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

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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What actually matters for your money in 2026 - WEBINAR REPLAY

January 15, 2026 • 53 mins

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, KiwiSaver, or just feeling calmer about the decisions you’re making, we’re covering the things you actually need to know. We’ll be talking about what an election year really means for your money, how to think about the economy as it starts to turn, where people accidentally tri...

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"We’re $8m richer overnight, now what?" Mailbag episode

January 14, 2026 • 16 mins

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. This week’s Ask the Experts letter comes from a couple who spent 40 years dairy farming, living with constant debt and tight cashflow. Now they’ve sold the farm and their financial reality has flipped overnight. A dream problem? Maybe. But sudden wealth is notoriously ...

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“I invested 100k by 25 - here’s how” with Jane Joo

January 11, 2026 • 28 mins

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 f...

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“Rental property vs. index funds: should we switch?” Mailbag episode

January 7, 2026 • 14 mins

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: inde...

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5 things I wish I knew before investing

January 4, 2026 • 18 mins

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...

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Making Cents

Episodes

.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}How your subscriptions and KiwiSaver can change the world (from little old NZ)

.css-r6mb8g{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:1;overflow:hidden;}How To Get Ahead In NZ Without Earning More

How Everyday Kiwis Can Become Financially Free with Bronwyn Candish

The 4 money personalities that shape how you save, spend, and fight about money

What's going on with markets? Shares, gold, crypto, and the wild ride ahead with RNZ's Jim Mora

NZ Mortgage Myths That Cost You Years On Your Mortgage: With Aaron Cattell (The Mortgage Man)

How to fix your finances in February before you fall off the wagon

7 mental traps to avoid when you’re investing

How to build wealth like the 1% (on a normal income)

How to invest in the sharemarket in 2026 - WEBINAR REPLAY

"Is renovating my home an investment, or am I fooling myself?" Mailbag episode

A quick new year money reset

How to invest in silver and gold without getting wrecked, with financial adviser Darcy Ungaro

"I’m a saver, he’s a spender, how do we get on the same page?" Mailbag episode

Olympic psychology that works for your money

What actually matters for your money in 2026 - WEBINAR REPLAY

"We’re $8m richer overnight, now what?" Mailbag episode

“I invested 100k by 25 - here’s how” with Jane Joo

“Rental property vs. index funds: should we switch?” Mailbag episode

5 things I wish I knew before investing

Popular Podcasts

How your subscriptions and KiwiSaver can change the world (from little old NZ)

How To Get Ahead In NZ Without Earning More