Money Thought Leader: Karen McAllister
Value-aligned financial goals are the missing link for many women over 50 who feel stuck, despite their best efforts to save, budget, or retire on time.
Many women over 50 struggle to reach their financial goals; not because they lack discipline, but because those goals aren’t value-aligned. Retirement plans stall, savings accounts dip, or debt creeps back. The frustration is not due to lack of intelligence or even effort. More often, it’s because our behaviors don’t line up with what we say we want, and deeper still, our goals are not connected to what we truly value.
A Story: Kate at 57:
Kate, 57, had a clear financial goal: to retire at 65 with enough income to travel and spend time with her grandchildren. She even had spreadsheets, planners, and a neat budget book. But when she looked honestly, her savings weren’t growing. She spent generously on her adult children, covered “emergency” expenses that weren’t really emergencies, and often said yes to social outings that didn’t bring her much joy.
Her behavior didn’t match her stated goals. Each month she promised herself she’d “catch up” next month. By the time she came to coaching, she felt defeated—like her goals were always just out of reach.
The Turning Point:
In conversation, Kate realized something important: she valued family connection and freedom. Her spending on her kids came from love, but it wasn’t actually creating the long-term family connection she wanted. What she truly longed for was quality time with them—meals, conversations, trips together—not paying their phone bills.
Once she made this connection, she changed her approach. Instead of automatically rescuing her children financially, she invited them to cook dinner together once a week. She began directing her money toward experiences that built the connections she craved, while also committing to automatic retirement savings.
Slowly, her behaviors came into alignment with her values. Her goal of retiring at 65 didn’t feel like a struggle anymore. It felt like a natural expression of what she valued most: love and freedom.
What Are Value-Aligned Goals?
Most of us set goals the way we think we’re “supposed to”: save X dollars, pay off Y debt, earn Z income. While practical, these goals can feel dry or external. If our deeper values aren’t engaged, our motivation fizzles.
Value-aligned goals start with your core values—the qualities that make life meaningful to you. For many women over 50, these values include:
- Family connection – sharing time, care, and presence.
- Health – vitality, strength, and peace of mind.
- Freedom – choice in how we spend time and energy.
- Contribution – giving back, making an impact, leaving a legacy.
When you link your financial goals directly to these values, they stop being “shoulds” and become expressions of who you really are.
If you’re not sure what your core values are, this guide on how to make values your compass can help clarify what truly matters to you.
For example:
- Instead of “Save $500/month,” a value-aligned goal could be: “Build a travel fund so I can take my sister to Paris for her 70th birthday.”
- Instead of “Pay off credit card debt,” it becomes: “Release the weight of debt so I can feel the lightness and freedom that matter most to me.”
Notice how the second version of each goal connects money to meaning. This connection makes it easier to change behaviors, because every dollar is now serving something you deeply care about.
Why Value-Aligned Financial Goals Matter After 50:
By the time we reach our 50s, many of us have achieved professional milestones, raised children, or carried family responsibilities. Yet this is also a season of reflection: What do I want the next chapter to feel like?
Financial goals that align with your values give you:
- Clarity – You know why you’re saving, not just how much.
- Motivation – You’re less tempted to drift into old habits.
- Resilience – When life throws curveballs, your values keep you steady.
- Joy – Because your money is flowing toward what truly nourishes you.
For more inspiration, read Kate’s bold financial transformation after 50—a story about moving from fear to trust and finally feeling financially free.
A Dharma Perspective:
In Buddhist practice, we often speak of the “right effort”—not effort that is forced or exhausting, but effort that flows naturally because it’s connected to wisdom and compassion. Value-aligned financial goals are like this.
When your money supports what you most value, your effort feels lighter, steadier, and more joyful. You’re no longer chasing numbers; you’re nurturing a life that reflects your heart.
As Kate discovered, once you align your financial goals with your values, you step into integrity. Your outer world begins to reflect your inner truth. And that is not just financial success—it’s freedom, peace, and fulfillment.
Reflection Question for You:
What is one financial goal you hold right now? Ask yourself: Which of my deepest values does this serve? If the answer isn’t clear, it may be time to realign.
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About the Author:
Karen has worked with over 100 clients, helping them untangle their money issues and to become more effective in their work because of it. To do this, Karen has studied financial issues extensively from both the practical, behavioral, and the emotional perspectives.
She has been certified by Deborah Price of the Money Coaching Institute as a Certified Money Coach, a Couples Money Coach, and a Business Archetype Coach. She has studied with Lynne Twist from the Soul of Money Institute for two years on Mastering your Money and Transforming your Life, including studies in Lynne’s Fundraising from the Heart program. Checkout Karen’s site TheMindfulMoneyCoach. Or, you can email Karen directly at the karen@themindfulmoneycoach.com. If you want to improve in any of these areas—whether it’s your scarcity mentality, your communication around agreements, or developing a practice of generosity—join my FREE webinar on September 25th @ 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm EST here.
