Thanks to a number of handicaps,including lower-paying jobs, the gender wage gap and prolongedabsences from the workplace from caregiving or raising children,women don't save enough for retirement but have a hard time doingso even when that's their goal. (Photo: Shutterstock)

We already know that the U.S. is heading for a retirementcrisis, with 40 million working-age households lacking any retirement savings, according tothe Federal Reserve Bank's Survey of Consumer Finances.

In addition, the percentage of Americans who even have access toa retirement plan has fallen since 1979—not good news.

But the worst news is for women, more than 76 percent of whomare not only headed in the wrong direction financially but stand tohave a rough time of it in retirement, thanks to lack of sufficientsavings to see them through.

Thanks to a number of handicaps, including lower-paying jobs,the gender wage gap and prolonged absences from the workplace fromcaregiving or raising children, women don't save enough forretirement but have a hard time doing so even when that's theirgoal.

Related: Women need 20 percent more saved inretirement for health care

But that doesn't mean there aren't steps they can take to bettertheir situation. A Marketwatch report suggested a number of waysthat women can better prepare for retirement, so that they don'tnecessarily end up fulfilling the “bag lady” nightmare of ending up on thestreets eating cat food.

That doesn't necessarily mean that it will be easy, but gettinga better handle on their finances includes a number of actions thatwill lessen the likelihood of ending up broke in their old age.

7. Don't be a borrower—and don't withdraw.

The money in your retirement accounts is meant to see youthrough your golden years, but it won't be there if you borrow fromretirement accounts or just take the money out before it'stime.

Withdrawing money during the accumulation phase of your careermeans there will be less money to grow into enough to payretirement expenses.

Even if you borrow and pay it back, you're losing valuable timeduring which savings can increase—and if you simply withdraw andspend it, there's no making up that lost ground unless you'reextraordinarily fortunate in being able to replace that money laterin your career.

The likelihood of that happening is extremely low—and that meansyou should not only resist the urge to spend retirement savings,but you should also say no to kids, relatives or friends who wantto borrow money.

Related: Sexes approach retirementdifferently

6. Pay down your debt.

Make it your goal to enter retirement debt free. If not,interest payments will nibble (or even chomp) away at yourretirement funds until you run out of money.

You have no way of knowing what sort of situations and expensesyou may face in retirement. Making sure that your debts are paidoff before you leave the workplace lessens the likelihood thatunexpected expenses will take down your dreams of a fulfillingretirement—whether that's your chance to volunteer, go back toschool just for fun, or spend time with family and friends.

Related: 10 best-paying cities forwomen

5. Find help to plan for retirement.

There are many considerations in planning for retirement, andlots of things to consider regarding saving, investing and themyriad other actions that go into a successful retirement.

You might want to consider consulting a financial planner—inparticular, one who offers a fiduciary relationship and looks outfor your best interest and no one else's—to help you get all yourducks in a row. That way you're less likely to overlook someessential part of the planning process.

Related: Checklist for retirement: 6 questionsmarried women must ask

4. Stall on drawing Social Security.

Ignorance of how Social Security works can cost you—for the restof your life. If you claim benefits too soon, you'll consignyourself to a smaller check that could really cramp your style inyears to come. Since many women rely on Social Security to provideanywhere from 25–60 percent of their monthly retirement income,this is a big deal. If you can wait till age 70 before you startdrawing checks, you'll get a substantially higher benefit than youwould if you sign up for benefits as soon as you're eligible.

Claiming at age 62 will result in a 25 percent reduction on whatthe full benefit amount would be if you waited till your fullretirement age (65, 66 or 67, depending on your year of birth),while waiting till age 70 will increase benefits for boomers by 32percent over what they would get at their full retirement age—anincrease worth waiting for.

Related: How women can increase their SocialSecurity

3. Look for additional monthly income.

Figure out a way to create another consistent income stream duringretirement that can boost the income from Social Security. Ideally,you should seek enough of an income stream that together withSocial Security can meet all your monthly expenses.

A reliable alternate source of income that can supplement SocialSecurity can help you weather periods of extreme market volatilitywhen you might not want to draw on assets that otherwise wouldcontinue to grow and provide future income.

2. Create an emergency fund.

Not only do most people fail to create an emergency fund, thosethat do often forget that that's what it's for: emergencies.

You need to set aside money to help you with unforeseenexpenses, whether they're medical, dental, maintenance (cartroubles, major home repairs) or some other sudden need. Butremember that the money is for your emergencies, and notthose of friends or family.

Related: Divorce is destroyingretirement

1. Downsize—in advance.

If you already know you'll be moving to a smaller,easier-to-care-for residence when you retire, you might want to doit ahead of time, and get both the fuss and the expense out of theway.

Not only will you probably save money in that smaller home, butyou'll be all settled in by the time you retire and alreadyfamiliar with the area and support system you'll be livingwith.

In addition, you'll have gotten the move out of the way whileyou're still capable of packing (and unpacking) boxes!

Related: 5 ways to salvageretirement