Hi,
Thanks for being part of the Get Ready Movement navigating life’s what’s if’s by changing the way we think (and talk) about money.
💭 Ever wonder why you make the money choices you do, even when they don’t add up? This week, we’ll take a look at the why behind our money decisions.
Also this week:
💡 Empowered to Invest: Helping Women Build Wealth on Their Own Terms
💡 Creating Your Encore Chapter
💡 Decoding Generational Wealth
1️⃣ Empowered to Invest: Helping Women Build Wealth on Their Own Terms
🔹 It’s important for women to understand how money works
🔹 Women are fully capable of managing money.
🔹 How women can feel empowered with their money and change their money mindset.
🔹 Sharing your experiences and expertise creates a ripple effect for other women.
💭 Tony’s Take: When women feel confident with their money, they rewrite their futures.
🎙️ Sandy Yong and Tony Steuer on The Get Ready Money Podcast. Watch or listen (here).
2️⃣ Creating Your Encore Chapter
🎙️ How Gen X women can reimagine retirement as an encore to life and how to shift from career identity to personal fulfillment, build meaningful relationships, and create a future that truly lights you up. Joy Levin and Eric Blake on The Simply Retirement Podcast (YouTube).
💭 Tony’s Take: When we achieve financial independence, we start a new chapter of our lives where we live with purpose to find fulfillment.
3️⃣ Decoding Generational Wealth
🎙️ A look at the “why” behind our money habits, how inherited beliefs play into the way we run our businesses (and our lives), and most importantly how you can re-write your own financial story for good. Dr. Joaquin Wallace and Christine Luken on the Money is Emotional Podcast (listen).
💭 Tony’s Take: Understanding our money stories helps us understand their impact and change the way we think about money.
4️⃣ Kids Can Spend Smarter
🎙️ Karen shares the surprising power of the DIMS – DOES IT MAKE SENSE?® SCORE Calculator, a free mindful-spending tool designed for middle schoolers at a time when their brains are primed for real learning about money. How parents can guide kids toward more thoughtful choices (without lectures!). Karen Holland and John Lanza on The Art of Allowance Podcast. Watch on (YouTube).
💭 Tony’s Take: Thinking before we spend is an important habit for our kids (and us). The DIMS score also includes all of the added costs with a purchase such as convenience fees.
5️⃣ Trust Over Transactions: How Financial Planning Finally Put People First
🎙️ If you’ve ever wondered whether your advisor is really acting in your best interest, this episode will help you ask the right questions — and take back control of your financial decisions. Hourly planning makes expert advice more accessible — and judgment-free. Lori Atwood and Shari Rash on the Everyone’s Talkin’ Money Podcast (Listen).
💭 Tony’s Take: The evolution from product driven advice to goal based, fee for service fiduciary financial planning is changing the game.
6️⃣ Social Work to Wealth: Taylor Gilbert on Financial Empowerment
🎙️ How negative money messaging shows up in social work, how salary transparency and negotiation can shift outcomes, and why values-aligned investing matters when your life’s work is caring for others. Diana also reflects on the care-first side of financial planning and why being well-resourced reduces burnout for helpers. Taylor Gilbert and Diana Yanez on the Highly Sensitive Money Podcast (listen).
💭 Tony’s Take: Applying your values to your financial life helps you live a life of purpose.
7️⃣ The Queer Guide to Financial Freedom
🎙️ In this episode, Nick shares the systemic barriers many queer people face every day to build wealth, how the AIDS epidemic had a big impact on long-term financial planning in the community, and what we all can do as allies to make things more equitable in the future. The LGBTQ wage gap is reported as 90 cents on the dollar. Nick Wolny and Jessica Moorhouse on the More Money Podcast (listen).
💭 Tony’s Take: Understanding the unique issues we each have is our reminder that personal finance is truly personal.
8️⃣ 🏆 Plutus Corner: Easy Peasy Money Games
🛠️ Welcome to our suite of interactive games designed to make learning about personal finance engaging and fun! Explore different financial concepts and make smart decisions to achieve your goals. From Easy Peasy Finance and Rishi Vamdatt (here).
💭 Tony’s Take: Easy Peasy Money Games make financial learning hands-on, fun, and practical—helping kids build confidence early. Having fun while learning money makes it engaging.
9️⃣ ⚡ Quick Hits
📖 Warren Buffett Thanksgiving Letter. Read (here).
📖 Why Savers Struggle to Enjoy Their Wealth (and How You Can Avoid It) by Prudence Zhu (here).
📖 My Financial Transformation Didn't Start with Numbers - It Started Here by Bobby Clark (read).
📖 Protect your health and your wealth: 5 tips to beat medical debt by Bernadette Joy for Bankrate (read).
📖 The Importance of Having a Digital Executor in Your Estate Plan. Planning for your digital footprint after you’re gone is an important complement to traditional estate planning. Catherine Hawley for Hawley Personal Finance. Read (here)
📅 Event: How Advisors Win By Guiding Clients Through Life’s Toughest Transitions webinar with Lauren Clough and Sheryl O’Connor hosted by IncomeConductor’s Trailblazer series on December 2nd at 4:30pm ET. Register (here).
📅 Reminder: December 7: Medicare open enrollment ends (learn more at medicare.gov).
🔟 ✅ Week 48 Action Item: Review your charitable giving strategy.
🤔 Why it matters: Giving to charities is an essential part of our lives. Americans gave an estimated $592.5 billion to charities in 2024 according to Giving USA (go deeper).
💡 Here’s what works: Create a strategy for your charitable giving.
🔹 Add up your estimated annual giving.
🔹 Make sure that you have the money to donate. Cover your expenses and savings goals first.
🔹 Keep a written record of all donations for tax purposes.
🔹 Identify the causes that are most important to you and prioritize them
🔹 Check that the fundraiser and charity are registered with your state’s charity regulator (www.nasconet.org/resources/state-government).
💭 Tony’s Take: With research and planning, your giving becomes intentional and aligned with what’s important to you.
🛠️ Resources:
Access your resources for this week's action item (#48) from your dashboard (Monthly Focus Area 12: Wrap Up Loose Ends):
- The Get Ready Blueprint week 48 worksheet where you’ll calculate your charitable giving ratio, review tips and create your strategy for charitable giving.
- Charitable Organizations worksheet where you can enter details on the charities that you support (here).
🧠 Final Thought
Financial peace of mind comes from understanding who we are, aligning our money with our values and having purpose. Our decisions should reflect who we are, not who we think we should be.
✅ Stay ready.
💬 Start a conversation.
💡 Share what sparked something — with a friend, client, or in the comments.
— Tony
Coming Next Week: Beneath the Surface: Understanding the Psychology Behind Your Financial Decisions with Ashley Quamme and Tony Steuer on The Get Ready Money Podcast
🎙️ Check out The Get Ready Money Podcast → [Apple] | [YouTube]
🤝 In Partnership with the Plutus Awards, presented by the Plutus Foundation — celebrating excellence in financial media and education.
Stay tuned for updates on the next Plutus Awards Ceremony, recognizing the creators shaping the future of financial literacy.
→ Learn more and vote now at plutusawards.com
