Your Financial BS Detector: Red Flags Every Woman Needs to Spot

Shaye Thyer
Oct 6
3 min read

In my last piece Tax Efficiency Shouldn’t Cost Women Their Safety , I called out my own profession—because too often, so-called “best practice” tax planning is just a neat way of screwing women over.

But here’s the kicker: while we wait for the finance bros and their systems to evolve, you need your own BS detector. Because no amount of “efficiency” is worth you ending up with the tax bill, the debt, or the Director Penalty Notice.

You don’t need a commerce degree to spot it. Here’s what to look out for.

Red Flags That Scream “Danger, Girl”

You’ve been made a company director but don’t actually run the company. Being a director isn’t ceremonial. It means you’re legally liable if things go wrong. If you don’t have oversight, you shouldn’t carry the risk. Cute title, massive liability.
Income from a trust is “allocated” to you but you never see the money. On paper, it looks like you’ve earned it. In reality, you’re left with the tax bill but not the cash to pay it. That’s not efficiency—that’s a trap.
You’re missing out on super contributions. Family tax planning often “saves” money by cutting yours. Lost super today compounds into decades of disadvantage. Future you is screaming.
Financial conversations happen without you. If the accountant talks only to him and you’re told “don’t worry, it’s handled”—that’s not advice, that’s exclusion. Being sidelined isn’t neutral—it’s dangerous.
Your adviser talks down to you or your business.
If they mansplain, diminish your role, or squirm when you ask hard questions, that’s not professional expertise. That’s ego. Finance bro energy—hard pass.

Questions That Put You Back in the Driver’s Seat

When you’re in a meeting, you have every right to ask:

“If I’m a director, what am I actually liable for?”
“If income is allocated to me, will I receive the money—or just the tax bill?”
“How does this affect my super now and in 30 years?”
“What happens if the relationship ends—what exposure am I left holding?”
“What safeguards are you putting in place for me, personally?”

And here’s the thing: if your adviser bristles, changes the subject, or only makes eye contact with him? That’s not just bad manners—it’s a blazing red flag.

Your Permission Slip

Book a meeting that’s just you and the accountant.
Demand plain-English answers, not tax-speak.
Say “no thanks” to structures that feel unsafe.
Walk away if they ignore you or only talk to your partner.

This isn’t you being “difficult.” This is you being the CEO of your own life.

Why This Matters

Economic abuse is not rare. One in six women in Australia has experienced it—and tax, super, and financial systems are too often the weapons.

And it’s no surprise women feel the pressure. More than half of Australian women (53%) report experiencing financial stress, compared to 47% of men. Women also consistently score lower on financial wellbeing: an average of 62 out of 100, compared with 66 for men.

Layer on the fact that finance is still a male-dominated culture—just one in four new finance and accounting recruits are women—and you start to see why the “finance bro” approach doesn’t serve us. It wasn’t designed to.

Which is exactly why you need to build your own BS detector.

Your Turn

What’s the dodgiest “advice” or structure you’ve been handed? What red flag had your BS detector blaring?

Drop it in the comments—or drop me a line hello@wearepallas.io if you’re ready for financial structures that actually protect you.

And if you missed it, check out Part 1: Accountants, Stop Enabling Financial Abuse for the profession-facing side of this conversation.

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