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PODCAST

Making Cents

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,

business investing

All Episodes

17:00

"I’m a saver, he’s a spender, how do we get on the...

Making Cents ·

2026/01/21

Opposites attract, until it comes to money.This week’s listener says she’s a saver, her partner is a spender, and every attempt to “get serious” about their finances ends the same way: frustration, guilt, splurging out of spite, and a plan that falls apart by March. Instead of moving forward, they’re cancelling each other out, and it’s starting to wear them both down. In this Ask the Experts episode, EnableMe head strategic coach Katie Wesney breaks down why saver–spender dynamics are so common,

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53:08

Olympic psychology that works for your money

Making Cents ·

2026/01/18

Why do so many smart, motivated people struggle to stick to money goals?You set the intention to save more, invest properly, or finally get organised, and then, a few weeks or months later, it falls apart. It’s not that you don’t care or don’t know what to do. It’s that your mindset and financial habits get in the way. In this episode of Making Cents, financial journalist Frances Cook is joined by Dom Vettise, a clinical and performance psychologist who specialises in helping people move from

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53:32

What actually matters for your money in 2026 -...

Making Cents ·

2026/01/15

Time to talk about what will actually move the needle for you in 2026, and help you feel more confident with your money. Whether it’s property, investing, KiwiSaver, or just feeling calmer about the decisions you’re making, we’re covering the things you actually need to know. We’ll be talking about what an election year really means for your money, how to think about the economy as it starts to turn, where people accidentally trip up during this phase, and how to set yourself up so your money

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16:54

"We’re $8m richer overnight, now what?" Mailbag episode

Making Cents ·

2026/01/14

Money panic doesn’t always come from not having enough. Sometimes it comes from suddenly having far more than you ever expected - $8 million more, to be exact. This week’s Ask the Experts letter comes from a couple who spent 40 years dairy farming, living with constant debt and tight cashflow. Now they’ve sold the farm and their financial reality has flipped overnight. A dream problem? Maybe. But sudden wealth is notoriously risky. Will White from Heartland Bank is in the expert hotseat, to

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28:55

“I invested 100k by 25 - here’s how” with Jane Joo

Making Cents ·

2026/01/11

They say that the first $100,000 invested is the hardest milestone, but also most important. Once you’re there, compounding starts to do more of the heavy lifting. But getting there, well, you’ll have to scrap for it.Today’s guest, Jane Joo, reached that milestone by age 25. So how did she actually do it? This episode cuts through the noise to unpack what works in the real world. No trust fund, no extreme deprivation, and no finance degree. Just consistent habits, deliberate choices, and a

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“Rental property vs. index funds: should we switch?”...

Making Cents ·

2026/01/07

An investment property to fund retirement is part of the Kiwi dream to many - but what if it’s not the smartest move?In this Ask the Experts mailbag episode, a listener in 50s asks, should we keep our rental property, or sell up and invest in index funds instead? So how do you compare property vs shares in real life? EnableMe head strategic coach Katie Wesney is in the expert hot seat, ready to help us break down: index funds vs property for retirement planning the role of

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18:40

5 things I wish I knew before investing

Making Cents ·

2026/01/04

If you’ve ever put off investing because the sharemarket felt scary or “not for people like you,” this episode is your shortcut to getting past that.I’m sharing the five things I wish I knew before I started investing: the mindset shifts, the beginner mistakes, and the $5 habit that changed everything for my financial future.We’ll talk about why starting small is a superpower, why you don’t need to be an expert to invest, and how the sharemarket actually makes money (in plain English). You’ll also

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5 things I wish I knew before investing

Making Cents ·

2026/01/04

If you’ve ever put off investing because the sharemarket felt scary or “not for people like you,” this episode is your shortcut to getting past that. I’m sharing the five things I wish I knew before I started investing: the mindset shifts, the beginner mistakes, and the $5 habit that changed everything for my financial future. We’ll talk about why starting small is a superpower, why you don’t need to be an expert to invest, and how the sharemarket actually makes money (in plain English). You’ll

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19:12

“We’ve saved $80k, is it enough for our first home?”...

Making Cents ·

2025/12/31

Saving $80,000 should feel like a major milestone. But when you’re trying to buy your first home, it can leave you asking a very real question: is this actually enough?In this Ask the Experts episode, a listener who’s fed up with renting wants to know whether they’re genuinely ready to buy, or about to take on more than they can afford.They’ve built a solid deposit, but recent spending has shaken their confidence, and now they’re stuck between waiting longer or jumping in too soon.So what does

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“We’ve saved $80k, is it enough for our first home?”...

Making Cents ·

2025/12/31

Saving $80,000 should feel like a major milestone. But when you’re trying to buy your first home, it can leave you asking a very real question: is this actually enough? In this Ask the Experts episode, a listener who’s fed up with renting wants to know whether they’re genuinely ready to buy, or about to take on more than they can afford. They’ve built a solid deposit, but recent spending has shaken their confidence, and now they’re stuck between waiting longer or jumping in too soon. So what

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29:51

Three money psychology shifts that changed how I...

Making Cents ·

2025/12/28

Learning about money is one thing. Actually changing how you behave with it is something else entirely.In this special episode of Making Cents, I’m pulling together three powerful money psychology insights that genuinely changed how I handle my own money. It’s not just that they were clever tactics, but that they finally helped me put good intentions into action.Being “good with money” isn’t about deprivation or sitting on a pile of cash you’re scared to touch. It’s about deciding what kind of life

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16:44

What could a Santa Rally mean for our money?

Making Cents ·

2025/12/25

Fast Money with Jim Mora on Sunday Morning with RNZ. Talking the end of year GDP bounce, what a Santa Rally would tell us about 2026, how to control spending over the silly season, and the forecast for our Kiwisaver programme.LinksFollow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. Join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week, or become a confident sharemarket investor by joining the Market Memo newsletter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more

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16:36

“I’ve got $1 million in the bank, what do I do with...

Making Cents ·

2025/12/24

Hitting the milestone of $1 million in the bank should feel like financial freedom, but for many people approaching retirement, it’s the moment where the fear kicks in.When a term deposit matures and you’re suddenly responsible for a seven-figure lump sum, the pressure to “not mess it up” can feel overwhelming.That’s exactly the situation in today’s Ask the Experts episode. Our listener is 59, single, mortgage-free, and ready to retire soon, but unsure what to do with the $1 million they’ve worked

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35:47

NZ banking just changed all the rules, are you...

Making Cents ·

2025/12/21

New Zealand banking just changed all the rules, and you could be forgiven for not having heard about it, despite the fact this could change everything about how you handle your money.Open banking is now officially live in New Zealand, slipping in right at the end of the year with very little attention. But this isn’t just a tech update. It’s a power shift over who controls your financial information, and how it can be used.That matters, because open banking has the potential to make huge parts of

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41:35

Why investing got weird in 2025 - Webinar REPLAY

Making Cents ·

2025/12/18

2025 a strange year for money.AI shot up so fast it started giving people Dotcom Bubble flashbacks.Bitcoin lost more than a trillion dollars in value almost overnight.KiwiSaver turned into an election promise.Interest rates dropped, but didn’t truly soothe the money pain.So if your money felt a bit off this year, you weren’t imagining it.In this live edition of the Making Cents podcast, I’m joined by Stuff’s money editor Damien Venuto and AdviceFirst financial adviser Leon Leonardo to unpack why

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17:33

“Do I really need a million dollars to retire?”...

Making Cents ·

2025/12/17

Nothing spikes the heart rate quite like seeing a headline claiming you need a million dollars to retire.This week’s Ask the Experts listener is 47, the kids are nearly out the door, and retirement planning in New Zealand has suddenly stopped feeling like a ‘one day’ problem.Which means the recent run of articles about retirement savings, retirement villages, or aged care costs are sending her straight into panic mode.She’s heard the horror stories, of complex retirement village contracts, huge

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59:55

Jenny-May Clarkson on leaving TVNZ, reinvention, and...

Making Cents ·

2025/12/14

Jenny-May Clarkson is one of the most recognisable faces in Aotearoa, from her years as a Silver Fern to fronting the TVNZ Breakfast couch every morning.She’s also living proof that starting over and reinventing your career is now incredibly common. And sometimes, incredibly public.After quite quickly leaving the TVNZ Breakfast team, Jenny-May is now facing the same reality so many Kiwis deal with: when a secure job disappears, what happens next?Because behind the lights and glamour, the truth is

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8:10

Use the bank's money to pay off your mortgage? You bet.

Making Cents ·

2025/12/11

A quick and dirty update of mortgage tricks to get rid of the debt faster. Including using the bank's money, instead of yours!Frances Cook joins the TVNZ Breakfast team to talk about it, replayed here with permission. LinksFollow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. Join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week, or become a confident sharemarket investor by joining the Market Memo newsletter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more

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19:58

“Are those ‘mortgage-free in five years’ hacks for...

Making Cents ·

2025/12/10

Ever wondered whether those “mortgage-free in five years” hacks you see online are real, or just clever marketing?With so many mortgage “shortcuts” floating around social media, it’s hard to know what actually works, especially in New Zealand’s property market.In this Ask the Experts episode, we break down the truth behind mortgage-freedom shortcuts: the strategies that genuinely speed up your repayment timeline, the red flags to watch for, and the behavioural traps that can cost you

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36:26

How nine years in a tiny home bought freedom

Making Cents ·

2025/12/07

If you’ve ever wondered whether living in a tiny home can genuinely change your life, this is a story worth hearing.After nearly nine years in her tiny house, Kasia Morrison has rebuilt her entire life from the ground up - financially, personally, and professionally.Downsizing didn’t just cut her cost of living. It gave her the freedom to start over when everything else collapsed: her marriage, her business, and the future she thought she was building.But tiny-home living comes with financial fish

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197 results

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