This is how the battle of the sexes plays out in the complex world of retirement planning -- and all too often, women come out on the losing end. To a surprising degree, many women are unprepared for retirement: A recent survey by financial-services company MassMutual found that women's retirement accounts were, on average, just two-thirds the size of men's. The disparity is made worse by simple demographics: Because they live longer, women need more money than men for a comfortable retirement -- up to 40 percent more for health care expenses alone, according to the Employee Benefit Research Institute. And the gap isn't expected to close for decades. "Millions of women are going to lose their standard of living unless they take hold of the situation," says Cindy Hounsell, president of the Women's Institute for a Secure Retirement.

But as women step up to do just that, many find that the financial-services industry is an obstacle, not an ally. Indeed, in a recent Boston Consulting Group survey of women investors, respondents said they routinely feel underserved by the financial-services industry, with more than 70 percent expressing dissatisfaction with the service they are getting. Among the complaints: disrespectful advisers, narrower investment choices based on the assumption that women can't handle risks and patronizing pitches like one from a bank's Web site that urged women to give their finances a "makeover." The disenchantment is especially acute among women who find themselves managing money on their own after their marriages end. Seven out of 10 widows and divorced women leave the advisers that their spouses used, according to a study by financial-services giant Allianz.

Of course, men have plenty of problems of their own navigating the retirement maze in a sluggish economy. But when experts talk about women's discontent, one factor stands out as the bull elephant in the room: Between 70 and 80 percent of advisers are men, and many veterans have built their careers serving a mostly male clientele. While some companies are slowly beginning to address the issue, a male-centric mentality still pervades the business in ways that can alienate women. Financial planners are full of formulas on how much to save and spend, but many fail to take into account the fact that women typically earn less than men and are more likely to take time out of the workforce while raising their families. And couples find that too often their adviser focuses his (or even her) attention predominantly on the man. "The one-size-fits-the-couple nature of most conversations leaves women shortchanged," says Manisha Thakor, a former portfolio manager who writes about personal finance for women. Here, a look at the unexpected challenges created by the gender divide.