Money & Moving On, Part 2: Sylvia Guinan on Budgeting, Boundaries, and Thriving Financially After Divorce

by | Oct 20, 2025 | Podcast

What if financial freedom after divorce wasn’t about sacrifice, but about clarity, control, and confidence?

In this episode of The Moving On Method® Podcast, Michelle Dempsey-Multack and Sylvia Guinan, a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst at Wells Fargo Advisors, unpack what it truly means to thrive financially after separation. From redefining your relationship with money to creating stability for your children, this conversation offers a practical and empowering roadmap for starting over with confidence and calm.

What You’ll Learn:

  • How to create a post-divorce budget that reflects your real life, not your fears

  • The mindset shift from restriction to empowerment when managing money

  • Why self-care is a financial priority, not an indulgence

  • How to talk to your children about money in a way that builds healthy financial awareness

  • The most common financial red flags newly divorced women face, and how to avoid them

Episode Highlights:

  • 00:00 – Michelle and Sylvia open up about the emotional side of financial recovery

  • 04:10 – Building your first post-divorce budget with confidence and clarity

  • 09:35 – The emotional psychology behind spending and scarcity

  • 14:20 – Prioritizing your essentials: home, health, and self-care

  • 20:15 – Teaching your children healthy financial habits without fear

  • 25:30 – Avoiding the top financial red flags after divorce

  • 29:00 – How to rebuild peace, confidence, and control through budgeting

  • 32:15 – Final reflections: clarity as the foundation of calm

Meet the Guest

Sylvia Guinan is a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA) at Wells Fargo Advisors, helping women transition from financial uncertainty to clarity and control. With deep expertise in post-divorce planning, she guides clients through budgeting, investment strategy, and long-term wealth preservation, empowering them to thrive independently.

Tools, Frameworks, or Strategies Mentioned:

  • The Post-Divorce Budget Framework: a two-column model for “Current Lifestyle” vs. “Retirement from Marriage”

  • Financial Boundary Method: redefining budgets as boundaries, not punishments

  • The Self-Care Allocation Principle: how emotional well-being directly impacts financial health

  • Money Mindset Reset: shifting from scarcity to stability

Closing Insight:

“A budget isn’t a burden, it’s your blueprint for freedom.” — Michelle Dempsey-Multack

Every financial decision after divorce is an opportunity to rewrite your story. This episode reminds listeners that true wealth isn’t just measured in dollars, it’s in the peace of knowing you’re in control of your future.

Explore “Money & Moving On,” our new guide to financial freedom after divorce: https://bit.ly/MoneyMoveYouTube

Join The Moving On Collective! A safe, judgment-free support group experience for divorced and divorcing parents: https://bit.ly/MichelleCommunity

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TheMichelleDempsey
Website – https://michelledempsey.com/
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/michelle645
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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mldempsey/

Link to Transcript: https://transcripts/moving-on-method-ep268-divorce-financial-recovery-and-budgeting

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