Making Cents

Frances Cook joins the TVNZ Breakfast team to talk about the ways to save money on daily life, and maybe even earn some extra cash, to get through the cost of living crunch.

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Losing a partner is devastating. Then on top of the grief, there’s paperwork, big life changes, and financial decisions that feel urgent and overwhelming.

In this episode of Ask the Experts, we’re answering a listener question from a woman in her early 50s who recently lost her husband. They had just finished putting their kids through school and were about to ramp up retirement savings. Instead, she’s now navigating life solo, with a $500,000 lump sum from a payout and the sale of the family home.

Will White from Heartland Bank is in the Expert hot seat, ready to talk through:
Where to start when you’re grieving and facing big financial decisions

KiwiSaver vs managed funds – the pros, cons, and access rules

How to think about timeframes when retirement is 10–15 years away

Building a safety buffer before you invest

Risk tolerance, and how grief and life changes can affect how much volatility you can handle

If you have a letter you’d like us to answer, please send it through to [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) and you might feature on our next episode!

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This podcast was filmed & produced by Fanaticals
Video editing & content production by Lana Byrne
Audio engineering by Tash Chittock

#MakingCents #FrancesCook #MakingCentsPodcast #Investing #MoneyPodcast #FinancialFreedom

Chapters
00:00:00 Introduction
00:00:56 The letter: navigating grief and sudden financial responsibility
00:01:50 Don't rush: give yourself time to grieve and think clearly
00:02:28 Diversification matters: don't put all your eggs in one basket
00:05:30 Short, medium, and long-term priorities: working backwards from retirement
00:07:41 Investing in your 50s: you can't afford too many market shocks
00:08:36 Get a financial advisor: half a million dollars deserves professional advice
00:09:24 Emotional safeguards: when are you ready to make big decisions?
00:12:09 Invest in your mental well-being too: grief counseling is just as important
00:13:39 Wrapping up: take your time and lean on support

When you’re working hard, ticking the boxes, doing everything “right”, yet still not getting the promotion or pay rise? It’s easy to feel stuck.

You’re not imagining it.

New Zealand’s job market has cooled. Job listings are down. Businesses are cautious. Pay rises are harder to secure. Career progression can feel slower.

But when things get tight, that’s when strategy matters the most.

Enter Jarrod Haar, Professor of Management and Māori Business at Massey University, to tell us what actually works when you want to earn more, get promoted, or completely reinvent your career.

If you’ve been wondering:
“How do I get a pay rise in this economy?”

“Is it time to change jobs?”

“Do I need more qualifications to earn more money?”

“How can I reinvent my career without starting over?”

This episode is for you.

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

This podcast was filmed & produced by Fanaticals
Video editing & content production by Lana Byrne
Audio engineering by Tash Chittock

#MakingCents #FrancesCook #MakingCentsPodcast #InvestingPodcast #MoneyPodcast #FinancialFreedom

Chapters
00:00:00 Introduction
00:02:35 Meet Jarrod: Professor of Management on the state of burnout
00:06:13 The post-COVID hangover: why the job market feels so tough right now
00:07:44 Start with what you can control: upskilling and staying relevant
00:09:40 Social capital: why being a nice person actually pays off
00:19:17 Should you stay or should you go? Voting with your feet
00:21:51 The power of saying yes: building skills through work experience
00:24:35 The skills that matter across industries: human connection over credentials
00:29:22 Future-proofing your career: keep your finger on the pulse
00:34:07 Wrapping up: hustle smarter, not just harder

A small change to a payment strategy can save hundreds of thousands of dollars and years of repayment time from your mortgage, cutting one of the biggest expenses most people will face.
A replay of Frances Cook's column for Stuff.co.nz, read here with permission.

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#MakingCents #FrancesCook #MakingCentsPodcast #InvestingPodcast #MoneyPodcast #FinancialFreedom

What do you do when you’re stuck between two bad options?

Sell a home you bought near the peak of the market, even though it’s now worth hundreds of thousands less, or stay put in a house that no longer fits your life?

That’s the dilemma facing this week’s listener. They bought in late 2020, welcomed kids, watched their house value fall by around $250,000, and now feel trapped: too much mortgage pressure, not enough flexibility, and no clear “right” move.

Vanessa Williams from realestate.co.nz is in the expert hot seat, to tell us about the shocking number of New Zealanders in this situation, and what they can do about it.

We talk about:
What selling in a down housing market really means for your money

Whether holding on longer could help, or just prolong the stress

How life changes (kids, cashflow, burnout) should factor into property decisions

Why feeling “stuck” is common, and how a clear plan can restore control

If you’re weighing up sell or stay, worried about selling your house at a loss, or feeling trapped by a house that no longer works for your family or finances, this episode has the tactics you need to be thinking about.

If you have a letter you’d like us to answer, please send it through to [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) and you might feature on our next episode!

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

This podcast was filmed & produced by Fanaticals
Video editing & content production by Lana Byrne
Audio engineering by Tash Chittock

#MakingCents #FrancesCook #NZProperty #WellingtonRealEstate #NZHousingMarket #HousePrices #NegativeEquity #LowEquity #SellOrStay #propertyadvice

Chapters
00:00:00 Introduction
00:01:12 Listener letter: bought at the peak, now stuck
00:03:43 How common is this situation?
00:07:47 First steps: get a realistic valuation
00:08:33 Talk to a mortgage advisor or financial advisor
00:09:15 Could you wait it out? Considering 2026
00:09:57 Creative options: students, Airbnb, and short-term solutions
00:11:49 What if you've lost your deposit?
00:13:33 The power of having a plan
00:15:05 Outro