Making Cents

Frances Cook

The podcast for people who want financial freedom, without giving up their coffee. That means it's time to make the money world make cents. Join Frances Cook, best-selling author and award-winning journalist, to talk about the proven ways to invest your way to financial independence, buy your first home, or just get your spending under control. Every Monday we have the week's feature interview, with someone who's done something interesting with their money. From paying off a mountain of debt, or investing for financial independence, or starting a new business, these are the ordinary people making the extraordinary possible. On Thursday we have Ask the Experts, where industry insiders answer your questions on the money world. From earning more in your career, to investing, or sticking to a budget, they'll help make money simple. Every now and then you'll get a bonus episode too, but the fun of those is that you never know when they're coming!

  1. Widowed in my 50s: how do I invest what we have left?

    1 DAY AGO

    Widowed in my 50s: how do I invest what we have left?

    Losing a partner is devastating. Then on top of the grief, there’s paperwork, big life changes, and financial decisions that feel urgent and overwhelming. In this episode of Ask the Experts, we’re answering a listener question from a woman in her early 50s who recently lost her husband. They had just finished putting their kids through school and were about to ramp up retirement savings. Instead, she’s now navigating life solo, with a $500,000 lump sum from a payout and the sale of the family home. Will White from Heartland Bank is in the Expert hot seat, ready to talk through: Where to start when you’re grieving and facing big financial decisions KiwiSaver vs managed funds – the pros, cons, and access rules How to think about timeframes when retirement is 10–15 years away Building a safety buffer before you invest Risk tolerance, and how grief and life changes can affect how much volatility you can handle If you have a letter you’d like us to answer, please send it through to ask@francescook.co.nz (mailto:ask@francescook.co.nz) and you might feature on our next episode! Follow me everywhere! Facebook / https://www.facebook.com/FrancesCookNZ Instagram / https://www.instagram.com/francescooknz TikTok / https://www.tiktok.com/@francescooknz Join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week https://www.francescook.co.nz/subscribe This podcast was filmed & produced by Fanaticals Video editing & content production by Lana Byrne Audio engineering by Tash Chittock #MakingCents #FrancesCook #MakingCentsPodcast #Investing #MoneyPodcast #FinancialFreedom Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:56 The letter: navigating grief and sudden financial responsibility 00:01:50 Don't rush: give yourself time to grieve and think clearly 00:02:28 Diversification matters: don't put all your eggs in one basket 00:05:30 Short, medium, and long-term priorities: working backwards from retirement 00:07:41 Investing in your 50s: you can't afford too many market shocks 00:08:36 Get a financial advisor: half a million dollars deserves professional advice 00:09:24 Emotional safeguards: when are you ready to make big decisions? 00:12:09 Invest in your mental well-being too: grief counseling is just as important 00:13:39 Wrapping up: take your time and lean on support

    14 min
  2. NZ Career Survival Guide 2026: How to Get Paid More In A Bad Economy

    4 DAYS AGO

    NZ Career Survival Guide 2026: How to Get Paid More In A Bad Economy

    When you’re working hard, ticking the boxes, doing everything “right”, yet still not getting the promotion or pay rise? It’s easy to feel stuck. You’re not imagining it. New Zealand’s job market has cooled. Job listings are down. Businesses are cautious. Pay rises are harder to secure. Career progression can feel slower. But when things get tight, that’s when strategy matters the most. Enter Jarrod Haar, Professor of Management and Māori Business at Massey University, to tell us what actually works when you want to earn more, get promoted, or completely reinvent your career. If you’ve been wondering: “How do I get a pay rise in this economy?” “Is it time to change jobs?” “Do I need more qualifications to earn more money?” “How can I reinvent my career without starting over?” This episode is for you. This episode of Making Cents is proudly supported by Odoo. Go to https://www.odoo.com/r/hpl now and try it for free, for 15 days. Follow me everywhere! Facebook / https://www.facebook.com/FrancesCookNZ Instagram / https://www.instagram.com/francescooknz TikTok / https://www.tiktok.com/@francescooknz Join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week https://www.francescook.co.nz/subscribe This podcast was filmed & produced by Fanaticals Video editing & content production by Lana Byrne Audio engineering by Tash Chittock #MakingCents #FrancesCook #MakingCentsPodcast #InvestingPodcast #MoneyPodcast #FinancialFreedom Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction 00:02:35 Meet Jarrod: Professor of Management on the state of burnout 00:06:13 The post-COVID hangover: why the job market feels so tough right now 00:07:44 Start with what you can control: upskilling and staying relevant 00:09:40 Social capital: why being a nice person actually pays off 00:19:17 Should you stay or should you go? Voting with your feet 00:21:51 The power of saying yes: building skills through work experience 00:24:35 The skills that matter across industries: human connection over credentials 00:29:22 Future-proofing your career: keep your finger on the pulse 00:34:07 Wrapping up: hustle smarter, not just harder

    35 min
  3. "Our house value dropped $250k - should we sell anyway?" Mailbag episode

    25 FEB

    "Our house value dropped $250k - should we sell anyway?" Mailbag episode

    What do you do when you’re stuck between two bad options? Sell a home you bought near the peak of the market, even though it’s now worth hundreds of thousands less, or stay put in a house that no longer fits your life? That’s the dilemma facing this week’s listener. They bought in late 2020, welcomed kids, watched their house value fall by around $250,000, and now feel trapped: too much mortgage pressure, not enough flexibility, and no clear “right” move. Vanessa Williams from realestate.co.nz is in the expert hot seat, to tell us about the shocking number of New Zealanders in this situation, and what they can do about it. We talk about: What selling in a down housing market really means for your money Whether holding on longer could help, or just prolong the stress How life changes (kids, cashflow, burnout) should factor into property decisions Why feeling “stuck” is common, and how a clear plan can restore control If you’re weighing up sell or stay, worried about selling your house at a loss, or feeling trapped by a house that no longer works for your family or finances, this episode has the tactics you need to be thinking about. If you have a letter you’d like us to answer, please send it through to ask@francescook.co.nz (mailto:ask@francescook.co.nz) and you might feature on our next episode! Follow me everywhere! Facebook / https://www.facebook.com/FrancesCookNZ Instagram / https://www.instagram.com/francescooknz TikTok / https://www.tiktok.com/@francescooknz Join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week https://www.francescook.co.nz/subscribe This podcast was filmed & produced by Fanaticals Video editing & content production by Lana Byrne Audio engineering by Tash Chittock #MakingCents #FrancesCook #NZProperty #WellingtonRealEstate #NZHousingMarket #HousePrices #NegativeEquity #LowEquity #SellOrStay #propertyadvice Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction 00:01:12 Listener letter: bought at the peak, now stuck 00:03:43 How common is this situation? 00:07:47 First steps: get a realistic valuation 00:08:33 Talk to a mortgage advisor or financial advisor 00:09:15 Could you wait it out? Considering 2026 00:09:57 Creative options: students, Airbnb, and short-term solutions 00:11:49 What if you've lost your deposit? 00:13:33 The power of having a plan 00:15:05 Outro

    16 min
  4. Is the age of property investment over?

    22 FEB

    Is the age of property investment over?

    For decades in New Zealand, property wasn’t just an investment, it was THE investment. The safest bet. The biggest capital gains. Often tax-advantaged. And for many households, the clearest path to building long-term wealth. But that narrative is starting to shift. House prices remain high. Debt is expensive. And a growing number of New Zealanders are questioning whether residential property is still the best way to build wealth. In this episode of Making Cents, Frances Cook speaks with BusinessDesk journalist Dileepa Fonseka about New Zealand’s housing market, property prices, and long-term investment trends. Together, they explore whether New Zealand’s decades-long property obsession is beginning to crack. Why has property been such a dominant wealth-builder in NZ for so long? Are we reaching a ceiling on house price growth? Is this just a market cycle, or a structural turning point? If you’ve ever wondered whether buying property is still the smartest investment strategy, or whether it’s time to rethink the traditional path to wealth, this conversation will challenge your assumptions. Follow me everywhere! Facebook / https://www.facebook.com/FrancesCookNZ Instagram / https://www.instagram.com/francescooknz TikTok / https://www.tiktok.com/@francescooknz Join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week https://www.francescook.co.nz/subscribe This podcast was filmed & produced by Fanaticals Video editing & content production by Lana Byrne Audio engineering by Tash Chittock #MakingCents #FrancesCook  Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction 00:02:38 Meet Dileepa Fonseka: tracking the winds of change in property 00:03:12 The land myth: why property prices can't rise forever 00:05:50 The COVID property mania and the crash that followed 00:17:10 Is there a ceiling on house prices? 00:06:48 The political shift: capital gains tax enters the conversation 00:10:17 From share market skeptics to everyday investors 00:23:35 The rise of accessible investing: apps, Kiwisaver, and the new generation 00:26:04 Property's hidden costs: climate change, insurance, and rising rates 00:28:13 Election year battlegrounds: where is money going next? 00:31:36 Outro

    33 min
  5. How To Get Ahead In NZ Without Earning More

    18 FEB

    How To Get Ahead In NZ Without Earning More

    What if you genuinely can’t earn more? Are you stuck financially? In this Ask the Experts mailbag episode of Making Cents, we tackle a question that so many teachers, nurses, and public sector workers quietly wrestle with: what do you do when your income is capped? Today’s letter writer is a teacher. She’s hearing the usual advice, to “earn more”, “start a side hustle”, “increase your income”, but her reality is strict salary bands, long hours, and family commitments. So if climbing the income ladder isn’t straightforward, what’s the next best move? In the hot seat is Kristin Sutherland, financial advisor at EnableMe, and we break this down properly: – Are you really “stuck” in a capped-income career, or is there more wiggle room than it feels like? – If a pay rise isn’t coming anytime soon, what should you focus on instead? Investing, spending strategy, debt reduction, or something else? – Does investing still make sense when your income is flat? – How to think strategically about promotions, specialisation, or changing employers – Whether side hustles are worth it (and how to avoid burnout) – Navigating relationship dynamics when one partner is aggressively pursuing higher income and the other offers stability Listen now to learn how to move forward — even when your income doesn’t. If you have a letter you’d like us to answer, please send it through to ask@francescook.co.nz (mailto:ask@francescook.co.nz) and you might feature on our next episode! Follow me everywhere! Facebook / https://www.facebook.com/FrancesCookNZ Instagram / https://www.instagram.com/francescooknz TikTok / https://www.tiktok.com/@francescooknz Join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week https://www.francescook.co.nz/subscribe This podcast was filmed & produced by Fanaticals Video editing & content production by Lana Byrne Audio engineering by Tash Chittock #MakingCents #FrancesCook

    24 min

About

The podcast for people who want financial freedom, without giving up their coffee. That means it's time to make the money world make cents. Join Frances Cook, best-selling author and award-winning journalist, to talk about the proven ways to invest your way to financial independence, buy your first home, or just get your spending under control. Every Monday we have the week's feature interview, with someone who's done something interesting with their money. From paying off a mountain of debt, or investing for financial independence, or starting a new business, these are the ordinary people making the extraordinary possible. On Thursday we have Ask the Experts, where industry insiders answer your questions on the money world. From earning more in your career, to investing, or sticking to a budget, they'll help make money simple. Every now and then you'll get a bonus episode too, but the fun of those is that you never know when they're coming!

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