The Prosperity Project

The Prosperity Project

The Prosperity Project is a weekly personal finance podcast from the NZ Herald. Join host Nadine Higgins every Monday as she talks to experts from New Zealand and around the world about the biggest money issues to help you become more prosperous. Follow The Prosperity Project on iHeartRadio or wherever you get your podcasts. To get in touch with the podcast, email nadine.higgins@nzme.co.nz

Episodes

September 7, 2025 35 mins

It’s one of those jobs many of us put off - but dying without a Will can leave your loved ones in legal and financial chaos. In fact, if you die without a will, your estate is divided under New Zealand’s Administration Act and there's not much your loved ones can do about it. 

Holly Edgerton, founder of online will-planning service Succession joins Nadine to explain why it's so important to have a will,...

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Overflowing wardrobe? It might be worth more than you think. Aidan Bartlett, CEO of Designer Wardrobe, joins Nadine to talk about the booming second-hand fashion market. From unlocking the $1000 sitting idle in your closet to sellers making tens of thousands, resale is growing five times faster than traditional retail. Aidan reveals the secrets to getting the best price for your clothes, the role of AI in making selling easier...

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You got into your first home unscathed, so buying again will be a breeze, right? Wrong. 

When it comes to moving up the property ladder, going from your first home to your second introduces a whole new level of stress to a homeowner's journey. 

Squirrel mortgage adviser Kat McInnes joins Nadine to talk through what can go wrong, and how to avoid sabotaging yourself on the next rung of the ladder.

If you...

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Tax deductions can be confusing, especially when you’re trying to figure out what you can and can’t claim if you're running a business or are self-employed.

So, what’s a legit deduction and what’s not? How do you make the most of what you can claim without crossing the line? And what happens if the IRD think you've crossed that line?

Catriona Knapp, director at Future Focused Accountants ,joins Nadine Higgin...

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Amid the soaring cost of everything from butter and cheese to rates and insurance, tips on how to trim your budget abound. But once that budget's cut to the quick, the only alternative is to earn more.

While the need for side hustles can be controversial, Tracy Hemingway – who used them to escape $94,000 of debt and buy her first home in just four years – says they can serve a purpose short term. Now a financial advisor...

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Private Equity is starting to become part of the asset mix for an increasing number of KiwiSaver providers, with Fisher Funds the latest to ramp up their Private Equity offering. 

Many people may think of corporate raiders when it comes to private equity - the type that sell the business off for parts - but how does that image fit with these new changes? And what are the opportunities, and the risks, for KiwiSavers? 

This...

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Trusts are billed as a way to protect your assets and pass your wealth on to the next generation, and they’ve become a common thing for a family to set-up.   

But the rules around them have changed significantly over the years – so are they still useful, or more hassle than they’re worth?

Henry Stokes is a trust specialist and Perpetual Guardian’s General Council, and joins Nadine to discuss the in...

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We all know that ‘til death do us part’ doesn’t always end up that way, even if we don't like thinking about it. But divorce can be financially devastating, and some simple errors can make that process even more costly and difficult than it needs to be. 

Enable.me financial adviser Shelley Palman, who has been through divorce herself and coached countless clients through the process, joins Nadine this week to...

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It’s one thing to decide to move on from a job or career, but what happens when you’re at the top of your game and your job just... evaporates? 

After many years as a television journalist, Melissa Chan-Green was co-hosting The AM Show on Three when Warner Bros. Discovery announced it was closing Newshub and its associated shows.  

So how do you navigate the financial side of redundancy, and then find you...

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When it comes to investing, we all know the usual suspects – shares, bonds, property, gold. 

But the latest Financial Services Council report found 7% of people have ‘collectables’ among their investments. 

So what makes something you like to collect an investment ... and how do you make money out of it? 

Gertjan Verdickt is a finance expert at the University of Auckland, who has written a book abou...

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The Māori Millionaire Te Kahukura Boynton is a young wahine on a mission to change not just her own money mindset and financial trajectory, but that of her people. 

At just 21, she is a podcaster, entrepreneur and now the author of Māori Millionaire – A Beginner’s Guide to Building Better Money Habits.

She joins Nadine this week to talk her journey, how close she is to becoming a millionaire, and why prioritising h...

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New Zealanders are among the most underinsured in the OECD, according to the Financial Services Council.  

We insure our cars, our houses and our other stuff, but not what is arguably our biggest asset - ourselves. 

Givealittle fundraisers for families that have hit hard times and need help have become increasingly common. But is insurance the answer, and if so, why don’t more of us have it? 

Today, Nadine...

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After a decade in a career, it’s perhaps not unusual that you’d consider doing something different, but some career changes can be bolder than others.  

Morgan Penn is a somatic sexologist, and co-host of the multi-award-winning juggernaut of a podcast, Sex.Life.  

But before that, she spent 15 years in the media – so this was not just your regular run-of-the-mill career change.

She joins Nadine to ...

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Sharemarkets have been like the wild west this year. We’re told to ‘buy the dip’ because that’s when shares are on a big briscoes-esque sale, but before you know you’ve blinked, and the dip is done

So if you’re just getting started dabbling in investing and have been thrown by the year's events so far, what do you need to know about the mechanics of it? How do you invest internationally, and can ...

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Owning a pet can bring aso much joy to your life - but it can also bring some big expenses. 

Some people can spend a fortune on their pets, and as they get older, those costs often increase. And that's before you factor in breeds and how that can impact what you spend. 

To talk about some of the costs that you need to be prepared for, this week Nadine is joined by Michelle de Long, chief operating officer at PD Pet Insura...

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The Government has unveiled the latest Budget, and it is full of things that are likely to affect your back pocket in one way or another – with changes to KiwiSaver, Best Start, JobSeeker benefits, and Working for Families. 

If all the headlines sent you a bit cross eyed, don’t worry - today we’re going to step you through the detail so you know what you’re dealing with. 

To help us do that, Nadine...

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Buying property is one of the biggest financial commitments you’ll ever make, and in this country, it can be really difficult to achieve.  

For most of us, the most important first step is to qualify for a mortgage. 

So, how do you improve your chances of getting the lending you need to be in the market, and what do you need to know about what you’ve signed up for? 

This week, Nadine talks with direc...

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The average wedding in New Zealand is on the rise - once thought to be around $30,000, that cost for higher-end weddings has doubled in recent years.

Finance companies often feature pictures of weddings when touting their high-interest loans, but debt is no way to start your life of wedded bliss. So how can you avoid financial stress when planning your big day? 

This week, Nadine is joined by Astrid Braid, wedding planner at P...

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Kiwis are pretty familiar with the idea of investing in property, but more often than not, it’s in houses, apartments, or other types of residential property. 

But more and more people are asking if they should instead consider commercial property.

This week, Nadine talks with CEO of property investment firm Rethink Group, and commercial property investor, Scott O’Neill, to discuss the ins and outs of commercial pr...

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How long could you last if your income stopped tomorrow? Culd you handle a big, unexpected bill without going into debt? And how often do you worry about money? 

Those are all metrics in the Financial Resilience Index, a survey on Kiwis’ money habits and stability - so what does it tell us, and crucially, what should we do with that information? 

This week, Nadine is talking with the Chief Executive of the Financial...

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