Making Cents

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, 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!

Episodes

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

March 4, 2026 • 14 mins
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, ...
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NZ Career Survival Guide 2026: How to Get Paid More In A Bad Economy

March 1, 2026 • 34 mins
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 Ma...
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The Mortgage Hacks That Actually Work in New Zealand

February 26, 2026 • 8 mins
A small change to a payment strategy can save hundreds of thousands of dollars and years of repayment time from your mortgage, cutting one of the biggest expenses most people will face. A replay of Frances Cook's column for Stuff.co.nz, read here with permission.  Follow me everywhere! Facebook / https://www.facebook.com/FrancesCookNZ Instagram / https://www.instagram.com/francescooknz TikTok / https://www.tiktok.com/@france...
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"Our house value dropped $250k - should we sell anyway?" Mailbag episode

February 25, 2026 • 16 mins
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 flexibilit...
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Is the age of property investment over?

February 22, 2026 • 32 mins
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 ...
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How your subscriptions and KiwiSaver can change the world (from little old NZ)

February 19, 2026 • 8 mins
In this episode of Making Cents, Frances Cook joins the TVNZ Breakfast team to talk about the growing "resist and unsubscribe" movement, how everyday New Zealanders can use their wallets to make a statement, and why your KiwiSaver might be one of the biggest votes you'll ever cast. Follow me everywhere! Facebook / https://www.facebook.com/FrancesCookNZ Instagram / https://www.instagram.com/francescooknz TikTok / https://www.t...
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How To Get Ahead In NZ Without Earning More

February 18, 2026 • 24 mins
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...
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How Everyday Kiwis Can Become Financially Free with Bronwyn Candish

February 15, 2026 • 39 mins
If you want the truth about retiring early as a regular person, it doesn’t come from highlight reels or motivational posts. It comes from the numbers. When you strip away the vibes, hacks, and hot takes, the numbers show what actually works, what doesn’t, and how real people build passive income that gives them real choice over their time. That’s where Bronwyn Candish comes in. Bronwyn is a chartered accountant who specialis...
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The 4 money personalities that shape how you save, spend, and fight about money

February 11, 2026 • 21 mins
Money fights aren’t really about money. They’re about expectations, and how differently we respond to them. In this episode of Making Cents, I’m breaking down the four money personalities that shape how you save, spend, budget, and argue about money. Get ready to finally understand why financial advice works brilliantly for some people and completely falls apart for others. Based on Gretchen Rubin’s Four Tendencies framework,...
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What's going on with markets? Shares, gold, crypto, and the wild ride ahead with RNZ's Jim Mora

February 9, 2026 • 19 mins
From the real risks behind AI hype and whether we're heading for a crash, to the surprising weakness hiding inside Big Tech's profits, and why digital advertising might be the canary in the coal mine that nobody's watching… it’s time to make sense of the chaos. Fast Money with Jim Mora on RNZ’s Sunday Mornings, it’s time for the money update you need. Follow me everywhere! Facebook / https://www.facebook.com/FrancesCookNZ Ins...
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NZ Mortgage Myths That Cost You Years On Your Mortgage: With Aaron Cattell (The Mortgage Man)

February 8, 2026 • 45 mins
There is a lot of mortgage advice out there that is confidently wrong. And the cost of following it isn’t just money, it’s time. Sometimes years of your life spent under pressure you didn’t actually need. In this episode of Making Cents, we’re cutting through the biggest mortgage myths that trip people up both before they buy a home and long after they’ve signed the papers. From “cleaning up” bank statements and chasing th...
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How to fix your finances in February before you fall off the wagon

February 5, 2026 • 8 mins
If you're feeling the February slump and wondering how to get back on track without starting from scratch, this one's for you! A replay of Frances Cook's column for 1 News, read here with permission, on 7 science-backed ways to get your money back under control. Follow me everywhere! Facebook / https://www.facebook.com/FrancesCookNZ Instagram / https://www.instagram.com/francescooknz TikTok / https://www.tiktok.com/@francescoo...
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7 mental traps to avoid when you’re investing

February 4, 2026 • 13 mins
This episode was originally part of the Market Memo newsletter, where you learn about sharemarket investing every week. You can subscribe to that, here https://marketmemoweekly.substack.com/ It’s never been easier to start investing. And that’s both brilliant, and part of the problem. Between constant headlines, market swings, hot takes on social media, and apps that let you trade with a swipe, investing has turned into a psych...
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How to build wealth like the 1% (on a normal income)

February 1, 2026 • 45 mins
If you’ve ever wondered what’s actually going on behind the scenes of the 1%, beyond the headlines, Instagram posts, and glossy business profiles, this episode pulls back the curtain. Because beneath the public image of wealth is usually a highly deliberate money strategy. And it doesn’t have to be exclusive to the ultra-rich. In this episode of Making Cents, Frances Cook speaks with Andrew Clements, a private wealth and succ...
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How to invest in the sharemarket in 2026 - WEBINAR REPLAY

January 29, 2026 • 51 mins
Everyone says you should start investing in the stock market, but how do you actually do that? Time for a quick roadmap to get you started. Whether you’re starting from scratch, or you’ve been investing for a while but you’re not sure you’re nailing it, this is the live session to help you feel like the confident investor you should be. With top industry experts -Kernel chief executive Dean Anderson -Stuff money editor D...
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"Is renovating my home an investment, or am I fooling myself?" Mailbag episode

January 28, 2026 • 18 mins
Are home renovations actually an investment, or just an expensive way to make your house nicer to live in? In this Ask the Experts mailbag episode, it’s time to answer the question many are scared of: have I overcapitalised my home? Which renovations genuinely add value, and which ones don’t? Is your own home an investment, or a lifestyle choice? And if you’ve already spent the money, should you even consider an investment proper...
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A quick new year money reset

January 27, 2026 • 7 mins
Quick-fire tips and tricks for feeling more in control of your money in 2026. Frances Cook joins the TVNZ Breakfast team to talk about it, replayed here with permission. 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 h...
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How to invest in silver and gold without getting wrecked, with financial adviser Darcy Ungaro

January 25, 2026 • 51 mins
Gold and silver prices are booming, and it’s being driven by something deeper: how people are feeling about their money. When trust starts to break down, investors don’t just talk about it, they move their money. Darcy Ungaro, a financial adviser and host of the NZ Everyday Investor, is seeing more New Zealanders actively asking about gold, silver, Bitcoin, and other alternatives. It’s not out of greed, but out of caution. ...
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"I’m a saver, he’s a spender, how do we get on the same page?" Mailbag episode

January 21, 2026 • 17 mins
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 coa...
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Olympic psychology that works for your money

January 17, 2026 • 53 mins
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 pe...
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