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.

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Audio engineering by Tash Chittock

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. Stop wasting money on coffee, drinks, and fun. Always chase the biggest return. Always chase the next pay rise.

Sounds responsible, right?

Except real life is messier than that. And if you follow these rules too blindly, you can end up making your life smaller, more stressful, and sometimes even worse financially.

In this episode of Making Cents, Frances Cook breaks down 7 “bad” money decisions that can actually be smart, depending on your goals, your lifestyle, and the season of life you’re in.

From renting instead of buying, to paying for childcare, outsourcing chores, switching careers, selling investments that are ruining your sleep, and keeping cash on hand instead of forcing every dollar into growth, this is a myth-busting episode about building wealth without losing the plot.

Because being good with money is not about hoarding cash and never enjoying your life.

It’s about using money to build a life you actually want.

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This podcast was filmed & produced by Fanaticals

Video editing & content production by Lana Byrne

Audio engineering by Tash Chittock

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, and the fear of making a costly mistake keeps many stuck on the sidelines for years.

So what actually goes wrong when people start investing? And more importantly, how do you avoid those traps?

Author, and host of the Money Money Money podcast Glen James is on the podcast to break down the biggest investing mistakes beginners make, and the simple systems that help you build wealth over time.

Glen calls himself a “reformed spender” who had to learn money the hard way. From losing money on risky penny stocks as a teenager to building a disciplined investing strategy using index funds and automation, he shares the real lessons that helped him become a smarter investor.

In this episode you’ll learn:

1. The biggest investing mistakes beginners make
2. Why waiting for the “perfect time” can cost you thousands
3. How to start investing even if you’re nervous
4. The power of diversification and index funds
5. Why systems and automation make investing easier

This episode of Making Cents is proudly supported by Odoo. Go to https://www.odoo.com/r/hpl now and try it for free, for 15 days.

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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 living crunch.

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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, with a $500,000 lump sum from a payout and the sale of the family home.

Will White from Heartland Bank is in the Expert hot seat, ready to talk through:

1. Where to start when you’re grieving and facing big financial decisions
2. KiwiSaver vs managed funds – the pros, cons, and access rules
3. How to think about timeframes when retirement is 10–15 years away
4. Building a safety buffer before you invest
5. Risk tolerance, and how grief and life changes can affect how much volatility you can handle

If you have a letter you’d like us to answer, please send it through to [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) and you might feature on our next episode!

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This podcast was filmed & produced by Fanaticals

Video editing & content production by Lana Byrne

Audio engineering by Tash Chittock

#MakingCents #FrancesCook #MakingCentsPodcast #Investing #MoneyPodcast #FinancialFreedom

1. 00:00:00 Introduction
2. 00:00:56 The letter: navigating grief and sudden financial responsibility
3. 00:01:50 Don't rush: give yourself time to grieve and think clearly
4. 00:02:28 Diversification matters: don't put all your eggs in one basket
5. 00:05:30 Short, medium, and long-term priorities: working backwards from retirement
6. 00:07:41 Investing in your 50s: you can't afford too many market shocks
7. 00:08:36 Get a financial advisor: half a million dollars deserves professional advice
8. 00:09:24 Emotional safeguards: when are you ready to make big decisions?
9. 00:12:09 Invest in your mental well-being too: grief counseling is just as important
10. 00:13:39 Wrapping up: take your time and lean on support

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 Management and Māori Business at Massey University, to tell us what actually works when you want to earn more, get promoted, or completely reinvent your career.

If you’ve been wondering:

• “How do I get a pay rise in this economy?”

• “Is it time to change jobs?”

• “Do I need more qualifications to earn more money?”

• “How can I reinvent my career without starting over?”

This episode is for you.

This episode of Making Cents is proudly supported by Odoo. Go to https://www.odoo.com/r/hpl now and try it for free, for 15 days.

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Join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week https://www.francescook.co.nz/subscribe

This podcast was filmed & produced by Fanaticals

Video editing & content production by Lana Byrne

Audio engineering by Tash Chittock

#MakingCents #FrancesCook #MakingCentsPodcast #InvestingPodcast #MoneyPodcast #FinancialFreedom

• 00:00:00 Introduction
• 00:02:35 Meet Jarrod: Professor of Management on the state of burnout
• 00:06:13 The post-COVID hangover: why the job market feels so tough right now
• 00:07:44 Start with what you can control: upskilling and staying relevant
• 00:09:40 Social capital: why being a nice person actually pays off
• 00:19:17 Should you stay or should you go? Voting with your feet
• 00:21:51 The power of saying yes: building skills through work experience
• 00:24:35 The skills that matter across industries: human connection over credentials
• 00:29:22 Future-proofing your career: keep your finger on the pulse
• 00:34:07 Wrapping up: hustle smarter, not just harder

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. 

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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 flexibility, and no clear “right” move.

Vanessa Williams from realestate.co.nz is in the expert hot seat, to tell us about the shocking number of New Zealanders in this situation, and what they can do about it.

We talk about:

• What selling in a down housing market really means for your money

• Whether holding on longer could help, or just prolong the stress

• How life changes (kids, cashflow, burnout) should factor into property decisions

• Why feeling “stuck” is common, and how a clear plan can restore control

If you’re weighing up sell or stay, worried about selling your house at a loss, or feeling trapped by a house that no longer works for your family or finances, this episode has the tactics you need to be thinking about.

If you have a letter you’d like us to answer, please send it through to [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) and you might feature on our next episode!

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Join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week https://www.francescook.co.nz/subscribe

This podcast was filmed & produced by Fanaticals

Video editing & content production by Lana Byrne

Audio engineering by Tash Chittock

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• 00:00:00 Introduction
• 00:01:12 Listener letter: bought at the peak, now stuck
• 00:03:43 How common is this situation?
• 00:07:47 First steps: get a realistic valuation
• 00:08:33 Talk to a mortgage advisor or financial advisor
• 00:09:15 Could you wait it out? Considering 2026
• 00:09:57 Creative options: students, Airbnb, and short-term solutions
• 00:11:49 What if you've lost your deposit?
• 00:13:33 The power of having a plan
• 00:15:05 Outro

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 wealth.

In this episode of Making Cents, Frances Cook speaks with BusinessDesk journalist Dileepa Fonseka about New Zealand’s housing market, property prices, and long-term investment trends.

Together, they explore whether New Zealand’s decades-long property obsession is beginning to crack.

• Why has property been such a dominant wealth-builder in NZ for so long?

• Are we reaching a ceiling on house price growth?

• Is this just a market cycle, or a structural turning point?

If you’ve ever wondered whether buying property is still the smartest investment strategy, or whether it’s time to rethink the traditional path to wealth, this conversation will challenge your assumptions.

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This podcast was filmed & produced by Fanaticals

Video editing & content production by Lana Byrne

Audio engineering by Tash Chittock

#MakingCents #FrancesCook

• 00:00:00 Introduction
• 00:02:38 Meet Dileepa Fonseka: tracking the winds of change in property
• 00:03:12 The land myth: why property prices can't rise forever
• 00:05:50 The COVID property mania and the crash that followed
• 00:17:10 Is there a ceiling on house prices?
• 00:06:48 The political shift: capital gains tax enters the conversation
• 00:10:17 From share market skeptics to everyday investors
• 00:23:35 The rise of accessible investing: apps, Kiwisaver, and the new generation
• 00:26:04 Property's hidden costs: climate change, insurance, and rising rates
• 00:28:13 Election year battlegrounds: where is money going next?
• 00:31:36 Outro

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.

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Join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week https://www.francescook.co.nz/subscribe

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