Wealthy After 40

Dalene Higgins retired at 50. That's the credential that makes everything else she says on Wealthy After 40 worth listening to. She's a financial coach and the creator of the Aligned Money Method. The podcast has racked up over 145 episodes and sits in the top 5% of personal finance podcasts, which is notable for a show specifically targeting Gen X women and couples. The episodes are practical and jargon-light. Higgins covers personal budgeting, debt payoff, retirement planning, savings strategies, and money mindset. She's built her coaching practice around helping Gen Xers who feel like they started too late to catch up on retirement savings, and the podcast reflects that with episodes like "Starting Late? Here's How to Save for Retirement at 40." There's also content on fighting budget fatigue and leaving a financial legacy for future generations. What separates this show from the avalanche of personal finance podcasts out there is how narrowly Higgins focuses her advice. She's not talking to 25-year-olds maximizing their 401k contributions from day one. She's talking to women in their 40s and 50s who are staring down retirement with a knot in their stomachs. Her own story of retiring early gives the advice real weight, and her tone is encouraging without minimizing how stressful money can be.