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 CentsA quick new year money reset
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…
Making CentsHow to invest in silver and gold without getting wrecked, with financial adviser Darcy Ungaro
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…
Making Cents"I’m a saver, he’s a spender, how do we get on the same page?" Mailbag episode
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…
Making CentsOlympic psychology that works for your money
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…
Making CentsWhat actually matters for your money in 2026 - WEBINAR REPLAY
Time to talk about what will actually move the needle for you in 2026, and help you feel more confident with your money. Whether it’s property, investing…
Making Cents"We’re $8m richer overnight, now what?" Mailbag episode
Money panic doesn’t always come from not having enough. Sometimes it comes from suddenly having far more than you ever expected - $8 million more, to be exact…
Making Cents“I invested 100k by 25 - here’s how” with Jane Joo
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…
Making Cents“Rental property vs. index funds: should we switch?” Mailbag episode
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…
Making Cents5 things I wish I knew before investing
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…
Making Cents“We’ve saved $80k, is it enough for our first home?” Mailbag episode
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…
Making CentsThree money psychology shifts that changed how I handle money
Learning about money is one thing. Actually changing how you behave with it is something else entirely. In this special episode of Making Cents, I’m pulling…
Making CentsWhat could a Santa Rally mean for our money?
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…
Making Cents“I’ve got $1 million in the bank, what do I do with it?” Mailbag episode
Hitting the milestone of $1 million in the bank should feel like financial freedom, but for many people approaching retirement, it’s the moment where the fear…
Making CentsNZ banking just changed all the rules, are you ready? Open banking with Pocketsmith CEO Jason Leong
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…
Making CentsWhy investing got weird in 2025 - Webinar REPLAY
2025 was one of the strangest years in money we’ve seen for a long time. AI shot up so fast it started giving people Dotcom Bubble flashbacks. Bitcoin lost…
Making Cents“Do I really need a million dollars to retire?” Mailbag episode
Nothing spikes the heart rate quite like seeing a headline claiming you need a million dollars to retire. This week’s Ask the Experts listener is 47, the kids…
Making CentsJenny-May Clarkson on leaving TVNZ, reinvention, and career pivots
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. She’s…
Making CentsUse the bank's money to pay off your mortgage? You bet.
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…
Making Cents“Are those ‘mortgage-free in five years’ hacks for real?” Mailbag episode
Ever wondered whether those “mortgage-free in five years” hacks you see online are real, or just clever marketing? With so many mortgage “shortcuts” floating…
Making CentsHow nine years in a tiny home bought freedom
If you’ve 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…
Making Cents“How to find an affordable first home in an expensive city - maybe with a llama?” Mailbag episode
If property prices are doing your head in and you’re starting to wonder whether buying a first home is even possible anymore, it’s time to figure out what’s…
Making CentsAngry at credit card debt? Here’s how to fight back, with Sasha Lockley from Money Sweetspot
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…
Making CentsHow to take the first steps into investing
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…
Making Cents“Single parent at 46, how do I avoid poverty at 70?” Mailbag episode
If you’ve 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…
Making CentsI cut 8 years off my mortgage with $20 - here's how
A simple $20 tweak can dramatically cut down the life of your mortgage, so now it’s time to talk about the strategy I used to shave eight years off mine. With…
Making CentsSmart, simple, sharemarket investing, get your money strategy ready for 2026. WEBINAR REPLAY
Cash funds, bonds, index funds, shares… what’s the difference, and how do you figure out which mix is right for you? If you want to invest but have felt…
Making Cents"My kids want me to get a reverse mortgage, will it ruin their inheritance?” Mailbag episode
You’ve worked your whole life to pay off the mortgage. The house is finally yours. But somehow, the money worries haven’t gone away. In this Making Cents…
Making CentsChef Alice Taylor on budget recipes that actually work: $1.50 loaf, 20c noodles
Supermarket total making your stomach drop? You’re not imagining it, food prices have become one of the biggest pain points of the cost-of-living crisis. In…
Making CentsBoost your savings without living a boring life
Create a savings buffer without that nagging feeling of deprivation. Frances Cook joins the TVNZ Breakfast team to talk about the savings tips that help you…
Making Cents“We were gifted $100K, how do we not blow it?” Mailbag episode
A $100,000 gift should feel like freedom, so why does it come with so much pressure? In this Making Cents mailbag episode, a listener writes in after being…
Making CentsKiwiSaver weapons investing is up 40% - how to invest ethically and still make money, with Mindful Money’s Barry Coates
One of the biggest tools you’ve got for creating change is already in your pocket - your KiwiSaver. It quietly funds companies, industries, and ideas every…
Making CentsIs the 0.01% rule the secret to guilt-free spending?
Fast Money with Jim Mora on Sunday Morning with RNZ. Does the 0.01% rule help us spend in a smarter way? And if you really hate maths, does the 24-hour rule…
Making Cents“I can’t buy a house, is commercial property a better investment?” Mailbag episode
What if the smartest way to get into property investing isn’t a house at all? That’s the question in this week’s Making Cents mailbag, from a listener who…
Making CentsOvercoming a $100k fear of failure, with Ecoya CEO Claire Barnes
When Ecoya CEO Claire Barnes was 23, she lost $100,000 of her dad’s life insurance money on a failed business. The experience left her with a fear of failure…
Making CentsSmart side hustle strategies for when work isn't paying enough
If you're looking to earn more money on the side, here's the guide to doing it more successfully. Frances Cook joins the TVNZ Breakfast team to explain how to…
Making Cents“We’re paying for private school, two dream homes, and we’re out of cash.” Mailbag episode
On paper, today’s listener has it made. Two multimillion-dollar homes, no mortgage, and investments on the side. But with private-school fees, high living…
Making CentsMy lazy investing strategy, account hacks, and what real financial freedom looks like: Your questions, answered
You sent in a flood of money questions, and I’m ready to answer them all. In this Ask Me Anything episode, I’m going unfiltered to talk through the money…
Making CentsJobs, interest rates, and real strategies for surviving New Zealand's ‘grumpy’ economy WEBINAR REPLAY
If you feel like you’re doing it tough, you’re far from alone. The New Zealand economy has been struggling, and regular New Zealanders are feeling the pinch…
Making CentsMailbag: “How much should I save, when my job is shaky?”
How much should you actually have in savings to feel safe? In this week’s Ask the Experts, it’s a listener letter from someone worried about layoffs and…
Making CentsFinanciallly free in just 11 years, with The Happy Saver
What if financial freedom didn’t take a lifetime, but just 11 years? Ruth Henderson,also known as The Happy Saver, proves it’s possible. She’s never been on a…
Making CentsWhy 'perfect balance' can wreck your finances
Your bank balance might be looking rough, but don’t panic. Frances Cook joins the TVNZ Breakfast team to explain why it’s normal for your money to ebb and…
Making CentsThe $1 trillion time bomb: Why Kiwi families are blowing the inheritance conversation
New Zealand is in the middle of a $1 trillion inheritance wave, and most families are walking into it completely unprepared. As Baby Boomers move into their…
Making Cents"I nannied for billionaires, it changed my entire money outlook”: building a business on your own terms, with Hannah Koumakis
What if the 9-5 is over? The idea of a steady job and one career path for life is becoming rarer, and maybe even unrealistic. In this episode of Making Cents…
Making Cents"Shock therapy" OCR cut, job pain, mortgage gain? Here's what's really going on
The Reserve Bank has slashed the Official Cash Rate, so what does that mean for how bad the economy is, and what is coming next? Frances Cook talks to the TVNZ…
Making CentsMailbag: “Can I find an undervalued suburb, or was my parents’ success just luck?”
A listener letter asks if you can really find an undervalued suburb, or is it all luck? Host Frances Cook is joined by Vanessa Williams from…
Making Cents“Consumerism is just filling a void” - how to stop money myths from draining your bank account
We all like to think we’re making smart money decisions… but half the time it’s actually our unconscious brain calling the shots. The result? Accidental…
Making CentsWhy "financial flashpoints" hold you back, and how to fix it
"Financial flashpoints" are the moments that can take over you subconscious, and quietly derail the best of money plans. They can push smart people, to make…
Making CentsBuying vs building: Which property strategy builds more wealth over time?
Old vs new: Which property strategy builds more wealth? When you're deciding whether to buy a house or build one, you're not just choosing a home, you're…
Making CentsWhat I learned from starting over in my 30s
What really happens when you burn everything down and start over in your late 30s? In this episode of Making Cents, Frances Cook shares the raw reality of…
Making CentsThe hidden costs of buying a home (and how to avoid nasty surprises)
Buying a house in New Zealand? Don’t get caught out by hidden costs. In this episode of Ask the Experts, we reveal the true cost of buying a home, beyond the…
Making CentsHow to start investing, and go from $5, to financial freedom. Webinar REPLAY
Think shares are too risky or too complicated? Think again. In this live webinar, Frances Cook is joined by Ruth Henderson from The Happy Saver, independent…
Making CentsWhy we financially sabotage ourselves, and how to stop
Most of us don’t just make money mistakes, we repeat them. Why? Because our money beliefs and money psychology are quietly running the show. In this episode of…
Making CentsUsing your home to buy investment property: smart or risky?
Welcome to Ask the Experts, where each week we talk to people in the industry to get the inside word on what’s happening right now, and what that means for the…
Making CentsWhat it’s really like to quit work forever at 30, with Captain FI
It’s a fantasy many of us share: what if you could retire early, walk away from your job forever, and live life on your own terms by the age of 30? Would it be…
Making CentsNo pay rise? How to ask for benefits instead
Fast Money with Jim Mora on Sunday Morning with RNZ. Chatting everything from cost-of-living savings, how to pay off debt faster, how to get a pay rise or what…
Making CentsSide hustle mistakes that cost you time and money
Side hustles can boost your money life, but only if you avoid the mistakes that tank most people early on. In this episode of Making Cents: Ask the Experts…
Making CentsHow to find a financial adviser you can actually trust (In NZ)
Finding a financial adviser in New Zealand can feel both overwhelming, and risky. With so many options, how do you know who to trust with your money, your…
Making CentsSmall changes to beat the cost of living
Whether you're hitting the supermarket, or paying your regular bills, here are some quick ways to tackle the cost of living in your daily life. Frances Cook…
Making CentsThe KiwiSaver trap: why a common tactic can accidentally torpedo your nest egg
Are you accidentally sabotaging your KiwiSaver? KiwiSaver is one of the most powerful tools New Zealanders have for growing wealth, but if you’re on autopilot…
Making CentsFrom Uber to dog poop: The side hustles people really get paid for
Everyone wants a bit of extra cash, but are side hustles actually worth your time, or just another way to burn out? From driving for Uber to picking up dog…