Wealthy After 40: Retirement Planning and Budgeting for Gen X cover art
Podcast · 85 episodes

Wealthy After 40: Retirement Planning and Budgeting for Gen X, page 3

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.

All episodes, page 3

Your Retirement Journey and My Financial Coaching WhyDalene Higgins explains why people get stuck despite earning well, and how her financial coaching approach helps Gen X women/couples build a retirement plan using budgeting, sinking funds, and…25 Nov 2025 · 16 min · 9 chapters
How to Maintain Your Lifestyle in RetirementHow to maintain your current lifestyle in retirement by planning lifestyle changes now using value-based budgeting rather than rigid restriction.18 Nov 2025 · 15 min · 5 chapters
Overwhelmed by Debt? Uncover What's Really Keeping You from RetirementIn this episode, host Dalene Higgins addresses the common concern of feeling overwhelmed by debt in relation to retirement planning.11 Nov 2025 · 13 min
Anxious About Retirement? Your Timeline Holds the AnswerThe episode helps Gen X women/couples make peace with retirement by defining both a “want” retirement date (when you’d like to retire) and a “can” retirement date (when you can access…4 Nov 2025 · 17 min · 8 chapters
Worried About Retirement? Here’s How to Start Taking ActionRetirement anxiety—why “worrying” delays action and how to start planning now by identifying the trigger behind retirement doubts and turning it into a concrete step.28 Oct 2025 · 14 min · 6 chapters
A Budget System That Makes You the Money Expert of Your LifeThe host argues you should be “the expert of your money” before working with a financial advisor, using a budget and cash-flow foundation to fund investing and protect your lifestyle.21 Oct 2025 · 16 min · 6 chapters
The Simple Formula to Become Retirement ReadyThe episode explains the “retirement confidence formula” for Gen X women/couples, arguing retirement readiness isn’t just saving a big number.17 Oct 2025 · 14 min · 5 chapters
Why Saving For An Emergency Fund Brings Financial FreedomBuilding an emergency fund to feel financially “wealthy” and secure, reducing stress and avoiding debt/credit-card delays when unexpected expenses hit.14 Oct 2025 · 16 min · 8 chapters
One Simple Step To Help You Plan For Your RetirementThe episode argues retirement planning feels overwhelming because people try to tackle multiple urgent tasks at once.10 Oct 2025 · 13 min · 4 chapters
3 Steps to Build A Retirement Plan w/o Budget RestrictionsHow to build a retirement plan without feeling restricted—using a “now and later” balance, percentage-based rules for debt vs. retirement, and systems instead of willpower.7 Oct 2025 · 15 min · 5 chapters
3 Rules to Build Your Budget for RetirementHow to build a retirement budget using three “rules”: (1) don’t get told where/how to spend, (2) make money work for what you want, and (3) treat budgets as living documents you refine as goals and…3 Oct 2025 · 18 min · 9 chapters
The #1 Retirement Tool You’re Overlooking (and How to Use It Now)Budgeting as the “#1 retirement tool you’re overlooking,” reframing budgets as direction and empowerment (not restriction), and using a budget baseline + tracking to build clarity, confidence, and…30 Sep 2025 · 18 min · 7 chapters
5 Quick Wins to Help You Get on Track for Retirement“5 Quick Wins” for Gen X women/couples who feel late to retirement planning—how to close the retirement gap using one simple, repeatable action at a time (consistency over perfection), plus a prompt…26 Sep 2025 · 18 min · 6 chapters
The Hidden Perks of Starting Late for Retirement SuccessThe episode argues that “starting late” for retirement can be an advantage because older adults have clarity, higher income potential, and life experience.23 Sep 2025 · 18 min · 8 chapters
Why “Starting Late” Isn’t Too Late for Retirement Planning“Starting late” retirement planning for Gen X women/couples; reframes fear and delays into action using a “starting now” mindset.19 Sep 2025 · 18 min · 9 chapters
Client Story: Savings Strategy Of Her First Rental PropertyA client story about how investing in herself and building a personal money system helped her buy her first rental property 12 months sooner, supporting a retirement goal of 100 investment properties…16 Sep 2025 · 16 min · 9 chapters
Your 3-Step Blueprint for Achieving Retirement Goals FasterHow to turn retirement savings goals into actionable steps using Daylene Higgins’ “milestone method,” focusing on 90-day money targets and “opportunity cycles” tied to pay periods.12 Sep 2025 · 17 min · 8 chapters
3 Retirement Myths That Are Keeping You StuckWealthy After 40 episode on “3 Retirement Myths” that keep Gen X women/couples stuck—specifically thoughts like “I’ll never have enough to retire,” “I have too much debt to pay off,” and “it’s too…9 Sep 2025 · 13 min · 3 chapters
Making Retirement Possible Starts With Clear GoalsWhy vague retirement goals (“retire someday”) stall progress, and how to turn them into clear, actionable money goals using a step-by-step process (achievement statement, specificity with timeline…5 Sep 2025 · 15 min · 4 chapters
What Should You Focus on First: Debt, Savings, or Cutting Expenses?The episode teaches Gen X women/couples to get financial clarity by checking three areas first—(1) whether income is greater than expenses (including irregular bills), (2) whether debt is manageable…2 Sep 2025 · 16 min · 8 chapters
Why Comparing Your Finances Is Keeping You StuckComparing your finances to others’ “highlight reels” keeps you stuck; the fix is focusing on your own numbers, timeline, and values, then taking aligned next steps.29 Aug 2025 · 15 min · 5 chapters
How Can You Budget Better? Stop Fighting Your Money SystemThe episode argues that budgeting problems aren’t caused by lack of knowledge or personal “bad money” behavior, but by misalignment between traditional one-size-fits-all budgeting systems and how a…26 Aug 2025 · 17 min · 4 chapters
Worried About Retirement? The One Step To Change EverythingRetirement anxiety for Gen X women/couples; the episode argues “hope is not a plan” and claims the one step that changes everything is creating a budget with tracking that provides reflection and…22 Aug 2025 · 16 min · 6 chapters
5 Tips for Saving for Retirement Without Sacrificing JoyHow Gen X women/couples can save enough for retirement without sacrificing joy, using a long-game approach and five practical tips.19 Aug 2025 · 19 min · 9 chapters