Making Cents

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 Kiwibank, which has kindly leant us their expert MJ Vergara, senior economist, and we're talking the economy. Is it good, is it bad, and what does all of this mean for your wallet? Can you expect a pay rise in 2025, and what's going to happen with house prices? 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.This week I’ve partnered up with realestate.co.nz, who has kindly leant us their expert Vanessa Williams, and we’re talking about house versus apartment. There are some key differences between these property types, and it can seriously impact your money.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.

Pepper Raccoon, artist and merch designer, shares her tactics for creating a proper living out of being an artist. There’s a common belief that when you’re making career choices, you have to choose between doing what you love, or making money.While that’s sometimes true, it’s doesn’t have to be true.Even creatives, the ones most famous for becoming starving artists, can find systems to make a living without selling out to the man.It does, however, take a strategy. After all, if it was easy, everyone would do it.Well one such creative was nice enough to take time out of her day to walk me through exactly how she makes a good living as an artist.Wellingtonian Pepper Raccoon has been going for seven years now, working as a fine artist who makes pins, t-shirts, and other merchandise.It’s going so well that she’s even had to upgrade from being a sole trader, to a registered company, a big milestone.Here’s how she makes it work.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.

Frances Cook shares listener tips for being money smart over Christmas, for everything from presents, to food, and bringing in extra cash to fund it all. 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.

Nick Carr, financial analyst from Your Money Blueprint, shares why he regrets paying off his mortgage early, and the numbers behind why he would have invested into shares instead. Paying off the mortgage early is a good thing… right? Well, one New Zealander worked hard to do that, and then decided, he’d actually shot himself in the foot. When a big accident happened, the money he’d sunk into the mortgage wasn’t available, when he could have done with some cash savings to get through a tough time. Meanwhile, he later discovered investing into shares, and on looking back wished he’d put more money into those investments instead. So when is paying off the mortgage early a good idea, when is it not, and how do you balance it all? Here’s how he would handle it now if he had his time over again. 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. This week we’ve partnered up with AMP, which has kindly leant us their expert, client adviser Devon Walen, and we’re talking about if there are times when putting more into your KiwiSaver can actually be a bad idea.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.

Frances Cook talks kids and money with Chris Chang, on TVNZ's Breakfast.Last week I was on TVNZ’s Breakfast, talking to Chris Chang about some strategies to talk to your kids about money. Particularly with Christmas coming up, can it be a present? What’s the best way to go about it? I get these questions in my inbox all the time, and the Breakfast team were nice enough to say I could put the audio up here as well, for you to listen to. Enjoy.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.

Rachel Leutele, also known as the Savvy Saver, shares her tips for staying on a budget as a family, and changing your money to prioritise life.Becoming a stay at home mum is something that many people would like to do, but don’t necessarily have the funds for.It’s easy to think it’s only possible if one of the parents has a six figure income.But this mum, fresh out of getting her law degree, decided she wanted to make the stay at home mum life work even if it meant being on a string bean budget.She’s become really focused on ways to cut back and manage expenses, and shares that journey on her Instagram account as @the_savvy_saver.Here’s how she finds ways to cut back, but also, throw just a few treats in there too.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.