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Cooking the Books with Frances Cook
BusinessDesk and NZ Herald
Each week the New Zealand Herald and BusinessDesk's Cooking the Books tackles a different money problem. Hosted by Frances Cook.
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Each week the NZ Herald's Cooking the Books podcast tackles a different money problem. Today, it's how to take control of your credit score. Hosted by Frances Cook.
Credit scores are important, but it can be hard to figure out how important they are in our part of the world.
A lot of personal finance advice comes from the United States, where their credit system is entirely different.
Trying to copy that here could see you spending a lot on credit card fees, with no reward.
So for the latest Cooking the Books podcast I talked to Tom Hartmann from Sorted, about how to understand our system.
We discussed what a credit score is used for, how you can check yours and whether you really need a credit card in order to have a good score.
If you have a question about this podcast, or question you'd like answered in the next one, come and talk to me about it. I'm on Facebook here https://www.facebook.com/FrancesCookJournalist/ Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/francescooknz/ and Twitter here https://twitter.com/FrancesCook
Credit scores are important, but it can be hard to figure out how important they are in our part of the world.
A lot of personal finance advice comes from the United States, where their credit system is entirely different.
Trying to copy that here could see you spending a lot on credit card fees, with no reward.
So for the latest Cooking the Books podcast I talked to Tom Hartmann from Sorted, about how to understand our system.
We discussed what a credit score is used for, how you can check yours and whether you really need a credit card in order to have a good score.
If you have a question about this podcast, or question you'd like answered in the next one, come and talk to me about it. I'm on Facebook here https://www.facebook.com/FrancesCookJournalist/ Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/francescooknz/ and Twitter here https://twitter.com/FrancesCook
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Each week the NZ Herald's Cooking the Books podcast tackles a different money problem. Today, it's how to use your money to provide a safety net in a crazy world. Hosted by Frances Cook.
This year alone, we've had major wildfires in Australia and the US, we've had elections which caused big disruptions in some countries, and of course, who could go past the pandemic which has changed all of our lives in major ways.
There's still time left in 2020 of course, but I don't want to tempt fate.
To say it's unstable right now is an understatement, and it's causing many of us to rethink a few things.
One of those is of course, our money. When handled right, your money can provide a buffer between you and some of the scarier parts of the world.
It can cushion you, from the worst of the shocks.
Our guest today has written a book all about how you could do that, combining philosophy with personal finance advice for a truly unique perspective.
For the latest podcast I talked to Richard Meadows, financial columnist and author of Optionality.
We discussed how he had hit financial freedom, how the current instability changed things, and whether the average person could work towards financial independence.
If you have a question about this podcast, or question you'd like answered in the next one, come and talk to me about it. I'm on Facebook here https://www.facebook.com/FrancesCookJournalist/ Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/francescooknz/ and Twitter here https://twitter.com/FrancesCook
This year alone, we've had major wildfires in Australia and the US, we've had elections which caused big disruptions in some countries, and of course, who could go past the pandemic which has changed all of our lives in major ways.
There's still time left in 2020 of course, but I don't want to tempt fate.
To say it's unstable right now is an understatement, and it's causing many of us to rethink a few things.
One of those is of course, our money. When handled right, your money can provide a buffer between you and some of the scarier parts of the world.
It can cushion you, from the worst of the shocks.
Our guest today has written a book all about how you could do that, combining philosophy with personal finance advice for a truly unique perspective.
For the latest podcast I talked to Richard Meadows, financial columnist and author of Optionality.
We discussed how he had hit financial freedom, how the current instability changed things, and whether the average person could work towards financial independence.
If you have a question about this podcast, or question you'd like answered in the next one, come and talk to me about it. I'm on Facebook here https://www.facebook.com/FrancesCookJournalist/ Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/francescooknz/ and Twitter here https://twitter.com/FrancesCook
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Each week the NZ Herald's Cooking the Books podcast tackles a different money problem. Today, it's the options for your financial future when houses are just too expensive. Hosted by Frances Cook.
OK, if you're feeling a little frustrated by the housing market, you're not alone. It's daunting if you're a first home buyer right now.
When Covid-19 first hit, all of the economists were predicting house prices to slide, as a knock-on effect of our economy getting a hammering.
Instead our country has handled the virus remarkably well, the economy is much better than expected, and house prices, well, they're racing away.
The latest OneRoof Property Report shows that in the time from August to October alone, Auckland prices jumped a shocking 2.8 per cent.
So, does this mean you should give up? No.
Does it mean you should put yourself in worrying amounts of debt, so that if one single thing goes wrong the bank takes the house back off you? Also no.
There are other ways to boost your wealth to give you financial security, and it can also be a path to get you a house further down the road, if that's what you want.
For the latest podcast I talked to Mark Lister from Craig's Investment Partners.
We discussed what other options you have for securing your financial future, if you can retire without owning a home, and how investing in other areas could help you get a house deposit.
If you have a question about this podcast, or question you'd like answered in the next one, come and talk to me about it. I'm on Facebook here https://www.facebook.com/FrancesCookJournalist/ Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/francescooknz/ and Twitter here https://twitter.com/FrancesCook
OK, if you're feeling a little frustrated by the housing market, you're not alone. It's daunting if you're a first home buyer right now.
When Covid-19 first hit, all of the economists were predicting house prices to slide, as a knock-on effect of our economy getting a hammering.
Instead our country has handled the virus remarkably well, the economy is much better than expected, and house prices, well, they're racing away.
The latest OneRoof Property Report shows that in the time from August to October alone, Auckland prices jumped a shocking 2.8 per cent.
So, does this mean you should give up? No.
Does it mean you should put yourself in worrying amounts of debt, so that if one single thing goes wrong the bank takes the house back off you? Also no.
There are other ways to boost your wealth to give you financial security, and it can also be a path to get you a house further down the road, if that's what you want.
For the latest podcast I talked to Mark Lister from Craig's Investment Partners.
We discussed what other options you have for securing your financial future, if you can retire without owning a home, and how investing in other areas could help you get a house deposit.
If you have a question about this podcast, or question you'd like answered in the next one, come and talk to me about it. I'm on Facebook here https://www.facebook.com/FrancesCookJournalist/ Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/francescooknz/ and Twitter here https://twitter.com/FrancesCook
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Each week the NZ Herald's Cooking the Books podcast tackles a different money problem. Today, it's the different money moves you should make at different times in your life. Hosted by Frances Cook.
It's all very well to know the basics of what you need to do with your money, but if you're just starting out, it can be hard to know the first step.
After all, you might want to pay off debt, start investing, and get a good savings account going, but you only have a certain amount of money.
That decision paralysis of where to make those first changes can be what stops many of us from making the easiest changes.
Or if we start with the wrong thing, it can blow up in our face, and we get discouraged.
No worries though, we've got some simple steps to figure out where you're at in your financial journey, and what you should be focusing on next.
For the latest podcast I talked to Tim Fairbrother from Rival Wealth.
We discussed what to do first if you've never paid much attention to your money before, saving versus paying off debt, and when to start investing.
If you have a question about this podcast, or question you'd like answered in the next one, come and talk to me about it. I'm on Facebook here https://www.facebook.com/FrancesCookJournalist/ Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/francescooknz/ and Twitter here https://twitter.com/FrancesCook
It's all very well to know the basics of what you need to do with your money, but if you're just starting out, it can be hard to know the first step.
After all, you might want to pay off debt, start investing, and get a good savings account going, but you only have a certain amount of money.
That decision paralysis of where to make those first changes can be what stops many of us from making the easiest changes.
Or if we start with the wrong thing, it can blow up in our face, and we get discouraged.
No worries though, we've got some simple steps to figure out where you're at in your financial journey, and what you should be focusing on next.
For the latest podcast I talked to Tim Fairbrother from Rival Wealth.
We discussed what to do first if you've never paid much attention to your money before, saving versus paying off debt, and when to start investing.
If you have a question about this podcast, or question you'd like answered in the next one, come and talk to me about it. I'm on Facebook here https://www.facebook.com/FrancesCookJournalist/ Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/francescooknz/ and Twitter here https://twitter.com/FrancesCook
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How to pay off debt faster
Cooking the Books with Frances Cook
10/27/20 • 24 min
Each week the NZ Herald's Cooking the Books podcast tackles a different money problem. Today, it's how to pay off debt faster, and pay less overall. Hosted by Frances Cook.
There's quite enough to be feeling nervous about these days, with the Covid-19 situation changing every five minutes, and regularly throwing curveballs to the economy.
So if you've got some debt you were meaning to deal with, it's probably making you feel a bit vulnerable.
The problem with debt is it's one more thing that makes everything else worse. If you lose your job it's another bill to keep paying off, or if you are trying to save some money for emergencies, it's another thing soaking up your spare cash.
But don't despair. There are ways to pay off debt faster, so that you pay less overall, and get that monkey off your back.
For the latest podcast I talked to Kate Reddington from Sorted.
We talked about how covid-19 has changed the debt stress, the techniques to pay it off faster, and what to do if a debt collector is involved.
If you have a question about this podcast, or question you'd like answered in the next one, come and talk to me about it. I'm on Facebook here https://www.facebook.com/FrancesCookJournalist/ Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/francescooknz/ and Twitter here https://twitter.com/FrancesCook
There's quite enough to be feeling nervous about these days, with the Covid-19 situation changing every five minutes, and regularly throwing curveballs to the economy.
So if you've got some debt you were meaning to deal with, it's probably making you feel a bit vulnerable.
The problem with debt is it's one more thing that makes everything else worse. If you lose your job it's another bill to keep paying off, or if you are trying to save some money for emergencies, it's another thing soaking up your spare cash.
But don't despair. There are ways to pay off debt faster, so that you pay less overall, and get that monkey off your back.
For the latest podcast I talked to Kate Reddington from Sorted.
We talked about how covid-19 has changed the debt stress, the techniques to pay it off faster, and what to do if a debt collector is involved.
If you have a question about this podcast, or question you'd like answered in the next one, come and talk to me about it. I'm on Facebook here https://www.facebook.com/FrancesCookJournalist/ Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/francescooknz/ and Twitter here https://twitter.com/FrancesCook
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Side hustles that don't suck
Cooking the Books with Frances Cook
10/20/20 • 33 min
Each week the NZ Herald's Cooking the Books podcast tackles a different money problem. Today, it's the best ways to make extra money, without wasting your time. Hosted by Frances Cook.
Well, it turns out that you guys really want to talk about side hustles.
When we talked about paying off debt using side hustles a few weeks ago, I was inundated with questions about finding more ways to earn extra cash, and which ones were worth the time.
Which is a very good question.
You don't want to invest your time, or even worse your money, into something that only gives you a little bit back.
So today we're maximising your spare time so that you can get the most cash for it, to put towards whatever your goals are.
For the latest podcast I talked to Chris Walsh from MoneyHub.
We talked about how to make the most from digital platforms, which old-fashioned side hustles are still worth doing, and whether you can make much from online surveys.
If you have a question about this podcast, or question you'd like answered in the next one, come and talk to me about it. I'm on Facebook here https://www.facebook.com/FrancesCookJournalist/ Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/francescooknz/ and Twitter here https://twitter.com/FrancesCook
Well, it turns out that you guys really want to talk about side hustles.
When we talked about paying off debt using side hustles a few weeks ago, I was inundated with questions about finding more ways to earn extra cash, and which ones were worth the time.
Which is a very good question.
You don't want to invest your time, or even worse your money, into something that only gives you a little bit back.
So today we're maximising your spare time so that you can get the most cash for it, to put towards whatever your goals are.
For the latest podcast I talked to Chris Walsh from MoneyHub.
We talked about how to make the most from digital platforms, which old-fashioned side hustles are still worth doing, and whether you can make much from online surveys.
If you have a question about this podcast, or question you'd like answered in the next one, come and talk to me about it. I'm on Facebook here https://www.facebook.com/FrancesCookJournalist/ Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/francescooknz/ and Twitter here https://twitter.com/FrancesCook
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Each week the NZ Herald's Cooking the Books podcast tackles a different money problem. Today, it's the astonishing rise of DIY investing since lockdown. Hosted by Frances Cook.
This year has seen a spike in new investors. Since the first Covid-19 lockdown back in March, the Financial Markets Authority estimates 120,000 New Zealand investors have joined local online investing platforms.
That's a seriously big jump for a small country like ours. For perspective, the big platforms Sharesies, InvestNow, and Hatch, now have about 250,000 clients between them.
My first reaction to this news is absolute happiness.
More Kiwis taking control of their money, and investing for their future, is awesome.
I hope that even more people join the investing journey in the future.
But with so many new investors coming in at the same time, there is the potential for things to go wrong.
No worries though – let's talk about that, and make sure that Cooking the Books listeners are the ones ahead of the curve.
For the latest podcast I talked to FMA CEO Rob Everett.
We discussed why he thinks there's been such a spike in investors, the reason for caution, and best practice for new investors.
• If you have a question about this podcast, or question you'd like answered in the next one, come and talk to me about it. I'm on Facebook here https://www.facebook.com/FrancesCookJournalist/ Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/francescooknz/ and Twitter here https://twitter.com/FrancesCook
This year has seen a spike in new investors. Since the first Covid-19 lockdown back in March, the Financial Markets Authority estimates 120,000 New Zealand investors have joined local online investing platforms.
That's a seriously big jump for a small country like ours. For perspective, the big platforms Sharesies, InvestNow, and Hatch, now have about 250,000 clients between them.
My first reaction to this news is absolute happiness.
More Kiwis taking control of their money, and investing for their future, is awesome.
I hope that even more people join the investing journey in the future.
But with so many new investors coming in at the same time, there is the potential for things to go wrong.
No worries though – let's talk about that, and make sure that Cooking the Books listeners are the ones ahead of the curve.
For the latest podcast I talked to FMA CEO Rob Everett.
We discussed why he thinks there's been such a spike in investors, the reason for caution, and best practice for new investors.
• If you have a question about this podcast, or question you'd like answered in the next one, come and talk to me about it. I'm on Facebook here https://www.facebook.com/FrancesCookJournalist/ Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/francescooknz/ and Twitter here https://twitter.com/FrancesCook
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
