Most women are already investors however many don't actually realise it. If you have a super fund, you are invested. The real question is whether your investments are structured in a way that supports what is important to you and where you are comfortable investing.

In this episode, we unpack one of the most important principles in investing: diversification. Before you start choosing specific investments, before you explore themes or trends, this is where it all begins. Diversification is the foundation. When you build on the right foundations, everything else becomes clearer and more intentional.

Once you understand diversification, you open up a world of options. Investing becomes less about guessing and more about designing a portfolio that reflects your goals, timeframe and values.

• What diversification really means 

For those who would like to explore the data further, I reference Global X’s publication The Australian ETF Landscape, which provides a detailed snapshot of how the ETF market has evolved in Australia and the breadth of investment options now available. You can access the report here:

In this episode, I also refer to understanding your investment risk profile as part of building a diversified portfolio. If you would like a copy of a simple investment risk profile questionnaire to help guide your thinking, send me an email at [email protected] and I will happily send one through.

Lunar New Year is a time of renewal, intention and fresh starts, and in 2026 we step into the Year of the Fire Horse – a year symbolising courage, independence and forward momentum. In this episode, we explore what Lunar New Year traditions can teach us about money, and how to use this energy to get your financial independence moving in practical, grounded ways.

We open with a pop-culture moment that captures the Fire Horse spirit: Alicia Keys’ Girl on Fire and her iconic performance at the 2012 Music Video Awards alongside Olympic gold medallist Gabby Douglas – a strong reminder of what it looks like when women step into strength, momentum and self-belief.  Here's how it went.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0PvD9FoKfQ

From there, we unpack how money shows up in Lunar New Year traditions, including red envelopes, prosperity rituals, clearing the old to welcome the new, and the symbolism behind the Lunar New Year banquet – from fish and dumplings to longevity noodles and orange citrus fruits. We translate these traditions into practical money lessons for real life and outline simple, doable actions you can take this year to build momentum toward financial independence, backed by Fire Horse courage.

In this episode, we cover:

What Lunar New Year represents and why it’s a powerful time for fresh financial starts

The meaning of the Year of the Fire Horse and how to use its energy for money momentum

How money traditionally shows up during Lunar New Year (red envelopes, prosperity rituals, renewal)

The prosperity banquet and what each dish symbolises about abundance, growth and sustainability

Practical, action-focused steps to move your finances forward this year

Courage in action: facing your numbers, asking for help, and taking your first step

We hope you like this episode.

In this episode of the Her Money Matters podcast, Naomi and Helene unpack why so many women avoid money, what’s really going on underneath that avoidance, and why it has nothing to do with intelligence or being “bad with numbers.” More often than not, it’s about feeling like it is a discipline or something you 'should' do, and that very often there are so many other things happening in your life that you just don't have the emotional bandwidth to deal with it.

We explore the psychology behind money avoidance, the relationship dynamics that can reinforce it, and the subtle ways it erodes confidence over time. We talk openly about fear of getting it wrong, outsourcing financial decisions to a partner, over-researching instead of deciding, and the emotional cost of staying disengaged.

What money avoidance actually looks like in everyday life

Why avoiding money is rarely about ability or knowledge

The psychology underneath money avoidance and emotional safety

Why these patterns show up more often in women

The three most common money avoidance patterns we see

What genuinely builds confidence with money

We finish with our Loving Kick Up the Bum, with practical tips to help you take just one small step.  Confidence doesn’t come from knowing everything, it comes getting your hands dirty one little bit at a time.

In this episode of the Her Money Matters podcast, Naomi and Helene introduce the Love Your Super series — designed to help you  think about super based on your life story, and to try and imagine that your super fund is your best friend that follows your through life.

In this theme, we explore the anthem of You're My Best Friend by Queen as our Pop Culture Reference, we really focus on your life timeline and that super has travelled with you through different jobs, employers, and stages.  We also cover why learning to love your super helps you make sense of market ups and downs, including 2025’s super fund returns.

Naomi breaks down actual calendar-year performance, explaining how balanced super funds are designed to perform across market cycles, and why one negative year doesn’t mean something has gone wrong but it is a reason to check in with your fund. Helene then leads a conversation on the psychology of trust and money, and how feeling safe and connected leads to better financial decisions.

To support practical action and to provide a simple tool to help uncover what’s really driving your money behaviours, Helene introduces the De Martini Benefits and Drawbacks exercise which you can find here: 

We provide a risk profile tool to help you determine how much of your super fund you should have in growth assets versus defensive assets which you can find here:

 In this episode we cover:

Helping you to connect to your super fund and see it as a reflection of your life

The actual 2025 super fund returns for Australian shares and Balanced funds

The Top 5 performing balanced super funds in 2025

The top 5 performing balanced super funds over the past 10 years

Check in on your super like you would a trusted friend. Open your super app, review your 2025 performance, and get familiar as this will be one of the best things you can do to help the Future You. If you need help reading your statement, head back to Episode 21 or reach out to either Naomi or Helene if you need more help.