The Power of Time
In this inaugural episode of a five-part series, financial educator and author Vanessa Stoykov details the way TIME contributes to how financially comfortable we are, both now and later in life. Vanessa is joined by financial commentator Sally Loane to dive deep into the lessons learned from fictional married couple Karen and Russ, characters pulled from Vanessa's finance novel "The Breakfast Club for 40-Somethings."
Meet Karen
A busy mum of three, Karen starts to realise in her mid 40s that her kids are getting older, and she is getting left behind. Her husband has his career, and her kids have their worlds, but it has been a very long time since Karen has thought about anything for herself.
Meet Russ
Her husband Russ is a great Dad and provider, but has not made Karen's fulfilment outside of being a mum a priority in their relationship; he has been happy to let her run the home and kids while he focuses on work. This is starting to take a toll on their marriage, and the school reunion brings all this to a head.
About Sally Loane
Sally was the Chief Executive Officer of the Financial Services Council (FSC) from 2014-2021, a peak industry organisation representing leading firms in Australia's financial services sector. She is a published writer, previous host of the Morning program on 702 ABC Sydney and sits on several boards in the government, private company and charity sectors. Her views on marriage, divorce, men and life will challenge you and give valuable insight into how to change your life circumstances through smart decision making.
LINKEDINWill their marriage survive? Will Karen reinvent herself? Can Russ escape a job he hates? Can they change their financial situation now, or is it too late?
Key Takeaways
Looking successful can be extremely different to having wealth.
How motherhood forces some women to lose out on superannuation, and the ways working partners can combat this.
The ways a partner supported a stay-at-home mother of three reinventing herself to go back to work.
The direction and insight a financial planner can offer.
"A man is not a plan."
"Motherhood and guilt are two very close terms."
"A lot of people in middle-class Australia are probably living a little bit closer to the edge than people think."