In her book 'The Price of Motherhood', author Ann Crittenden coined the term "mommy tax" to describe the economic toll motherhood takes on a woman's earning potential over the course of a lifetime. Even if a woman goes right back to work after having children, statistically she'll earn significantly less than her childless counterparts.
This 'mommy tax' has proven that having a child in your 20s may not be financially optimal. "My younger clients in their 20s and early 30s have a lot of debt," says financial adviser Elise Stevenson, president of Clearvue Advisors in Milton, Massachusetts. "College loan debt is such a problem for young people today – it's a noose around their necks. And as they struggle to pay it off, it's very easy to slide into credit card debt."
by Emotional Cruiser October 23, 2025
Get the mommy taxmug.