Making Cents

What if the home buying rules you think are holding you back don't actually exist anymore?

Between outdated advice, myths about needing massive deposits, and the fear of trying to buy on a single income, it is easy to assume you are locked out of the property market before you even start.

The truth is that many old lending rules have expired, and with the right strategy, getting into your first home might be much closer than you thought.

Claire Williamson is the Director of My Mortgage and 2025 Regional Mortgage Adviser of the Year. She specialises in helping people who thought they were completely out of the home buying game find a way in.

In this episode:
- Why you do not always need a 20% deposit to buy a house
- How Kāinga Ora First Home Loans and 5% deposit options work
- How buying solo on a single income is possible
- How to buy property with friends or family, and the agreements you need to protect everyone
- How everyday debts, like a small credit card limit, can shrink your home loan budget by tens of thousands of dollars
- Straightforward steps for self-employed buyers to get approved for a mortgage
- How to manage your KiwiSaver and spending habits without giving up your lifestyle

Whether buying a home feels miles away or you are actively getting your deposit together, this episode breaks down real, practical steps to get into the property market on your own terms.

As discussed on the podcast, Claire wants to help as many first home buyers as possible into their first homes so has given us a sneaky code for 30 of our lucky audience to get her book for free. Add to cart and use code FRANCES.
Link here - https://www.mymortgage.co.nz/shop/product/658205/smashed-avo-to-smashed-goals/
Find Claire on Instagram @claire__williamson / @mymortgage.co.nz

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.

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Production and video editing by Lana Byrne
Audio engineering by Tash Chittock
Filmed by Fanaticals

Frances Cook joins the TVNZ Breakfast team to explain excuseflation, the trend of businesses using wall to wall inflation headlines as cover to hike their own prices, and what you can actually do to fight back.

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Is your Afterpay habit hurting your financial future and stopping you from hitting big life goals like buying your first home?

Every financial decision leaves a digital footprint, and banks and mortgage lenders use that data to check your creditworthiness, spending habits, and loan affordability. But with so much scaremongering and myths around credit scores in New Zealand, it's easy to panic.

This week on Ask the Experts, Jessica O’Hare, Head of Lending at Revolut, breaks down the truth about what lenders actually care about, what gets flagged on your credit report, and how to set up simple money systems that stick.

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:
- How lenders check your credit score, payment history, and loan affordability in New Zealand
- What happens when you miss an Afterpay, BNPL, or utility bill payment, and how long defaults stay on your credit file
- Red flags vs. green flags on your bank statements and credit reports when applying for a mortgage
- Why positive credit reporting means your phone and power bills can actually help your credit history
- How to automate your income, split your salary, and use "money pockets" to stop overspending

*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.

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!

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Production and video editing by Lana Byrne
Audio engineering by Tash Chittock
Filmed by Fanaticals

What if financial independence is something you could build for yourself, before you even hit 40?
Katie and Alan Donegan did exactly that.
No lottery win, no trust fund, just a determination to live simply, stack their cash, and build a life where they didn't have to answer to anyone else.
They retired at 35 and 40, and now travel the world while running Rebel Finance School, a free money course that's helped thousands of people worldwide sort out their finances.
Financial journalist Frances Cook sits down with the Donegans on the Making Cents podcast to find out what it actually takes for normal people to reach financial independence and retire early.
In this episode:
The three financial levers they pulled at once - spend less, earn more, invest - and how that took them from $0 to $1 million in about ten years
Why friends and family thought their frugal lifestyle meant they'd lost the plot, and how to be financially disciplined without being miserable
The one investing move Alan says he'd make from day one if he could go back
Why fees are one of the only proven predictors of how well an investment fund performs, and what to check on your own KiwiSaver or index funds
Why getting on the same page with your partner about money can matter more than any spreadsheet, budget or savings plan
How to keep spending on what you actually value while cutting everything else, so you save without feeling like you're missing out

Whether financial independence feels like a pipe dream or you're already working towards it, this episode breaks down real, practical steps for building wealth, investing for the long term, and designing a life on your own terms.

This episode of Making Cents is proudly supported by Odoo. Go to http://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 joins the Seven Sharp team to unpack a coin flip experiment that reveals how Kiwis think about risk and money, and why we will happily put it all on red but get nervous about the kinds of risk that actually build wealth.

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Join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week https://www.francescook.co.nz/subscribe
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