Motley Fool Money Interview with Steph Wagner: A Woman’s Guide to Financial Freedom
8 snips
Nov 9, 2025 
In this discussion, Steph Wagner, National Director of Women and Wealth at Northern Trust and author, shares her journey from finance to empowerment. She highlights the importance of financial literacy for women, using her personal story of loss to inspire others. Topics include exploring how childhood influences money behaviors, the impact of financial autonomy on life choices, and transitioning from a scarcity to an abundance mindset. Steph also offers practical steps for achieving financial freedom, emphasizing the power of small actions to foster a joyful life.
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Career Break Sparked A Financial Wake-Up
- Steph Wagner quit her investment banking job after realizing the work–family demands were unsustainable while pregnant and with young children.
- Fourteen years later she discovered her then-husband's affair, which exposed her financial unpreparedness and triggered her wake-up call.
From Personal Crisis To Curriculum
- After the breakup Steph began writing and developed a curriculum to rebuild her finances and life, aiming to help other women avoid the same trap.
- Twelve years later that curriculum became her book and a program she uses to teach financial literacy to women nationwide.
Money Habits Trace Back To Childhood
- Our relationship with money forms from childhood messages and family behaviors and strongly shapes adult financial actions.
- Understanding those influences lets you identify why you act a certain way and change course intentionally.
