finance

The most common money mistakes Aussie women are making.

Not paying your bills on time, racking up too much credit card debt, and not paying enough attention to your super, are among the most common money mistakes young Australian women make.

It’s easy to think that these money mistakes, well, sort themselves out, but Financial Literacy Educator Michelle House says these kinds of missteps in your 20s and 30s can follow you around for the rest of your life and affect your credit rating.

House has teamed up with Choosi to create the following infographic that shows the money mistakes we make throughout our life’s journey.

According to House, the single most important thing women in their 20s and 30s need to be aware of is their credit rating.

"If you’re late to pay your phone bill or your electricity bill it may affect your credit rating. Future proof your finances before starting a family. Start nurturing your credit rating so when it comes to buying a house the process is smooth sailing," she said.

House also says investing in property is the best thing a young, single woman can do to look after her financial future.

"That house can be turned into superannuation and used to fund your retirement. However, money doesn't always have to go into a superannuation fund. Talk to a property advisor or a financial advisor about how you can get into the property market to build wealth."

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When the time comes to start a family, House says women really need to consider how that is going to affect their super. Sometimes women take 10 years off to be with their children and raise their family. That's 10 years without super.

Be careful of your credit rating. (Image: HBO)

"There needs to be some kind of conscious thought about how to build your super," she said.

"Ask yourself, 'If I'm going to have a baby and my super stops getting paid, how can I build my super?'" she added.

It's also a great idea to find all of your lost super and roll it into one account. There's currently 1.4 million of lost super in the Australian economy that belongs to young Australians in the 25-35 age bracket.

 

Lastly, House believes women need to prepare themselves financially for divorce.

"Some marriages end up in divorce. You've had 10 years off, you've looked after your babies and raised a beautiful family and you compete to get back into the workforce and your husband has more super," she said.

"So be proactive and not reactive. Get conscious and create awareness. When we are conscious about what happens with money we can start to have conversations about it," she added.