Learning about money is one thing. Actually changing how you behave with it is something else entirely.
In this special episode of Making Cents, I’m pulling together three powerful money psychology insights that genuinely changed how I handle my own money. It’s not just that they were clever tactics, but that they finally helped me put good intentions into action.
Being “good with money” isn’t about deprivation or sitting on a pile of cash you’re scared to touch. It’s about deciding what kind of life you want, working backwards from there, and building money habits that actually fit how your brain works.
You’ll hear highlights from three standout conversations with experts who reshaped how I think about fear, goals, habits, and motivation — and why so many of us keep doing things we know are holding us back.
Claire Barnes, Ecoya CEO, on how the outside perspective of a coach helped her battle a fear of failure.
James Blair, Lighthouse Financial financial advisor, on the gamechanger of values-based spending.
And Dr Brad Klontz, psychologist and multiple times best-selling author, on the psychogical wiring that can hold us back, and how to change it.
In this episode, we cover:
– Why outside perspective (from a coach, adviser, or trusted third party) can unlock progress you’ll never see on your own
– How fear, anxiety, and discomfort can be harnessed instead of fought, and used as fuel rather than friction
– How values-based spending can stop money fights with your partner and make trade-offs feel intentional
– Why knowing what to do with money is rarely the problem, and how your psychology sabotages you instead
– How concepts like the hedonic treadmill and ancient “caveman brain” wiring shape modern money decisions
If you’ve ever felt like you know what you should be doing with money, but still can’t seem to follow through, this episode is for you.
Links
Follow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, or join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week.
This podcast was filmed and produced by Fanaticals
Video editing & content production by Lana Byrne
Audio engineering by Tash Chittock
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fast Money with Jim Mora on Sunday Morning with RNZ. Talking the end of year GDP bounce, what a Santa Rally would tell us about 2026, how to control spending over the silly season, and the forecast for our Kiwisaver programme.
Links
Follow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. Join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week, or become a confident sharemarket investor by joining the Market Memo newsletter.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Hitting the milestone of $1 million in the bank should feel like financial freedom, but for many people approaching retirement, it’s the moment where the fear kicks in.
When a term deposit matures and you’re suddenly responsible for a seven-figure lump sum, the pressure to “not mess it up” can feel overwhelming.
That’s exactly the situation in today’s Ask the Experts episode. Our listener is 59, single, mortgage-free, and ready to retire soon, but unsure what to do with the $1 million they’ve worked their whole life to save.
EnableMe strategic coach Katie Wesney joins me to break it all down:
If you have a letter you’d like us to answer, please send it through to ask@francescook.co.nz and you might feature on our next episode!
Links
Follow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, or join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week.
This podcast was filmed and produced by Fanaticals
Video editing & content production by Lana Byrne
Audio engineering by Tash Chittock
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
New Zealand banking just changed all the rules, and you could be forgiven for not having heard about it, despite the fact this could change everything about how you handle your money.
Open banking is now officially live in New Zealand, slipping in right at the end of the year with very little attention. But this isn’t just a tech update. It’s a power shift over who controls your financial information, and how it can be used.
That matters, because open banking has the potential to make huge parts of your money life easier. From budgeting and using a budgeting app, to comparing mortgage rates, switching banking products, and even making investing simpler.
And frankly, we could all do with some help right now. There’s been growing criticism about whether the big banks in New Zealand are making it too hard, and too expensive, for customers to shop around and get a better deal. Open banking is designed to change that, by increasing competition and giving people more control over their own banking data.
But it’s not all plain sailing.
There are real questions around privacy, security, and how open banking will actually work in practice, especially in the early stages.
So how do you make the most of this shift, to simplify your finances and improve your budgeting, without exposing yourself to unnecessary risks?
In this episode of Making Cents, Frances Cook is joined by Jason Leong, CEO and co-founder of PocketSmith, to break down open banking in plain English. What’s changed, what it means for everyday people, and how to use it safely to feel more in control of your money.
Links
Follow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, or join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week.
This podcast was filmed and produced by Fanaticals
Video editing & content production by Lana Byrne
Audio engineering by Tash Chittock
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
2025 a strange year for money.
AI shot up so fast it started giving people Dotcom Bubble flashbacks.
Bitcoin lost more than a trillion dollars in value almost overnight.
KiwiSaver turned into an election promise.
Interest rates dropped, but didn’t truly soothe the money pain.
So if your money felt a bit off this year, you weren’t imagining it.
In this live edition of the Making Cents podcast, I’m joined by Stuff’s money editor Damien Venuto and AdviceFirst financial adviser Leon Leonardo to unpack why everything felt so unpredictable, and what actually matters for your KiwiSaver, mortgage, and investments as we head into 2026.
We get into:
• why AI looks a lot like the early 2000s tech boom
• what triggered Bitcoin’s massive wipe-out
• why KiwiSaver is suddenly political
• the confidence crash in housing
• the surprisingly good news with open banking
• and how to take back control when the system gets weird
If you want a clear, grounded look at what changed this year, and what to do about it, this one’s for you.
Links
Follow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. Join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week, or become a confident sharemarket investor by joining the Market Memo newsletter.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Nothing spikes the heart rate quite like seeing a headline claiming you need a million dollars to retire.
This week’s Ask the Experts listener is 47, the kids are nearly out the door, and retirement planning in New Zealand has suddenly stopped feeling like a ‘one day’ problem.
Which means the recent run of articles about retirement savings, retirement villages, or aged care costs are sending her straight into panic mode.
She’s heard the horror stories, of complex retirement village contracts, huge upfront costs, expensive aged care facilities, and now she’s worried she’s already missed the boat. How much do you actually need to retire in NZ? Is a million dollars realistic? Should you be downsizing the family home once the kids leave, or is it too early to make that call?
Will White from Heartland Bank joins the show, to strip away the scare headlines and focus on what really matters. What retirement costs most people forget to factor in, how lifestyle choices affect how much you need, and why being “behind” at 47 doesn’t mean you’re out of options.
If you have a letter you’d like us to answer, please send it through to ask@francescook.co.nz and you might feature on our next episode!
Links
Follow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, or join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week.
This podcast was filmed and produced by Fanaticals
Video editing & content production by Lana Byrne
Audio engineering by Tash Chittock
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jenny-May Clarkson is one of the most recognisable faces in Aotearoa, from her years as a Silver Fern to fronting the TVNZ Breakfast couch every morning.
She’s also living proof that starting over and reinventing your career is now incredibly common. And sometimes, incredibly public.
After quite quickly leaving the TVNZ Breakfast team, Jenny-May is now facing the same reality so many Kiwis deal with: when a secure job disappears, what happens next?
Because behind the lights and glamour, the truth is simple. People on screen rely on that pay cheque just as much as anyone else. And when the TVNZ cameras turn off, the bills don’t.
In this episode, Jenny-May opens up about leaving TVNZ Breakfast, the burnout she didn’t see coming, the financial reality of walking away from a stable salary, and the fear of starting over at 51 with no guaranteed next step. She talks about losing confidence, rebuilding it, and why she believes reinvention is a skill anyone can learn, no matter when it happens in life.
Because she’s also now looking to build something new, and create opportunities through self-employment.
For anyone facing a crossroads, Jenny-May shares the mindset shifts and practical steps that helped her take control of her money, her career, and her identity again.
Links
Follow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, or join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week.
This podcast was filmed and produced by Fanaticals
Video editing & content production by Lana Byrne
Audio engineering by Tash Chittock
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
A quick and dirty update of mortgage tricks to get rid of the debt faster. Including using the bank's money, instead of yours!
Frances Cook joins the TVNZ Breakfast team to talk about it, replayed here with permission.
Links
Follow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. Join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week, or become a confident sharemarket investor by joining the Market Memo newsletter.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Ever wondered whether those “mortgage-free in five years” hacks you see online are real, or just clever marketing?
With so many mortgage “shortcuts” floating around social media, it’s hard to know what actually works, especially in New Zealand’s property market.
In this Ask the Experts episode, we break down the truth behind mortgage-freedom shortcuts: the strategies that genuinely speed up your repayment timeline, the red flags to watch for, and the behavioural traps that can cost you thousands.
Financial coach Shelley Palman from EnableMe has tricks from smart mortgage structures like offset and revolving credit, to how much extra principal you actually need to pay to shave years (and hundreds of thousands of dollars) off your loan.
We cover:
• which “mortgage-free fast” claims are legitimate
• the tactics that work for ordinary Kiwi households
• common mortgage mistakes that slow you down
• how to avoid clickbait mortgage hacks
• mindset strategies to stay motivated on a long payoff plan
If you’re trying to pay off your mortgage faster, avoid bad mortgage advice, or understand how to structure your home loan for long-term financial freedom, this episode will give you the clarity you need.
Don't forget, if you have a letter you’d like us to answer, please send it through to ask@francescook.co.nz and you might feature on our next episode!
Links
Follow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, or join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week.
This podcast was filmed and produced by Fanaticals
Video editing & content production by Lana Byrne
Audio engineering by Tash Chittock
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
If you’ve ever wondered whether living in a tiny home can genuinely change your life, this is a story worth hearing.
After nearly nine years in her tiny house, Kasia Morrison has rebuilt her entire life from the ground up - financially, personally, and professionally.
Downsizing didn’t just cut her cost of living. It gave her the freedom to start over when everything else collapsed: her marriage, her business, and the future she thought she was building.
But tiny-home living comes with financial fish hooks too, from higher-interest loans, to the reality that a tiny house doesn’t behave like a traditional property when it comes to long-term wealth.
In this episode, we dig into how to make tiny-home life work in the real world: the strategy you need, the money plan that sits beneath it, and the mindset shifts that help you rebuild after a major life change.
Kasia shares what surprised her about living tiny, how it changed her definition of success, and why she’s committed to this lifestyle for the long haul.
Whether you’re dreaming about downsizing, craving more financial freedom, or standing at the bottom of your own “start again” moment, this conversation shows what’s possible when you strip life back to the essentials.
Links
Follow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, or join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week.
This podcast was filmed and produced by Fanaticals
Video editing & content production by Lana Byrne
Audio engineering by Tash Chittock
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
If property prices are doing your head in and you’re starting to wonder whether buying a first home is even possible anymore, it’s time to figure out what’s actually happening.
A listener from Wellington writes in to say they love their city, they want stability for their kids, but every time they look at the market, it feels completely out of reach.
In this Ask the Experts episode, Vanessa Williams from realestate.co.nz helps me dig into what’s actually happening in the New Zealand property market right now, whether this is a good time to buy, and how to figure out if you’re personally ready to take the leap.
We also break down how to research good suburbs, how to spot affordable pockets in an expensive city, and which property data actually matters when you’re trying to make a smart decision.
If you have a letter you’d like us to answer, please send it through to ask@francescook.co.nz and you might feature on our next episode!
Links
Follow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, or join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week.
This podcast was filmed and produced by Fanaticals
Video editing & content production by Lana Byrne
Audio engineering by Tash Chittock
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Plenty of us get angry about the money world being unfair. But few people get angry enough to actually change something.
Sasha Lockley did.
Sasha started Money Sweetspot because, in her own words, she was furious. Furious that so many ordinary New Zealanders were working hard, making tough decisions, and still drowning in debt.
In this episode of Making Cents, we dig into the emotional and practical realities of debt in New Zealand.
We talk about why people get trapped, what actually works to pay down loans faster, what doesn’t, and how shame, guilt, and overwhelm derail the plans you make.
We also look beyond the individual level. Because while there are things we can control in our own financial lives, there are also parts of the debt system that need fixing, and Sasha has a front-row seat to what needs to change.
In this episode we cover:
- Why Sasha got angry enough to start Money Sweetspot
- What she’s learned from thousands of real NZ debt stories
- The loan traps catching ordinary Kiwis every day
- The worst debt myths doing the rounds online
- What actually works when you’re trying to pay off the credit card faster
- Why shame and avoidance make debt worse, and how to break that cycle
- Simple first steps if you’re overwhelmed and don’t know where to start
- What needs to change at a system level to stop this happening to so many people
If you’ve ever felt stuck, ashamed, or overwhelmed by debt, this conversation will help you understand what’s really going on, and what you can realistically do next.
Links
Follow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, or join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week.
This podcast was filmed and produced by Fanaticals
Video editing & content production by Lana Byrne
Audio engineering by Tash Chittock
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Become an investor with less stress, and no finance degree.
Frances Cook joins the TVNZ Breakfast team to talk about how to get out of your own way if you've been wanting to dip a toe into the sharemarket.
Links
Follow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. Join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week, or become a confident sharemarket investor by joining the Market Memo newsletter.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
If you’ve pushed money aside for years, only to wake up in your mid-40s with a toddler, a tiny KiwiSaver balance, and a creeping fear about what life looks like at 70… where do you even begin?
That’s the heart of today’s Ask the Experts letter.
A single mum at 46 is saving just a few dollars a week, working part-time, and terrified that she’s already run out of time to build any kind of financial safety.
So what are the options when you’re starting late, starting small, or starting over?
Shelley Palman from EnableMe is in the hot seat to map out the options, the trade-offs, and the first practical steps to take when you’re overwhelmed but determined.
If you have a letter you’d like us to answer, please send it through to ask@francescook.co.nz and you might feature on our next episode!
Links
Follow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, or join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week.
This podcast was filmed and produced by Fanaticals
Video editing & content production by Lana Byrne
Audio engineering by Tash Chittock
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
A simple $20 tweak can dramatically cut down the life of your mortgage, so now it’s time to talk about the strategy I used to shave eight years off mine.
With just a small repayment, years disappeared. So here’s how, and why, it works.
I’ve used my experience as a financial journalist to change my money, so get an inside look at my finances, then why extra repayments are so powerful in the early years of a home loan, how interest is actually structured, and the practical ways you can use that to get mortgage-free faster to make it work for you.
Time to talk about the main mortgage repayment strategies available in New Zealand, and how to figure out which one works for your lifestyle and spending habits.
Plus: how to automate extra payments, how to use falling interest rates to your advantage, why fortnightly repayments sneak in an extra payment each year, and when to throw windfalls at the loan for maximum impact.
If you’re trying to get ahead on your mortgage without sacrificing your entire life to it, this episode gives you the simple tactics that make the biggest difference.
Tune in for a realistic, NZ-specific breakdown of what actually works, and how small changes can save you years.
Links
Follow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, or join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week.
This podcast was filmed and produced by Fanaticals
Video editing & content production by Lana Byrne
Audio engineering by Tash Chittock
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Cash funds, bonds, index funds, shares… what’s the difference, and how do you figure out which mix is right for you?
If you want to invest but have felt confused by the options, this is the live session for you.
In this live edition of the Making Cents podcast, Frances Cook is joined by some of New Zealand’s top investing experts to break down simple, smart sharemarket strategies to help you get your money ready for 2026.
We cover:
The real differences between cash funds, bonds, and shares
How to figure out what type of investment suits your goals
What to look for (and avoid) when comparing funds
How to see what’s actually inside your investments
Why fees matter more than you think, and how to check yours
It’s everything you need to start investing with confidence, no spreadsheets, no jargon, just smart strategies that actually work.
Links
Follow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. Join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week, or become a confident sharemarket investor by joining the Market Memo newsletter.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
You’ve worked your whole life to pay off the mortgage. The house is finally yours. But somehow, the money worries haven’t gone away.
In this Making Cents mailbag episode, a listener in their 70s writes in after becoming mortgage-free, yet still feeling anxious every time they spend a dollar.
Living on the pension with little savings, they want to enjoy retirement but are scared of running out of money.
Their children think a reverse mortgage could be the answer, but will unlocking home equity today destroy their inheritance tomorrow?
Frances Cook talks to Will White, General Manager of Retail & Reverse Mortgages at Heartland Bank, about how modern reverse mortgages in New Zealand actually work, what protections exist, and how to decide whether using your home equity makes sense.
They cover the emotional side too, including the guilt many retirees feel about spending their own money, and how to find balance between financial security and quality of life.
If you’ve ever wondered how to free up cash in retirement, whether a reverse mortgage is safe, or how to enjoy your hard-earned home without risking the kids’ inheritance, this episode breaks it all down.
If you have a letter you’d like us to answer, please send it through to ask@francescook.co.nz and you might feature on our next episode!
Links
Follow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, or join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week.
This podcast was filmed and produced by Fanaticals
Video editing & content production by Lana Byrne
Audio engineering by Tash Chittock
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.