Shows / 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…
Episodes
- Making Cents
The SpaceX IPO Needs a Bright Red Hype Warning
As SpaceX hits the share market in one of the biggest IPOs ever, Frances Cook breaks down how IPOs actually work, why retail investors are getting an unusually…
- Making Cents
How to Plan Your Retirement as If NZ Super Won't Be There
Retirement planning is stressful enough without governments constantly threatening to move the goalposts. Means testing, wealth taxes, a rising retirement age…
- Making Cents
The Investing Trap That Even the Experts Fall Into (And How to Avoid It)
Most investing mistakes don't look like mistakes when you're making them. Chris Walsh from MoneyHub joins us to break down the most common investing traps New…
- Making Cents
You're On Your Own, Kid. Here's What That Means For Your Money
With the latest Budget signalling little relief for struggling Kiwis, Frances Cook joins the TVNZ Breakfast team to talk about what you can actually do to…
- Making Cents
Are Shoebox Apartments About To Take Over NZ?
Could the home of the future be the size of a carpark? The government is talking about scrapping minimum apartment size rules, and one Making Cents listener…
- Making Cents
A Michelin-Trained Chef's Insider Secrets To Saving Money On Your Food
Adele Holland cooked for billionaires on private jets. Now she helps real people eat well for $50 a week, and she reckons the skills transfer better than you'd…
- Making Cents
Are Small Homes A Bad Buy?
Apartments and townhouses are selling for less than people paid for them, and in record numbers. Frances Cook joins RNZ Nights to break down why smaller…
- Making Cents
The Money Timeline That Lets Normal People Build Wealth
If you've ever wondered why some people build real wealth on ordinary incomes, while others save for decades and still feel behind, this episode is the answer…
- Making Cents
Why Overwhelmed Parents End Up Spending More Money, And How To Fix It
What if the chaos of parenthood is actually building your business brain? Renata Wiles was posting videos on the internet, with no business background, no tech…
- Making Cents
KiwiSaver Changes On The Cards Again - Are They Worth It?
Frances Cook joins the TVNZ Breakfast team to crunch the numbers on a proposed policy that would automatically enrol newborns into KiwiSaver with a $1,000…
- Making Cents
NZ's Hottest Jobs in 2026… And How to Get Paid More in Any of Them
One in four young people in NZ can't find work. But some jobs are up 200% year on year. The job market hasn't collapsed - it's split. And if you're on the…
- Making Cents
The Lazy Investor's Guide To Building Real Wealth
Most of us assume that getting ahead financially means working harder, watching the markets, and making smart moves. The data says that’s wrong. In this…
- Making Cents
10 Pieces Of Advice I'd Give My 20-Year-Old Self
Frances Cook shares the ten money lessons she wishes she'd known at 20, including the mindset shifts, small habits, and easy wins that made the biggest…
- Making Cents
Spending Money the Right Way (Most Kiwis Miss This)
It's one thing to build financial stability, it's another to actually let yourself enjoy it. In this Ask the Experts episode, Frances Cook is joined by Katie…
- Making Cents
Ali Mau: From TV Icon to Startup Founder at 60 (And How She Paid For It)
What does it actually cost to walk away from a successful career and build something that matters? Ali Mau is one of New Zealand's most recognised television…
- Making Cents
Why You Keep Buying Things You Don't Need Online
With six in ten Kiwis making impulse purchases from social media every month, Frances Cook joins the TVNZ Breakfast team to explain the manipulative tactics…
- Making Cents
The 5 Levels of Financial Freedom: Which One Are You?
Financial freedom is a series of levels, and once you understand them, the whole thing stops feeling impossible and starts feeling like a plan. In this solo…
- Making Cents
The Emotion Sabotaging Your Money (A Psychologist Explains)
You know what you should be doing with your money. So why aren't you doing it? You know you should ask for the raise. Start investing. Stop spending on things…
- Making Cents
War in Iran Is About To Hit Your Mortgage And Your Money - WEBINAR REPLAY
The war in Iran is already moving mortgage rates, and it's not done yet. Interest rates are moving, and this will change everything with your money. Beyond the…
- Making Cents
$54M Wiped From NZ Property: Here's What It Actually Means
The New Zealand property market is shifting, and the latest data from http://realestate.co.nz tells us exactly how. In just the last three months, sellers…
- Making Cents
Wendy Petrie Lost Her Dream Job at 50… Then Reinvented Her BEST Life
Made redundant in your 50s? It might just be the start of something. After decades as one of New Zealand's most recognised news presenters, Wendy Petrie was…
- Making Cents
Interest Rates Are Going Up, What To Do Next
With warnings that interest rates are heading up fast and soon, Frances Cook joins the TVNZ Breakfast team to break down what mortgage holders can do to avoid…
- Making Cents
The Iran War Is Already Costing You, Here's What To Do About It
Petrol is up 43%. Diesel has nearly doubled. But the financial damage from the Iran war goes way deeper than what you're paying at the pump, and a lot of it is…
- Making Cents
How A ‘Personal Brand’ Gets You Paid More (Even If You’re Not An Influencer)
Your personal brand could be the most powerful, yet overlooked, career tool you have. Marketing expert Stanley Henry, founder of The Attention Seeker, believes…
- Making Cents
How To Live The Good Life For Less
Five clever ways to live the good life without blowing the budget, because cutting lattes isn't the only answer. A replay of Frances Cook's column for…
- Making Cents
Should You Buy Property or Invest in Stocks? Most Kiwis Get This Wrong
Property vs shares. It’s one a big investing decision, and also an easy one to get stuck on. In this Ask the Experts episode, we’re tackling a question that…
- Making Cents
She Went From 'Bad With Money' To Successful Investor: What Actually Worked
She used to think she was “bad with money.” Now she’s a confident, and unapologetically unconventional, investor. In this episode of Making Cents, Sophie…
- Making Cents
The Quick Calculation To Know If Solar and EVs Are Right For You
With power prices and fuel costs climbing, Frances Cook joins the TVNZ Breakfast team to break down who solar panels and electric vehicles actually make sense…
- Making Cents
Breakup reset: how to rebuild financially in your 40s and 50s
A breakup doesn’t just end a relationship. It can blow up the entire financial plan you built together. For many people in their 40s and 50s, that means…
- Making Cents
How to eat better food, spend less, and feel good about it - with Michal Garvey from Foodprint
You can cancel subscriptions, ditch takeaway coffee, and trim your budget… but you still have to eat. And the way most of us shop for food? It’s costing us…
- Making Cents
I Spent $89,000 on Solar And Electric Car In NZ… Was It Worth It?
I spent $89,000 on solar power and an electric car… and it has a better return on investment than the sharemarket. With electricity prices rising fast, more…
- Making Cents
Iran, Oil, and Your Money: Why Everything Is More Expensive And Your Investments Are Tanking - WEBINAR REPLAY
A conflict in the Middle East is already showing up in Kiwi bank accounts, after sending shockwaves through the global economy. From food to petrol, daily…
- Making Cents
From $30,000 Debt to Financially Free and Travelling the World: The Shift That Changed Everything
Emma Healey knows about financial transformation - she went from debt and financial stress to building passive income, investing, and designing a life that…
- Making Cents
Fast Fixes for Rising Costs: Fuel, Food, and Finances
As the Iran conflict keeps pushing up the costs of daily essentials, Frances Cook joins the TVNZ Breakfast team to talk about how you can save money on food…
- Making Cents
"Is Politics About To Ruin My First Home Buying Plans?" - Mailbag Episode
Is politics about to derail your house buying plans? With an election looming, talk of capital gains taxes, housing policy changes, and the possibility of…
- Making Cents
Supermarket Tricks, Insurance Hacks & Subscription Traps: How to Stop Overpaying
Why does it feel like you’re always spending more than you meant to? No, you’re not imagining it. Modern consumer life is full of supermarket tricks…
- Making Cents
How To Save Your Cash When The Price Of Everything Is Going Up
Just as we were hoping for a break in the cost of living, fuel and food prices are heading up again. So how can you protect your cash, and find savings…
- Making Cents
KiwiSaver Is Changing, Here’s Everything You Need To Know
KiwiSaver is changing, and you need to know what that means for your money. The Government has changed the rules, and they’re coming in to force now. Your own…
- Making Cents
After Financial Freedom: A Year Off & A Career Reboot
What would it take to quit your job, take your kids out of school, and spend a year travelling Australia in a caravan? For Kellie Dawson, it took years of…
- Making Cents
The Anxiety Premium: How to Stay Calm with KiwiSaver and Investments
Frances Cook joins the TVNZ Breakfast team to talk about why "playing dead" is the best response when your money is hit by a global crisis. Follow me…
- Making Cents
NZ Money Advice That Sounds Smart But Ruins Your Life
Some of the most praised money advice is also some of the worst - depending on your stage of life. Buy a house as soon as possible. Never sell an investment…
- Making Cents
These Investing Mistakes Cost Kiwis Millions, with Glen James
Investing can transform your financial future, but many avoid starting because it’s too intimidating. Markets go up and down, there’s endless advice online…
Making CentsCost of Living Hacks You Haven't Heard 300 Times Before
Frances Cook joins the TVNZ Breakfast team to talk about the ways to save money on daily life, and maybe even earn some extra cash, to get through the cost of…
Making CentsNZ Investment Planning: How to Invest A Lump Sum in Your 50s
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…
Making CentsNZ Career Survival Guide 2026: How to Get Paid More In A Bad Economy
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…
Making CentsThe Mortgage Hacks That Actually Work in New Zealand
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…
Making Cents"Our house value dropped $250k - should we sell anyway?" Mailbag episode
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…
Making CentsIs the age of property investment over?
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…
Making CentsHow your subscriptions and KiwiSaver can change the world (from little old NZ)
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…
Making CentsHow To Get Ahead In NZ Without Earning More
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…
Making CentsHow Everyday Kiwis Can Become Financially Free with Bronwyn Candish
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…
Making CentsThe 4 money personalities that shape how you save, spend, and fight about money
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…
Making CentsWhat's going on with markets? Shares, gold, crypto, and the wild ride ahead with RNZ's Jim Mora
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…
Making CentsNZ Mortgage Myths That Cost You Years On Your Mortgage: With Aaron Cattell (The Mortgage Man)
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…
Making CentsHow to fix your finances in February before you fall off the wagon
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…
Making Cents7 mental traps to avoid when you’re investing
This episode was originally part of the Market Memo newsletter, where you learn about sharemarket investing every week. You can subscribe to that, here…
Making CentsHow to build wealth like the 1% (on a normal income)
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…
Making CentsHow to invest in the sharemarket in 2026 - WEBINAR REPLAY
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…
Making Cents"Is renovating my home an investment, or am I fooling myself?" Mailbag episode
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…