At age 28, Jemi Jeng believed her life was generally “going to plan”. She’d just graduated from ANU Law School, done a stint with the United Nations in Geneva, travelled to several countries and had an honours degree under her belt.
What happened next, however, was definitely not part of “the plan” Jeng had set out for herself.
For nearly a year after moving to far north Queensland to be with her partner, she was unemployed. This led to her to become financially dependent on her partner, despite having always told herself she’d never wanted to rely on someone else for money.
Then, that same year, Jeng’s relationship ended, and she found herself on a call with Centrelink to figure out her options towards regaining some independence.
“I remember being on this call for some time and the woman telling me that because my situation wasn’t domestic violence related or involved children, I’d need to prove I was independent from my partner first before I could receive Centrelink,” says Jeng.
The woman from Centrelink suggested Jeng stay with friends or family, or to consider staying in a shelter.
“I vividly remember how I felt in that moment,” Jeng says, “trapped and helpless.”
Jeng made a mental promise to herself that if she ever got out of it, she’d never allow it to happen again.
Fast forward 10 years and Jeng is now in her late 30s having saved to pay off all her debts, made some financial investments and is no longer living paycheck to paycheck.
On top of setting herself up to be financially independent, Jeng is on a mission to use her personal experience to help other women do the same.
Founder and CEO of Penny, Jeng is leading an early-stage tech-startup in Sydney to help women set and achieve their savings and investment goals, while building financial literacy and confidence. Through this support, the business is intent on closing Australia’s fintech and gender wealth gaps.
“Like many start up founders, Penny is the story of my own journey to finding financial independence,” says Jeng.
“It’s the stories of the many women in my life whose journeys I’ve observed and learned from, and the many women we’ve consulted in designing the app.”
Jeng defines financial independence as having enough money to cover your lifestyle, noting that this does not only encompass what you earn or spend.
“It’s also about the freedom you get from being able to live life and make decisions without limitations,” she says.
Only half of women in Australia consider themselves to be financially independent and only 60 per cent are confident in their ability to manage their money, according to a report from Fidelity International.
“Financial independence will look different for different people and may change over your lifetime,” Jeng says, adding that for some, it means being debt-free, while for others it means being able to go for a holiday each year, retire early, or simply to be independent of another person.
Ultimately, Jeng says “financial independence empowers us to make decisions and live life on our own terms.”
Jeng shared more advice on how to reach financial independence during her keynote session for Women’s Agenda’s new video app series, The Keynotes.
The Keynotes app shares “Mini Keynote” sessions and insights on leadership, equity, current affairs, climate and so much more. To watch Jemi Jeng’s keynote as well as other sessions, sign up to the app here.