A new study by the MetLife Mature Market Institute revealed that women who take an active role in their retirement planning stand a better chance of securing their finances in retirement than those who avoid the process.

"The MetLife Study of Women, Retirement, and the Extra-Long Life: Implications for Planning" examined how women between age 50 and 70 think about retirement. According to the report, women expect to live past the age of 85 and are "more concerned than men about affording health care, long-term care and outliving their assets. Yet, slightly more than half of the women surveyed know the likely amount of their retirement income/assets and only 44 percent have calculated the amount of their essential expenses. Approximately one in six (16 percent) reported that they have or plan to delay retirement, on average, four years."

The data suggest that women who work collaboratively with spouses, partners, financial advisors or even friends report higher confidence in their retirement security.