Making Cents

Frances Cook joins the TVNZ Breakfast team to bust the mortgage myths that are putting people off buying a home, from the 20% deposit rule to whether your Uber Eats habit will tank your application. Follow me everywhere! Facebook / https://www.facebook.com/FrancesCookNZ Instagram / https://www.instagram.com/francescooknz TikTok / https://www.tiktok.com/@francescooknz Join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week https://www.francescook.co.nz/subscribe Become a confident sharemarket investor by signing up to the Market Memo newsletter https://www.francescook.co.nz/invest #MakingCents #FrancesCook #MakingCentsPodcast #InvestingPodcast #MoneyPodcast #FinancialFreedom

If you have ever felt like the world is designed to drain your bank account, you are not imagining it. Online shopping and digital services are full of sneaky money traps - known as dark patterns - built to make spending effortless and canceling nearly impossible. This week on Ask the Experts, Jan Verberne, Senior Legal Counsel at Revolut, pulls back the curtain on how these manipulative online checkout tactics work and the exact tools you can use to outsmart them. This episode of Making Cents is proudly supported by Revolut, the card and app for everyday spending in NZ, and smarter money on your travels. Use this link https://get.revolut.com/e9Jc/makingcents7 to try them out, spend, and Revolut will give you $40 to get started.* This episode covers: What dark patterns are and how online retailers use them to manipulate your spending How to escape subscription traps, cancel free trials, and avoid forced cancellation phone calls The hidden cost of drip pricing and checkout fee sneakiness How foreign transaction fees and bad exchange rates make international online shopping more expensive How open banking, AI fraud detection, and fintech security tools protect your personal data How to build a security buffer between your primary bank account and online merchants If you have a letter you’d like us to answer, please send it through to [email protected] and you might feature on our next episode! *T&Cs apply. Spend min $1 to receive reward. Exchange rates will vary. Comparison to major bank rates based on exchanging NZD $1K Mon-Fri, within your plan’s fair usage limits. More info: https://www.revolut.com/en-NZ/nz-fx-substantiation. Revolut Payments New Zealand Pty Ltd. Follow me everywhere! Facebook / https://www.facebook.com/FrancesCookNZ Instagram / https://www.instagram.com/francescooknz TikTok / https://www.tiktok.com/@francescooknz Join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week https://www.francescook.co.nz/subscribe Become a confident sharemarket investor by signing up to the Market Memo newsletter https://www.francescook.co.nz/invest #MakingCents #FrancesCook #MakingCentsPodcast #InvestingPodcast #MoneyPodcast #FinancialFreedom Production and video editing by Lana Byrne Audio engineering by Tash Chittock Filmed by Fanaticals

When the job market feels completely stuck, what if you could create your own job by owning a business? And instead of starting from scratch and hoping it works, what if you bought an established business with a proven track record? Buying a business isn't just buying yourself a job - run properly, it’s an asset you can grow, earn from, and eventually sell. Jess Shaw, Director of Vesta Finance joins Frances Cook on Making Sense to break down how everyday people can buy a business like an asset class. From borrowing options that don’t require a million dollars in cash to red flags in business and knowing what to look for under the hood, Jess shares the practical tools you need to take the leap. In this episode: Buying a business vs starting from scratch How to view a business as an asset class rather than just an income How to fund a business purchase Why you don’t need $1 million in cash to buy a $1 million business The "build your own boardroom" rule: the four key experts you need on your side The hidden trap of debt servicing Building liquidity and rainy day funds to ride out economic downturns How to know when you're in "build mode" vs "cut mode" with your money Whether you are looking to step out of the 9-to-5, build a new income stream, or grow your long-term wealth, this episode breaks down the real steps to buying and running a business on your own terms. 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. Follow me everywhere! Facebook / https://www.facebook.com/FrancesCookNZ Instagram / https://www.instagram.com/francescooknz TikTok / https://www.tiktok.com/@francescooknz Join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week https://www.francescook.co.nz/subscribe Become a confident sharemarket investor by signing up to the Market Memo newsletter https://www.francescook.co.nz/invest #MakingCents #FrancesCook #MakingCentsPodcast #InvestingPodcast #MoneyPodcast #FinancialFreedom Production and video editing by Lana Byrne Audio engineering by Tash Chittock Filmed by Fanaticals

Frances Cook and Lighthouse Financial wealth director James Blair dig into values based spending, and how to create a financial plan that isn't about hoarding cash but about making sure your money is working toward the life you actually want, now and in the future. Follow me everywhere! Facebook / https://www.facebook.com/FrancesCookNZ Instagram / https://www.instagram.com/francescooknz TikTok / https://www.tiktok.com/@francescooknz Join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week https://www.francescook.co.nz/subscribe Become a confident sharemarket investor by signing up to the Market Memo newsletter https://www.francescook.co.nz/invest #MakingCents #FrancesCook #MakingCentsPodcast #InvestingPodcast #MoneyPodcast #FinancialFreedom

Time for a raw, unfiltered Ask Me Anything episode of Making Cents! Financial journalist Frances Cook sits down to tackle your biggest money questions. From practical strategies to break out of feeling stuck in a cost-of-living squeeze, to whether you should pay off your mortgage or invest in shares, Frances breaks down the plain-English rules of the money game. In this episode: Why trying to prioritise every money goal at once leads to burnout, and how to pick one achievable target The reality of FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) Moving from "average" to actually getting ahead: the two levers that make or break your money What to do when you feel stuck, overwhelmed, and can't see a clear way forward financially Should you invest in your employer’s share scheme? The risks of having all your eggs in one basket How to get a reluctant partner on board with money goals without fighting Mortgage vs Shares The shifting risks around Airbnb investments vs traditional long-term rentals Why index funds remain the core foundation of her own long-term investing strategy Whether you're struggling to find breathing room in your budget or working towards full financial freedom, this episode breaks down real, practical steps to help you take control of your money on your own terms. Follow me everywhere! Facebook / https://www.facebook.com/FrancesCookNZ Instagram / https://www.instagram.com/francescooknz TikTok / https://www.tiktok.com/@francescooknz Join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week https://www.francescook.co.nz/subscribe Become a confident sharemarket investor by signing up to the Market Memo newsletter https://www.francescook.co.nz/invest #MakingCents #FrancesCook #MakingCentsPodcast #InvestingPodcast #MoneyPodcast #FinancialFreedom Production and video editing by Lana Byrne Audio engineering by Tash Chittock Filmed by Fanaticals