If you’ve pushed money aside for years, only to wake up in your mid-40s with a toddler, a tiny KiwiSaver balance, and a creeping fear about what life looks like at 70… where do you even begin?

That’s the heart of today’s Ask the Experts letter.

A single mum at 46 is saving just a few dollars a week, working part-time, and terrified that she’s already run out of time to build any kind of financial safety.

So what are the options when you’re starting late, starting small, or starting over?

• How much is “enough” for retirement?
• Does homeownership still make sense when you’re on the back foot?
• What can you realistically focus on when your capacity is limited by childcare, low income, and years of unstable work?
• And is it ever truly too late to turn things around?

Shelley Palman from EnableMe is in the hot seat to map out the options, the trade-offs, and the first practical steps to take when you’re overwhelmed but determined.

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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This podcast was filmed and produced by Fanaticals

Video editing & content production by Lana Byrne

Audio engineering by Tash Chittock

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