As the French like to say (though they say it in French): The more things change, the more they remain the same. And so it goes.

Women today are more likely to work than not; they stand a decent chance of outearning their husbands, and they occupy some of the biggest corner and political offices in America.

But . . . on average, they have less, earn less, invest less, and end their lives poorer than do men.

The most recent data show that women's salaries have stopped growing, in relation to men's salaries. College-educated women between 36 and 45 earn 74.7 cents for every dollar their male counterparts make, according to the Economic Policy Institute. That's a penny less than it was 10 years ago.

Why should this be, when women are almost 30 percent more likely than men to go to college, when all doors are open to them? It's not because women are less smart or less skilled at investing. Surveys done by the umbrella group of investment clubs, BetterInvesting.org, have demonstrated that their female-only clubs outperform their male-only clubs.

Women often end up less well off than men for two reasons: (1) They interrupt their careers to have and care for children; (2) they live, on average, seven years longer than men, so their money has to stretch further.

The challenge for women is to maintain financial strength without forfeiting their healthy longevity or balanced approach to life. We could all be rich if we eschewed family, friends, and satisfying work, and did nothing but pursue the most lucrative careers all day, every day.

Staying financially stable without giving up that balance is what women need to do. 
Here's how:

Protect yourself. If you're giving up your livelihood to raise children, make sure your husband carries adequate life, health, and disability insurance. Insist that after his 401(k) plan, the next savings go into your spousal individual retirement account. A nonworking spouse can make a deductible IRA contribution of up to $4,000 for 2007 ($5,000 if you'll be at least 50 in 2007).

Save more. The rule of thumb for men is to save 10 percent of their salaries for retirement every year. But working women should save 12 percent to cover their longer retirements and their interrupted work lives, suggests Susan Black, director of financial planning at eMoney Advisor.

Manage the family budget, even if it's just for one year. Do it on a computer, with Quicken or Microsoft Money, and you'll learn a lot about how the whole money picture goes together: the cash flow, the debt, the net worth, and so forth. You'll pick up lifelong skills and know how to squeeze more out of the same amount of money.

Learn to invest -- even if you don't want to. You never know when that responsibility may get dumped in your lap. You can form an investment club with friends, or load up on books that specialize in user-friendly advice. You'll probably find out that you're really good at it.

Earn money. Staying home with the kids is a wonderful thing to do, but in today's wired economy that doesn't mean you can't have an income. Strongly consider keeping some money coming in, even when you quit your job. This can be anything from part-time consulting to at-home editing to selling crafts on eBay to baby-sitting. It could earn you enough to let you feed your own SEP IRA and help you keep your hand in and your contacts warm for when you're ready to step up.

If you're married, always plan retirement for two. When it's time to get pensions or annuities, choose dual life options.

If you divorce, don't worry so much about being nice. Equal distribution is not fair distribution when one partner has a career and the other's been back-burnering her earning power. Get a lawyer who will get you a fair distribution of assets, and negotiate the kids' college tuitions before you sign on the dotted line.

Invest in things that appreciate, whether you're married or single. That includes a house, shares of stocks or mutual funds, and a good education.