Words by Charis Marr, Co-Creator, In Good Wealth
With October dedicated to Menopause Awareness, and World Menopause Day on October 18th, much is said about the physical and emotional changes women experience. But there is a financial impact that often goes unnoticed, from shifts in income and career progression to confidence, planning and long-term security. Menopause and perimenopause tends to arrive in the last 10 to 15 years of a woman’s career, coinciding with a period of changes to family structures, aging parents, possible loss of loved ones and essentially more responsibility. But it is also a crucial time when your pension and investments need to grow.
Saying this, midlife and menopause deserves the same financial attention as any other major stage like changing careers or moving countries. What makes this stage financially different is that the pressure rarely comes from one place. And often, it is not the obvious costs that catch women out, but the quieter ones that build in the background. As it does not affect every woman financially the same way, understanding where the pressure points could be, makes it easier to plan with confidence.
The Quiet Costs Of Menopause
The financial impact of midlife is often less about one dramatic expense and more about the multitude of circumstances that can quietly shift around you. You might be supporting ageing parents while your children still need you, taking time away from work to care for someone, or trying to make major decisions while your own health, sleep and confidence are changing at the same time. It is also when you might be reflecting on long-term decisions around retirement that suddenly feel much closer. None of these things are caused by menopause, but when they collide at the same point in life, the financial impact can be significant.
Most money advice is written for people just starting out their career. But midlife is where the decisions get bigger and the support gets thinner. A divorce, serious illness or loss can expose hidden costs with the need to understand pensions, insurance and paperwork that someone else might have normally managed. For women living in the UAE, there can be an additional layer of complexity as many are managing assets and responsibilities across countries. Speaking from experience, a sudden loss to a family member can also quickly turn finances into a complicated and difficult phase to navigate alone.
When these life-changing decisions tend to be made in the same years you experience menopause, it can make it harder to think clearly about money when stakes are so high and everyone is relying on you. Knowing your numbers early gives you the ability to choose, rather than simply react out of panic. Doing a financial check-in does not need to be complicated. Some useful places to start include writing down your essential expenses, so you know the total you’d need to cover if your income changed, create an emergency fund that could cover a few months if required, cover for unexpected health changes, and have an honest conversation with a partner or family about what changes in income would mean for the household.
Career Impacts
Menopause can affect some women’s confidence, stopping them from putting themselves forward for a promotion or a pay rise, which comes at a growth cost. Considering a step back from work at 50 can also have a bigger impact than a career break at 30, as there is less time for your income to recover or for money to compound. Research by Canadian Employment Hero found that 41% of workers aged between 35 – 54 felt their age made them less attractive to employers.
That pressure can show up in the job search too. If you are in the job market, ask yourself, “Am I adjusting my CV just to fit the box?” Often referred to as CV botoxing, adjustments made to timelines or senior titles to bypass the age or salary filters may work in the short term, but it often means accepting lower pay, which reduces your personal pensions and eventually your savings.
Health Costs
Money stress and menopause symptoms often feed each other and having clarity around your finances can ease one side of that loop. In the workplace, the stress of midlife and perimenopause can also coincide with periods of burnout, anxiety, or reduced confidence at work, which can influence decisions around reducing hours, taking a career break or stepping away altogether. AJ Bell Money Matters found that one in 20 women stopped working due to menopause, one in 25 reduced their hours, and a fifth said it affected their confidence at work.
In the UAE, this can come with an extra financial impact as health cover is often linked to employment. Stepping back from work may mean arranging your own cover in your 50s, potentially at a higher cost than before. There also appears to be a gap in workplace support. According to Deloitte Women @ Work 2025 (UAE), 18% of women globally reported accessing menopause support through workplace benefits, compared with none of the UAE respondents. That matters because when support is not readily available through the workplace, women may be left to manage symptoms, seek specialist care or fund additional support themselves. People are also living longer, which means healthcare may need to be funded over a much longer period, including the possibility of needing care later in life. By thinking of your healthcare costs earlier and including them in the wider financial picture, you can create more choices and protection for the future.
Looking ahead
On the upside, midlife can also be a financial second wind for many. Earnings are often at their peak, the cost of raising young children has usually eased, and most women have a clearer sense of what they want from their money and their work. That can make it a particularly useful time to step back and look at the full financial picture, rather than focusing on one area in isolation. At In Good Wealth, we look at five connected parts of financial wellbeing: what you earn, save, grow, spend and protect, starting with a Prosperity Pulse Quiz. Considering the numbers together makes it easier to identify where attention is most needed without creating a long, overwhelming list of things to focus on.
Career gaps, health costs and life changes will not apply to everyone in the same way and many women may go through this stage with barely a ripple in their finances. For those who do feel it, a good plan can change what the next decade looks like. With clearer information and the right choices, you can move through this phase without setting back the progress you have made.
