Making Cents

Election day is almost here, and money is top of mind for a lot of us. In this special live edition of Making Cents, I’m joined by: Claire Matthews from Massey University Michael Gorin from EnableMe Dean Anderson, Founder and CEO of Kernel Georgia Grange, Head of NZ at Revolut We dig into the financial issues on the table, what the parties are promising, and whether those fixes could actually work...

Do you really need $1 million to retire? Scary headlines say so, and that falling short means facing cold, miserable years ahead. But for most people, that massive benchmark is unhelpful, daunting, and causes people to give up before they even start. Katie Wesney, Head Strategic Coach at EnableMe, joins Frances Cook on Making Cents to dismantle the $1 million retirement myth and help you find your...

We grow enough food in New Zealand to feed 40 million people - eight times our own population. So why does your weekly grocery bill feel like it’s eating your entire paycheque? Angela Clifford, CEO of Eat New Zealand, joins Frances Cook on Making Cents to unpack why our food model feels broken and how everyday eaters hold the power to fix it. Living on a North Canterbury permaculture farm where he...

Two years into running Making Cents as an independent business, I sit down with the TVNZ Business Breakfast team to talk about what I got right, what went wrong, and what I wish I had known before I jumped. 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 Me...

What matters more to you, money or time? Nearly half of us would accept getting paid less just to get more time back in our lives. Not more stuff, not a bigger house - just time. Yet in reality, we are getting squeezed on both fronts with less money and less time. New research from Revolut and YouGov shows 44% of Kiwis would take a pay cut for a four-day work week, while six in ten are working ove...

Building a comfortable money life for yourself is one thing - building wealth that outlives you is a completely different game. The problem is that when people get this wrong, it is not just the money that disappears; families often fall apart trying to figure it out. From mismatched expectations to the old saying that wealth is lost in three generations, passing down money without a clear plan ca...

I join Jim Mora on RNZ Sunday Mornings to work through the latest money news, from new data on unpaid overtime and the cost of living crunch, to Auckland house prices dropping below a million for the first time in six years, and whether Meta’s AI shopping agent is actually a good idea. Join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week https://www.francescook.co.nz/...

For years, buyers have complained the property market wasn’t on their side - but that has just changed in a way New Zealand hasn’t seen in six years. Auckland’s average asking price has dropped under $1 million for the first time since 2020, and with 34,000 houses on the market across the country, buyers have serious choice and negotiating power. But while listings pile up and prices stay flat, wh...

Ever wanted to turn to your boss and say, "I could run this place better, and you should let me"? In reality, you probably want to phrase it a little more diplomatically than that. But it is possible - because Sarah Murray did exactly that. Sarah Murray, owner and editor of FQ, shares the raw reality of stepping from employee to business owner. From valuing a legacy media brand and writing a winni...

With the election ramping up, promises to change KiwiSaver are flying thick and fast. Time to break down what each party is suggesting, what the experts think is missing from the debate, and what it could all mean for your retirement savings. 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 inv...

With petrol prices spiking to record highs, hitting $3.52 a litre, switching to an electric or hybrid car can look like the ultimate way to wipe out a massive daily living cost. But is it actually the right financial move for your lifestyle, or could hidden ownership costs end up costing you more? Financial journalist Frances Cook breaks down the real numbers on petrol, hybrid, and fully electric...

Election season is here, and every political party is lining up to promise fixes for your wallet. But behind the political promises on KiwiSaver, grocery prices, and power bills, are any of their proposed solutions actually going to fix the real problems? Independent financial journalist and founder of The Kaka, Bernard Hickey, joins Frances Cook on Making Cents to pull back the curtain on the eco...

While global sharemarkets are booming, New Zealand is sitting quietly near the bottom of the table. I break down why our market is built differently, what that means for your returns, and how to think about whether you should be investing here or looking overseas. Follow me everywhere! Facebook / https://www.facebook.com/FrancesCookNZ Instagram / https://www.instagram.com/francescooknz TikTok / ht...

AI can build you a full financial plan in 30 seconds flat, but what happens when that plan meets the real world? Chatbots sound confident, use big words, and can make you feel completely sorted with your money. But generic tools don't know what questions to ask, often affirm whatever you tell them, and can easily ignore massive blind spots like debt, emergency buffers, or market risk. Katie Wesney...

There’s a new person setting the rules for our retirement savings, so are we going to see changes for KiwiSaver? David Boyle has just stepped in as New Zealand’s Retirement Commissioner, bringing decades of experience helping people navigate wealth, funds management, and financial education. He joins Frances Cook on Making Cents to break down what’s really working, what’s broken, and where our ret...

Frances Cook joins the TVNZ Breakfast team to bust the mortgage myths that are putting people off buying a home, from the 20% deposit rule to whether your Uber Eats habit will tank your application. 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...

If you have ever felt like the world is designed to drain your bank account, you are not imagining it. Online shopping and digital services are full of sneaky money traps - known as dark patterns - built to make spending effortless and canceling nearly impossible. This week on Ask the Experts, Jan Verberne, Senior Legal Counsel at Revolut, pulls back the curtain on how these manipulative online ch...

When the job market feels completely stuck, what if you could create your own job by owning a business? And instead of starting from scratch and hoping it works, what if you bought an established business with a proven track record? Buying a business isn't just buying yourself a job - run properly, it’s an asset you can grow, earn from, and eventually sell. Jess Shaw, Director of Vesta Finance joi...

Frances Cook and Lighthouse Financial wealth director James Blair dig into values based spending, and how to create a financial plan that isn't about hoarding cash but about making sure your money is working toward the life you actually want, now and in the future. Follow me everywhere! Facebook / https://www.facebook.com/FrancesCookNZ Instagram / https://www.instagram.com/francescooknz TikTok / h...

Time for a raw, unfiltered Ask Me Anything episode of Making Cents! Financial journalist Frances Cook sits down to tackle your biggest money questions. From practical strategies to break out of feeling stuck in a cost-of-living squeeze, to whether you should pay off your mortgage or invest in shares, Frances breaks down the plain-English rules of the money game. In this episode: Why trying to prio...

When headlines scream about the worst property downturn in 30 years, is it time to panic - or is it the buying opportunity you’ve been waiting for? Prices are down, listings are flooding the market, and buyers have more choice than they’ve seen in years. But picking up a bargain isn’t as simple as buying any cheap property and hoping the market does the heavy lifting. Ilse Wolfe, property investor...

Frances Cook joins the TVNZ Breakfast team to talk about the AI deepfake scam using her likeness to lure people into dodgy investment groups, and the red flags that can help you tell the difference between genuine financial advice and someone trying to take your money. Follow me everywhere! Facebook / https://www.facebook.com/FrancesCookNZ Instagram / https://www.instagram.com/francescooknz TikTok...

What do you do when your home is worth less than what you paid for it, and the layout no longer works for your family? Can you actually renovate your way out of negative equity, or does pouring six figures into an extension just dig a deeper financial hole? This week on Ask the Experts, Vanessa Williams from http://realestate.co.nz breaks down the real property data on what buyers are paying for,...

It seems everyone is using AI to make life quicker and easier - and apparently, fraudsters are too. From doctored bank statements and inflated income to fake paperwork that used to take serious skill to forge, AI is making mortgage and insurance fraud easier to pull off in minutes. The Financial Markets Authority (FMA) is actively investigating, and honest borrowers are the ones left competing aga...

Frances Cook breaks down low beta investing, the middle ground between hiding your money in a bank account and braving the full volatility of the share market, including the real cost of playing it safe and whether the gentler ride is actually worth it. Become a confident sharemarket investor by signing up to the Market Memo newsletter https://www.francescook.co.nz/invest Follow me everywhere! Fac...