Making Cents

If you want the truth about retiring early as a regular person, it doesn’t come from highlight reels or motivational posts. It comes from the numbers.

When you strip away the vibes, hacks, and hot takes, the numbers show what actually works, what doesn’t, and how real people build passive income that gives them real choice over their time.

That’s where Bronwyn Candish comes in.

Bronwyn is a chartered accountant who specialises in working with everyday people who want to retire early. It’s not the theory of it, but the messy, real-life version. By digging into people’s finances, she sees the patterns others miss: the spending leaks, the mindset traps, and the systems that move the needle over time.

In this episode, Bronwyn shares what she’s seen behind the scenes, including the common mistakes that hold people back, the simple tactics that actually stick, and why automation beats motivation every time.

She’s not just advising from the sidelines either. Bronwyn is building her own retire-early plan, using the same investing strategies, income levers, and intentional spending choices she recommends to her clients.

This is a grounded, honest look at how normal people really make progress, from passive income through shares, to optimising KiwiSaver, to getting your partner on the same page, and using community as a secret weapon.

Follow me everywhere!

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

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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

This podcast was filmed & produced by Fanaticals

Video editing & content production by Lana Byrne

Audio engineering by Tash Chittock

#MakingCents #FrancesCook #FinancialIndependence #FIREmovement #PassiveInvesting #PassiveIncome #FIRE #RetireEarly #Retirement

Chapters

00:00:00 Introduction
00:02:32 Meet Bronwyn: the accountant for people pursuing financial independence
00:05:14 Bronwyn's financial independence journey: divorce, debt, and discovery
00:07:23 COVID, parenthood, and purchasing a practice
00:09:10 Who Bronwyn works with: from lazy balance sheets to FIRE enthusiasts
00:13:00 Is financial independence accessible for normal people?
00:14:43 Best tactics for regular people: business as a bank account and expense awareness
00:15:45 The power of increasing income and self-employment
00:18:48 Black Friday: building community and brainwashing partners
00:27:23 Bronwyn's personal tactics: index funds, automation, and intentional spending
00:30:00 Mindset shifts: from deprivation to appreciation
00:33:45 The debt-free journey and the power of teamwork
00:35:50 Advice for skeptics and where to find Bronwyn

Money fights aren’t really about money. They’re about expectations, and how differently we respond to them.

In this episode of Making Cents, I’m breaking down the four money personalities that shape how you save, spend, budget, and argue about money. Get ready to finally understand why financial advice works brilliantly for some people and completely falls apart for others.

Based on Gretchen Rubin’s Four Tendencies framework, these personalities explain why:

You can know what to do with your money… and still not do it

Your partner’s approach makes perfect sense to them, but drives you mad

Discipline isn’t the issue, but mismatched systems are.

You’ll learn how the Upholder, Questioner, Obliger, and Rebel money personalities actually behave with money, where each one thrives, where it goes wrong, and what strategies genuinely work for each type.

We also dig into how different money personalities clash (and connect) in relationships. Why money is such a common source of tension, and how to design shared systems that don’t leave one person feeling controlled, rushed, unsupported, or sabotaged.

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 #moneypersonality #moneymindset #financialpsychology #financialfreedom #FourTendencies #Upholder #Questioner #Obliger #Rebel

Chapters

00:00:00 Introduction
00:03:11 The upholder: the goody two shoes who follow all the rules
00:05:58 The questioner: research everything, customize everything
00:10:54 The obliger: brilliant for others, terrible at prioritizing themselves
00:13:51 The rebel: identity over obligations
00:17:33 Why most money advice is written for upholders
00:18:27 Money personalities in relationships: why couples fight about expectations
00:20:49 Wrapping up: stop fighting yourself and design systems that fit
00:21:08 Outro

From the real risks behind AI hype and whether we're heading for a crash, to the surprising weakness hiding inside Big Tech's profits, and why digital advertising might be the canary in the coal mine that nobody's watching… it’s time to make sense of the chaos.

Fast Money with Jim Mora on RNZ’s Sunday Mornings, it’s time for the money update you need.

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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, or

Audio engineering by Tash Chittock

#MakingCents #FrancesCook #ShareMarket #MarketVolatility #Bitcoin #Gold #Silver #AI #BigTech #Investing #NZEconomy #PropertyInvesting #MarketCorrection

There is a lot of mortgage advice out there that is confidently wrong.

And the cost of following it isn’t just money, it’s time. Sometimes years of your life spent under pressure you didn’t actually need.

In this episode of Making Cents, we’re cutting through the biggest mortgage myths that trip people up both before they buy a home and long after they’ve signed the papers.

From “cleaning up” bank statements and chasing the lowest interest rate, to misunderstood rules around deposits, credit scores, extra repayments, and offsets, this is the stuff that sounds smart on paper, but can cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars over time.

Mortgage Man Aaron Cattell is a mortgage adviser on the front lines, working with real borrowers, real numbers, and real lending rules, and he’s ready to let you peek behind the curtain.

We break down:

What banks actually care about when approving a mortgage (and what they don’t)

Common mortgage-ready myths that no longer apply in New Zealand

Why loan structure matters more than chasing the cheapest interest rate

The simplest ways to cut years off your mortgage, without needing a windfall

When extra repayments, lump sums, offsets, or revolving credit actually make sense

The tactics that sound clever, but Aaron would ban tomorrow

If you’re buying your first home, refixing soon, or just want more control over the biggest debt most people will ever take on, this episode will help you avoid mistakes that quietly steal time from your future.

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

Aaron’s references mentioned in the episode: - https://www.themortgageman.co.nz/links

#MakingCents #FrancesCook

Chapters

00:00:00 Introduction
00:02:37 Meet Aaron Kital: the mortgage man on the front lines
00:04:00 Busting the deposit myth: you don't need 20 percent
00:05:30 The clean bank statements myth and what banks actually care about
00:09:25 Auctions, valuations, and the first-time buyer obstacle course
00:12:40 Is buying your own home actually a good investment?
00:15:00 Myths from overseas: credit scores and payment frequency
00:19:03 Should you pay off your mortgage early or invest elsewhere?
00:23:48 Three ways to smash your mortgage faster
00:26:06 Offset accounts and revolving credits: when they work and when they don't
00:34:42 Fixed versus floating: why structure beats interest rates every time
00:41:24 When mortgages keep you awake at night: hardship options
00:43:43 The easy win: one simple change that saves years
00:44:14 Outro

If you're feeling the February slump and wondering how to get back on track without starting from scratch, this one's for you!

A replay of Frances Cook's column for 1 News, read here with permission, on 7 science-backed ways to get your money back under control.

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 or level up your investing knowledge with the Market Memo newsletter https://www.francescook.co.nz/invest

Audio engineering by Tash Chittock

#MakingCents #FrancesCook