Women are so damn busy and while experts at multitasking the added chore of managing their money is one that often seems to fall through the gap.
Boutique Advisers financial consultant Katie McDonald said these are smart, successful women who have decided they don’t want the additional stress of managing their money and happily hand over that responsibility to their husband or partner.
“It’s concerning how little women know about their financial situation, some don’t even how much they are earning,” Ms McDonald said.
“Women are already so incredibly busy with their career, home life and trying to stay healthy, their financial wellbeing comes very low on their priority list,” she said.
“To add finances to this list can just seem to hard, but it’s essential women start taking an interest because you never know what’s around the corner.”
“Life is full of disruptions, whether it’s a job loss, unexpected illness or a marriage break-up these are changes that can be much more difficult if you’re not prepared.”
“Unfortunately, in divorce, women often end up worse off because of reduced wages, lower super contributions or they simply don’t have access to savings accounts.”
“It’s important that both people in a relationship know all the details about their joint personal finances.”
“International Women’s Day this year was all about gender parity and with the pay gap between men and women still around 22 percent, learning how to manage your own money is a very powerful tool.”
“The good news it’s not too late, in 10 years you can turn around your finances, own your own home and be putting money away for a comfortable retirement.”
“You don’t want to be enjoying your smashed avocado now but eating baked beans in the dark in your retirement because you didn’t think about the future.”
“Knowledge is power, and you can get so much more from life if you learn how to manage your money.”
Katie McDonald’s expert tips to become financially savvy;
- Know how much income you earn; look at how much you have available each week/month and what are your assets and your liabilities.
- Look at the household budget; take notice of how much money is coming in and going out you might be surprised. If your outgoings exceed your earnings, then it’s easy to fall into the credit card trap.
- Pay off your mortgage; owning your own home is an important asset that will give you security in retirement. Make a plan about how long it will realistically take and stick to it.
- Think about your super; the compulsory 9.5% employer contribution is not enough to ensure a comfortable life in your golden years, particularly if you’ve had time off for maternity l
eave, been working part-time or set-up a business. On average woman have 50% less super then men at retirement age so it’s important to start topping up your fund.
“Do you want to live day to day or start making exciting plans, whether it’s for a holiday, retirement or even to pay for school fees.”
“It’s a fact that most smart women haven’t made the time to formulate a financial plan, but it doesn’t have to be complicated or hard.”
For more advice on how to turnaround your finances go to Boutique Advisers.
