Uncensored Money

Your New Year's resolutions were never going to work, and it's not because you're lazy. You made them drunk on champagne and optimism, on behalf of a version of you with far more bandwidth than you actually have on a wet Tuesday in February.

So if those January money goals quietly died months ago? Good. Let them.

Because it's the first of July. New financial year. New payslips, fresh tax year, super statements landing, and twelve months of real numbers you can finally look at instead of guess at. This , not January, is the reset that actually has machinery behind it.

In this episode, Mel walks through five things worth doing this new financial year: how to find more cash by looking at both sides of the ledger (not just the lattes), how to clear the bad debt and choose not to reach for it again, why a five-minute conversation about your mortgage could save you more than a year of skipped coffees, how to set one ridiculously specific goal instead of five vague ones, and the cup-of-tea's worth of admin that matters more than almost anything else: checking your super. Plus a bonus for anyone running a business.

No hype. No shame. Just what to actually do next.

What Mel covers in this episode:

• Why the new financial year beats New Year's resolutions every time

• Finding more cash by asking two questions at once: where can I cut, and where can I bring more in

• The four types of debt (bear trap, quicksand, bridge, fast car) and what to do with each

• Why clearing debt is only half the job and how to make it stick

• The loyalty tax on your mortgage, and how a broker does the shopping for you

• How to set one goal so specific a ten-year-old could grade you on it

• Your new-financial-year super checklist: find it, consolidate it, check the fees, and the super-splitting conversation to have if you've taken a career break

• A bonus for business owners: reviewing last year honestly, and being willing to let go of what's no longer working

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General Advice Warning: This podcast contains general information only and does not take into account your personal circumstances, objectives or needs. Mel Browne Money Pty Ltd is a Corporate Authorised Representative of Rask Licensing Pty Ltd (AFSL: 563 907). Please consider whether the information is appropriate for you, and speak to a licensed financial adviser, accountant or tax professional before making any financial decisions. Past performance is not indicative of future performance.

Links mentioned in the episode are below:

Mel's Secret Business Club 9 spots left and starss 28 July: https://www.melissabrowne.com.au/msbc

My Financial Adulting Plan – final round ever starts 21 July: https://www.melissabrowne.com.au/financialadulting

20+ ways to find 10k in 12 months link: melissabrowne.com.au/find$10kin12months

For more tips and resources, visit us at melissabrowne.com.au, on Facebook, Instagram or TikTok @MelBrowne.Money or send us an email at [email protected].

Finally, if you love this episode please make sure you subscribe, share it with a friend and leave us a review.

Nobody in finance talks about this.

How trauma responses — freeze, flight, fight, fawn — show up in your financial decisions. And what they're actually costing you.

In this episode I share something personal: I have PTSD from experiences in my teenage years. And for a long time I didn't connect that to my finances.

Looking back — it was there in everything.

This episode covers: — What a trauma response actually is (and why it's not what most people think) — How freeze, flight, fight and fawn show up specifically in financial behaviour — The fawn response — the one that costs women the most and gets talked about the least — Three practical financial steps to take alongside therapy — Why you cannot separate your nervous system from your bank account

If you're working through difficult experiences, please reach out to a qualified therapist.

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General Advice Warning: This podcast contains general information only and does not take into account your personal circumstances, objectives or needs. Mel Browne Money Pty Ltd is a Corporate Authorised Representative of Rask Licensing Pty Ltd (AFSL: 563 907). Please consider whether the information is appropriate for you, and speak to a licensed financial adviser, accountant or tax professional before making any financial decisions. Past performance is not indicative of future performance.

For more tips and resources, visit us at melissabrowne.com.au, on Facebook or Instagram @MelBrowne.Money or send us an email at [email protected].

Finally, if you love this episode please make sure you subscribe, share it with a friend and leave us a review.

You know the ick. That tiny thing someone does that you just can't unsee. Turns out money has them too.

This week Mel and Lawsie rate 10 financial icks out of 10 and then, because they can't help themselves, they flip every single one over to show what it's actually hiding underneath. Because here's the thing: nobody does the icky money stuff because they're a bad person. They do it because of a story.

It's funny. It's a little bit savage. And it ends somewhere that actually matters.

In this episode:

• The Calculator at Dinner — boundaries vs the surprise audit

• The Bargain Brag — why a discount quietly hijacks your brain

• The $40 Afterpay — how the drip-feed hides the price

• The Points Evangelist — who's really winning the points game (spoiler: not you)

• The Leased Lifestyle — why real wealth is mostly invisible

• "I Forgot My Wallet" (again) — avoidance vs cashflow shame

• "Investing is just gambling" — fear dressed up as principle

• "I'm just hopeless with money" — the badge so many women wear, and why it isn't true

• "I've made 7 figures in my business" — revenue vs profit, and the numbers women aren't asked enough

• "My partner handles all of that" — the one Mel will go to the wall on

Pick the one that stung the most. That's the one to start with. Not all ten. One.

Want more?

Monday Money Hacks (free weekly): https://www.melissabrowne.com.au/subscribe

Mel's Secret Business Club (MSBC): https://www.melissabrowne.com.au/msbc

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General Advice Warning: This podcast contains general information only and does not take into account your personal circumstances, objectives or needs. Mel Browne Money Pty Ltd is a Corporate Authorised Representative of Rask Licensing Pty Ltd (AFSL: 563 907). Please consider whether the information is appropriate for you, and speak to a licensed financial adviser, accountant or tax professional before making any financial decisions. Past performance is not indicative of future performance.

For more tips and resources, visit us at melissabrowne.com.au, on Facebook, Instagram or TikTok @MelBrowne.Money or send us an email at [email protected].

Finally, if you love this episode please make sure you subscribe, share it with a friend and leave us a review.

Content warning: This episode discusses financial abuse, coercive control, and intimate partner violence. Support services are listed at the end of these notes, including 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732. If anything in this episode is distressing, please reach out.

In New South Wales, on 1 July 2024, coercive control became a criminal offence in intimate partner relationships. Queensland followed in May 2025. In 2026, the federal family law reform formally recognised financial abuse for the first time in Australian history. Which means a lot of the behaviours we've spent decades calling "a controlling marriage" or "he's just careful with money" are now, in a pattern — illegal.

In this episode, Mel and Lawsie walk through the six signs of financial coercive control. Some you'll recognise. Some you'll have lived through and never had a word for. All of them are named in the legislation, the BOCSAR research, or both.

The six signs covered

The six signs of financial coercive control: 1. A lack of control over your own income — or a strict, often small, allowance that is tracked

2. Sabotaging your career or education to keep you financially reliant

3. Surveillance of every dollar you spend — big or small

4. Pressuring or tricking you into signing for loans and credit in your name 5. His money pays for him; your money pays for the kids, the groceries, and the essentials 6. Keeping you in the dark about household finances, debt, and investments

Plus: Mel reclaims the term sexually transmitted debt: and explains why it's never been more relevant. Including the three things every Australian woman needs in her own name, no matter her relationship status.

Save this episode, send it to a woman in your life, and we'll see you next week.

For more tips and resources, visit us at melissabrowne.com.au, on Facebook, Instagram or TikTok @MelBrowne.Money or send us an email at [email protected].

Links mentioned in the episode are below

https://www.mamamia.com.au/podcasts/what-the-finance/sexually-transmitted-debt/

1800RESPECTNational sexual assault, domestic and family violence counselling service. 24/7, free, confidential. 1800 737 732 1800respect.org.au

National Debt HelplineFree, independent financial counsellors. Specialists in financial abuse. 1800 007 007 ndh.org.au

Centre for Women's Economic SafetyNational charity focused on economic abuse. Runs free Money Clinics — one-on-one sessions with a trauma-informed female financial counsellor. Bookable online from anywhere in Australia. cwes.org.au · financialsafety.org.au

Lifeline24/7 crisis support. 13 11 14 lifeline.org.au

Your bank's DV teamEvery major Australian bank has a specialist domestic and family violence assistance team. Call your bank's main customer service line and ask to be referred — they will help with account separation, hardship arrangements, and credit reporting.

Finally, if you love this episode please make sure you subscribe, share it with a friend and leave us a review.

After more than a decade, 6,000+ women and many of their partners, and more financial transformations than we can count, Mel is closing the My Financial Adulting Plan. For good.

Yes, she's closing rather than selling her continuing her 7 figure business.

You might think she's crazy (she does a little too, that's OK.)

But in this episode, Lawsie turns the microphone around and asks Mel the questions everyone has been too polite to ask. Why? What did it cost her personally to keep going? Was there a moment she almost changed her mind? And what does she hope the 6,000+ women who've been through MFAP actually walk away with?

This is an honest, unscripted conversation between two people who built something together and are figuring out in real time what it means to close it. No sales script. No polished answers. Just Mel and Lawsie the way you love them.

If MFAP has ever been on your radar, there are two rounds left. This conversation is the best reason to stop waiting. You can check out MFAP here: https://www.melissabrowne.com.au/financialadulting

For more tips and resources, visit us at melissabrowne.com.au, on Facebook, Instagram or TikTok @MelBrowne.Money or send us an email at [email protected].

Links mentioned in the episode are below

My Financial Adulting Plan can be found at melissabrowne.com.au/financialadulting

Finally, if you love this episode please make sure you subscribe, share it with a friend and leave us a review.

Last night's Federal Budget made a splash — but did it go far enough? In this episode, Mel gives you her unfiltered take on the 2026/27 Budget and walks you through exactly what's changing, who's affected, and what (if anything) you actually need to do about it.

No political spin. No media clickbait. Just plain-English answers from someone who's spent 25 years in accounting and financial education.

In this episode, Mel covers:

• Her honest take on the Budget — and why she thinks Labor stumbled on the biggest reform opportunity

• The Working Australians Tax Offset and the lifted $1,000 receipt-free deduction threshold

• Negative gearing changes for established properties — who's affected, who isn't, and the critical timeline

• The new build exemption and why Mel has thoughts

• Capital Gains Tax explained through Maxine's story — a worked example showing how the 50% discount, indexation, and the new minimum 30% tax rule all fit together

• What happens to pre-1985 assets (this one matters for older investors)

• The crackdown on discretionary trusts and income splitting

• Small business wins — including the permanent $20,000 instant asset write-off and loss carry-back rules

• The NDIS overhaul and what it means for 160,000 Australians

• Support changes for young people at risk of homelessness

• Mel's action list — five things to actually do with this information

This podcast contains general information only and does not take into account your personal circumstances, objectives or needs. Please speak to a licensed financial adviser, accountant, or tax professional before making any financial decisions based on the content of this episode.

For more tips and resources, visit us at melissabrowne.com.au, on Facebook, Instagram or TikTok @MelBrowne.Money or send us an email at [email protected].

Finally, if you love this episode please make sure you subscribe, share it with a friend and leave us a review.

After more than a decade, 6,000+ women and many of their partners, and more financial transformations than we can count, Mel is closing the My Financial Adulting Plan. For good.

Yes, she's closing rather than selling her continuing her 7 figure business.

You might think she's crazy (she does a little too, that's OK.)

But in this episode, Lawsie turns the microphone around and asks Mel the questions everyone has been too polite to ask. Why? What did it cost her personally to keep going? Was there a moment she almost changed her mind? And what does she hope the 6,000+ women who've been through MFAP actually walk away with?

This is an honest, unscripted conversation between two people who built something together and are figuring out in real time what it means to close it. No sales script. No polished answers. Just Mel and Lawsie the way you love them.

If MFAP has ever been on your radar, there are two rounds left. This conversation is the best reason to stop waiting. You can check out MFAP here: https://www.melissabrowne.com.au/financialadulting

For more tips and resources, visit us at melissabrowne.com.au, on Facebook, Instagram or TikTok @MelBrowne.Money or send us an email at [email protected].

Links mentioned in the episode are below

My Financial Adulting Plan can be found at melissabrowne.com.au/financialadulting

Finally, if you love this episode please make sure you subscribe, share it with a friend and leave us a review.

If it feels like everything is getting more expensive right now… you're not imagining it.

Petrol prices are rising. Inflation is back in the headlines. Interest rates may move again. And share markets are bouncing around.

Add global uncertainty into the mix and it's no wonder so many people are feeling nervous about their finances.

In this episode, Mel talk through what's actually going on and more importantly, what you can do about it.

This isn't about panic or drastic changes.

It's about coming back to the fundamentals and building a strategy that works no matter what's happening in the economy.

For more tips and resources, visit us at melissabrowne.com.au, on Facebook, Instagram or TikTok @MelBrowne.Money or send us an email at [email protected].

Links mentioned in the episode are below

Find $10K in 12 Months Freebie can be found at melissabrowne.com.au/find$10kin12months

Finally, if you love this episode please make sure you subscribe, share it with a friend and leave us a review.

If you're in your 50s and thinking it might be "too late" to change your financial future, this episode is for you.

In this Gen X edition of the series, Mel shares what she would do differently if she was turning 50 again when it comes to money, investing and financial independence.

Because while time matters, strategy matters more.

Too many women in their 50s are focused solely on paying off the mortgage, assuming investing is over, or avoiding the uncomfortable question of "how much do I actually need?"

This episode is about replacing wishful thinking with clarity and making the next decade financially powerful.

We cover why your home is an asset but not necessarily a retirement plan, why knowing your "number" matters more than ever, and how to find more cash without working yourself into the ground.

If you're Gen X, consider this your financial pep talk.

Because we've adapted before and we can absolutely do it again.

In This Episode, We Discuss

• Why focusing only on paying off the mortgage can limit your retirement strategy • The difference between assets and investments • Why knowing your retirement "number" matters in your 50s • How to find more cash and create more financial choice • Why investing is not "over" just because you're in your 50s • Using superannuation and investing strategically in this stage of life • Rethinking housing options including downsizing, rentvesting or alternative living arrangements • Why financial literacy becomes even more important for women as we age

For more tips and resources, visit us at melissabrowne.com.au, on Facebook, Instagram or TikTok @MelBrowne.Money or send us an email at [email protected].

Links mentioned in the episode are below

My Financial Adulting Plan can be found at melissabrowne.com.au/financialadulting

Find $10K in 12 Months Freebie can be found at melissabrowne.com.au/find$10kin12months

Finally, if you love this episode please make sure you subscribe, share it with a friend and leave us a review.

What if the world of finance was never designed with women in mind?

In this special episode, Mel sits down with Lawsie to talk about her new book, Dare to Be Wealthy and the deeper truth behind why wealth still feels uncomfortable, taboo or "not for us" for so many women.

This isn't just a conversation about investing, debt or super. It's about the subtle messages women absorb over a lifetime that shape how we earn, spend, save and dream, often without even realising it.

Mel shares the personal experiences she's never spoken about publicly before, why she believes women need a financial revolution, and the biggest myths keeping women from building real financial independence.

We also explore the things traditional finance books never talk about including hormones, ADHD, shame, reinvention, and why so many capable women still believe they've left it too late.

If you've ever felt behind, overwhelmed, or quietly unsure whether wealth is really "for you," this episode is your reminder that it is.

And that it's never too late to begin.

In This Episode, We Cover

• Why the word dare matters and why wealth can still feel rebellious (or shameful or icky) for women

• The hidden money messages women absorb growing up

• Why shame keeps so many women stuck in debt or inaction

• The biggest misconception about investing (and why it's simpler than you think)

• How hormones, ADHD and life transitions affect financial decisions

• Why financial independence is about choice, not greed

• What Mel hopes women feel when they finish Dare to Be Wealthy

For more tips and resources, visit us at melissabrowne.com.au, on Facebook, Instagram or TikTok @MelBrowne.Money or send us an email at [email protected].

Links mentioned in the episode are below

Dare to be Wealthy: melissabrowne.com.au/books