Rebuilding Finances After Late Life Divorce with Dr. Severine Bryan | Ep. 382

• Dr. Sev defines late-life divorce as any divorce after age 45—a time when most people are winding down toward retirement rather than rebuilding from scratch.

I got divorced in my fifties. And that is usually when people are winding down to get ready to retire.

• The biggest lesson is allowing yourself to grieve the loss of a relationship while not getting stuck in that grief. This opens the door to pivoting and rebuilding.

A divorce is like losing someone. You're losing a spouse. You're losing a relationship. And it's similar to death because you've lost that loved one, right? So you have to have a period of grief and then you have to look at how you can embrace the entire journey.

• Tiffany shares her own experience of going to therapy after separation, which later helped her cope with her grandmother's passing.

• Face your debt head-on—don't ignore it, seek help quickly
• Invest in yourself through therapy, skill-building, or coaching
• Learn from setbacks and extract valuable lessons

Face your debt, whatever the financial part is, face that and get some help as quickly as you can.

• For those who weren't managing finances in the relationship, Dr. Sev recommends tapping into free local resources like libraries, United Way, and Operation Hope programs.

A library is a great resource for programs that are offered on a daily basis. So look around at where you can find some resources.

• She emphasizes negotiating with creditors, creating a budget (or spending plan), and considering debt management companies for structured repayment.

There is no one on this earth who has not made money mistakes. No one. And I don't understand why society puts so much pressure on people to be perfect financially.

• Dr. Sev encourages listeners not to feel ashamed about needing to learn money management later in life, comparing it to learning any other life skill like riding a bike or driving a car.

• Dr. Severine Bryan can be found on LinkedIn and at sevtalksmoney.com. She offers programs specifically for women rebuilding after late-life divorce or job loss in their 40s-60s.