Podcast · 85 episodes
Wealthy After 40: Retirement Planning and Budgeting for Gen X
by Dalene Higgins - Money Coach & Retirement Strategist · English
Wealthy After 40 is the retirement planning and budgeting podcast for Gen X women and couples who want to become retirement ready with a clear plan, confident money decisions, and a future they can't wait to live. Hosted by Dalene Higgins, Retirement Strategist and Money Coach, this show helps you simplify saving for retirement, budgeting for retirement, paying off debt, and creating a personalized retirement plan built around your numbers, not a generic calculator. We’ll answer questions like: How much do I need to retire? Am I on track for retirement? How do I catch up on retirement savings? Is it too late to save for retirement at 50? Should I pay off debt or save for retirement? How much should I have saved for retirement by 50? What is the 4% rule for retirement? How do I create a retirement plan? When can I retire? How much should I be saving for retirement? You'll also learn how to focus on the financial levers that have the biggest impact on retirement, balance enjoying life today while preparing for tomorrow, and replace financial overwhelm with clarity about where you stand. If you're ready to stop wondering whether retirement is possible and start making it happen, hit follow and join me every Tuesday. Book your Money Momentum Call at https://www.elevatefinances.us/call to figure out where your money is going and what to focus on next.
Latest episodes
Am I Behind On Retirement Savings? How To Calculate Your NumberWhether you’re “behind” on retirement savings at midlife, how to assess your retirement planning gap, and what to do next using the “rule of 25” plus growth projections.29 Sep 2026 · 14 min
What Do I Want Now? Finding Yourself and Creating Change After 40Women 40+ asking “What do I want now?” after years of responsibility, and how to create change by getting quiet, noticing emotions, clearing limiting beliefs (“clouds”), and reframing change so it…22 Sep 2026 · 27 min
Fix Your Budget Tracking Now — Before Retirement Sneaks Up On YouWhy budget tracking fails and how to fix it before retirement—focus on consistency, reducing time burden, and simplifying categories.15 Sep 2026 · 14 min
All episodes
Am I Behind On Retirement Savings? How To Calculate Your NumberWhether you’re “behind” on retirement savings at midlife, how to assess your retirement planning gap, and what to do next using the “rule of 25” plus growth projections.29 Sep 2026 · 14 min · 7 chapters
What Do I Want Now? Finding Yourself and Creating Change After 40Women 40+ asking “What do I want now?” after years of responsibility, and how to create change by getting quiet, noticing emotions, clearing limiting beliefs (“clouds”), and reframing change so it…22 Sep 2026 · 27 min · 12 chapters
Fix Your Budget Tracking Now — Before Retirement Sneaks Up On YouWhy budget tracking fails and how to fix it before retirement—focus on consistency, reducing time burden, and simplifying categories.15 Sep 2026 · 14 min · 7 chapters
Why Knowing Your Numbers Fixes the Gen X Retirement MindsetThe episode argues that Gen X women/couples should stop an “all-or-nothing” retirement mindset and instead use a step-by-step system: define each goal’s “why,” set boundaries, and then “know your…8 Sep 2026 · 13 min · 4 chapters
Why Debt Could Be Keeping You From Being Retirement ReadyDebt isn’t the only barrier to retirement readiness; the episode argues the real issue is why you keep needing debt (often due to unplanned one-time expenses and lack of a system), and explains how…1 Sep 2026 · 15 min · 4 chapters
How to Invest in Your Health to Protect Retirement Savings w/ Jenny SmithHow investing in health protects retirement savings by reducing chronic disease risk, medical costs, and lost income; includes practical lifestyle and meal-planning steps for women over 40.25 Aug 2026 · 26 min · 10 chapters
Mini Episode 5: I'll Deal With It Later“I’ll deal with it later” as the “meta excuse” that delays retirement progress during the “messy middle” (busy years raising kids, working, managing the household).24 Aug 2026 · 7 min · 2 chapters
Mini Episode 4: I Need to Get My Money in OrderA “stall tactic” mini-episode arguing that “I need to get my money in order” can delay retirement planning.23 Aug 2026 · 6 min · 3 chapters
Mini Episode 3: I Don't Make Enough to Save“I Don’t Make Enough to Save” argues the common excuse is usually wrong. Saving is only one “retirement progress lever”; the others are debt and expenses.22 Aug 2026 · 6 min · 4 chapters
Mini Episode 2: I Don't Know Where to StartOvercoming overwhelm when you “don’t know where to start” on retirement planning; shifting from researching for certainty to getting clear and taking action.21 Aug 2026 · 7 min · 4 chapters
Mini Episode 1: It's Too Late & I'm BehindMini Episode 1 of a five-day series addressing the belief “It’s too late & I’m behind,” arguing it’s a feeling not a fact, and that people get stuck by accepting it instead of creating a concrete…20 Aug 2026 · 6 min · 3 chapters
Where Can I Find Extra Money In My Budget For Retirement SavingsHow to find retirement savings in a tight budget by reframing “extra money” as “savings,” budgeting with intent, and identifying savings inside existing expenses (not by cutting groceries first).18 Aug 2026 · 14 min · 4 chapters
5 Steps To A Simple Retirement PlanHow to build a simple retirement plan using five elements (vision, number/gap, calculations, budget, rhythm) and start with one action this week using a free calculator.11 Aug 2026 · 14 min · 6 chapters
How to Overcome Retirement Decision OverloadOvercoming retirement decision overload by using an ordered planning process (vision first, numbers second, budgeting third, decisions last) and focusing on one next action step at a time.4 Aug 2026 · 15 min · 7 chapters
How to Travel Cheap in Retirement and Still Hit Bucket List Trips w/ Jillian SidotiHow to travel cheaply in retirement (and before), using goal-setting, timing, destination choice, and points/credits—plus examples of “adventure close to home.”28 Jul 2026 · 26 min · 7 chapters
Retire Confidently With a Money System That WorksThe host (Dailene Higgins) explains the difference between a budgeting spreadsheet/app and a “money system” that guides money from each deposit to retirement goals, bills, and future/one-off…21 Jul 2026 · 16 min · 6 chapters
Retirement Planning for Gen X: 4 Things to Map Out NowGen X women/couples retirement planning, focusing on “what’s in between” now and retirement—turning a blurry timeline into a clear path.14 Jul 2026 · 16 min · 5 chapters
4 Signs of Quiet Financial Stress That Delay RetirementFour “quiet financial stress” signs that delay retirement, caused by system gaps rather than personal failure.7 Jul 2026 · 15 min · 8 chapters
Why Do You Fear Retirement? The Answer Might Surprise YouExplains that retirement fear often comes from missing “anchors” (clear knowledge of current expenses and retirement numbers), not from fear of retirement itself.30 Jun 2026 · 19 min · 7 chapters
Why Your Retirement Number Should Be PersonalizedPersonalized retirement numbers for Gen X women/couples; generic “$1M/$2M” advice and calculators create anxiety, while clarity on monthly expenses enables a strategy and progress tracking.23 Jun 2026 · 14 min · 3 chapters
Think You’re Behind On Retirement? You’re Not Starting From ZeroGen X women/couples feeling “behind” on retirement; you’re not starting from zero—create a plan, manage fear, and balance debt payoff with retirement saving.16 Jun 2026 · 16 min · 7 chapters
Why Retirement Feels So Uncertain (Even When You’re Saving)Retirement uncertainty despite saving; lack of clarity in standard advice; how to identify your “gap” and take action using three “retirement levers” (savings, debt, expenses) instead of only “save…9 Jun 2026 · 19 min · 8 chapters
How To Calculate What You Need For RetirementHow to calculate whether you’re on track for retirement by defining a retirement timeline, estimating your annual “cost of your reality” (including irregular expenses), and using the FIRE rule of…2 Jun 2026 · 16 min · 5 chapters
How to Stretch Your Groceries w/Andy EllwoodWealthy After 40 interviews Andy Ellwood, founder of Stretch, an AI grocery companion that turns a grocery list into store-by-store price comparisons and personalized substitutions to help families…26 May 2026 · 25 min · 10 chapters