{"podcast":{"title":"Making Cents","slug":"making-cents-6998736","podcast_index_feed_id":6998736,"rss_url":"https://feeds.captivate.fm/makingcents/","website_url":"https://www.francescook.co.nz/making-cents","image_url":"https://artwork.captivate.fm/3f4ddd44-6a56-460b-88eb-950d815bc419/frances-cook-making-cents-podcast-art-no-acast.jpg","author":"Frances Cook","episode_count":304,"summary":"The podcast for people who want financial freedom, without giving up their coffee. That means it's time to make the money world make cents. Join Frances Cook, best-selling author and award-winning journalist, to talk about the proven ways to invest your way to financial independence, buy your first home, or just get your spending under control. Every Monday we have the week's feature interview, with someone who's done something interesting with their money. From paying off a mountain of debt, or investing for financial independence, or starting a new business, these are the ordinary people making the extraordinary possible. On Thursday we have Ask the Experts, where industry insiders answer your questions on the money world. From earning more in your career, to investing, or sticking to a budget, they'll help make money simple. Every now and then you'll get a bonus episode too, but the fun of those is that you never know when they're coming!","last_synced_at":"2026-09-30T18:22:32.383115+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/making-cents-6998736"},"episode":{"title":"Why Your Money Disappears (And The Fix That Actually Works)","slug":"why-your-money-disappears-and-the-fix-that-actually-works","published_at":"2026-08-26T16:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/making-cents-6998736/why-your-money-disappears-and-the-fix-that-actually-works","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/making-cents-6998736","url":"https://www.francescook.co.nz/making-cents","audio_url":"https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/02f54669-dcd0-4c90-ad1f-1b065c719afc.mp3","summary":"Is your Afterpay habit hurting your financial future and stopping you from hitting big life goals like buying your first home? Every financial decision leaves a digital footprint, and banks and mortgage lenders use that data to check your creditworthiness, spending habits, and loan affordability. But with so much scaremongering and myths around credit scores in New Zealand, it's easy to panic. This week on Ask the Experts, Jessica O’Hare, Head of Lending at Revolut, breaks down the truth about what lenders actually care about, what gets flagged on your credit report, and how to set up simple money systems that stick. This episode of Making Cents is proudly supported by Revolut, the card and app for everyday spending in NZ, and smarter money on your travels. Use this link https://get.revolut.com/e9Jc/makingcents7 to try them out, spend, and Revolut will give you $40 to get started. This episode covers: - How lenders check your credit score, payment history, and loan affordability in New Zealand - What happens when you miss an Afterpay, BNPL, or utility bill payment, and how long defaults stay on your credit file - Red flags vs. green flags on your bank statements and credit reports when applying for a mortgage - Why positive credit reporting means your phone and power bills can actually help your credit history - How to automate your income, split your salary, and use \"money pockets\" to stop overspending *T&Cs apply. Spend min $1 to receive reward. Exchange rates will vary. Comparison to major bank rates based on exchanging NZD $1K Mon-Fri, within your plan’s fair usage limits. More info: https://www.revolut.com/en-NZ/nz-fx-substantiation. Revolut Payments New Zealand Pty Ltd. If you have a letter you’d like us to answer, please send it through to ask@francescook.co…","meta_description":"Is your Afterpay habit hurting your financial future and stopping you from hitting big life goals like buying your first home? Every financial decision le…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":1119,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/making-cents-6998736/episodes/why-your-money-disappears-and-the-fix-that-actually-works/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/making-cents-6998736/why-your-money-disappears-and-the-fix-that-actually-works.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}