Making Cents

Election season is here, and every political party is lining up to promise fixes for your wallet. But behind the political promises on KiwiSaver, grocery prices, and power bills, are any of their proposed solutions actually going to fix the real problems?

Independent financial journalist and founder of The Kaka, Bernard Hickey, joins Frances Cook on Making Cents to pull back the curtain on the economic realities facing New Zealand. From the truth about making KiwiSaver compulsory to why a food-producing nation has a million people relying on food banks, Bernard breaks down the big structural flaws and the radical changes needed to actually move the dial.

In this episode:
Why making KiwiSaver compulsory without tax breaks is effectively a tax on everyday workers
The overseas investment problem: why 60% of KiwiSaver funds head offshore instead of building NZ infrastructure
The first-home buyer dilemma: why using KiwiSaver as a deposit fund pumps up house prices
How Australia built the world’s third-largest pension pool, and the sliding door moment New Zealand missed
Supermarket duopolies: why splitting up Foodstuffs and Woolworths needs a telecom-style breakup to work
Why New Zealand can feed 40 million people while grocery bills push families to the brink
The real driver behind youth unemployment and why inflation targets are punishing the wrong people
How New Zealand could become self-sufficient in food, energy, and housing during global disruption

Whether you're trying to figure out what election promises mean for your retirement fund or wondering why your weekly grocery shop keeps climbing, this episode breaks down what’s really going on with your money and our economy.

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

While global sharemarkets are booming, New Zealand is sitting quietly near the bottom of the table. I break down why our market is built differently, what that means for your returns, and how to think about whether you should be investing here or looking overseas.

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AI can build you a full financial plan in 30 seconds flat, but what happens when that plan meets the real world?

Chatbots sound confident, use big words, and can make you feel completely sorted with your money. But generic tools don't know what questions to ask, often affirm whatever you tell them, and can easily ignore massive blind spots like debt, emergency buffers, or market risk.

Katie Wesney from EnableMe joins Frances Cook on Ask the Experts to break down the reality of running your finances through AI. Together, they look at where AI tools are genuinely helpful, where they act as an overconfident trap, and how to stress test your money plan so it survives bad weather.

This episode covers:
The danger of AI financial plans: why "garbage in, garbage out" leaves out debt and bad assumptions
Why AI chatbots are designed to be agreeable, and why that makes them terrible financial advisers
The real difference between feeling confident and actually being financially prepared
The foundational numbers AI misses: net worth, monthly spending load, interest rates, and emergency buffers
How people are successfully using AI for financial education, budgeting, and asking better questions
How to stress test your goals—from buying a first home to paying off your mortgage faster or planning retirement

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

There’s a new person setting the rules for our retirement savings, so are we going to see changes for KiwiSaver?

David Boyle has just stepped in as New Zealand’s Retirement Commissioner, bringing decades of experience helping people navigate wealth, funds management, and financial education.

He joins Frances Cook on Making Cents to break down what’s really working, what’s broken, and where our retirement policy needs to go next. From the hidden trap of hiking contribution rates to why simple consistency beats chasing the "perfect" fund, David shares the practical tools and honest insights everyday Kiwis need to build a nest egg they can genuinely rely on.

In this episode:
Why KiwiSaver hardship withdrawals have tripled in five years
The launch of the Buffer Builder
Why increasing contribution rates could actually hurt lower-income earners
Where KiwiSaver fails: contractors, sole traders, and bridging the gender retirement gap
Can we actually rely on NZ Super in the future?
Regularity vs perfection: the #1 habit that matters more than fees or fund performance

Whether you are trying to stay ahead of day-to-day bills, build an emergency buffer, or plan decades ahead for retirement, this episode breaks down what the new rules mean for your money and how to make the system work for you.

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.

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
Become a confident sharemarket investor by signing up to the Market Memo newsletter https://www.francescook.co.nz/invest

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

Frances Cook joins the TVNZ Breakfast team to bust the mortgage myths that are putting people off buying a home, from the 20% deposit rule to whether your Uber Eats habit will tank your application.

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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
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