Growing up in working class outer suburban Melbourne, Michelle Bowes’ family didn’t have a lot of money, but she knew that money mattered.
It’s a lesson she learned as she watched her mum carefully balance the family budget every week.
But as a teenager, a lack of financial knowledge meant she spent every cent she earned from part-time jobs – saving and budgeting never crossed her mind.
Her financial education began when she started working as a business journalist. Interviewing a lot of successful people, she found that they had two things in common: they worked hard and they were careful with their money - in some cases they were even stingy.
But a lack of knowledge about the many disadvantages women face when it comes to money, saw Michelle make choices that put her on the wrong side of the gender pay gap and gender retirement gap.
As mum to two teenage girls, she’s passionate about helping the next generations of women avoid similar mistakes. She teaches them about the money challenges they’re up against and how to put good financial habits in place from their very first teenage job, as well as educating parents about how they can support their kids to become financially literate, something that the education system is largely failing to address.
AWARDS:
Michelle is the author of Money Queens: Rule your Money, which was awarded personal finance and investment book of the year at the 2023 Australian Business Book Awards, and was a finalist in the Book of the Year category.
Talking Points
Money Smart Parent Presentation
Who is it for: Schools or businesses who want to assist parents to help their kids develop good financial literacy.Money Smart Parent Presentation
Topic Synopsis:
• How financial literacy will set kids up for success.
• What school will (and won’t) teach kids about financial literacy.
• How big the problem is when it comes to kids’ money knowledge.
• The barriers parents face in teaching their kids about money and how to overcome them.
• 5 money lessons for 5–10-year-olds, and how to teach them.
• 5 money lessons for 10–14-year-olds, and how to teach them.
• 5 money lessons for 14–18-year-olds, and how to teach them.
Key Takeaways: This presentation gives parents practical and actionable tips to support their kids in learning about money. In a corporate setting it is suitable as part of an employee wellness or corporate benefits program.
Senior High School presentation
Who is it for: Suitable for girls in year 11/12, this presentation can also be adapted for a co-ed or male audience.Senior High School presentation
Topic Synopsis:
• What influences attitudes to money.
• The impact of gender on finances.
• What good money management looks like.
• Credit and debt including good debt and bad debt.
• Understanding how the higher education loans system works, including how much different qualifications cost and options to pay for them, how the HECS-HELP and VSL loan systems work, and additional costs involved in higher education.
Key Takeaways: Students will leave this presentation with the financial knowledge they need for the adult world including the impact of gender on finances and an understanding of how the higher education loan systems work.
Middle High School presentation
Who is it for: Suitable for girls in year 8/9, this presentation can also be adapted for a co-ed or male audience.Middle High School presentation
Topic Synopsis:
• What influences attitudes to money.
• First job money must-dos.
• What tax and super are and how they work.
• The impact of gender on finances.
• What good money management looks like.
Key Takeaways: Students will leave this presentation with the financial knowledge they need to set themselves up for success in their first teenage job and an understanding of the impact of gender on finances.
Video
Michelle Bowes | Today Show
Michelle presented a thorough overview of key financial literacy skills students need to know as they enter the world of work. Helping raise awareness about superannuation, home loans, budg ... keep reading Rose Bay School of the Sacred Heart
Michelle's Money Queens workshop is an excellent introduction to practical finance. Our group of Year 10 students were engaged with Michelle's relatable examples and the workshop prompted many questions surrounding money and budgeting and Michelle really connected the macro concepts of finance to the lives of her teenage audience. Thank you Michelle and Money Queens. I would absolutely recommend Money Queens!
Michelle Bowes from Money Queens gave an engaging presentation to St Catherine’s year 9 students that was informative and extremely relevant. She addressed topics such as the importance of budgeting, money and gender and financial abuse. She incorporated relevant examples that were tailored to the interests of the audience. Michelle was interactive with the audience, allowing for ample questions to be asked and answered. This presentation addressed financial literacy in an easy to understand way, even if a student had no prior knowledge on the topic. I would highly recommend this presentation.
Thank you for today, the girls got so much out of it. The Money Queens book is wonderful, and we have been using it as inspiration as we design our program for the students. Financial independence is such an important life skill for them to learn about and I wish I had started as a teenager!
As high school students embark on their lives after school, it's so important to prepare them for the realities of life - and money is a big part of this. Michelle explained complicated financial issues, such as debt, budgeting, superannuation clearly, with realistic examples (and humour!). Her presentation also covered the gender disadvantages women may face when it comes to money, making it an excellent fit for our 17-year-old girls and empowering them with the knowledge to take control of their financial future.
