🟪 High income doesn’t protect you from a bad retirement

🇲🇦🇫🇷🇦🇹 Nessrine Slimani, 31, financial educator, strategist and writer, Moroccan-French, based in Austria

Some people relax on vacation by switching their brain off.

Nessrine Slimani tries to understand the models of the unusual businesses she notices by doing some back-of-the-napkin math 😄🫶

When she’s at home in Austria, she helps financial companies explain investing in a way people can actually understand. She gives financial education workshops for kids at schools. She’s the mind and the pen behind a TikTok account followed by 70,000+ people, where she teaches investing through comics she draws herself.

And because these educational formats were not enough, she’s also publishing a book on investing, coming out in April. 👑

At the core of everything she does is a simple belief: people deserve to understand what they’re doing with their money so they can act, or not act, in line with what matters to them.

In her answers to the Money Feelings Questionnaire, Nessrine talks about positive jealousy, early freelance anxiety, FOMO-driven crypto regrets, and why high income doesn’t protect you from a bad retirement.

I can’t wait to hear what her answers bring up for you.

Pauline 💜

🟪 If you’re new here, Le Questionnaire is Money Feelings’ monthly series exploring how women around the world think, feel, and act around money. It’s not about numbers. It’s about psychology, habits, fears, and the stories that shape our financial lives.

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NAME: Nessrine Slimani

AGE: 31

FROM: France/Morocco, living in Austria

ASTRO: Leo

LOVES: Teaching and learning. Seeing people click right in front of my eyes is extremely satisfying. Drawing.

MISSIONS: Financial education. I care because I find it unfair that people make default decisions because of ignorance. I want them to know enough to act (or not act) according to their beliefs, not just stumble into things.

JOB(S)/PROJECT(S): I'm a marketing consultant specialized in wealth-related topics. I help asset managers, fintechs, and other financial firms with their content strategy and ghostwriting. I also grew a TikTok account to over 70K subscribers sharing financial education through comics. And I'm publishing a book on investment coming out in April!

→ Her newsletter in English: https://thefinancialbrain.co/
→ Sa newsletter en français: https://lecoupdepoucefiness.fr/
→ Her TikTok (also en français): https://www.tiktok.com/@lecoupdepouce_finess
→ Her LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nessrine-slimani/

SURPRISE(S): A lot of people say “Oh wow, I didn’t expect you to draw the comics behind your financial education content.” Most think I outsource it, but I enjoy to draw, even though I have no professional training in illustration.

🟣 Which of your financial habits do you suspect annoys your partner, your family, or your friends (or everyone!)?

Trying to guess business models randomly.
When we’re on vacation or I see an unusual business, I always try to figure it out and start doing some back-of-the-napkin math. Sometimes I get people to play along with me, but sometimes I get that my obsessiveness can be perceived as annoying.

🟣 Is there a money habit someone you know has that drives you crazy?

Hmm, nothing really comes to mind.

🟣 When was the last time you felt even a little pang of jealousy about someone else’s financial or professional success? Who was it? No need to name names, just tell us a bit about the context.

Someone I know reached a milestone I look forward to reaching with their investment portfolio. It was "positive jealousy" though, like damn, that's so cool for you! But I also want this for ME! Haha.

🟣 What’s a purchase that brings you real, lasting joy? And on the flip side, what’s something you spend money on regularly even though you know it doesn’t actually bring you that much satisfaction?

Joy: Vacations. Going somewhere else, even if it’s not that far, is always worth it, I never feel guilty about it. Great to change environments, enjoy new surroundings, new perspectives.

Meh: Sriracha. I kind of have a love-hate relationship with it. When I’m out I think I need a new one, yet once I get it I’m like meh, should have tried something else maybe.

🟣 Does the way you manage your finances resemble your parents’ or did you rebel? Tell us a bit about how your money habits are similar to or different from theirs.

I guess it started quite similarly—being responsible with the money, saving what you have. Then it drifted investment-wise. They went the real estate way when it comes to investing, and I went the financial markets way with index funds.

🟣 You just won the lottery. What do you do?

I would scale the financial education workshops project I do with schools.
I love the interaction and knowledge sharing with kids and teaching them about finance in fun, interactive ways (with comics, stories, group exercises, etc.).
I’ve delivered workshops to over 500 students so far! Most teachers would be happy to get support in that area in the classroom. So far I only do two workshops a month during the school year, but if I could, I would scale that by training people on my material and paying them to go deliver the workshops to students in the classroom.

🟣 When was the last time you spent money impulsively? What were you feeling in that moment? What was going on? What did you splurge on?

For a pair of shoes. I had in the back of my head that I wanted a specific type of shoes but never settled on the model. Then one day I went for a walk and passed a shoe shop. What started as "I will just try a few to settle on the model" became "alright I'm leaving with those."

The shoes are from an Austrian shop called Waldviertler. I wondered if I should not have slept on it to decide (I went with a color I usually don't go for). But since then, I am very happy with the decision.

🟣 And… does it happen often?

I can be a quick decider generally speaking.

When it comes to buying, I try to be aware so it remains rare. That’s why that example marked me, it happens rarely enough that I remember.

🟣 Do you remember the last time you felt seriously stressed about money? What happened? How did you feel? And how did you handle it?

At the beginning when I went freelance, for sure.

I had zero experience selling anything, and suddenly there’s no regular paycheck hitting your account every month like you’re used to as an employee. Even though I had solid savings on the side, it was stressful.

How I handled it: I surrounded myself with support. Business coach, specific programs to work on my weak points. It was important for me to keep moving instead of letting myself get buried under an avalanche of doubts and fear.

Depression hates a moving target, isn’t that the saying?

🟣 Do you ever catch yourself thinking you’d like to earn a bit more? Even just a little? If yes, what would you do with that extra money?

Of course. There are always projects that require money or where money would improve outcomes or the journey. Right now, if I earned more, I would most likely travel more on the personal side. On the business side, I'd invest in the areas that need it most, whether that's hiring support, outsourcing certain tasks, or bringing in expertise I don't have.

🟣 What does financial success mean to you? What does it look like, or who does it look like?

Financial success to me means flexibility. It means having options.

🟣 If you were to do a little clean-up of your money habits, what would you put in each of these three boxes?

🛑 To stop: A habit that isn’t helping you

🟢 To start: Something you’d like to put in place

✅ To keep: A good habit you already have and want to stick with

🛑 To stop: Comparing myself to others
🟢 To start: Investing in marketing for my upcoming book
✅ To keep: DCA investing through savings plans

🟣 Is there a moment, experience, or positive memory that has shaped the way you manage money today? And is there something negative you’re still carrying or trying to let go of?

Positive: In high school, I babysat for my teachers. That’s how I started earning my own money, and I was really proud of that independence.

Negative: Thankfully nothing that I can think of.

🟣 If you could travel back in time and undo one financial mistake, which one would you fix?

I’m fortunate enough that I haven’t made any big mistakes, but would probably go back to avoid some early crypto investments that I’ve made out of FOMO in my twenties.

🟣 Has the topic of inheritance ever come up with your parents, siblings, or other close relatives? Is it a sensitive subject in your family, or something that’s discussed openly?

We don't really talk about it. I think the topic is considered sensitive and highly emotional, that's why.

🟣 How do you feel when you hear the word “retirement”? Are you more Team “I’ve got a plan and a spreadsheet” or Team “I avoid thinking about it, it’s too far off / too overwhelming”?

Team “I’ve got a plan and a spreadsheet.” Recently talked with a doctor who’s old enough to retire but isn’t because her lifestyle would be greatly affected by it.

If even high earners like doctors can mess up their retirement planning… It’s a wake-up call for everyone.

🟣 And what about when you hear “investing in the stock market”?

I'm the one saying that more than hearing it. But I get that it scares people, and that's why I always encourage them to read about it and to start small. Invest a tiny amount to get familiar with the process.

🟣 If your bank account could talk, what would it say is your biggest extravagance?

Moroccan rugs.

🟣 Do you know how much your friends earn? Do you talk about personal finances, investing, etc., in your friend group?

Not with every friend, everyone has their own comfort level with the topic.
I have different friends with whom I share different types of information.

Where I’m always happy to help is on investing. Since it can be intimidating, I’m glad I can offer perspective and help them think through their next steps if it makes sense for them

🟣 Thank you, Nessrine!

💜 So, how did you feel reading Nessrine’s answers? Did anything feel familiar? Or the opposite? Did it spark any ideas or feelings? Let us know in the comments!

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If you have questions, confessions, or something you’d like help with your money, don’t hesitate to message me. You can also share something completely anonymously here 👇

See you in two weeks, or sooner on Notes.

Pauline 💜