The Bank of Mom and Dad

The Bank of Mom and Dad

Few institutions are as generous, emotional, or enduring as the Bank of Mom and Dad. In this episode of Life Chapters, Money Choices, Michael Avery and Kim Potgieter are joined by Financial Planning Specialist Tom Brukman for an honest conversation about the financial and emotional realities of supporting adult children. From helping with university fees, rent, medical aid, and everyday expenses... To recognising when support quietly becomes dependency... To balancing the needs of adult children, ageing parents, and your own retirement security... They explore why so many families find themselves caught between love, responsibility, and financial reality. This conversation unpacks the hidden cost of ongoing support, the long-term impact on retirement security, and why money conversations within families are often the hardest to have. Along the way, they reflect on the lessons children learn from watching their parents, the importance of transparency, and how well-placed boundaries can strengthen, rather than strain, family relationships. Sometimes the most loving thing a parent can do is not give more. It is helping their children build the confidence, independence, and resilience to create a life of their own. 🎧 Tune in. Be brave. Be on purpose.

Why Not Me? Why Not Now?

At 56, Cheryl Jones found herself asking a question many people face in midlife: What now? Her children had left home, life looked very different from the years before, and she felt drawn to something more. Instead of settling into familiar routines, Cheryl made the bold decision to return to studying, challenge her self-doubt, and reinvent her career. In this episode of Life Chapters, Money Choices, Michael Avery and Kim Potgieter explore Cheryl's journey from imposter syndrome to renewed purpose. They discuss the value of lifelong learning, the challenge of recognising your own worth, and why so many people underestimate the experience and wisdom they have built over decades. They also explore how financial confidence can create the freedom to pursue meaningful work, try new things, and design a life that feels aligned with who you are today, not who you were twenty years ago. This is a conversation for anyone wondering whether it is too late to start something new. Cheryl's story shows that some of life's most interesting chapters can begin when you decide to back yourself and take the first step. 🎧 Tune in. Be brave. Be on purpose.

Ageless Reinvention

At some point, success stops being about accumulation and starts being about meaning. In this episode of Life Chapters, Money Choices, Michael Avery and Kim Potgieter are joined by entrepreneur, mother, and serial reinventor Miranda Isaakidis for a conversation about curiosity, change, and what it means to keep creating a meaningful life as your priorities evolve. From financial setbacks like the 1987 crash… To building a business rooted in purpose, empowerment, and creating opportunities for others… To facing the often-overlooked shift from saving and striving to spending with intention in later life… Miranda shares how each chapter of her life called for fresh thinking, courage, and a willingness to embrace change rather than stay stuck. This conversation explores how success can evolve beyond wealth creation, how couples can approach major life changes together, and why retirement is not about slowing down, but about creating the freedom to live more intentionally. Sometimes the next chapter is not about having more. It is about making what you already have mean more. 🎧 Tune in. Be brave. Be on purpose.

Feeling Stuck? What Stress Is Really Doing to Your Brain

What if the reason you feel stuck isn’t a lack of discipline or direction, but the state of your brain? In this conversation, Michael Avery and Kim Potgieter sit down with neurologist Dr Kirti Ranchod to unpack how stress, uncertainty, and constant distraction reshape the way we think, feel, and make decisions. They explore why memory fails under pressure, why clarity disappears in times of change, and why so many people try to make big life decisions while mentally exhausted. This episode offers simple, practical ways to slow down, restore focus, and reconnect with your own thinking before rushing into decisions. If you are facing a transition and feeling uncertain, this is a reminder to pause, reset, and give your brain the space it needs before deciding what comes next. 🎧 Tune in. Be brave. Be on purpose.

Beyond Power of Attorney: What Families Need to Consider

We do not often plan for the moment when roles begin to shift. When the people who once guided our decisions start relying on us to help manage theirs. Caring for ageing parents is one of life’s most emotional and complex transitions. It brings difficult conversations, changing family dynamics, and important financial and legal decisions that many families only face when it is already too late. In this episode of Life Chapters, Money Choices, Michael Avery and Kim Potgieter are joined by Chartered Wealth Solutions Financial Planning Specialist, James Carvalho, to explore what this transition really involves. They unpack what a power of attorney means in South Africa, why it may not work the way many people expect, and what happens when a loved one is no longer able to make decisions for themselves. This conversation goes beyond the legal detail. It highlights the emotional weight of role reversal, the importance of early conversations, and the practical steps families can take to prepare before a crisis arises. If you have ageing parents, or want to ease the burden on your own family one day, this is a conversation worth listening to, and one worth having with your own family. 🎧 Tune in. Be brave. Be on purpose.