Frances Cook
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Independent financial journalist and commentator. Like cats a bit much.
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Articles by Frances Cook
How to stop investing fees eating all your money
Welcome to Frances Cook’s Market Memo, where you get smart with shares. Real talk, real tactics, no spreadsheets required. Quick heads-up before we get into it! A highly requested webinar is happening, to help you become the smartest sharemarket investor in your friend group. We’re going to dig into how you find the right investment for you, and what’s actually inside all of these funds and investment options.
Inside my own money plan
Hey team, It’s funny being someone who talks about money for a living, because there are two conversations that come up quite often. One, is that people are super keen to know how I handle my own cash, but often nervous to ask. Two, is that once they do ask, they’re often expecting perfectly optimised perfection. Some kind of Excel masterpiece, perfectly colour-coded, every dollar accounted for, with charts that would make a bank manager blush. I love people who can do those types of things.
Why your grocery bill still feels out of control
Prices are officially stabilising, but you probably won't be noticing that at the supermarket. Frances Cook makes some suggestions of other ways to cut costs. Inflation is technically in the “under control” range, yet many New Zealanders are still feeling a squeeze in core areas. What’s happening? It’s a trick of the numbers that explains why you’re not imagining things. Many of the core categories you can’t avoid paying for are still soaring in price.
FU money isn't what you think it is
Hey team, When I say the words “FU money”, people tend to immediately picture a certain scenario. You’re absolutely loaded, more money than God, with the ability to say “F U” to absolutely anyone, anytime, anywhere. To never have to work again, certainly not for a bad boss, never have to deal with a bad living situation again, to swan around the world only spending time with good people doing the most fun things. Now, that does sound rather intoxicating, don’t get me wrong.
Longing for freedom from work? How to get there without delaying joy
It's called FIRE (financial independence, retire early) and it's worth aiming for, but it doesn't mean putting your life on hold. By Frances Cook The dream of financial independence is powerful. The idea is simple; save hard, invest well, and eventually your money works harder than you do. You’ll have the freedom to walk away from work if you want to, or of course, a bad relationship, bad living situation, or any other situation where you can sometimes be stuck because of the money side of life.
Eight simple hacks to bring down your supermarket bill
Frances Cook talks to culinary budget whiz Alice Taylor and gets her top tips for eating well while shaving dollars off your grocery bill. You don’t need to be a chef to know how to make dinner cheaper. But it turns out, it helps if you follow one on Instagram. Former MasterChef contestant, cookbook author and growing Instagram sensation, Alice Taylor's posts aren't the usual polished, perfect, $40-a-plate fantasy food content.
Ten priceless pieces of financial advice I'd give my 20-year-old self
Frances Cook sums up the advice that would have helped her at 20 - and most of it is applicable now, or at any age, including retirement. Everyone wants to dish advice, very few people want to take it. In this instance, I’m going to do a bit of both. When I look back at how my money life has changed, it’s night and day. Twenty-year-old Frances felt broke, and frankly, not in control of her cash.
The high cost of being 'polite' with your money
Don't ask for a discount? Don't get one. But what happens when you do ask? You might be surprised, writes Frances Cook. There’s a little voice that lives in most of our heads, and it could be costing us thousands. It whispers things like “don’t make a fuss”, or “don’t be difficult”. Maybe it’s saying “don’t rock the boat”. It’s a very polite little voice. It’s also very expensive. Because when it comes to your money, you could miss out on tens of thousands of dollars, just by trying not to make a fuss.
The big cost of waiting for the 'perfect moment' to invest and budget
Time is one of your greatest financial assets. And once it's gone, it's gone, writes Frances Cook. If there’s one thing I’ve seen sabotage financial progress more than bad investments, bad advice, or even bad luck, it’s this; waiting for the perfect moment. The barriers crop up in all sorts of ways. Waiting for the market to settle. For your income to be a bit higher. For interest rates to come down. For when you feel more confident. For when you’ve “done the research". We all do it. I’ve done it.
Ready to invest? Five red flags to watch for in company reports
Frances Cook talks to veteran financial journalist Paul McBeth about what to look out for in a company report, before you invest your money in that company. If you're investing in the sharemarket and trying to figure out which companies are worth backing, there’s a good chance you've been told to "read the reports". Sounds simple enough, until you're 20 pages deep in a statement packed with jargon, fair value adjustments, and EBITDA breakdowns, wondering what any of it actually means.
Seven ways to have fun and enjoy treats even when strapped for cash
Feeling broke? You’re not alone — and you’re not out of options, writes Frances Cook. It’s no secret that the cost of everything has gone up and, as tough as last year was for employment, it's predicted that around the globe there will be many more redundancies in 2025. What a lovely economy to be part of. If you’re trying to cut back and stick to a budget while you frantically build up the emergency savings, you’re far from alone and it doesn't have to mean life is bleak.
Yes, you do need a will - five messy situations that prove it
Few of us have late pop star Liam Payne's multiple millions, but Kiwis die without wills, as he did, every day. Disappointed partners and feuding family members can be left behind, and there's no need, writes Frances Cook, when getting one sorted is often simple and cheap. Got a KiwiSaver worth more than $15,000? Got kids? A family member that you don’t particularly like? If just one of those fits, you need a will. And yet, stats from Public Trust are that 50% of us don’t have one.
If you want to fix your finances, first you need to sort out your head
Wellbeing concepts like mindfulness may seem incongruous with cold hard cash. But if you really want to reach your financial goals, a little 'woo' could help you get there, writes Frances Cook. If life were as simple as following through on the things we know we need to do, it would be a lot easier. Unfortunately, that’s simply not how it goes in almost any area of life, especially our money. Our brains simply aren’t wired for it.
Which is financially smarter - owning your own home or investing?
What's the best way to safeguard your future? Own your own home or have a share portfolio? Well it's not a case of one or the other, writes Frances Cook. In fact ideally you'd do three things. Ever heard about the curse of lottery winners? They win millions in cash, think they’re set for life, then burn through it all in just a few short years. While the legend might have been somewhat overstated, it's a human truth that those unaccustomed to big sums of cash can be unwise with it.
How to budget without a spreadsheet - and actually stick with it
Put off by all graphs and charts traditionally associated with budgeting". There is another way, writes Frances Cook. It's all about flipping the dopamine script. If your budgeting system consists of a spreadsheet you hate, that you avoid opening, then feel guilty about ignoring, I have good news. This is not what you have to do, to be ”good with money”. Most of us don’t actually need another spreadsheet.
Why falling interest rates aren't always a cue to splash some cash
With interest rates falling, your mortgage repayments may be about to get cheaper, but don't take that as a reason to go shopping, warns Frances Cook. Instead, treat it as an opportunity to get stragetic and make big gains for the future. Or if that sounds too harsh, maybe try a combo approach. Interest rates are falling. I know. Breathe it in. That’s the sweet scent of a little breathing space—especially if you’ve got a mortgage.
What's your deepest desire? The surprising tool to help you save for it
A mood board might be an unexpected money tool but it actually works, writes Frances Cook. It all comes down to psychology, so get out your scissors and glue and start meditating on exactly what you want in life. I like to consider myself a fairly logical gal. It’s how I ended up in the money world, really. Facts over feelings. Get on with things and get things sorted. But here's a fact: as a motivational tool, mood boards actually work.
How to survive this era of financial insecurity
Frances Cook shares some key moves to help you keep calm and stay afloat in choppy financial waters. The money world has hit an identity crisis. One day, the US imposes tariffs around the world. Stock markets tank. The next day tariffs are partially paused (except for on China), markets rally, the S&P 500 going up 9.52%, it's third biggest jump in a single day since World War II.
Simple ways to save - even when money is tight
A struggling economy doesn't mean you can't plan for a better future. Frances Cook has some tips. It’s the type of economy right now where the advice to “just spend less than you earn” feels about as useful as a chocolate teapot. We’re already cutting back, questioning every Uber ride, and giving side-eye to the power bill. But keeping some type of savings going is also incredibly important for our financial health.
What to do if your dipping KiwiSaver balance is freaking you out
OPINION: If you checked your KiwiSaver balance recently and your stomach dropped – you’re not alone. But although in such times it's tempting to withdraw your cash or jump to a different fund, it generally pays to sit tight. Frances Cook explains. Over the past few months, and especially last month, I had a steady stream of DMs from people wondering why their balance was falling, whether they were in the wrong fund, or if this whole retirement savings thing was just a scam. Fair.
How to boost your money motivation
Know what you want financially but sometimes lose the will to make it happen? Frances Cook has some motivation tips to keep on track, even when you least feel like it. Money motivation is a weird thing. One day, you’re all fired up, ready to automate your savings, track your spending, and finally open that investment account.
How to turn the side hustle into Plan A
Hey team I was having a chat the other day about how recessions are weird things. They can make it hard to find a job, hard to get a pay rise, hard to keep a business going… and yet, for some of us, it forces us into a career path that turns out way better in the end. That’s what happened to one of my good friends. I’ve watched her have two kids, struggle to make the career fit the new requirements of motherhood, then get made redundant. It was, to be honest, a bit grim.
Home slow to sell? How to be a smart seller in a buyer’s market
Trying to sell a house right now? Stay alert, because with the number of houses on the market up, prices down and sales slow, your buyer is holding a great hand of cards right now. Frances Cook has some tips. Figures from realestate.co.nz show that while the number of properties on the market has rapidly increased, they’re still taking a long time to sell, and prices are down. Spokesperson Vanessa Williams says the numbers are substantial.
Instant beauty? Online ads offer fast loans for cosmetic procedures
There's a new kind of ad popping up in Instagram – they offer instant finance to combat physical insecurities while keeping the loan conditions murky. Be warned, writes Frances Cook. There’s a new kind of loan offer making the rounds, and frankly, it’s grim. A friend sent me a message last week: "Kinda scary there’s now a loan agency just for cosmetic treatments?
The cost of clutter: How an organised home can save you money
Chuck out your junk, tidy those shambolic drawers and cuboards and watch your savings grow, writes Frances Cook. Look around the room you’re in right now. Everything in there with you, used to be money. The jampacked kitchen cupboards, the wardrobe stuffed with forgotten clothes, the bathroom drawers full of half-used products, are all not only a reminder of money that’s been spent, but worse, often money wasted. Clutter can cost us and not just in the original purchase price.
How to outsmart your own money psychology and make better decisions
Ditching debt and building wealth isn't about being super smart, it's about recognising your self-defeating thought processes and making small habit changes. Frances Cook has some tips. If being "good with money" were as simple as knowing what to do, we’d all be brilliant. We'd have emergency funds, maxed-out KiwiSaver contributions, and investments ticking along. No debt, regular pay rises, the works. And yet, we know that’s not the case for many of us.
FU money?
Welcome to Frances Cook's Money Memo, where you stay up to date with the latest tips to keep your cash under control. Hey team I had an interesting experience with using FU money last year. I was able to quit, say “F U” to a bad situation, and start my own business. Know what I needed to do that? Financial privilege. I’m the main earner in my household. But I also had savings, investments, and enough financial cushion to try out the new business, without putting my family in the poor house.
How to ask for a pay rise, even in a recession
It's an awkward conversation we avoid at the expense of our financial future. Frances Cook has tips on how to broach it successfully. Even the smartest and most motivated people you know, struggle to ask for a pay rise or promotion. And now, even when money is tight for many people and they could certainly do with a pay bump, it’s even harder. New Zealand spent 2024 dipping in and out and back into recession, many industries are in strife and bosses cry poor.
How to save on your supermarket bill – without eating like a student
Frances Cook's simple tips for cutting back on your food expenses. Let’s be honest, most money-saving tips for food sound like they were written by someone who’s never actually followed them. “Just meal prep for the entire week, every Sunday!” Fab, yes I’d love to spend my weekend drowning in Tupperware and existential dread.
How to free yourself from debt a whole lot faster
Easy to slide into, hard to climb out of; debt can feel like an ever-deepening hole. So how do you smash it and move on with your beautiful debt-free existence? Frances Cook has some tips. Debt is one of those areas of life that can quickly make you miserable. The good news is that the combination of a smart money mindset and sound repayment strategies can turn this around, and tour debt could be paid off more quickly than you expect. Here’s where to start. 1.
Five steps to get started investing (and stick with it)
My substack is a week-delayed republication of my newsletter, The Money Memo. If you’d like to get it when it first drops, subscribe here. Hey team, If your New Year’s resolution is to finally become an investor, you’re not alone. Every year, as part of our bid to become shiny new people as part of a shiny new year, many of us will pledge to get our finances in order, only to stumble at the starting line.
Successful saving is all about making it easy for yourself
Are those shiny New Year's savings resolutions slipping already? Frances Cook explains how to get back on track. We’ve all been there. The rush of excitement as the New Year hits, the glowing certainty that this is the year we’ll actually transform ourselves into a whole new person, and the lofty goals we set that we hope will get us there. Then a few weeks tick by, it’s not even February and we’re well and truly off the wagon.
'F**k you money' is the hack you need to leave a toxic job.
It's something of a 'how long is a piece of string' question, or rather, how big an FU do you want to deliver? Here's how to figure it out. Level 1: The 'breathing space' FU money. What it looks like: About three months of core expenses. At the most basic level, FU money might mean just enough cash to cover the necessities — rent, groceries, basic bills — for a few months. I'm not talking three months of your pay, but three months' worth of the core expenses that you can't avoid paying in that time.
What's the Goldilocks zone for your KiwiSaver?
My substack is a week-delayed republication of my newsletter, The Money Memo. If you’d like to get it when it first drops, subscribe here. Hey team, There’s a bit of a trick to KiwiSaver, in that there’s a Goldilocks zone for how much to put into it. First, you want to be sure you put in enough to get the full benefits. KiwiSaver is a fantastic scheme, candy-coated with free money to persuade you to take part in it. If you put in $1042 per year, you get a boost of $521 from the government.
The mental tricks to stay money smart, instead of deprived
My substack is a week delayed republication of my newsletter, The Money Memo. If you’d like to get it when it first drops, subscribe here. Hey team, One of the tricks of the money world is that the same $20 can achieve much more for you if you know where to put it. The same effort, but a better result? Sign me up. That’s why I’m stoked we’ve got a double whammy of living a good life for less on Making Cents this week.
The rise and rise of women's investing
Gender pay gap remains - but many women are turning to investing. New Zealand has made great strides in gender equality – but an 8.6 per cent gender pay gap remains, resulting in a retirement savings gap of 25 per cent for women. Awareness of this gap, says Chantal Baxter, an adviser at Craigs Investment Partners, has led to more women embracing investing to boost their financial security.
Sponsored: How to tell the scammers from the do-gooders, in ethical investing
Each week, BusinessDesk and the NZ Herald’s Cooking the Books podcast tackles a different money problem. Today, it’s how to spot the true ethical investments that aren’t greenwashing. Hosted by Frances Cook. This episode is brought to you by Milford Asset Management. Nobody likes to be tricked, especially not with something as important as your money and retirement savings. So, the abundance of greenwashing is, frankly, irritating. There’s so much of it about, even sub-categories of it.
Genesis tells sector: Help pay for coal or else
Genesis Energy has gone to market with a security option it hopes will help pay to keep a coal supply in place to fuel the Huntly power station if there is an energy shortfall.Last week, the power company announced it would import only enough coal to cover its retail customer base.Genesis indicated that it intended to maintain an operating stockpile of coal at Huntly Power station of around 350,000 tonnes, or about 670 gigawatt hours of electricity.The coal stockpile will fall below 350,000...
Cooking the Books podcast: Is bitcoin legit now?
Each week BusinessDesk and the NZ Herald’s Cooking the Books podcast tackles a different money problem. Today, it’s the shift in how bitcoin is treated by the mainstream finance world. Hosted by Frances Cook. If you’ve kept an eye on the financial news lately, it’s been impossible to ignore bitcoin, the most popular cryptocurrency.
Transpower warns of potential blackouts on Friday morning
Electricity system operator Transpower has asked households and businesses to reduce power use tomorrow morning because of a potential shortfall and blackouts.The forecast unseasonal cold snap and low wind generation mean the margin between generation and demand will be less than 200 megawatts, the national grid operator said on Thursday.This means there could be a blackout if there is an unexpected generator outage.A consumer advice notice (Can) was sent to market participants today to...
As gas dwindles, Genesis warns the sector over coal supply
Genesis Energy indicates it will only import enough coal to cover its customer base if there is an energy shortage, and other generators will have to reach deals to use Huntly power station to cover their own risk.The government on Wednesday morning warned: “Low gas production threatens energy security” and indicated ministers could intervene to ensure gas supply was maintained for "critical users", a reversal of its previous position.This was based on data from the gas sector’s regulator...
Sponsored: Can investing in fossil fuels actually be an ethical choice?
Each week BusinessDesk and the NZ Herald’s Cooking the Books podcast tackles a different money problem. Today, it’s about the best strategy to make an ethical impact. Hosted by Frances Cook. This episode is brought to you by Milford Asset Management. The idea of a sustainable fossil fuel company might seem a contradiction in terms. But there are energy companies that were once enthusiastically drilling for oil and gas that have switched to pursuing green opportunities with a vengeance.
Cooking the Books podcast: Can investing in fossil fuels actually be the ethical choice?
Cement-based supercapacitor can turn your house into a mega battery In an era where the call for sustainable energy solutions is more urgent than ever, researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) …
Where’s the best place to stash my cash?
BusinessDesk investments editor Frances Cook responds to emails from readers each week to answer questions about money. Below, you'll find her expert advice. Send your own questions to [email protected]. Hi, I'd love your advice on what you'd do to grow your savings as quickly as possible. I'm starting with $1,000. With this small amount, would you leave it in a savings account, earning the most interest you can, or start investing it in something like a high-interest on-call account? Or maybe shares?
Cooking the Books podcast: The truth behind building passive income through the sharemarket
Each week BusinessDesk and the NZ Herald’s Cooking the Books podcast tackles a different money problem. Today, it’s whether truly passive income is possible. Hosted by Frances Cook. Passive income is something that sounds truly delightful, but also in the too-good-to-be-true category. Invest some money, then keep earning, even when you’re sleeping? Sounds like a scam. It is possible, but it’s also something that needs a strategy.
Money Answers: Can I set Fire to my money?
BusinessDesk investments editor Frances Cook responds to emails from readers each week to answer questions about money. Below, you'll find her expert advice. Send your own questions to [email protected]. Hi Frances, I’ve got a query about the Fire calculation, which I’ve never been sure about. Let’s say I want a future income from investments of $100k. So I need 25 times that, or $2.5m, in investments, from which I can withdraw 4% annually without going backwards.
The tricks to living a good life for less
Each week, BusinessDesk and the NZ Herald’s Cooking the Books podcast tackles a different money problem. Today, it’s how to be boujee on a budget. Hosted by Frances Cook. Life is expensive, and pretty much everyone I talk to right now is looking for ways to cut back. But if you try to cut out everything fun, it’s a recipe for misery and eventually having a backlash of spending that could put you into debt. What’s the better answer? Getting smart about living a good life for less.
Money Answers: How do I find a good financial adviser?
BusinessDesk investments editor Frances Cook responds to emails from readers each week to answer questions about money. Below, you'll find her expert advice. Send your own questions to [email protected]. Hi Frances, Just wondering where a good place to start/person to talk to is for the next stage of investments. Looking for advice on creating a bit of a plan moving forward to make sure we are using our money in the most efficient way.
Purpose or profit - Allbirds should pick one
Allbirds was never really a Kiwi company, but we all seemed to embrace it given its local origin story and the plucky founder in former All White Tim Brown.The wool sneaker maker just seemed cool and what Gen X-er is going to argue when the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio got in behind them as a pre-initial public offering investor and the tech bros of Silicon Valley couldn’t get enough.Unfortunately, since the 2021 IPO it seems you can actually get enough of a sustainably made sneaker, and...
NZ Inc is a business, so what are shareholders getting?
A lot has been made of the fact we now have a business-like leader in government, but far less noise has been made about the fact his approach doesn’t really represent how business leaders operate in the 2020s.Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has chunked things down into quarterly cycles matching the business cycle.
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