The gender gap is notoriously wide in some fast-growing STEM fields, such as computer science and engineering. Men greatly outnumber women majoring in STEM topics in college as well. Many believe that this is because of the lack of encouragement women receive in the pursuit of career paths in STEM fields, while others are convinced that it is mainly due to the lack of female role models in STEM. Still, some attribute it to a lack of funding, with parents of young women interested in STEM considering dipping into their Self-Directed IRA to fund their child’s education at the detriment of their SDIRA balance.