SHELLEY MARSH: Making Money Work For You

Shelley Marsh is one of those people who lights up when the word ‘money’ is mentioned. Not because she can’t get enough of it, but because she understands the power and the possibilities it holds. No matter how much you earn, you have the opportunity to make every cent count towards building your ideal future. You don’t have to just work for money – money must also work for you.

Shelley has always been fascinated by all things finance, even as a child, and went on to study economics and applied finance and investment after graduating high school. She began her career on the Japanese stock market in 1996 as a stock market analyst, before moving through to analysing the Australian stock market by 2002.

In 2010, Shelley and her husband welcomed their baby girl into the world opening the door to a refreshing change in her career direction towards a more family-centred, grassroots approach. With her years of experience and passion in abundance, Shelley began a blog to help other people navigate the often complicated world of money management. From there, she worked with the charity ‘The Benevolent Society ’, teaching money skills to social workers who could then pass on the valuable information to clients.

In 2018, Shelley branched out on her own with Marsh Financial Advice, buoyed with a focus on financial planning for women and families to help them reach their goals, set up a secure future, and understand how their money can work for them.

“I love helping women and families understand their money and achieve their financial goals. I believe financial advice changes lives,” she said.

“The variety of goals is endless and unique to each client, and I love seeing the impact my advice has on my clients from helping them to buy a home, start a family begin their investing journey, prepare for retirement or whatever their goal might be.”

Shelley’s money management tips

As a working mum herself, Shelley truly understands the demands modern families face when it comes to managing their money. Life is expensive and often unpredictable, but with the right plan and advice under your belt, you can achieve anything you set your mind to. Here are her top four tips to take control of your finances.

1. Start saving
   Shelley’s top tip for her daughter as she grows up is to savemore than she earns – and this is one tip she strongly advocates for her clients as well. A healthy saving habit will go a longway to a solid financial plan and achieving your goals, as well as providing a backup if the unfortunate happens.
   “Savings are the fundamental building block of any financial plan, ” she said.
   “Of course, I am not advocating you save everything, it is important to have fun and enjoy your life, but having a good savings habit will give you the flexibility to achieve the things you want for your life.”
2. Don’t put off investing in your superannuation
   When we are young, it is easy to for get about retirement and coast along, living day-to-day. However, statistics clearly show that not only do women generally have a lower superannuation balance come the end of our working lives, but we are living longer too.
   “I encourage you to take action now . Make sure your money is in the right superannuation fund for you, that you understand where your money is invested and figure out how much you might need for the retirement you desire. Do the work now; get advice and a plan in place,” Shelley advises.
3. Get insured
   Forking out for insurance can feel like wasted money, but Shelley’s advice is to never be without it.