Money Made Simple

Buying your first home can feel exciting, overwhelming, and full of unfamiliar jargon, forms and deadlines. In this episode of Money Made Simple, Liv and Jennie break down the first-home buying process into three key stages: getting your finances ready, making an offer and doing your due diligence, and understanding what happens from going unconditional through to settlement.

This is a practical, plain-English guide to help you understand what’s coming, feel more prepared, and avoid being caught off guard when buying your first home.

This episode covers:

• Checking whether you can use your KiwiSaver for your first home and how much you can withdraw
• Getting mortgage pre-approval and understanding your borrowing limit
• Working with lenders, mortgage brokers, lawyers and building inspectors as your home-buying 'team'
• How different house sale types work in NZ
• What "due diligence" means, and what it can cost
• What “going unconditional” actually means (and when it happens)
• Why insurance needs to be sorted before settlement on your new home
• Applying for your KiwiSaver withdrawal at the right time
• What happens on settlement day
• Common watchouts to understand while buying your first home

Helpful links:

- Sorted first home buyer resources

- Simplicity Home Loans

- Simplicity KiwiSaver first home withdrawal information

Please remember, this podcast is general in nature and does not take into account your personal financial situation. Simplicity is not providing financial advice or home loan advice in this episode.

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Disclaimer: This podcast contains personal opinions and is intended to provide educational information only. It doesn't relate to your particular financial situation or goals and is not financial advice or recommendations. Simplicity New Zealand Limited is the issuer of the Simplicity KiwiSaver scheme and investment funds. For product disclosure statements please visit Simplicity's website simplicity. kiwi.

In this episode of Economy Made Simple, Shamubeel Eaqub chats with journalist, author and personal finance expert Susan Edmunds about KiwiSaver, the questions New Zealanders are asking, and why getting the basics right still matters.

Susan has just written a book about KiwiSaver, based on the questions people regularly ask her - from choosing the right fund and contribution rate, to hardship withdrawals, first-home access, fees, self-employment, and what happens once people reach retirement.

Together, Shamubeel and Susan discuss how KiwiSaver has changed over the past almost 20 years, why it’s no longer just a retirement savings scheme, and where the system could be improved to better support women, lower-income earners, the self-employed, and people over 65.

This episode covers

• The most common KiwiSaver questions Susan gets from New Zealanders
• Why it’s important to check your fund type, contribution rate and provider settings
• How KiwiSaver is being used for retirement, first homes and hardship withdrawals
• The impact of total remuneration and why employer contributions matter
• Why women, carers and lower-income earners can fall behind in KiwiSaver
• The challenges KiwiSaver creates for self-employed people
• What retirees need to think about when turning savings into income
• Fees, fund performance and how to compare providers
• How KiwiSaver could be improved in the future

Tune in for a practical and thoughtful conversation about how KiwiSaver has shaped New Zealanders’ savings habits, what people still need help understanding, and how the scheme could evolve to deliver better outcomes for more Kiwis.

Please note: This episode was recorded before National announced their new KiwiSaver policy plans.

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Please help us share the good word (and make Kiwis richer and smarter with money) - the more we grow, the more good we can do %) Don't forget to follow, subscribe and rate the podcast if you found it useful!

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Disclaimer: This podcast contains personal opinions and is intended to provide educational information only. It doesn't relate to your particular financial situation or goals and is not financial advice or recommendations. Simplicity New Zealand Limited is the issuer of the Simplicity KiwiSaver scheme and investment funds. For product disclosure statements please visit Simplicity's website simplicity. kiwi.

Retirement can feel like something to worry about “later” - especially when you’re in your 20s or 30s. But every decade comes with opportunities to improve your financial future.

In this episode of Money Made Simple, Jennie and Liv talk about what retirement planning looks like at different ages and stages of life. From making the most of KiwiSaver early on, to checking whether you’re on track in your 40s and 50s, to thinking about how you’ll actually use your savings in retirement, this episode is all about practical steps you can take now - whatever age you are.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why retirement planning matters at every age
• How money can create choices, independence and dignity later in life
• The important role KiwiSaver can play in helping New Zealanders save for their retirement
• The power of compounding returns, especially in your 20s and 30s
• How to make sure you’re getting the most from KiwiSaver, including contributing regularly, maximising the benefits and choosing the right fund for you (at the right time)
• What to review in your 40s and 50s, especially as your life priorities change
• How to think about the lifestyle you want in retirement - and what it might cost
• What to consider in your 60s as you move from saving to spending

Retirement isn’t just about accumulating money - it’s about independence, security and having choices later in life. And no matter your age, there is almost always something you can do to improve your future. The key takeaways are - start early if you can (but don’t panic if you haven’t), check your KiwiSaver settings regularly, take time to think about the retirement you actually want and make small adjustments as your life changes.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Simplicity KiwiSaver Fund Selector
• Simplicity KiwiSaver calculators
• Simplicity Future Projection Tool — available to members only in the Simplicity member app 
• Sorted retirement calculator and guides
• Massey University New Zealand Retirement Expenditure Guidelines 2025
• MMS podcast on Compounding Returns - The Money Makes Money episode 

Resource we should have mentioned but didn't (opps): 

• Simplicity Retirement Decumulation Tool (it helps you plan how to withdraw funds to ensure your nest egg lasts for your retirement years) available to members in the Simplicity member app.

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Please help us share the good word (and make Kiwis richer and smarter with money) - the more we grow, the more good we can do %) Don't forget to follow, subscribe and rate the podcast if you found it useful!

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Disclaimer: This podcast contains personal opinions and is intended to provide educational information only. It doesn't relate to your particular financial situation or goals and is not financial advice or recommendations. Simplicity New Zealand Limited is the issuer of the Simplicity KiwiSaver scheme and investment funds. For product disclosure statements please visit Simplicity's website simplicity. kiwi.

In this week's episode of Money Made Simple, Liv and Jennie tackle a topic that deserves some airtime: the finances of self-employment. Nearly 1 in 5 Kiwis work for themselves - and the financial scaffolding that employees take for granted simply doesn't come with the territory. They break down what that means in practice, what to set up early, and how to make sure your future self doesn't miss out.

This episode covers:

• The scale of self-employment in New Zealand - and why it's a growing slice of the workforce
• The three types of self-employed Kiwis, and why the financial picture looks different for each
• Tax, GST, and ACC - the basics you need to know
• The KiwiSaver gap between the employed and the self-employed, and what that means for your future
• What happened to the government contribution - and why it still makes sense to chase it
• The "hidden" perks of employment you quietly lose when you go out on your own
• Five practical watch-outs to set up early, including cash buffers, KiwiSaver contributions, and income protection
• Why you shouldn't assume selling your business will fund your nest egg - and what to think about when it comes to retirement planning as a self-employed

Resources mentioned in this episode:

- Sorted - tools and guides for building good financial habits: https://sorted.org.nz

- Business NZ x IRD's guide to becoming self-employed: https://www.business.govt.nz/business-stage-or-type/sole-traders/becoming-a-sole-trader

- Retirement Commission x Hnry report on the KiwiSaver savings gap for self-employed: https://retirement.govt.nz/news/latest-news/new-report-highlights-growing-retirement-savings-gap-between-self-employed-and-employees

- Hnry - tax and invoicing platform for sole traders and freelancers: https://hnry.co.nz

- MMS Episode 64 - how compounding returns work: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5GEHBzjZWUhTxnyXBNj6ku?si=7bcc6849f80b4a12 

By the end of this episode, you'll understand exactly how the financial future of a self-employed person is largely theirs to engineer - and a clearer picture of the key things to set up, think about, and get advice on before the tax bill arrives out of nowhere.

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Please help us share the good word (and make Kiwis richer and smarter with money) - the more we grow, the more good we can do %) Don't forget to follow, subscribe and rate the podcast if you found it useful!

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Disclaimer: This podcast contains personal opinions and is intended to provide educational information only. It doesn't relate to your particular financial situation or goals and is not financial advice or recommendations. Simplicity New Zealand Limited is the issuer of the Simplicity KiwiSaver scheme and investment funds. For product disclosure statements please visit Simplicity's website simplicity. kiwi.

In this episode of Economy Made Simple, Shamubeel Eaqub sits down with journalist and publisher Bernard Hickey to talk about how economic stories are told, why trust in media matters, and what’s changed in journalism over the past few decades. Bernard reflects on the major economic shifts in NZ, how his own views on markets and capitalism have evolved, and why good reporting still matters in a world shaped by social media, misinformation, and AI. 

This episode covers

•  Bernard Hickey’s journey through journalism and economic reporting 
•  How to make economics more human and relatable 
•  Why trust, transparency, and incentives matter in media 
•  Social media, misinformation, and the role of institutions in public information 
•  Whether AI helps or harms journalism and credibility 
•  What good journalism looks like in a fast-moving, noisy world

This episode offers a thoughtful conversation about economics, media, trust, and the value of clear storytelling in uncertain times. 

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Please help us share the good word (and make Kiwis richer and smarter with money) - the more we grow, the more good we can do %) Don't forget to follow, subscribe and rate the podcast if you found it useful!

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Disclaimer: This podcast contains personal opinions and is intended to provide educational information only. It doesn't relate to your particular financial situation or goals and is not financial advice or recommendations. Simplicity New Zealand Limited is the issuer of the Simplicity KiwiSaver scheme and investment funds. For product disclosure statements please visit Simplicity's website simplicity. kiwi.

In this episode of Money Made Simple, Jennie sits down with Barry Coates, CEO of Mindful Money, to unpack what ethical investing really means and how Kiwis can put their KiwiSaver and other investments behind the values they care about. Barry brings decades of experience from the UK and NZ ethical investment communities, and more recently founded Mindful Money as a charity to give New Zealanders free, comparable information on what's actually inside their funds.

This episode covers:

• What ethical investing really means, and the jargon you can safely ignore
• How to find out what's actually inside your KiwiSaver
• The three big things a fund manager can do with your money
• What Kiwis consistently say they don't want their savings funding
• Whether choosing ethical means giving up returns
• How to spot greenwashing in funds that claim to do good
• How your investment choices can matter as much as your shopping ones
• Where to start, if you want your money to better match your values

Resources mentioned in this episode:

- Mindful Money Fund Finder - free tool to find a KiwiSaver or managed fund that fits your ethical values: https://mindfulmoney.nz

- Sorted Smart Investor - compare KiwiSaver and managed funds on fees, returns and more: https://smartinvestor.sorted.org.nz

- Simplicity "Where in the world is my money?' Tool: see exactly where your KiwiSaver is invested around the globe: https://simplicity.kiwi/calculators/kiwisaver/where-in-the-world-is-my-money

By the end of this episode you'll come away with a clearer sense of what ethical investing actually is, what your KiwiSaver might be funding without you realising, and why putting your money behind your values doesn't have to come at the cost of your returns.

*For information on Simplicity’s approach to ethical investing, go to simplicity.kiwi/about-us/ethical-investments where you’ll find a link to our Responsible Investment Policy.

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Please help us share the good word (and make Kiwis richer and smarter with money) - the more we grow, the more good we can do %) Don't forget to follow, subscribe and rate the podcast if you found it useful!

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Disclaimer: This podcast contains personal opinions and is intended to provide educational information only. It doesn't relate to your particular financial situation or goals and is not financial advice or recommendations. Simplicity New Zealand Limited is the issuer of the Simplicity KiwiSaver scheme and investment funds. For product disclosure statements please visit Simplicity's website simplicity. kiwi.

 In this episode of Money Made Simple, Jennie and Liv revisit one of the most important - and most overlooked - parts of your KiwiSaver: your contribution rate. With changes coming into effect in 2026, including a lift to the default minimum, now's the perfect time to check in and ask whether you're actually contributing enough. 

 From what's changed and what it means for your take-home pay, to how to think about contributions based on your income, life stage and goals, this episode breaks down how to make KiwiSaver work for you - not just what the default says. 

This episode covers:

• What's changing in 2026, including the rise in minimum contributions from 3% to 3.5% (with another increase planned)
• Updates to government contributions and new eligibility rules
  Why 3.5% is a useful baseline, but not necessarily the right number for everyone
• How to think about contributions based on your income, life stage and long-term goals
• The trade-off between contributing more to KiwiSaver vs investing outside it for flexibility
• Why small increases like 0.5% can make a big difference over time thanks to compounding
• What to do if cash flow is tight, and when it might make sense to temporarily reduce contributions
• How self-employed Kiwis can approach KiwiSaver, including voluntary contributions and government incentives
• Why fund choice and fees can matter just as much as your contribution rate

 Jennie and Liv explain in plain English why there's no one "perfect" contribution rate - only the one that works for you. The key is not leaving it on autopilot. A quick check-in now could make a meaningful difference to your future. 

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Please help us share the good word (and make Kiwis richer and smarter with money) - the more we grow, the more good we can do %) Don't forget to follow, subscribe and rate the podcast if you found it useful!

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Disclaimer: This podcast contains personal opinions and is intended to provide educational information only. It doesn't relate to your particular financial situation or goals and is not financial advice or recommendations. Simplicity New Zealand Limited is the issuer of the Simplicity KiwiSaver scheme and investment funds. For product disclosure statements please visit Simplicity's website simplicity. kiwi.

In this episode of Economy Made Simple, Simplicity's Chief Economist Shamubeel Eaqub is joined by Money Made Simple host Liv to unpack one of the biggest quiet shifts happening in New Zealand right now: our rapidly changing ethnic make-up, and what it will take to turn that into something genuinely good for everyone.

Drawing on his recent research for the Auckland Policy Office, Shamubeel walks through the numbers, the tensions and the choices in front of us, and why Auckland is the place to watch.

This episode covers:

• Why Auckland is the leading edge of NZ's rapidly changing ethnic make-up
• What just shifted in NZ's newborn population for the first time, and why it matters
• Why low fertility and ongoing migration mean immigration is now locked into our future, not a cyclical choice
• How NZ's attitudes to immigration compare with Australia's, and why that gap between the two nations matters
• The hidden economic cost of under-using highly qualified migrants, particularly in Auckland
• Four practical policy levers that could turn diversity into shared economic benefit
• Why multiculturalism, integration and the melting pot describe very different futures for NZ - and what we should be aiming to adopt
• The two tensions underneath every diversity conversation, and how we might move past them

By the end of this episode, you'll have a clearer sense of the real choices in front of us when it comes to diversity and migration, and how to live alongside each other well. As Shamubeel puts it, when we talk with openness and curiosity, we usually find more common ground than difference.

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Please help us share the good word (and make Kiwis richer and smarter with money) - the more we grow, the more good we can do %) Don't forget to follow, subscribe and rate the podcast if you found it useful!

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Disclaimer: This podcast contains personal opinions and is intended to provide educational information only. It doesn't relate to your particular financial situation or goals and is not financial advice or recommendations. Simplicity New Zealand Limited is the issuer of the Simplicity KiwiSaver scheme and investment funds. For product disclosure statements please visit Simplicity's website simplicity. kiwi.

The world feels a bit uncertain right now - headlines are full of market volatility, rising oil prices, and global tensions. In stories about investments, you might be hearing a lot about the importance of “diversification”… but what does that actually mean? And how do you put it in to practice?

In this episode of Money Made Simple, Liv and Jennie break down the main investment asset classes - what they are, how they work, and why spreading your money across them is one of the simplest and most effective ways to diversify and manage risk over time.

This episode covers:

• What asset classes are, and the key types: shares, bonds, property, commodities, and cash
• How each asset class works, including how you make money from them (growth, income, or both)
• The trade-off between risk and return - and why higher returns often come with more ups and downs
•  Why different assets behave differently depending on what’s happening in the world
• What diversification really means (beyond the jargon) and how it helps “cushion” market volatility
• Real-world examples of why not putting all your eggs in one basket matters
• How KiwiSaver and managed funds make diversification easy - often without you even realising it
• The difference between active and passive (index) investing, and how both can fit into a diversified portfolio

This episode is a reminder that investing isn’t about picking winners or predicting the future. It’s about building a mix of investments that can handle whatever comes next. If you’ve ever wondered what’s actually inside your KiwiSaver fund, and why, this is a great place to start.

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Please help us share the good word (and make Kiwis richer and smarter with money) - the more we grow, the more good we can do %) Don't forget to follow, subscribe and rate the podcast if you found it useful!

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Disclaimer: This podcast contains personal opinions and is intended to provide educational information only. It doesn't relate to your particular financial situation or goals and is not financial advice or recommendations. Simplicity New Zealand Limited is the issuer of the Simplicity KiwiSaver scheme and investment funds. For product disclosure statements please visit Simplicity's website simplicity. kiwi.

Cost of living is spiralling higher and higher - but we're here to help you tackle it. In this episode of Money Made Simple, Liv and Jennie discuss the psychology of spending, the traps that make it easier to overspend, and how to (gently) retrain your brain so your money decisions feel more intentional and less impulsive. We unpack the “Want Monster” - that little voice in your head telling you to buy the coffee, click the sale, upgrade the phone, or treat yourself because you “deserve it”.  

This episode covers:

• What the “Want Monster” is, and why it's so dangerous in today's cost of living crunch
• How instant gratification, social media, and constant sales shape our spending habits
• Common spending traps like buy now pay later (BNPL), credit cards, interest-free loans, sales, and subscription creep
• Why these habits can become even more impactful when money is already tight
• Simple ways to create friction, reset habits, and make better spending decisions
• Practical ideas like tracking your spending, using separate accounts, trying a no-spend challenge, and finding free ways to socialise

This episode is a reminder that money decisions are not always just about maths... they’re often about habits, mindset, and the stories we tell ourselves. You'll walk away armed with a realistic, kinder approach to spending less without feeling deprived, and some small ideas for changes which could make a big difference over time.

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Please help us share the good word (and make Kiwis richer and smarter with money) - the more we grow, the more good we can do %) Don't forget to follow, subscribe and rate the podcast if you found it useful!

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Disclaimer: This podcast contains personal opinions and is intended to provide educational information only. It doesn't relate to your particular financial situation or goals and is not financial advice or recommendations. Simplicity New Zealand Limited is the issuer of the Simplicity KiwiSaver scheme and investment funds. For product disclosure statements please visit Simplicity's website simplicity. kiwi.