Rebecca Penny left the finance world to set up on her own and has recently launched Menopause Money, to support women with their finances through the menopause. Here, she explains more
Who are you and what do you do?
I’m Rebecca, a mum, wife, business owner and Chartered finance professional. I help people feel calmer and more confident about their money, focusing not just on the numbers but on how money fits into real life and what it actually means day to day.
For me, money is not just about spreadsheets or products. It is about choices, security and peace of mind. I work with people at different stages of life, often when things feel busy or uncertain, helping them step back, make sense of their finances and build plans that support the life they want to live now and in the future.
What is your background in finance and what has brought you to Norfolk?
I have always been interested in finance and started my career in banking in 2001. I moved fairly quickly into corporate and commercial banking, working closely with business owners and their families, before spending many years in private banking supporting high net worth clients.
In 2023, I decided to set up my own firm. I wanted to support more people in a way that felt personal and meaningful, and I also wanted to be more present for my then young daughter.
I am not originally from Norfolk. I grew up in Cornwall, but my husband is from here. We met while he was in the military, and when we decided to start a family, Norfolk felt like the right place to put down roots. It has everything we need and felt like the perfect place to build a business grounded in community, education and long-term impact. We love living here and cannot imagine being anywhere else.
What has led you to launching Menopause Money? From your experience, is there a real need for conversations around money with women in midlife?
Many of us were brought up not to talk about money, and certainly not menopause. In midlife, those two silences collide. There is far more conversation around menopause now, which is positive, but the financial impact is still largely missing from the narrative.
I see women making big financial decisions while exhausted, overwhelmed and lacking confidence, often alongside career changes, caring responsibilities, inheritance decisions and worries about retirement. When you are not sleeping well or feel mentally stretched, money decisions feel heavier and easier to put off. When that happens, it is not just today that suffers, but future you as well.
Menopause Money exists to join those dots. It creates space for honest, practical conversations about finances at a time when life already feels full, helping women feel informed, supported and confident rather than silently carrying the load alone, which so many of us do.
If you could give women in midlife one piece of financial advice, what would it be?
Change the way you think about your finances and treat managing them as an act of self-care. In midlife, there is often a lot competing for your attention including careers, children, parents, health and everything in between, and money can easily slip down the priority list.
Clarity around your money can restore calm, rebuild confidence and help you feel more secure about what lies ahead. Even small steps, taken with the right support, can reduce anxiety and help you feel back in control, something that is far more important in midlife than many people realise.
What else do you do? You are also the Founder of Planit Financial?
Yes, I am the Founder of Planit Financial, where we provide fully independent, regulated financial advice and long-term financial planning. My work covers everything from pensions and investments to protecting families and businesses and planning ahead.
At its heart, it is about clarity and confidence, helping people feel secure enough to get on with their lives, knowing their finances are being looked after properly. We work closely with clients to ensure their finances are in the best possible shape to support the life they want to build.
Alongside my work, I am also a trustee of the Zoological Society of East Anglia, the conservation charity behind Africa Alive and Banham Zoo. The role reflects my passion for education, sustainability and protecting the world we are leaving to the next generation, values that matter to me both personally and professionally.
Where can people find out more about what you do?
You can find out more about Planit Financial and contact us directly via planitfinancial.co.uk. We are also on Instagram and Facebook at @planitfinancial. We have a free monthly newsletter, and for every sign up we provide a hot breakfast to a child in the UK.
For Menopause Money, you can find me on Instagram at @menopausemoney, with a website and more resources launching soon. I am also on LinkedIn, so please feel free to connect with me directly.
Visit Planit Financial and follow @menopausemoney on Instagram.
Featured image of Rebecca Penny – supplied
Leave a Reply