Episodi
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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 clear goal.
Jane shares how she started investing while still a university student, why she focused on small, regular contributions instead of waiting to feel “ready,” and how she balanced earning more with spending intentionally. We talk about avoiding lifestyle creep, negotiating fixed expenses, side hustles, and what is really took to build her first $100k.
We also dig into her investing approach - from early stock picking to a growing preference for index funds - plus the mindset shifts that helped her stay consistent through market ups and downs.
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This podcast was filmed & produced by Fanaticals
Video editing & content production by Lana Byrne
Audio engineering by Tash Chittock
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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 diversification, liquidity, and risk as you get closer to retirement
whether selling in a flat property market makes sense
how debt, tax structure, and cashflow strategy can change the picture entirely
If you have a letter you’d like us to answer, please send it through to [email protected] and you might feature on our next episode!
Links
Follow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, or join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week.
This podcast was filmed and produced by Fanaticals
Video editing & content production by Lana Byrne
Audio engineering by Tash Chittock -
Episodi mancanti?
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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 get the behind the scenes of my first big investing crash during COVID, and how that one moment taught me more than any book ever could.
If you're a beginner investor, trying to understand index funds, nervous about market volatility, or stuck in analysis paralysis, this episode will help you build confidence, start investing sooner, and grow wealth over time, without the hype or jargon.
You’ll learn:
• Why shares aren’t “just for rich people”
• How $5 a week can kickstart your investing journey
• What to do when the market tanks
• Why you don’t need to pick stocks to succeed
• The two ways shares actually make money
If you want to learn more, my free Market Memo newsletter breaks down sharemarket investing each week in simple, practical steps. Sign up at francescook.co.nz/invest
Links
Follow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, or join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week.
This podcast was filmed and produced by Fanaticals
Video editing & content production by Lana Byrne
Audio engineering by Tash Chittock -
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 “ready” really look like for first-home buyers in New Zealand?
Vanessa Williams from realestate.co.nz is ready to help us break down the hidden house buying costs people often forget to budget for, how much buffer you really need, and what to do if you slip while building toward a first home. There’s also deposit rules, borrowing options, and how to pressure-test your plan before you make one of the biggest financial decisions of your life.
Links
Follow Frances Cook on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/FrancesCookNZ), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/francescooknz/)and TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@francescooknz?lang=en), or join the Money Memo newsletter (https://www.francescook.co.nz/subscribe) for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week.
This podcast was filmed and produced by Fanaticals
Video editing & content production by Lana Byrne
Audio engineering by Tash Chittock -
Learning about money is one thing. Actually changing how you behave with it is something else entirely.
In this special episode of Making Cents, Iâm pulling together three powerful money psychology insights that genuinely changed how I handle my own money. Itâs not just that they were clever tactics, but that they finally helped me put good intentions into action.
Being âgood with moneyâ isnât about deprivation or sitting on a pile of cash youâre scared to touch. Itâs about deciding what kind of life you want, working backwards from there, and building money habits that actually fit how your brain works.
Youâll hear highlights from three standout conversations with experts who reshaped how I think about fear, goals, habits, and motivation â and why so many of us keep doing things we know are holding us back.
Claire Barnes, Ecoya CEO, on how the outside perspective of a coach helped her battle a fear of failure.
James Blair, Lighthouse Financial financial advisor, on the gamechanger of values-based spending.
And Dr Brad Klontz, psychologist and multiple times best-selling author, on the psychogical wiring that can hold us back, and how to change it.
In this episode, we cover:
â Why outside perspective (from a coach, adviser, or trusted third party) can unlock progress youâll never see on your own
â How fear, anxiety, and discomfort can be harnessed instead of fought, and used as fuel rather than friction
â How values-based spending can stop money fights with your partner and make trade-offs feel intentional
â Why knowing what to do with money is rarely the problem, and how your psychology sabotages you instead
â How concepts like the hedonic treadmill and ancient âcaveman brainâ wiring shape modern money decisions
If youâve ever felt like you know what you should be doing with money, but still canât seem to follow through, this episode is for you.
Links
Follow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, or join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week.
This podcast was filmed and produced by Fanaticals
Video editing & content production by Lana Byrne
Audio engineering by Tash Chittock
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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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.
Links
Follow 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 information.
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Hitting the milestone of $1 million in the bank should feel like financial freedom, but for many people approaching retirement, itâs the moment where the fear kicks in.
When a term deposit matures and youâre suddenly responsible for a seven-figure lump sum, the pressure to ânot mess it upâ can feel overwhelming.
Thatâs exactly the situation in todayâs 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 theyâve worked their whole life to save.
EnableMe strategic coach Katie Wesney joins me to break it all down:
how to invest a $1 million lump sum safelycash vs managed funds vs shares in retirementhow long a million dollars really lastshow to structure money into short-, medium-, and long-term âbucketsâand why doing nothing can sometimes be the biggest risk of allIf you have a letter youâd like us to answer, please send it through to [email protected] and you might feature on our next episode!
Links
Follow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, or join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week.
This podcast was filmed and produced by Fanaticals
Video editing & content production by Lana Byrne
Audio engineering by Tash Chittock
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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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 isnât just a tech update. Itâs 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 your money life easier. From budgeting and using a budgeting app, to comparing mortgage rates, switching banking products, and even making investing simpler.
And frankly, we could all do with some help right now. Thereâs been growing criticism about whether the big banks in New Zealand are making it too hard, and too expensive, for customers to shop around and get a better deal. Open banking is designed to change that, by increasing competition and giving people more control over their own banking data.
But itâs not all plain sailing.
There are real questions around privacy, security, and how open banking will actually work in practice, especially in the early stages.
So how do you make the most of this shift, to simplify your finances and improve your budgeting, without exposing yourself to unnecessary risks?
In this episode of Making Cents, Frances Cook is joined by Jason Leong, CEO and co-founder of PocketSmith, to break down open banking in plain English. Whatâs changed, what it means for everyday people, and how to use it safely to feel more in control of your money.
Links
Follow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, or join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week.
This podcast was filmed and produced by Fanaticals
Video editing & content production by Lana Byrne
Audio engineering by Tash Chittock
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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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 didnât truly soothe the money pain.
So if your money felt a bit off this year, you werenât imagining it.
In this live edition of the Making Cents podcast, Iâm joined by Stuffâs money editor Damien Venuto and AdviceFirst financial adviser Leon Leonardo to unpack why everything felt so unpredictable, and what actually matters for your KiwiSaver, mortgage, and investments as we head into 2026.
We get into:
⢠why AI looks a lot like the early 2000s tech boom
⢠what triggered Bitcoinâs massive wipe-out
⢠why KiwiSaver is suddenly political
⢠the confidence crash in housing
⢠the surprisingly good news with open banking
⢠and how to take back control when the system gets weird
If you want a clear, grounded look at what changed this year, and what to do about it, this oneâs for you.
Links
Follow 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 information.
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Nothing spikes the heart rate quite like seeing a headline claiming you need a million dollars to retire.
This weekâs 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 âone dayâ problem.
Which means the recent run of articles about retirement savings, retirement villages, or aged care costs are sending her straight into panic mode.
Sheâs heard the horror stories, of complex retirement village contracts, huge upfront costs, expensive aged care facilities, and now sheâs worried sheâs already missed the boat. How much do you actually need to retire in NZ? Is a million dollars realistic? Should you be downsizing the family home once the kids leave, or is it too early to make that call?
Will White from Heartland Bank joins the show, to strip away the scare headlines and focus on what really matters. What retirement costs most people forget to factor in, how lifestyle choices affect how much you need, and why being âbehindâ at 47 doesnât mean youâre out of options.
If you have a letter youâd like us to answer, please send it through to [email protected] and you might feature on our next episode!
Links
Follow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, or join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week.
This podcast was filmed and produced by Fanaticals
Video editing & content production by Lana Byrne
Audio engineering by Tash Chittock
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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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.
Sheâs 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 simple. People on screen rely on that pay cheque just as much as anyone else. And when the TVNZ cameras turn off, the bills donât.
In this episode, Jenny-May opens up about leaving TVNZ Breakfast, the burnout she didnât see coming, the financial reality of walking away from a stable salary, and the fear of starting over at 51 with no guaranteed next step. She talks about losing confidence, rebuilding it, and why she believes reinvention is a skill anyone can learn, no matter when it happens in life.
Because sheâs also now looking to build something new, and create opportunities through self-employment.
For anyone facing a crossroads, Jenny-May shares the mindset shifts and practical steps that helped her take control of her money, her career, and her identity again.
Links
Follow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, or join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week.
This podcast was filmed and produced by Fanaticals
Video editing & content production by Lana Byrne
Audio engineering by Tash Chittock
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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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.
Links
Follow 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 information.
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Ever wondered whether those âmortgage-free in five yearsâ hacks you see online are real, or just clever marketing?
With so many mortgage âshortcutsâ floating around social media, itâs hard to know what actually works, especially in New Zealandâs 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 thousands.
Financial coach Shelley Palman from EnableMe has tricks from smart mortgage structures like offset and revolving credit, to how much extra principal you actually need to pay to shave years (and hundreds of thousands of dollars) off your loan.
We cover:
⢠which âmortgage-free fastâ claims are legitimate
⢠the tactics that work for ordinary Kiwi households
⢠common mortgage mistakes that slow you down
⢠how to avoid clickbait mortgage hacks
⢠mindset strategies to stay motivated on a long payoff plan
If youâre trying to pay off your mortgage faster, avoid bad mortgage advice, or understand how to structure your home loan for long-term financial freedom, this episode will give you the clarity you need.
Don't forget, if you have a letter youâd like us to answer, please send it through to [email protected] and you might feature on our next episode!
Links
Follow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, or join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week.
This podcast was filmed and produced by Fanaticals
Video editing & content production by Lana Byrne
Audio engineering by Tash Chittock
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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If youâve 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 didnât 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 hooks too, from higher-interest loans, to the reality that a tiny house doesnât behave like a traditional property when it comes to long-term wealth.
In this episode, we dig into how to make tiny-home life work in the real world: the strategy you need, the money plan that sits beneath it, and the mindset shifts that help you rebuild after a major life change.
Kasia shares what surprised her about living tiny, how it changed her definition of success, and why sheâs committed to this lifestyle for the long haul.
Whether youâre dreaming about downsizing, craving more financial freedom, or standing at the bottom of your own âstart againâ moment, this conversation shows whatâs possible when you strip life back to the essentials.
Links
Follow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, or join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week.
This podcast was filmed and produced by Fanaticals
Video editing & content production by Lana Byrne
Audio engineering by Tash Chittock
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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If property prices are doing your head in and youâre starting to wonder whether buying a first home is even possible anymore, itâs time to figure out whatâs actually happening.
A listener from Wellington writes in to say they love their city, they want stability for their kids, but every time they look at the market, it feels completely out of reach.
In this Ask the Experts episode, Vanessa Williams from realestate.co.nz helps me dig into whatâs actually happening in the New Zealand property market right now, whether this is a good time to buy, and how to figure out if youâre personally ready to take the leap.
We also break down how to research good suburbs, how to spot affordable pockets in an expensive city, and which property data actually matters when youâre trying to make a smart decision.
If you have a letter youâd like us to answer, please send it through to [email protected] and you might feature on our next episode!
Links
Follow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, or join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week.
This podcast was filmed and produced by Fanaticals
Video editing & content production by Lana Byrne
Audio engineering by Tash Chittock
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Plenty of us get angry about the money world being unfair. But few people get angry enough to actually change something.
Sasha Lockley did.
Sasha started Money Sweetspot because, in her own words, she was furious. Furious that so many ordinary New Zealanders were working hard, making tough decisions, and still drowning in debt.
In this episode of Making Cents, we dig into the emotional and practical realities of debt in New Zealand.
We talk about why people get trapped, what actually works to pay down loans faster, what doesnât, and how shame, guilt, and overwhelm derail the plans you make.
We also look beyond the individual level. Because while there are things we can control in our own financial lives, there are also parts of the debt system that need fixing, and Sasha has a front-row seat to what needs to change.
In this episode we cover:
- Why Sasha got angry enough to start Money Sweetspot
- What sheâs learned from thousands of real NZ debt stories
- The loan traps catching ordinary Kiwis every day
- The worst debt myths doing the rounds online
- What actually works when youâre trying to pay off the credit card faster
- Why shame and avoidance make debt worse, and how to break that cycle
- Simple first steps if youâre overwhelmed and donât know where to start
- What needs to change at a system level to stop this happening to so many people
If youâve ever felt stuck, ashamed, or overwhelmed by debt, this conversation will help you understand whatâs really going on, and what you can realistically do next.
Links
Follow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, or join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week.
This podcast was filmed and produced by Fanaticals
Video editing & content production by Lana Byrne
Audio engineering by Tash Chittock
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Become an investor with less stress, and no finance degree.
Frances Cook joins the TVNZ Breakfast team to talk about how to get out of your own way if you've been wanting to dip a toe into the sharemarket.
Links
Follow 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 information.
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If youâve pushed money aside for years, only to wake up in your mid-40s with a toddler, a tiny KiwiSaver balance, and a creeping fear about what life looks like at 70⌠where do you even begin?
Thatâs the heart of todayâs Ask the Experts letter.
A single mum at 46 is saving just a few dollars a week, working part-time, and terrified that sheâs already run out of time to build any kind of financial safety.
So what are the options when youâre starting late, starting small, or starting over?
How much is âenoughâ for retirement?Does homeownership still make sense when youâre on the back foot?What can you realistically focus on when your capacity is limited by childcare, low income, and years of unstable work?And is it ever truly too late to turn things around?Shelley Palman from EnableMe is in the hot seat to map out the options, the trade-offs, and the first practical steps to take when youâre overwhelmed but determined.
If you have a letter youâd like us to answer, please send it through to [email protected] and you might feature on our next episode!
Links
Follow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, or join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week.
This podcast was filmed and produced by Fanaticals
Video editing & content production by Lana Byrne
Audio engineering by Tash Chittock
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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A simple $20 tweak can dramatically cut down the life of your mortgage, so now itâs time to talk about the strategy I used to shave eight years off mine.
With just a small repayment, years disappeared. So hereâs how, and why, it works.
Iâve used my experience as a financial journalist to change my money, so get an inside look at my finances, then why extra repayments are so powerful in the early years of a home loan, how interest is actually structured, and the practical ways you can use that to get mortgage-free faster to make it work for you.
Time to talk about the main mortgage repayment strategies available in New Zealand, and how to figure out which one works for your lifestyle and spending habits.
Plus: how to automate extra payments, how to use falling interest rates to your advantage, why fortnightly repayments sneak in an extra payment each year, and when to throw windfalls at the loan for maximum impact.
If youâre trying to get ahead on your mortgage without sacrificing your entire life to it, this episode gives you the simple tactics that make the biggest difference.
Tune in for a realistic, NZ-specific breakdown of what actually works, and how small changes can save you years.
Links
Follow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, or join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week.
This podcast was filmed and produced by Fanaticals
Video editing & content production by Lana Byrne
Audio engineering by Tash Chittock
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Cash funds, bonds, index funds, shares⌠whatâs the difference, and how do you figure out which mix is right for you?
If you want to invest but have felt confused by the options, this is the live session for you.
In this live edition of the Making Cents podcast, Frances Cook is joined by some of New Zealandâs top investing experts to break down simple, smart sharemarket strategies to help you get your money ready for 2026.
We cover:
The real differences between cash funds, bonds, and shares
How to figure out what type of investment suits your goals
What to look for (and avoid) when comparing funds
How to see whatâs actually inside your investments
Why fees matter more than you think, and how to check yours
Itâs everything you need to start investing with confidence, no spreadsheets, no jargon, just smart strategies that actually work.
Links
Follow 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 information.
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