How Are Women Spending Their 2008 Tax Stimulus Checks?

How are women spending their 2008 tax stimulus checks? Is this a hopelessly sexist question, and should it even be asked? Yes...and here's why.

According to Jeremy Simon writing at Creditcards.com, there is a gender difference. Citing a CreditCards.com telephone poll conducted by GfK Roper Public Affairs and Media, he reports:

The poll results...showed a difference between men and women's plans. Men are more likely to say they'll pay off debt; women are more likely to use it for savings.

[Gail] Cunningham [senior director of public relations for the National Foundation for Credit Counseling] says that split could be due to the way couples often divide responsibilities, with either the man or woman in charge of finances. "Whoever is responsible for paying the bills is more concerned about paying down debt," Cunningham says.

Another possible explanation for the split stems from the different ways the two sexes handle money, which could leave men with a greater share of debt. "Women are a little more conservative in their finances whereas guys go out and buy the big screen TV or the truck," [Michael] Eisenberg [of Eisenberg Financial Advisors in Los Angeles] says. With women not as burdened by debt, they may be more able to set aside the extra cash as savings.

The poll was conducted March 7-9, 2008 and included a total of 1004 adults ages 18 and over, with 524 females and 480 males surveyed.

_{Source:
Simon, Jeremy. "Poll: Half of America won't spend their 'stimulus' rebate." Creditcards.com 12 March 2008.}