This snippet is from one of our previous episodes: The Voice Behind “The Female Investor”! 

For far too long, women have faced systemic financial challenges—from the gender pay gap to lower superannuation balances—and the long-term impact can be significant. 

In retirement, more women than men experience financial insecurity, with many returning to the workforce, selling their homes, or facing unexpected financial struggles. 

That’s why in this TPC Gold soundbite, Ben is joined by Nicola McDougall—successful property investor and passionate advocate for women’s financial security—to discuss why financial independence is crucial for women at every stage of life. 

About Nicola McDougall 

• Co-author of the best-selling book The Female Investor – Creating Wealth, Security & Freedom Through Property and Property Investing For Dummies (3rd Australian edition) 
• Multi-award-winning property and finance journalist, industry spokesperson & business owner 
• Chair of the Property Investment Professionals of Australia (PIPA)  

For Women, Property Investing is About More Than Just Wealth 

It’s about security, choice, and independence. It’s about having options, no matter what life throws your way. While women face unique financial challenges, the good news is—there are steps to take control.

Want to Build Long-Term Security & Independence? 

Grab a copy of Nicola McDougall’s best-selling book The Female Investor – Creating Wealth, Security & Freedom Through Property. 

Ready to take it a step further?

Join our LIVE webinar next week to discover how to build a property portfolio and retire on $3,000 per week. 👉 Register here!

__________________

If You Enjoyed TPC Gold | Why Women Must Prioritise Financial Independence (Before It’s Too Late!) You Might Also Like:

• Ep 297 | Closing The Gap: How This Indigenous Investor Is Pioneering The Way Forward 
• Ep 478 | What Happens When Money is Used to Control: How She Escaped It & Overcame Scarcity & Gender Wealth Inequality 
• Ep 491 | The 3 Stages of Retirement & Why Most Don’t Think Beyond Stage 1?  

---

Transcript

Ben Kingsley
Obviously there are lot of property investment books out there but this one’s been close to your heart because you’ve been telling me about this passion to write this book for a long period of time, so this is probably where I want to give you the mic to sort of tell us what’s important to you about teaching other women – potentially single women as well – what’s the backstory there in terms of what makes this such an important project for you to be able to write this book. 

Nicola McDougall
Thanks, Ben. Well, interesting that you say single because I actually had the idea for the book in 2018. And at the time it was called the Single Girl’s Guide to Property Investment. I don’t remember if there was an epiphany of sorts or anything like that. But I guess it’s because I have written a million words about this stuff, but I also have lived and breathed it. And I am the product of all this, everything that we talk about in the book.  

I only got married a few years ago, and prior to that, I bought three properties by myself, notwithstanding the one tenant in common with my little brother, which only lasted a couple of years. So as someone who classes themselves as a feminist, I also believe in financial independence. And I really wanted, when I look around now, and I’m of a certain age where my nieces, my stepdaughter, they’ve all finished high school, they’re at uni, or they’re starting jobs. And at the other end of the spectrum, I have friends with the family or within my own family (where there are) women who are retiring now and things like that. And I’m smack bang in the middle here.  

I just really wanted to pass on everything that I’ve learned, everything that I’ve written about after all of these years to other women, whether they are young and just starting out, whether they’re around my age and in a relationship, but maybe they have a partner who is conservative risk-wise when it comes to investing. Maybe they are separated, divorced, or even widowed, unfortunately. And then there are women who are at retirement. I know I’ve spoken to a number of them who would like that their stories could have been different, which is that, you know, whilst we all would like to hope that our relationships with our significant others are still around when we’re retired, for 40-50% of us, that won’t be the case.  

Could well be that you may be a single woman in retirement who has their own property that they live in but they’re still surviving on the pension. They don’t have any additional funds, they don’t have any super. One in three Australian women have no super. You know, the demarcation between the male and female super balance starts (which it was horrific when I found this research for the book), starts when we’re in our late 20s. That difference between male and female super balances starts to move apart at that point, and it never, ever, ever catches up.  

And so to answer your question in a really roundabout way…hand on heart would love for women of all ages to prioritise their own financial futures and prioritise potentially having financial independence throughout their lives. Because no one wants to wind up in poverty; no one wants to wind up in poverty in retirement. But more elderly single women than men do. More elderly single women have to return to the workforce. More elderly single women have to actually sell the family home, and go renting in retirement and things like that. And I know it can be hard for younger women to think about that sort of stuff when they’re in their 20s and 30s. But now thanks to you guys and many others, there is so much opportunity for them to work with bonafide experts to improve their education and start forging their own financial path earlier which will give them more choices later.  

You know financial independence is something that women have never had and it’s a bit of a lofty ideal I suppose but why not? Wouldn’t it be great if we had when two people got together regardless of their gender and each were fine; they created things together, but outside of that relationship, they have their own financial independence that retained that way, as my assets do retain mine outside of my marriage. It would be better for everybody. It would reduce a huge amount of legal fees and separations and divorces. And it would reduce the number of people that are really financially struggling later in life, and certainly help the number of women out there who are nearing retirement and worried about actually having the funds to see out their twilight years. And that’s a real problem for many women.