Top Five finance tools for women

Want to boost your financial literacy? These female-focused podcasts, books and courses have advice, tactics and tips to build wealth

Rise of the financially empowered female

The average net wealth of Australian women is now 89 per cent of that of men1, with the rise of women as an economic force largely due to more women working, along with the booming housing market.

In turn, this has fuelled the growth in female-focused personal finance resources – whatever your interest, there’s a good chance there’s a book, podcast or course that has you covered.

Whether you want to improve your financial skills, grow your wealth, get better at money management or become a savvy investor, it can be difficult to know where to start.

But every day, more and more money resources are available to help women kit up. We’ve taken the hard work out of tracking them down, with this curated a list of five courses, books and podcasts to help you up your money game.

5 courses to improve your financial fitness

  1. MoneyGirl’s First 6 Steps to Financial Independence is a financial education course for young women, covering money management, tax, super, credit, debt, investing, and money and relationships, with a special focus on migrant and refugee women.

  2. Women Talk Money has produced a series of free videos backed by women’s support services organisation WIRE, unwrapping issues like financial abuse, marriage, divorce and retirement.  

  3. Ladies Finance Club’s Investing in the Share Market for Beginners covers topics for new investors such as compound interest; inflation; different asset classes; risk, return and diversification; direct investment, and exchange traded funds (ETFs) and managed funds.

  4. The Money Project, from Women Talking Finance, features videos, worksheets and conference calls with a money expert to help you set financial goals, develop investment skills and design your own financial plan.

  5. Women with Cents runs the Making Cents of Money program to help women of all ages take control of their finances by learning about budgeting, saving, investing, super, insurance and debt.

5 books to boost your money power

  1. How to Get Mortgage-free Like Me, by finance journalist Nicole Pedersen-McKinnon, shares the stories and strategies behind how she, and other Australian families, paid off their mortgages fast, as well as tips from experts on how to get debt free, quickly.

  2. A Real Girl’s Guide to Money, by personal finance commentator Effie Zahos, covers subjects ranging from getting your first job to retiring – and everything in-between – all from a financial perspective.

  3. The $1000 Project, by financial planner Canna Campbell, follows the author on a year-long journey of growing her wealth by $32,000 – by finding or earning extra money and investing it every time the sum she accumulated reached $1000.

  4. The Joy of Money, by journalist Julia Newbould and financial adviser Kate McCallum, is a step-by-step guide to creating a system for managing money, career, family, relationships, investment, super, insurance, wills, and estate and retirement planning.

  5. Smashed Avocado, by journalist Nicole Haddow, is the story of how she went from broke to homeowner in two years. This realistic guide to home ownership looks at alternatives to the traditional owner-occupier model and seeks out tips from property experts.

5 podcasts to supercharge your cash

  1. She’s on the Money, hosted by financial adviser Victoria Devine, is a female-focused podcast for millennials, designed to take the fear out of finance and help you master your money.

  2. Season one of ABC podcast The Pineapple Project, hosted by comedian Claire Hooper, is a sometimes hilarious take on money, covering subjects ranging from money habits to the property market, and super to side hustles.

  3. The How to Money podcast helps young women learn about everything from taxes and first jobs to credit cards and shares. It’s hosted by Kate Campbell, who also co-hosts The Australian Finance podcast.

  4. Pocket Money, a podcast from price comparison website Finder, spans the breadth of money topics, from the costs of owning pets to what happens to your money when you die. If you’ve got a money question, chances are they’ve got it covered.

  5. The Joyful Frugalista, former diplomat Serena Bird’s podcast, is about more than being a fashionista on a budget. It’s a look at how being careful with money doesn’t necessarily mean you have to compromise your lifestyle and, more importantly, how to do it yourself.

If the do-it-yourself approach isn’t really your thing, you can always seek professional help from us. Call today on Phone (07) 3343 9228.

For a full guide on how to build wealth, download the free workbook

How to plan your finances in a changing world: The essential workbook for Australian women

Download now

Source: MLC

1 http://roymorgan.com.au/findings/8072-females-closing-the-gender-wealth-gap-201908050003

Important information and disclaimer

This communication has been prepared by Bridges Financial Services Pty Ltd ABN 60 003 474 977 AFSL 240837 (‘Bridges’) trading as MLC Advice, a member of the IOOF Holdings Limited ABN 49 100 103 722 (‘IOOF’) group of companies (‘IOOF Group’), registered office Level 3, 30 Hickson Road, Millers Point NSW 2000, for use and distribution by representatives of MLC Advice. MLC Advice financial advisers are representatives of Bridges.

Any advice in this communication is of a general nature only and has not been tailored to your personal circumstances. Accordingly, reliance should not be placed on the information contained in this communication as the basis for making any financial investment, insurance or other decision. Please seek personal advice prior to acting on this information.
If any financial products are referred to in this communication, you should consider the relevant Product Disclosure Statement or other disclosure material before making an investment decision in relation to that financial product. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. The value of an investment may rise or fall with the changes in the market.

Information in this communication is accurate as at the date of issue. In some cases, information has been provided to us by third parties. While it is believed the information is accurate and reliable, the accuracy of that information is not guaranteed in any way. Any opinions expressed constitute our views at the time of issue and are subject to change. While care has been taken in the preparation of this communication, subject to any terms implied by law and which cannot be excluded, no liability is accepted by Bridges, IOOF or any member of the IOOF Group, their agents or employees for any loss arising from reliance on this communication.

Any tax information provided in this communication is intended as a guide only and is based on our general understanding of taxation laws. It is not intended to be a substitute for specialised taxation advice or an assessment of your liabilities, obligations or claim entitlements that arise, or could arise, under taxation law, and we recommend you consult with a registered tax agent.

Please note that any advice you receive is provided by Bridges, not IOOF or any other member of the IOOF Group. An investment with Bridges, or any other member of the IOOF Group is subject to investment risk including possible delays in repayment and loss of income and capital invested. The repayment of capital, the payment of income and any particular rate of return are not guaranteed by Bridges or any member of the IOOF Group, or any other company, unless specifically stated in a current PDS. Neither Bridges, IOOF nor any member of the IOOF Group in any way stand behind the capital value and/or performance of any investment you may make as a result of the advice you receive.