Money Tips for 40+: 5 Moves That Actually Work
Let me tell you about the chaos that is being a woman in her 40s. You're crushing it at work, your teenagers think you're ancient, your parents suddenly need help with everything, and your body? Well, your body decided this was the perfect time to reinvent itself without asking permission.
Here's the thing nobody tells you: while you're googling "is this a hot flash or did someone turn up the heat?" your financial future is sitting there like... hello? Remember me?
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
Why your emergency fund needs a serious glow-up when your body starts demanding the premium package
5 power moves that turn your peak earning years into actual wealth (not just bigger paychecks)
Estate planning that doesn't suck—because responsible adults handle their paperwork
I'm not going to sugarcoat this. Your money needs attention. But the moves I'm about to share? They work.
1. Build a Bulletproof Emergency Fund (Because Life.)
Here's what they don't tell you about menopause: everything costs more. Doctor visits for "is this normal?" Hormone therapy that your insurance treats like a luxury spa treatment. Those random sick days when your body just... nopes out.
That cute little 3-month emergency fund? Adorable, but it's not going to cut it anymore.
What actually works: 8-12 months of expenses sitting pretty in a high-yield savings account. I know, I know – it sounds impossible. But start with $200 a month on autopilot. Your future self will send thank-you cards.
Even $50 a week becomes $2,600 by year-end. The math doesn't lie, and neither do your future medical bills.
2. Cash In on Your Career Peak (While You're Still Climbing)
Can we talk about the irony? You're finally hitting your career stride while your body is like "surprise! Everything's different now!" But here's what I know: this is your financial power decade. Don't let hot flashes fool you into thinking otherwise.
You know what's beautiful about being 40-something? You've stopped caring about things that don't matter, and you've started caring deeply about things that do. Your paycheck? It matters.
The moves that count:
Bump your 401(k) by 2% right now. Your payroll won't even notice.
Hit 50? Those catch-up contributions are your new best friend: $7,500 extra for your 401(k), $1,000 for your IRA.
That raise you've been "thinking about asking for"? Stop thinking. Start asking.
Your future self is counting on your current confidence. Don't let her down.
3. Fund Your Health Like the Investment It Is
Nobody warned me that menopause would turn my body into a high-maintenance friend who suddenly needs specialty everything. Hormone therapy? Premium pricing. Supplements that actually work? Not covered. Doctor visits to answer "is this normal or should I panic"? Buckle up for those co-pays.
Here's what I learned the expensive way: women spend 68% more on healthcare than men. Add menopause to the mix? That percentage just laughed and ordered bottle service.
Your financial survival kit:
HSA if you've got one: max it out ($4,300 solo, $8,550 family). It's tax-free money for your body's expensive opinions.
Long-term care insurance while you're healthy. Future you will either thank you or never need it. Win-win.
A separate "body maintenance fund" for all the things insurance thinks are "optional."
Your health is an investment, not an expense. Fund it accordingly.
4. Create Multiple Money Streams (Before You Need Them)
Let me tell you about the reality nobody discusses at those empowerment conferences: age discrimination is real, and it doesn't wait for you to feel ready. Your 40s are when you need to get strategic about making your money work as hard as you do.
One income stream is a house of cards. Multiple streams? That's a fortress.
Your backup plan that's actually a power move:
Consulting in your expertise area. You know things. Charge for them.
Dividend-paying stocks or REITs for money that makes money while you sleep
Rental property if you've got the capital and the stomach for it
Online courses teaching what you've learned the hard way
Here's what I know: the women who weather economic storms best are the ones who saw them coming and prepared accordingly. That's you now.
5. Handle the Important Paperwork (So Your Family Doesn't Have To)
Here's the truth about your 40s that nobody puts in the welcome brochure: life gets real, fast. Parents aging. Teenagers doing teenager things. Your body writing its own rules. This is when estate planning stops being something "rich people do" and becomes something responsible adults handle.
I know, I know. Nobody wants to think about this stuff. But you know what's worse than having these conversations? Not having them when you need them.
The non-negotiables:
Update your will and every single beneficiary (yes, even that old 401k from three jobs ago)
Power of attorney for healthcare and finances – pick someone who actually makes good decisions
Living trust if you've got significant assets and strong opinions about how they should be handled
The conversation with your family about your wishes (yes, that conversation)
Your future self – and your family – will thank you for being the responsible one. Again.
Your Next Move Starts Now
Your 40s aren't a dress rehearsal. They're the main event. While you're figuring out if this is a hot flash or if someone cranked up the thermostat, your financial future is sitting there like... remember me?
Here's what I know for certain: the women who thrive in their next chapter aren't the ones who got lucky. They're the ones who made smart moves when it mattered.
Your assignment: Pick one thing from this list. Do it this week. Not next month when things calm down (spoiler: they won't). Not when you "feel ready" (also not happening). This week.
Financial security isn't built in grand gestures. It's built in Tuesday afternoon decisions that your future self will call genius moves.
You're not just planning for retirement. You're creating options. Freedom. The ability to say yes to opportunities and no to things that drain your soul.
Your 40s? They're your financial power decade. Own them.
Share this with someone who needs to hear it: your financial future is too important to leave to chance.