More women are taking the reins on their finances, holding 60 percent of all personal wealth and 51 percent of all stocks in the U.S., according to Virginia Tech.

In the office, 1.3 million are cashing in a cool $100,000-plus annually and running 40 percent of all private American businesses, according to marketing site She-conomy.

At home, the majority of women (90 percent) still control the family's purse strings, from stocking up on household items to having the final say on home and car purchases and health care.

1. Women control more than 60% of all personal wealth in the U.S.

2. Women purchase over 50% of traditional male products, including automobiles, home improvement products, and consumer electronics.

3. Women account for 85% of all consumer purchases: 91% New Homes, 65% New Cars, 66% PCs, 89% Bank Accounts, 92% Vacations, 93% Food, 80% Healthcare, 93% OTC Pharmaceuticals

They say it's a man's world. But in the typical American family, it's the woman who wears the pantsuit.

To explore decision-making in the typical American home, a Pew Research Center survey asked men and women living in couples which one generally makes the decisions in four familiar areas of domestic life. Who decides what you do together on the weekend? Who manages the household finances? Who makes the decisions on big purchases for the home? And who most often decides what to watch on television?

The survey finds that in 43% of all couples it's the woman who makes decisions in more areas than the man. By contrast, men make more of the decisions in only about a quarter (26%) of all couples. And about three-in-ten couples (31%) split decision-making responsibilities equally.