Making Cents

As the Iran conflict keeps pushing up the costs of daily essentials, Frances Cook joins the TVNZ Breakfast team to talk about how you can save money on food, fuel, and even your KiwiSaver.
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Audio engineering by Tash Chittock

Is politics about to derail your house buying plans?
With an election looming, talk of capital gains taxes, housing policy changes, and the possibility of government interference is everywhere. And if you’re trying to buy your first home, it’s enough to make you wonder… should you rush in, or wait it out?
In this episode of Ask the Experts, Frances Cook is joined by Vanessa Williams from http://realestate.co.nz to cut through the noise and focus on what actually matters.
We’re talking:
what election years have historically meant for the property market
why uncertainty can stall buyers (and when that can backfire),
what’s really happening in the property market right now, from supply levels to buyer behaviour
and what political announcements you should keep an eye on, because they could truly move the market.

Plus, the key policy changes worth paying attention to (and the ones that are mostly just headlines), including KiwiSaver rules, lending restrictions, and what a capital gains tax could realistically mean.
If you have a letter you’d like us to answer, please send it through to [email protected] and you might feature on our next episode!
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This podcast was filmed & produced by Fanaticals
Video editing & content production by Lana Byrne
Audio engineering by Tash Chittock

Why does it feel like you’re always spending more than you meant to?
No, you’re not imagining it. Modern consumer life is full of supermarket tricks, subscription traps, hidden fees, dark patterns, and pricing tactics designed to get more money out of you.

Luckily Consumer senior investigative journalist Chris Schulz knows all the psychological tricks companies use to drive overspending, and the practical ways you can fight back.

From supermarket layouts and loyalty pricing, to hard-to-cancel subscriptions, hidden online fees, insurance costs, and power bills, this episode breaks down why saving money now can feel like a full-time job, and where you can actually make real gains.

We’re talking:
what “dark patterns” are, and how online shopping traps you into spending more
how subscription traps and hard-to-cancel services cost you money
the best ways to compare supermarket prices and cut your grocery bill
how to review your insurance and avoid overpaying
why almost everyone could save money on their power bill

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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This podcast was filmed & produced by Fanaticals
Video editing & content production by Lana Byrne
Audio engineering by Tash Chittock

Just as we were hoping for a break in the cost of living, fuel and food prices are heading up again. So how can you protect your cash, and find savings everywhere from insurance, to KiwiSaver, to your subscriptions?
A replay of the conversation with Jesse Mulligan on RNZ’s Afternoons.
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KiwiSaver is changing, and you need to know what that means for your money.
The Government has changed the rules, and they’re coming in to force now.
Your own contribution rates, government contribution rules, and employer payments are all shifting. And depending on your income, age, or how your salary package works, the impact on your take-home pay could be very different.
In this episode of Ask the Experts, Kristin Sutherland, strategic coach at EnableMe, helps us figure out what these changes mean in reality.
We’re talking:
The key KiwiSaver rule changes you need to know
How higher contribution rates could affect your take-home pay
Whether the employer contribution changes are actually a boost or just a reshuffle
Why higher earners lose the government contribution
The biggest KiwiSaver mistakes people make during rule changes
How to review your fund, fees, and settings so your KiwiSaver works harder for you

If you have a letter you’d like us to answer, please send it through to [email protected] 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

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

This podcast was filmed & produced by Fanaticals
Video editing & content production by Lana Byrne
Audio engineering by Tash Chittock