Hosted by your Financial Wellbeing Coaches and Mortgage Brokers
Darlene Neu and Mel Pearce.
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Guest Kelly Bracegirdle shares her journey of living with ADHD and discovering her diagnosis as an adult. Kelly opens up about her money story, the emotional aspects of finances, and the concept of the "ADHD tax," which includes unintentional expenses like online shopping, wasted food, and overlooked subscriptions. Kelly offers practical strategies for curbing impulsive spending and her methods for staying organised.
Read MoreMel and Darlene start by reflecting on the cathartic nature of discussing their personal financial journeys and how listening back to their own discussions feels like getting sage advice from a friend.
In this episode we explore the challenges of dealing with increasing health insurance premiums and the decisions about coverage and excess. Mel talks about feeling of having control over your budget, even while planning a much-needed holiday and juggling medical expenses.
In the heart of this episode we tackle the topic of narcissism and its impact on financial decisions and relationships. We delve into how narcissism can manifest in financial power dynamics, both in personal relationships and in professional settings like the finance industry. Learn how to recognize and respond to manipulative behaviour, educate yourself to make informed decisions, and maintain your self-worth in the face of financial narcissism.
Mel and Darlene share their passion for discussing financial challenges openly, and recognising and responding to ego-centred financial interactions, and empowering yourself by education and informed decision-making. One of the key points is knowing when to move away from an unbalanced financial interaction.
Read MoreMel and Darlene share candid insights on navigating work you're not passionate about and preparing for the emotional journey when parents retire. They discuss the unconscious biases and judgments people face about money, regardless of gender or income. They emphasize the tendency to match spending to income and lifestyle, even among higher earners, and the importance of managing social expectations and being open about financial challenges. The hosts also touch on the pressure of being a breadwinner and the toll of maintaining appearances. They stress the significance of recognizing personal biases and having honest conversations about money, and offer insights on selling and buying homes, including tips on communication and what to include on offer clauses.
Read MoreMel and Darlene are joined by Trenna Probert, CEO of Super Fierce, a company empowering women financially through superannuation. Trenna shares insights on bridging the gender retirement gap and making your superannuation feel more real and tangible. Together they discuss financial confidence, gender equity, and Super Fierce's amazing tool for smart super comparison and optimisation.
Read MoreMel and Darlene discuss setting goals with your partner, paying children for chores, and the taboo topic of financial hardship. They provide strategies for managing financial challenges and stress the importance of assessing your financial standing, educating yourself, and building a support network. The hosts also address organizing bank accounts after purchasing a home, emphasizing aligning your setup with your money management style and automating your finances.
Read MoreIn this episode Mel and Darlene discuss spending and pocket money within the context of helping their children become financially independent.
Larisha Jerome, a proud Jarowair, Wakka Wakka, and Wulli Wulli woman, Manager of Women's Economic Empowerment & Business Education at First Nations Foundation, joins as a special guest. She discusses her journey from a disadvantaged childhood to her current roles, highlighting the importance of education and financial empowerment. Larisha explores cultural and generational disadvantages faced by Indigenous communities and aims to make finance fun for younger people through approaches like vision boards. She emphasizes learning from different cultures and will be giving a TEDx Talk on decolonizing Western money concepts. Mel and Larisha both stress the importance of genuine, transparent money discussions.
Read MoreMel discusses receiving a fine for driving an unregistered vehicle and the challenges of navigating the payment system. Darlene shares insights on managing her self-managed super fund, emphasizing the need for careful monitoring. The hosts explore the gender pay gap in Australian workplaces and its impact on career choices. They also discuss women's roles in the household, career breaks, and the impact of the cost of living on households. The episode concludes with having an exit strategy after a relationship breakdown and mentions the new online financial wellbeing course.
Read MoreMel and Darlene share personal stories and practical advice on managing competing priorities like private health insurance, income protection, and saving for family holidays. They emphasize the importance of planning for financial resilience and discuss the impact of traditional gender roles on financial dynamics in relationships. The hosts encourage listeners to strive for interdependence by actively engaging in financial management together and modelling healthy money behaviours for children.
Read MoreMel and Darlene discuss spending on clothing, and the importance of aligning spending to your values. Darlene talks about how upwards of 70% of Australians are now taking out loans via a Mortgage Broker, and touches on best-interest duty and industry regulation, as well as how Mortgage Brokers are paid, how commission works, as well as clawbacks. Mel and Darlene also mention the long-term client relationships and the shift to a more holistic approach to money in the industry. They also discuss purchasing a vehicle through novated lease, finance, or part-finance and go into depth on novated leasing.
Read MoreDeep dive into understanding more about what forms your behaviours, thoughts, actions, and relationship with money in this episode all about money stories. Mel and Darlene share their own personal money stories and what factors helped shape their views of, use of, and plans with money in their life. They discuss personal values, beliefs, and the real importance of having your own vision and purpose in life to guide your spending. They also touch on debt consolidation, and the key things to be considered before taking action.
Read MoreExplore the 8 Step Financial Wellbeing Program with Mel and Darlene as they unpack a little about each of the key areas and why they are critical to achieving an uplift to your financial wellbeing. These include having a vision, knowing your purpose, setting goals and priorities, knowing your numbers, understanding your financial products, creating a budget, growing your financial resilience, and more. They also discuss options and what to do if you’re unable to make mortgage repayments, offering a way forward for people unable to meet their expenses with the cost-of-living crisis.
Read MoreHave you ever wondered why you make certain financial decisions, while others seem to have completely different approaches? Listen as Mel and Darlene unpack each unique money personality, looking at their inherent strengths and weaknesses and their hallmark traits. They discuss how being aware of your money personality and seeking support when needed can bring balance and confidence to your financial choices.
They discuss how the money personality quiz can be used to gain deeper insights into the "why" behind your impulsive responses when it comes to money, and can help you recognise opportunities for uplifting your financial wellbeing.
They dive deep into relationships and discuss the need for understanding your partner on a financial level. At the beginning in ‘Our Truth’ the topic of parents giving pocket money is raised, and the episode ends with an in-depth talk about ‘mortgage prisoners’ being people stuck in certain home loan situations and what some possible options are to change their situation.
Listen to Mel and Darlene explore different professionals in the finance industry and unpack where financial wellbeing coaches fit, when you might engage one, and what exactly they can do for you.
They discuss financial planners and financial counsellors, and what the differences are between them, as well as money coaching and how financial wellbeing encompasses that but is far more holistic in its approach and outcomes.
Further examining the capability and resilience that form financial wellbeing, they touch on the concepts of scenario planning, the balance of power in relationships, and the fear emotion that so many people have around money.
This episode discusses what we’re teaching our children and modelling for them when it comes to money, and how our money story impacts them. As a very common thing we discuss in financial wellbeing coaching, the money relationship with children and young people is important, and understanding the balance between truly helping, versus creating the ‘I’m bad with money’ feeling or the weight of expectation.
This episode unpacks how everything we do and the conversations we have as parents forms part of our children’s personal money story and impacts their view and feelings about money with lasting effect. It highlights the importance of being real, honest, and open about money and how things work for your family.
Read MoreJoin a real conversation about financial wellbeing and the gender gap. Mel and Darlene discuss recent reporting on financial wellbeing for women and comment on the key statistics we need to know, highlighting it as an issue everyone can help make cultural change in. They go in depth on the biggest things impacting the financial wellbeing of women including the importance of workplaces, earning capacity, choices around personal careers, and juggling social expectations with independence and feeling equal about their contribution in the home and decision making.
Mel and Darlene raise some key questions for employers around women in their workplaces. They touch on the importance of independent financial resilience when it comes to relationship breakdown and being able to have choice in unforeseen circumstances.
This episode underscores the importance of understanding your own money story and how it impacts your expectations and experiences of money in your life now and into the future.
Get to know Mel and Darlene and understand more about their passion for financial wellbeing. You'll hear why they're talking about money, listen to their discussion on the importance of knowing your number, and introducing some key financial wellbeing concepts.
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