Cooking The Books

Each week BusinessDesk and the NZ Herald’s Cooking the Books podcast tackles a different money problem. Today, it’s the strategies to use to improve your chances of getting a raise. Hosted by Frances Cook. It’s that time of year – the time when many people are getting their performance review. Which means it’s the perfect time to ask for a pay rise. Data from Seek shows that the top three reasons New Zealanders look for a new job are to get more money, progress their career, or find better work-life balance. Your performance review is the place to see whether you could get those things from your current job. But Seek data also shows that last year, 42 per cent of New Zealanders headed into their performance review unprepared. That’s a waste of a golden opportunity to make your working day work better for you. For the latest podcast I talked to Seek career expert Leah Lambert from Relaunch Me.If you have a question about this podcast, or a question you'd like answered in the next one, come and talk to me about

A highlight clip from the October 2019 episode "How the rule of 100 helps decide your investing strategy", with Mark Lister from Craig's Investment Partners. If you have a question about this podcast, or a question you'd like answered in the next one, come and talk to me about it. I'm on Facebook here, Instagram here, and Twitter here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Each week BusinessDesk and the NZ Herald’s Cooking the Books podcast tackles a different money problem. Today, it’s what really matters to employees in 2023. Hosted by Frances Cook. We hear a lot about the war for good talent right now, and how businesses are struggling to find and keep the best workers.So it’s timely that Mercer has just put out its Global Talent Trends Survey for 2023, which for the first time includes data specifically looking at the New Zealand situation.So what are the biggest problems for New Zealand businesses? The theme seems to be overwork.61% say too many priorities are distracting their people, 47% say there’s a lack of capability and future skills, and 42% say employee exhaustion.What to do about it?Well, the research shows money does talk, and it’s often the best way to get people in the door. But after that, you need good company culture, and to be talking to your people honestly about what they need.For the latest podcast I talked to Mercer New Zealand’s head of workforce solut

A highlight clip from the January 2020 episode "The reality of one NZers journey to early retirement", with Nick Carr, from Your Money Blueprint.  If you have a question about this podcast, or a question you'd like answered in the next one, come and talk to me about it. I'm on Facebook here, Instagram here, and Twitter here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Each week BusinessDesk and the NZ Herald’s Cooking the Books podcast tackles a different money problem. Today, it’s a banking expert on how safe savings are in New Zealand and Australia. Hosted by Frances Cook. A bank collapse is the stuff of nightmares, with the potential to wipe out hard-earned savings, or a business’s ability to pay staff.This nightmare has become reality in the US, with a run on Silicon Valley Bank, or SVB, that led to the bank collapsing. It’s a big deal because SVB is, or was, the 16th largest bank in the USA. It’s the second biggest to fail since Washington Mutual’s collapse during the 2008 Global Financial Crisis.For context, it’s a bigger bank than ANZ here in New Zealand, which is our biggest bank. SVB had assets of US$209b, while ANZ NZ has assets of US$120b (NZ$195.6b).It’s been followed by a couple of other worrying developments. Credit Suisse was Switzerland’s second largest bank – but it’s being bought out in an emergency rescue deal by the country’s first biggest bank, UBS. UB

A highlight clip from the October 2020 episode "How to pay off debt faster", with Kate Reddington from Sorted. If you have a question about this podcast, or a question you'd like answered in the next one, come and talk to me about it. I'm on Facebook here, Instagram here, and Twitter here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Each week BusinessDesk and the NZ Herald’s Cooking the Books podcast tackles a different money problem. Today, it’s how index investing changed the game, and what’s next. Hosted by Frances Cook. Now don’t tell me you forgot it was our anniversary. It’s a big one too: 30 years, the pearl anniversary. What’s it the anniversary of? Well, I’m glad you asked. January 29 marked 30 years of the world’s longest-surviving exchange-traded fund, Standard & Poor’s Depository Receipt, mostly known by the acronym SPDR, or as the “spider”. It’s now one of the world’s largest funds. A little closer to home, March 3 this year marked 20 years since the Standard & Poors NZX50 was launched. That’s the china anniversary, for those paying attention. Jokes aside, index investing has been huge for letting the little guy into the market, allowing them to invest in a wide range of companies with less effort. The rewards, without as much risk. But some things have changed over the past few decades. For the latest podcast, I tal

A highlight clip from the October 2019 episode "Should you protect your KiwiSaver by going conservative?", with Paul Gregory, then head of investments for Pie Funds and JUNO KiwiSaver Scheme. If you have a question about this podcast, or a question you'd like answered in the next one, come and talk to me about it. I'm on Facebook here, Instagram here, and Twitter here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Each week BusinessDesk and the NZ Herald’s Cooking the Books podcast tackles a different money problem. Today, it’s the couple who used shares and property investing to create the financial freedom to go travelling with their kids. Hosted by Frances Cook. Living entirely off investments might seem like a dream for rich people, but what about the idea of changing your money so that you have some investments supporting you, and then you just work a little bit?That’s exactly what today’s guest did, after they decided life was short, and they wanted to travel and have lots of time for their kids.She and her husband both work part-time now, thanks to a healthy combination of property investing, shares investing, and starting their own business.But where they started from was minimum wage jobs.For the latest podcast I talked to Emma Healey.If you have a question about this podcast, or a question you'd like answered in the next one, come and talk to me about it. I'm on Facebook here, Instagram here, and Twitter here

Each week BusinessDesk and the NZ Herald’s Cooking the Books podcast tackles a different money problem. Today, it’s how to figure out your insurance priorities, and how insurance will change in the future. Hosted by Frances Cook. Insurance is meant to protect you against life’s worst moments, the things that can make life hard for not just you, but also your loved ones. But it’s also a little tricky, because the various policies can be expensive, and you have to personalise your strategy. After all, the things that pose a risk to your quality of life won’t be the same as for someone else. There’s also the bigger picture to consider here. After major floods and severe weather around New Zealand, the impacts have been devastating. As we move past the immediate response, it’s fair to ask, will this change how we live and manage risk through insurance? To talk about what you need to know, both now and in the future, on the latest Cooking the Books podcast I talked to Insurance Council Chief Executive Tim Grafton.

A highlight clip from the September 2019 episode "the most successful ways to travel on a budget". If you have a question about this podcast, or a question you'd like answered in the next one, come and talk to me about it. I'm on Facebook here, Instagram here, and Twitter here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Each week BusinessDesk and the NZ Herald’s Cooking the Books podcast tackles a different money problem. Today, it’s how to approach the sharemarket while the economy is down. Hosted by Frances Cook. There’s an old saying that everyone is a genius in a bull market.When the share market is going up, up, up, it’s easy to get sucked into the hype, and assume that you’re the one making brilliant investing decisions. When actually you’re just in a positive part of the cycle.However, bull markets, where the money is easy, eventually end.Now things are looking a little curlier. Businesses aren’t having a good time, so shares and stocks are down.Recession is looming on the horizon, there’s a cost of living crisis, and some investors are thinking, maybe this isn’t for me after all.So what do you do at times like this?For the latest podcast, I talked to Victoria Harris from The Curve.If you have a question about this podcast, or a question you’d like answered in the next one, talk to me about it. I’m on Facebook here, I

A highlight clip from the December 2020 episode "the pros and cons of a tiny home". If you have a question about this podcast, or a question you'd like answered in the next one, come and talk to me about it. I'm on Facebook here, Instagram here, and Twitter here.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Each week BusinessDesk and the NZ Herald’s Cooking the Books podcast tackles a different money problem. Today, it’s the costs you should consider before having a baby. Hosted by Frances Cook. Kids are a delight, a gift… a big old expense.Adding a new person to the world and your family comes with costs, and it’s a reality that can put people off kids.It’s a trend around the world.Japan is the most famous example, with a record low number of births in 2021. The US population is barely growing anymore. China’s had it first population decline in more than 60 years.Here in New Zealand? The long term trend is fewer births.What could be behind this, I wonder? When it’s so difficult to buy a house, wages don’t keep up with living costs, and childcare is so expensive, gosh, what on earth puts people off?Anyway, having children and raising a family is something many people want. Just because there are certain financial realities doesn’t mean it’s impossible.For the latest podcast I talked to Cat Emerson from Kernel. I

A highlight clip from the May 2021 episode, "how to use money to boost your happiness". If you have a question about this podcast, or a question you'd like answered in the next one, come and talk to me about it. I'm on Facebook here, Instagram here, and Twitter here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Each week BusinessDesk and the NZ Herald’s Cooking the Books podcast tackles a different money problem. Today, it’s how to handle a falling property market, whether you’re an investor or first home buyer. Hosted by Frances Cook. Slides at the park might be a bit of fun, but when it comes to the property market, the latest downward slide has probably not left many people laughing.Real Estate Institute data shows sales are way down, 39 per cent year-on-year, while Auckland house prices have fallen 18 per cent to a new median value of $1.05 million.The median sale price for New Zealand overall fell over the past year by 12 per cent to $790,000.Now property always has winners and losers. Frankly, a lot of first home buyers will be excited to hear this, and feel like now is a great time to be buying. They’re not wrong.However, I’ve also had lots of messages from people who would like to invest in property at some stage, wondering if that’s still a good idea, or if the best time has been and gone.You know me, I lov

Each week BusinessDesk and the NZ Herald’s Cooking the Books podcast tackles a different money issue. Today, it’s a woman who goes to work so that she can donate her salary. Hosted by Frances Cook. Being focused on money can sometimes have a bad reputation. People can decide it means you’re greedy, or self-interested. Well today’s guest hit financial independence and decided, she still wanted to work, but so that she could give away much of that income, to causes she cares about. It’s become a way for her to make an impact on the world and give it a nudge in the right direction. Here’s how she did it. For the latest podcast, I talked to Sarah Woodfield. If you have a question about this podcast, or a question you'd like answered in the next one, come and talk to me about it. I'm on Facebook here, Instagram here, and Twitter here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Each week BusinessDesk and the NZ Herald’s Cooking the Books podcast tackles a different money problem. Today, it’s how to figure out which online platform to invest through. Hosted by Frances Cook. The last couple of years has seen a boom in DIY shares investors dabbling in the market. One reason is the increased information out there, and people understanding that they need to invest their money in order to get ahead. But another key reason is the growth in new, online platforms that let you invest with whatever small change you have at the end of the week. That’s been a gamechanger, letting the little guy get in on the game and start building wealth. But there’s been a change recently. Both Sharesies and Stake, typically the hero of those small time investors, have announced a big change on the fees they charge. Now anyone who’s read my books knows where I’m going with this – fees are a big deal. Many people will ignore them, but they’re a hidden way to lose a lot of money when you’re investing, so you’ve

Each week BusinessDesk and the NZ Herald's Cooking the Books podcast tackles a different money problem. Today, it's how to get started in real estate investing when you don't have much spare cash. Hosted by Frances Cook. We all know that New Zealanders have a mild property investment obsession. For decades now, it’s been one of the favourite ways for kiwis to build their wealth. But as prices went up, fewer and fewer people found property investment to be a realistic option for them. When you need tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands of dollars, just to get started, well, that’s a pretty big ask. So what if you could get into property investment for just $5? Even better,what if it’s not just the standard residential property options that most New Zealanders opt for, but getting into the commercial or industrial property investments that can take more expertise to get right? Well, you can. There are property funds that are listed on the sharemarket, that let you get into property investment for les

Each week BusinessDesk and the NZ Herald’s Cooking the Books podcast tackles a different money problem. Today, it’s why bonds are the most attractive they’ve been in years. Hosted by Frances Cook. While interest rates going up can hurt our money in a lot of ways, there’s a silver lining.Certain investments, like bonds, start to make much more money.So what are bonds, and why haven’t we talked about them as much on this podcast before?Well, it’s almost like you’re becoming a lender, or a bank. Your investment money is given as a loan to a government, or business, and they use it to expand or invest into new projects.Just like a credit card, there’s an agreed interest rate that they’ll pay you back at, and a set date by which they have to give you back all of your money.Because it relies on interest, well, they weren’t very fun or rewarding in the previous low-interest rate environment.But they’re looking pretty good about now, or at least, some of them are.For the latest podcast I talked to David McLeish, head