Making Cents

Everyone says you should start investing in the stock market, but how do you actually do that?

Time for a quick roadmap to get you started. Whether you’re starting from scratch, or you’ve been investing for a while but you’re not sure you’re nailing it, this is the live session to help you feel like the confident investor you should be.

With top industry experts

-Kernel chief executive Dean Anderson

-Stuff money editor Damian Venuto

-Massey University Professor Claire Matthews

As we answer questions live, we’re talking about what actually matters when investing in shares in 2026, how to get started without overthinking it, building a system that lets you keep investing no matter what, and getting under the hood of what’s happening in the sharemarket right now.

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Video editing & content production by Lana Byrne

Audio engineering by Tash Chittock

#MakingCents #FrancesCook

Are home renovations actually an investment, or just an expensive way to make your house nicer to live in?

In this Ask the Experts mailbag episode, it’s time to answer the question many are scared of: have I overcapitalised my home?

Which renovations genuinely add value, and which ones don’t?
Is your own home an investment, or a lifestyle choice?
And if you’ve already spent the money, should you even consider an investment property?

To break it all down, I’m joined by Vanessa Williams from http://realestate.co.nz who brings the data on what actually moves house prices in New Zealand: from extra bedrooms and bathrooms, to the renovation traps that don’t stack up financially.

We cover:
– When renovations can increase resale value, and when they won’t
– The real difference between lifestyle upgrades and wealth-building moves
– How to tell if you’ve overcapitalised (and what to do if you have)
– Whether using home equity to invest in property is still an option
– How to think about your home versus a true investment property

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 #NewZealandProperty #PropertyMarket #PropertyInvestment #HomeRenovation #RenovationROI #Overcapitalising #HomeEquity #InvestmentProperty #FirstHomeBuyer #DIYRenovation #PropertyValuation

Chapters

00:00:00 Introduction
00:01:14 Listener letter: renovated but worried about overcapitalizing
00:02:18 What renovations actually add value vs lifestyle upgrades
00:03:30 The data: how much value each bedroom adds
00:05:28 Kitchens and decks: investment or lifestyle choice?
00:06:46 How to know if you've overcapitalised
00:08:48 Is your home an investment? The debate
00:12:25 Using home equity to buy an investment property
00:14:57 Next steps: gathering information and exploring options
00:17:28 Outro

Quick-fire tips and tricks for feeling more in control of your money in 2026.

Frances Cook joins the TVNZ Breakfast team to talk about it, replayed here with permission.

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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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Gold and silver prices are booming, and it’s being driven by something deeper: how people are feeling about their money.

When trust starts to break down, investors don’t just talk about it, they move their money.

Darcy Ungaro, a financial adviser and host of the NZ Everyday Investor, is seeing more New Zealanders actively asking about gold, silver, Bitcoin, and other alternatives. It’s not out of greed, but out of caution.

In this episode we talk about:

Why gold and silver prices are rising

Whether silver is a good investment, or just dangerously volatile

The real risks behind the silver price surge (and why it can “rip your face off” if you get it wrong)

Gold vs silver: how they behave differently in uncertain markets

How to invest in gold and silver ETFs in NZ, versus holding physical metal

How to think about allocation, not hype, when markets feel unstable

If you’ve been wondering whether gold or silver belongs in your portfolio - or why so many people are suddenly asking the question - this episode will help you make sense of it.

Follow me everywhere!

Facebook / https://www.facebook.com/FrancesCookNZ

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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 #Silver #Gold #Bitcoin #AlternativeInvestments #PreciousMetals #Investment

Chapters

00:00:00 Introduction
00:02:09 Meet Darcy Ungaro: financial adviser and everyday investor
00:04:04 The rise in precious metals: what's driving it?
00:15:02 Gold and silver during global instability
00:17:05 Silver: the volatile cousin of gold
00:27:14 Darcy's biggest mistake: trading silver with 50X leverage
00:30:15 Gold vs silver: similarities and differences
00:33:49 Bitcoin as digital gold: does the comparison hold up?
00:41:54 How to allocate: the 80/20 portfolio approach
00:48:03 Where to start: getting into gold and silver without losing your face
00:51:10 Outro

Opposites attract, until it comes to money.

This week’s listener says she’s a saver, her partner is a spender, and every attempt to “get serious” about their finances ends the same way: frustration, guilt, splurging out of spite, and a plan that falls apart by March.

Instead of moving forward, they’re cancelling each other out, and it’s starting to wear them both down.

In this Ask the Experts episode, EnableMe head strategic coach Katie Wesney breaks down why saver–spender dynamics are so common, and why money fights are usually about values, security, and behaviour, not just dollars.

We talk about:

Why saver–spender couples clash, even when they want the same life

How different money personalities (savers, spenders, upholders, questioners, rebels) approach rules, goals, and plans

Why behaviour matters more than the “perfect” financial strategy

How starting with a shared vision changes the conversation

Practical systems that reduce friction, including automation and separate “no-questions-asked” spending

How couples can use their differences as strengths instead of sabotage

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 #SaverVsSpender #CouplesAndMoney #MoneyInRelationships #MoneyPersonalities #MoneyMindset #BudgetingAsACouple #JointAccounts #FinancialAccountability #MortgageTips #PayOffMortgageFaster #FinancialFreedom

Chapters

00:00:00 Introduction
00:01:09 Listener letter: opposite money styles
00:01:48 "Money fights aren’t about money” (trust, values, security)
00:03:14 How to start the conversation: vision, numbers, timeframes
00:04:24 Money personality types: saver / shopper / plodder
00:05:34 Gretchen Rubin tendencies: upholder, obliger, questioner, rebel
00:11:08 Saver vs shopper
00:13:24 Systems for couples: joint vs separate money + autonomy
00:15:58 Where to from here?
00:16:19 Outro