Making Cents

Welcome to Making Cents, the podcast for people who want financial freedom without giving up their coffee, supported by our lovely friends at Kiwibank. I’m Frances Cook, an independent financial journalist and fellow financial freedom seeker who makes money simple for you. Have you ever wished you could hack your brain, so that you can actually do all of that good stuff you know you should be doing with your money? You know, saving for a rainy day, paying off debt, investing… we know we should, but we often don’t, because frankly there are other things to do that are way more fun. Well, enter the latest tech innovation. They’ve tapped into the behavioural psychology that’s often used to keep us online, or gambling, or doing other naughty things… and they’ve flipped it, to help us do the good stuff instead. 

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 tactics that you should use to make the most of your money. This week we’ve partnered up with Xero, which has kindly lent us their expert GM Sustainability and Impact Tam Somers, and we’re talking about how we shouldn’t let the fear of numbers hold us back from those dreams of launching a side hustle or small business, absolutely speaking my language on this one because I don’t love the spreadsheet side of my business either, but it’s still doable!LinksFollow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, or join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week.

With tariffs flying, interest rates falling, and the job market looking a little rough... how do you survive? Here's a survival plan, and an Ask Me Anything session, so that you can feel more confident with your cash in 2025. LinksFollow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, or join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week.

Welcome to Making Cents, the podcast for people who want financial freedom without giving up their coffee, supported by our lovely friends at Kiwibank. I’m Frances Cook, an independent financial journalist and fellow financial freedom seeker who makes money simple for you. How much money would it take for you to abandon your morals? Or sell something that you didn’t really believe in anymore?That’s the question that today’s guest Rosie McCarthy had to ask herself. She’d built up a career coaching business, Badass Careers, and was making over a million dollars in sales a year. And yet, as it progressed, she got disillusioned. She had ringside seats to exactly how bruising the world of work was becoming, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to encourage people into the corporate grind anymore. Instead, she was becoming more convinced of self-employment, and entrepreneurship, as the path to help people find financial freedom while still living a life that they found rewarding. So she decided… time to shut it all down, and start again. To leap into the unknown, stop being a career coach, and instead help people build a business for themselves. So why has the world of work turned so toxic, and should we all become our boss? Let’s talk about it. LinksFollow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, or join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week.

A replay of the live webinar version of Making Cents, answering audience questions on tariffs, how to invest when the market is down, what to do about KiwiSaver, best strategies for the mortgage while interest rates are falling, and whether your job is safe. LinksFollow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, or join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week.

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 tactics that you should use to make the most of your money. We’ve been talking a lot about a buyer’s market in property, which has led to my DMs filling up with hopeful first home buyers, saying, is it our time? So this week I’ve partnered up with realestate.co.nz, who has kindly leant us their expert Vanessa Williams, and she’s going to help us answer exactly that - if you want to buy now, can you make the most of the current situation? LinksFollow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, or join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week.