Uncensored Money

If you're in your 50s and thinking it might be "too late" to change your financial future, this episode is for you. 

In this Gen X edition of the series, Mel shares what she would do differently if she was turning 50 again when it comes to money, investing and financial independence. 

Because while time matters, strategy matters more. 

Too many women in their 50s are focused solely on paying off the mortgage, assuming investing is over, or avoiding the uncomfortable question of "how much do I actually need?" 

This episode is about replacing wishful thinking with clarity and making the next decade financially powerful. 

We cover why your home is an asset but not necessarily a retirement plan, why knowing your "number" matters more than ever, and how to find more cash without working yourself into the ground. 

If you're Gen X, consider this your financial pep talk. 

Because we've adapted before and we can absolutely do it again. 

In This Episode, We Discuss 

• Why focusing only on paying off the mortgage can limit your retirement strategy • The difference between assets and investments • Why knowing your retirement "number" matters in your 50s • How to find more cash and create more financial choice • Why investing is not "over" just because you're in your 50s • Using superannuation and investing strategically in this stage of life • Rethinking housing options including downsizing, rentvesting or alternative living arrangements • Why financial literacy becomes even more important for women as we age 

For more tips and resources, visit us at melissabrowne.com.au, on Facebook, Instagram or TikTok @MelBrowne.Money or send us an email at [email protected]. 

Links mentioned in the episode are below
My Financial Adulting Plan can be found at melissabrowne.com.au/financialadulting  
My Financial Adulting Plan can be found at  melissabrowne.com.au/financialadulting 

Find $10K in 12 Months Freebie can be found at  melissabrowne.com.au/find$10kin12months 
Finally, if you love this episode please make sure you subscribe, share it with a friend and leave us a review.

What if the world of finance was never designed with women in mind? 

In this special episode, Mel sits down with Lawsie to talk about her new book, Dare to Be Wealthy and the deeper truth behind why wealth still feels uncomfortable, taboo or "not for us" for so many women. 

This isn't just a conversation about investing, debt or super. It's about the subtle messages women absorb over a lifetime that shape how we earn, spend, save and dream, often without even realising it. 

Mel shares the personal experiences she's never spoken about publicly before, why she believes women need a financial revolution, and the biggest myths keeping women from building real financial independence. 

We also explore the things traditional finance books never talk about including hormones, ADHD, shame, reinvention, and why so many capable women still believe they've left it too late. 

If you've ever felt behind, overwhelmed, or quietly unsure whether wealth is really "for you," this episode is your reminder that it is. 

And that it's never too late to begin. 

In This Episode, We Cover 

• Why the word dare matters and why wealth can still feel rebellious (or shameful or icky) for women 

• The hidden money messages women absorb growing up 

• Why shame keeps so many women stuck in debt or inaction 

• The biggest misconception about investing (and why it's simpler than you think) 

• How hormones, ADHD and life transitions affect financial decisions 

• Why financial independence is about choice, not greed 

• What Mel hopes women feel when they finish Dare to Be Wealthy 

For more tips and resources, visit us at melissabrowne.com.au, on Facebook, Instagram or TikTok @MelBrowne.Money or send us an email at [email protected]. 

Links mentioned in the episode are below

Dare to be Wealthy: melissabrowne.com.au/books

Turning 40 isn't a crisis. It's clarity. 

In this episode, Mel and LL unpack what they'd do differently financially if they were entering their 40s again. From investing myths to hormone health, divorce realities and reinvention. 

Because here's the truth: Your 40s aren't too late. They're often where confidence, income and courage finally align. 

We cover: 

• Why women (but not men) think they've "left it too late" to start investing • How $500 per month invested for 30 years could approach $1 million • Why investing doesn't have to be complicated (yes, even one broad-based ETF can be enough) • The mortgage obsession trap and why paying it off first doesn't always "math"  • The real overspending stats behind Buy Now Pay Later (+54%) and credit cards (+18%) • The $17 billion impact of perimenopause and menopause on Australian women's earnings and super • Brain fog, automation and protecting your financial decision-making during hormonal transitions • Why your 40s are peak divorce years and how to protect your financial independence • Why 40 is not "too old" to start something bold (and the women who prove it) 

This episode isn't about panic. It's about power. 

If you're in your 40s this isn't a warning. It's an invitation. 

You still have time. But only if you start 
For more tips and resources, visit us at melissabrowne.com.au, on Facebook, Instagram or TikTok @MelBrowne.Money or send us an email at [email protected]. 
Links mentioned in the episode are below:

The 10k in 12 months link: melissabrowne.com.au/find$10kin12months 

Investing in shares masterclass link:  melissabrowne.com.au/shares  Dare to be Wealthy: melissabrowne.com.au/books 

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure you subscribe, share with a friend and leave a review!

Your 30s are loud. 

Careers accelerate. Babies arrive (or don't). Relationships change. Houses get bought. Everyone looks like they've figured it out and suddenly money decisions feel heavier and more permanent. 

In this episode, Mel and Lawsie talk about the decade where momentum matters more than perfection. Because wealth in your 30s isn't built through dramatic moves. It's built through consistent ones… and by refusing to compare your life to someone else's highlight reel. 

We cover: 

– why small, boring investing still wins (even now) – the super conversation couples avoid and why women pay for it later – the insurance decisions that need to happen before life happens – avoiding the "dream home" golden handcuffs – lifestyle creep, pay rises and actually keeping your extra income – and the two habits quietly sabotaging women's finances: comparing and pressing pause 

This episode is for women earning well and women rebuilding because both can feel behind for different reasons. 

You're not late. 

You just need to start moving. 

For more tips and resources, visit us at melissabrowne.com.au, on Facebook, Instagram or TikTok @MelBrowne.Money or send us an email at [email protected]. 

Links mentioned in the episode are below:

Choicey link: https://calendly.com/d/ctfq-ktz-9zc/switch-save-on-health-insurance-expert-review-mbm 

The 10k in 12 months link: melissabrowne.com.au/find$10kin12months 

Investing in shares masterclass link:  melissabrowne.com.au/shares  DTBW: melissabrowne.com.au/books

If you could rewind to your 20s… would you actually change anything? 

In this episode, we're not doing regret, we're doing perspective. 

Because your 20s aren't about earning the most money. They're about owning the most valuable asset you'll ever have: time. And whether you're currently 25, 45 or 55, understanding what a "time millionaire" is might completely change how you think about your finances today. 

Mel and Lawsie unpack the money moves that matter early (and the ones that quietly derail women for decades): – why bad debt steals your future without you noticing – how a few inconvenient years can transform your entire financial trajectory – the shocking long-term power of tiny, consistent investing – the financial truth behind relationships and wealth – and why confidence, not perfection, is the real goal of your 20s 

This episode isn't really about your 20s. It's about realising you're not as behind as you think and what to do next, no matter your age. 

You're richer than you think 
For more tips and resources, visit us at melissabrowne.com.au, on Facebook, Instagram or TikTok @MelBrowne.Money or send us an email at [email protected]. 

Links mentioned in the episode are below 

My Financial Adulting Plan can be found at  melissabrowne.com.au/financialadulting 

Find $10K in 12 Months Freebie can be found at  melissabrowne.com.au/find$10kin12months 

Share Investing Masterclass can be found at  melissabrowne.com.au/shares 

Dare to be Wealthy can be found at melissabrowne.com.au/books 

Finally, if you love this episode please make sure you subscribe, share it with a friend and leave us a review.