We’re about to control almost half the world’s wealth. This is your reminder to charge what you’re worth, protect what you’ve built, and spend like a woman who knows exactly who she is.
By 2030, we’ll be sitting on nearly half the world’s wealth. That’s not a typo. So why the hell are we still waiting for permission to act like it?
Whether you’re reinventing, downsizing, or just done with playing small, here are 10 bold, unapologetic money moves to start your year like you mean it.
1. Stare Down Your Net Worth Like a Boss
Do you avoid looking at your money because it feels “greedy”? Reality check: Tracking what you own isn’t selfish—it’s responsible.
Boca Raton, FL-based certified financial planner Mari Adam said one of the smartest moves you can make right now (she does this, too) is creating a simple net worth list—your financial GPS. Before you plan where you’re going, you need to know exactly where you’re starting.
List your assets (home value minus mortgage, investments, IRAs, savings) and subtract your debts. Adam keeps hers in a basic Excel sheet and updates it monthly—it takes five minutes. Seeing your numbers regularly builds confidence, makes you comfortable with normal ups and downs, and helps you make smarter decisions all year long.
2. Fund Your Next Big Move
Midlife is prime time to swing big. Start by putting your money where your dreams are.
Done working for someone else? Join the 50+ club. According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, 51 percent of business owners were 55 or older when they started their businesses, and 43 percent were 35-54 years old. Women made up 43.3 percent of business owners of all age groups.
Dreaming of moving, maybe far, far away? When Rona Lewis, 60, of Los Angeles, CA, spent two weeks in London for work last year, she said, “It really felt like home.” Her work is online, and she can live anywhere; Lewis has applied for a visa.
3. Raise Your Rates, Raise Your Standards, Raise Hell
The new year is the perfect time to raise, well, everything.
Attorneys hike their rates every January, and “women business owners tend to undercharge,” said Adam. Make this the year you charge what you’re worth. If you’re an employee, keep a “brag book” of your biggest achievements. “Use this information when you’re negotiating a raise,” Adam said. “You always need to prove your value.”
And rates aren’t the only thing worth raising—your standards count too. “Spend more time and treasure with the people who really matter to you,” said Adam.
4. Make Some Money—Just for You
Not for the kids. Not for “extras.” Something that’s fun, profitable, and fully yours.
Marcia Layton Turner, 60, a ghostwriter in Rochester, NY, flips thrift finds on eBay to unwind—and makes up to $750/month doing it.
Gigi Krauser, 59, a real estate agent in St. Petersburg, FL, pet-sits on the side and earns up to $3,000/month caring for other people’s fur babies.
5. Haggle Like You Mean It
If you’ve got time to scroll, you’ve got time to save. Take a moment to compare prices on cable, car insurance, subscriptions—even medical bills. If it auto-renews, it’s fair game. Be a Karen—the kind who saves hundreds with one phone call. Don’t want the hassle? Bill negotiation services will do it for you. They’ll take a cut, but you’ll still come out ahead.
6. Give With Swagger
It’s nice to have a pad of paper from the charity you wrote a check for during the holiday season. But what’s even better? Moving beyond random donations and putting your money where it can actually shift something.
Want impact? Join a giving circle, commit to recurring donations, or—if you’re feeling extra—launch your own foundation.
7. Organize Your Sh*T (So No One Else Has To)
Make this the year you finally get your information in order.
Create a Binder of Badass Preparedness—a secure folder with the essentials: passwords, wills, power of attorney, key financial documents, and anything your loved ones would need in an emergency.
Whatever route you choose, intentional giving amplifies your dollars and turns your generosity into real power.
8. Raise Future Badasses
When I asked my daughter what she wanted for Hanukkah, she said, “Can you pay some of my bills?” Not a joke. Today’s young adults are getting clobbered—priced out of housing, juggling mediocre jobs, drowning in medical costs. Yes, they’re in our estate plans, but they need help now, which is why so many of us step in with rent, down payments, or even car insurance.
But another powerful way to help them right now is by supporting their future selves through the magic of savings and compounding. Adam swears by Roth IRAs because contributions can be pulled out anytime, tax- and penalty-free. And starting early is everything—$7,000 a year at 6 percent from age 22 can grow to nearly $1.5 million. Match what they save—or fund the whole thing. It’s support with long-term swagger.
9. Break the Cycle. Teach the Money Stuff.
My single mom shielded me from our messy money reality, except to say: “Always make your own money.” She learned by trial and error—so did I. Today, we have options she never had, and it’s on us to pass that knowledge forward. Money conversations are so important that nonprofit Savvy Ladies created The Savvy Pledge, encouraging women to commit to one meaningful money talk.
These chats don’t need a PowerPoint. When Mim Van Orman, 72, heard her daughter-in-law say she wanted to “do for their grandson someday,” what Van Orman and her husband had done, she jumped in. Her secret? Living below their means—driving cars until they begged for mercy, ditching debt, and paying off the mortgage—so they could fund his 529 plan and travel in retirement.
10. Budget for Bliss, Not Just Bills
Money isn’t just for bills and backup plans. It’s also for joy and badassery.
Want to learn, wander, and not share a hotel room with your ex? Book a Road Scholar trip already.
Love pickleball? Spend on a monthly membership.
Tired of cooking every day for your whole life? Invest in a meal prep or delivery service.
And consider doing something you put aside long ago.
Marilyn Endo, 73, of Boca Raton, FL, gave up ballroom dancing 40 years ago, after her kids were born and money was tight. After a gray divorce, Endo decided to invest in a $3,000 ballroom dancing package. “Ballroom dancing gives me so much joy, and I’ll do it as long as I can,” she said.
Don’t Wait. Make the Move.
The bottom line: These aren’t “money tips.” They’re unapologetic moves every woman over 50 deserves to make—because the only thing more expensive than taking charge is waiting another year to start.
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