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Making Cents

Making Cents

By: Frances Cook
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 The podcast for people who want financial freedom, without giving up their coffee. That means it's time to make the money world make cents. Join Frances Cook, best-selling author and award-winning journalist, to talk about the proven ways to invest your way to financial independence, buy your first home, or just get your spending under control. Every Monday we have the week's feature interview, with someone who's done something interesting with their money. From paying off a mountain of debt, or investing for financial independence, or starting a new business, these are the ordinary people making the extraordinary possible. On Thursday we have Ask the Experts, where industry insiders answer your questions on the money world. From earning more in your career, to investing, or sticking to a budget, they'll help make money simple. Every now and then you'll get a bonus episode too, but the fun of those is that you never know when they're coming!Frances Cook Economics Personal Finance
Episodes
  • How to build wealth like the 1% (on a normal income)

    How to build wealth like the 1% (on a normal income)
    Feb 1 2026
    If you’ve ever wondered what’s actually going on behind the scenes of the 1%, beyond the headlines, Instagram posts, and glossy business profiles, this episode pulls back the curtain. Because beneath the public image of wealth is usually a highly deliberate money strategy. And it doesn’t have to be exclusive to the ultra-rich. In this episode of Making Cents, Frances Cook speaks with Andrew Clements, a private wealth and succession lawyer who works with some of New Zealand’s wealthiest families. Andrew spends his days helping high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients build wealth, protect it, and stop it being blown up by one bad decision, whether that’s an investment mistake, poor structure, or family conflict. What he’s learned may surprise you. We talk about: How wealthy families think in decades, not years Why protecting money often matters more than chasing returns The “guardrails” the wealthy put around their money, and their families Why the rich often sell when others are rushing in The risks that don’t show up on balance sheets, including family and succession risk How downturns are treated as opportunity, not panic And which wealth strategies are realistic for everyday NZers to copy 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 #GenerationalWealth #WealthBuilding #WealthManagement #FinancialLiteracy #SuccessionPlanning #ImpactInvesting #FinancialAdviser #PrivateWealth #HighNetWorth #NZBusinessOwners Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction 00:02:13 Meet Andrew Clements: private wealth and succession lawyer 00:03:39 Money talks, but wealth whispers 00:04:25 Values over dollars: what wealthy families actually prioritize 00:08:19 The long game: how the wealthy build and protect assets 00:09:44 The Lithuanian entrepreneur who didn't get greedy 00:12:38 Investing in yourself: the best investment you can make 00:18:43 Philosophy breeds methodology: finding advisors who understand you 00:22:12 How the wealthy invest differently: shares over property 00:27:24 Impact investing: making money and making a difference 00:29:22 Family risk: how inheritance can become poison 00:33:16 Beating the three-generation curse 00:37:20 The hundred dollar note on the dinner table 00:42:13 Can average people become wealthy? Yes, here's how 00:44:39 Outro
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    45 mins
  • How to invest in the sharemarket in 2026 - WEBINAR REPLAY

    How to invest in the sharemarket in 2026 - WEBINAR REPLAY
    Jan 29 2026
    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. 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 Video editing & content production by Lana Byrne Audio engineering by Tash Chittock #MakingCents #FrancesCook
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    51 mins
  • "Is renovating my home an investment, or am I fooling myself?" Mailbag episode

    "Is renovating my home an investment, or am I fooling myself?" Mailbag episode
    Jan 28 2026
    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 ask@francescook.co.nz (mailto:ask@francescook.co.nz) 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
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    19 mins
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