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. 3d ago

    When Will The NZ Economy Actually Get Better?

    Something’s off, and that something is the economy. The latest drop of economic forecasting shows exactly what’s happening with the cost of living, your job, and your mortgage. It’s not looking great. But if we know what's coming, we can actually plan for it. To help us make sense of it all, Massey University’s Christoph Schumacher is in the hot seat. He’s Professor of Innovation and Economics, Director of the Knowledge Exchange Hub, and more importantly, he can explain all of this like a real human being. We cover: Why your money is feeling so tiring right nowHow much of this is the impact of the Iran war and fuel pricesWhat rising inflation means for your mortgage, your job, and your everyday costsThe NZ productivity problem, and which industries actually have a future hereWhat’s happening with AI, and how AI will change your jobWhen a real recovery might arrive, what it depends on, and what you can do to make life easier until then This episode of Making Cents is proudly supported by Odoo. Go to http://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 Become a confident sharemarket investor by signing up to the Market Memo newsletter https://www.francescook.co.nz/invest #MakingCents #FrancesCook #MakingCentsPodcast #InvestingPodcast #MoneyPodcast #FinancialFreedom Production and video editing by Lana Byrne Audio engineering by Tash Chittock Filmed by Fanaticals

    46 min
  2. Jun 10

    Can I Actually Count on NZ Super Being There For Me?

    Retirement planning is stressful enough without governments constantly threatening to move the goalposts. Means testing, wealth taxes, a rising retirement age; how much of it is real, and how much can you actually count on NZ Super? Katie Wesney, National Coaching Lead at EnableMe, joins us in the hot seat to cut through the noise. We get into whether the pension is a plan or just a foundation, what the actual numbers look like week to week in retirement, how KiwiSaver, property, and investments fit together, and why worrying about a wealth tax might be the most expensive mistake you make. Plus: the one mindset shift that separates people who reach financial freedom from people who are still waiting for a politician to sort it out. If retirement feels far away, close, or just confusing, this one's for you. In this episode: How much can you actually rely on NZ Super?What does retirement actually cost week to week?How KiwiSaver, property, and investments work togetherShould you worry about means testing or a wealth tax?How to build a retirement plan that doesn't depend on government settings staying the same If you have a letter you’d like us to answer, please send it through to 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 Become a confident sharemarket investor by signing up to the Market Memo newsletter https://www.francescook.co.nz/invest #MakingCents #FrancesCook #MakingCentsPodcast #InvestingPodcast #MoneyPodcast #FinancialFreedom Production and video editing by Lana Byrne Audio engineering by Tash Chittock Filmed by Fanaticals

    15 min
  3. Jun 7

    The Investing Trap That Even the Experts Fall Into (And How to Avoid It)

    Most investing mistakes don't look like mistakes when you're making them. Chris Walsh from MoneyHub joins us to break down the most common investing traps New Zealanders fall into, and the simple strategies that actually work long term. We get into why dollar cost averaging beats trying to time the market, what "invest in what you know" actually means (and how it gets misused), why borrowing to invest is riskier than most people realise, and what financial foundations you need in place before you start investing at all. Plus: why 86% of active fund managers underperform the index, and what that means for the rest of us trying to grow our money. If you've ever wondered whether you're investing smart or just getting lucky, this one's for you. In this episode: Why dollar cost averaging works, and how to do itThe problem with picking single stocksWhat "invest in what you know" gets wrongShould you borrow to invest? The risks explainedTime in the market vs timing the marketWhat financial foundations to have before you start investingKiwiSaver: are you leaving free money on the table?How to course correct if you've made investing mistakes 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 Become a confident sharemarket investor by signing up to the Market Memo newsletter https://www.francescook.co.nz/invest #MakingCents #FrancesCook #MakingCentsPodcast #InvestingPodcast #MoneyPodcast #FinancialFreedom Production and video editing by Lana Byrne Audio engineering by Tash Chittock Filmed by Fanaticals

    43 min
  4. Jun 3

    Are Shoebox Apartments About To Take Over NZ?

    Could the home of the future be the size of a carpark? The government is talking about scrapping minimum apartment size rules, and one Making Cents listener wants to know if that's a housing fix or a housing trap. Vanessa Williams from http://realestate.co.nz has fresh data to help us figure this out. We get into whether micro apartments could actually ease the housing shortage, what banks will and won't lend on when it comes to small apartments, and who this would most likely impact, from first home buyers, to investors, or students. Plus: how New Zealand's apartment market compares to the rest of the world, and whether our obsession with the quarter-acre dream is starting to shift. In this episode: Could scrapping minimum apartment sizes help first home buyers?What do banks actually lend on when it comes to small apartments?Are micro apartments a smart investment or a future problem?How New Zealand's property culture compares globallyWho stands to gain, and who should be cautious If you have a letter you’d like us to answer, send it through to 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 Become a confident sharemarket investor by signing up to the Market Memo newsletter https://www.francescook.co.nz/invest #MakingCents #FrancesCook #MakingCentsPodcast #InvestingPodcast #MoneyPodcast #FinancialFreedom Production and video editing by Lana Byrne Audio engineering by Tash Chittock Filmed by Fanaticals

    17 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!

You Might Also Like