Does it seem like money is controlling your life instead of the other way around? Many women are stuck on a treadmill, living from paycheck to paycheck and totally unprepared for emergencies. Use the following scale to determine where you are today -- and where you would like to be in ten years.

Today, managing your money is as important as earning it. The material in A Working Woman's Guide to Financial Securitywill help you assess where you are and remove some of the guesswork involved in taking control of your financial life. The guides will address the many financial options available and empower you to plan for a secure future. Applying just a few of the principles can help you make dramatic a change in your fiscal life, whether you are a 3, 5, 7, or 9 on the financial scale.

This information won't tell you everything there is to know about a topic, but it will help you determine the steps needed to become a 10 and evaluate your progress as you get your finances in order.

Section 1. Planning for Financial Independence

• What Is Your Financial I.Q.?
• Organizing Your Family and Financial Records
• Plan Your Spending for Financial Security
• Choose and Use Credit Cards Wisely
• Take Charge of Your Credit
• How to Save Money, and Where to Put It

Section 2. Developing Your Financial Independence

• Insurance: Insuring the People and Things You Love
• Social Security: Your Needs Today and Tomorrow
• Making the Most of Your Pension Plan
• Using Your IRA to Full Advantage

Section 3: Thinking Ahead

• What Are Your Investment Goals?
• Basic Investment Options
• Where to Live When You Retire
• Forecasting Your Retirement Income and Expenses

Rarely does someone complain that they started planning too soon for their future security, but many regret that they started too late.

Will you become financially secure and independent? It depends upon your commitment, the quality of decisions you make, the advice you seek, and the way you choose to implement these suggestions.

Starting late is much better than not starting at all! Whatever your age, by immediately implementing even a few of the ideas in these planning guides, you will have a head start toward ensuring your financial security and independence.