Money isn’t just numbers on a spreadsheet. It’s power, freedom, and a tool for systemic change.

Tori Dunlap, New York Times bestselling author and founder of Her First 100K, joins Liz Plummer to explain why financial independence is not just personal but political. She shares how her journey from a corporate job to financial educator revealed the systemic barriers that keep women from building wealth. Personal finance is less about skipping lattes and more about confronting policies, wage gaps, and financial abuse that limit opportunities for marginalized groups.

Tori makes the case for policy changes like paid family leave and a higher minimum wage while offering practical steps for financial stability. She lays out the essentials of building an emergency fund, automating savings, and setting clear, mission-driven financial goals. Through personal stories and real success cases, she shows how financial literacy is not just about security. It is a form of protest.

This episode is a call to action for women to take control of their money, expand their choices, and create lasting change for themselves and the world around them.

Quotes

• “I think it’s really important that we acknowledge that we need policy change, we need legislation that supports us, and that most of personal finance actually has nothing to do with your own personal choices.” (04:13 | Tori Dunlap)
• “You control what you can control. So you do learn everything you can about money. And then you use money as a tool to build the life that you love. Because when you’re rested, when you’re stable, when you’re healthy, that is a radical act of protest in a society and a system that wants to keep you disenfranchised, tired, sick, poor, broke, etc.” (04:36 | Tori Dunlap)
• “99% of women in abusive relationships have some sort of financial abuse. So what that tells me is that this is something that they want to escape, but can’t because they don’t have the money, or because their partner is controlling their money, or tanking their credit score, or barring them access to the funds that they have.” (07:47 | Tori Dunlap)
• “A goal without a plan is just a wish. And I think a lot of people, when they’re trying to get better with money, they do the, ‘Okay, my goal this year is to get better with money.’ That is not a goal, because it’s not trackable. You can’t tell by the end of the year if you got better with money or not.” (22:31 | Tori Dunlap)
• “For me, having a financial education is your best form of protest. And in a society, in a system that constantly disenfranchises you, you learning more about money, learning more about how you can control the things you can control. And again, not ignoring your money because it’s scary, but rather controlling your money, learning how to use it in a way that makes your life better is one of the most powerful tools you have at your disposal to create a life and a society that you enjoy.” (25:24 | Tori Dunlap)

Links

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