Making Cents

Frances Cook joins the TVNZ Breakfast team to share her favourite apps and websites for cutting power bills, saving on groceries, eating out for less and upskilling for free, all with as little effort as possible.

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"Excuseflation" is the secret reason your groceries, petrol and power keep going up.

Why did butter come down a third in global price... and only drop two cents on the shelf? Why does petrol rocket up in a day but crawl back down for months? There's a name for this: excuseflation, when real inflation gives businesses cover to hike prices for no real reason at all.

In this episode, financial journalist Frances Cook breaks down:
The real numbers behind headline inflation for NZ
The "rockets and feathers" effect: why petrol prices jump instantly but fall painfully slowly
The on-the-record quote from a US CEO who admitted he "prays for inflation" because it "expands margins"
Brand-new Reserve Bank of New Zealand research showing when businesses raise prices, and when they cut them
The 4-question "sniff test" to tell a genuine price rise from a cynical one
Practical ways to fight back against inflation, and excuseflation

If you've ever felt like prices only go one way, this episode explains why, and what you can actually do about it.

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Production and video editing by Lana Byrne
Audio engineering by Tash Chittock
Filmed by Fanaticals

You sent in your KiwiSaver questions, time for us to answer them.

KiwiSaver is one of the biggest financial tools most New Zealanders have, but just a few changes can mean tens of thousands of dollars more for you.

Personal finance journalist Susan Edmunds, author of the new book Your KiwiSaver Questions, Answered, is on the Making Cents podcast and ready to sort it out.

In this episode:
The most common KiwiSaver mistakes people make, and how to avoid them
How to get more money from your KiwiSaver
What changes are coming for KiwiSaver in the future, and the politics that could change your money
What actually happens to your KiwiSaver when you die
Whether you can trust putting your money into KiwiSaver,
Ethical investing options
Whether the government could ever take your KiwiSaver

Whether you're just starting out or trying to optimise years of contributions, this episode breaks down exactly what you need to know about KiwiSaver.

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.

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Production and video editing by Lana Byrne
Audio engineering by Tash Chittock
Filmed by Fanaticals

Frances Cook joins Jim Mora on RNZ Sunday Mornings to talk through whether financial independence is actually achievable for ordinary people and how to make it work on your own terms, followed by a run through the latest money news including the AI bubble, rising rates and what is happening in the housing market.
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Become a confident sharemarket investor by signing up to the Market Memo newsletter https://www.francescook.co.nz/invest

Most parents want to give their kids a softer landing than they had.
But what if the soft landing is the problem?
This week's letter writer has done everything right, on paper. Bills covered. Kids never stressed about money. An investment account quietly building in the background, for a nice surprise one day.
But with the kids about to fly the nest, they're rethinking whether thiswas the right tactic. Because maybe protecting them from money stress means they've never actually learned to handle it.
Katie Wesney, national coaching lead from EnableMe has answers. Together with Frances Cook, they talk about:
How to talk to kids about money without making it a source of stress
Whether a secret investment account is a gift, or a missed lesson
The right age to start involving kids in money decisions
Should you give your kid an allowance at university, or let them work for it
What financial independence should actually look like for a teenager leaving home

If you've ever wondered whether doing everything for your kids is setting them up, or setting them back, this is the one to listen to.

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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Facebook / https://www.facebook.com/FrancesCookNZ
Instagram / https://www.instagram.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
Become a confident sharemarket investor by signing up to the Market Memo newsletter https://www.francescook.co.nz/invest

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

Production and video editing by Lana Byrne
Audio engineering by Tash Chittock
Filmed by Fanaticals