokerage firm Siebert Financial Corp., bought two of them last month. Her relaunched wfn.com is the only women's financial site to offer trading as well as online bill paying and the ability to aggregate all your accounts.

The big guys are taking notice. Charles Schwab has created a site for women, schwabwomen.com A tutorial on the site on what to look for in picking a stock is particularly helpful for fledgling investors. They can then purchase the equities on the main site. A brainchild of Carrie Schwab Pomerantz, Charles' daughter, the site is part of Schwab's Women Investing Now program, which also offers info to educate girls and their moms about investing.

Most financial websites for women aim to teach them how to get their finances in order. As if men don't need this too. Yet the difference is, women's sites are probably counting on some of the "scary statistics" outlined on Ellen McGirt's irreverent cassandrasrevenge.com to push women to fight for financial independence or at least learn how to achieve it. She reminds us that women are likely to earn less than men and to outlive them, and are more likely to live in poverty. Although her message is inspirational, some women may need a little more than that. Go to msmoney.com for a complete list of the documents you need before you start a plan, including tax returns, car and boat leases, and insurance policies. There are dozens of calculators on financialfinesse.com to assist you with mortgages, credit cards and basic savings.

But as Siebert says, many women's sites are condescending. In case you don't understand the meaning behind the name PinkBull.com you will find out that pink refers to the feminine side and bull to the financial markets in general. Duh! One of the "experts" on Oxygen Media's ka-ching.com is a novice investor who encourages women to "come learn with me." Would you go to a cardiologist who advertises her ignorance? At ivillagemoneylife.com an ad for a $300 camcorder ran on the same page as an article titled "Deep in Debt." Mixed message, perhaps?

Of course, most good planning sites, such as Money.com and Kiplinger.com offer tools for both genders. Women's sites simply try harder to combine financial advice with a bit of fun. But choose with caution. Sometimes following just one of them could leave you with a financial plan that's half-baked.

Sharon Epperson is a correspondent at CNBC Business News. You can e-mail her at sharon.epperson@NBC.com