What are the common money misconceptions you've heard before? In this episode, we're bunking a few that we believe don't always stand true. It's #MoneyMonth in NZ during August; A yearly campaign run by Te Ara Ahunga Ora Retirement Commission (Sorted NZ). Money Month helps Kiwis maximise their money in a way that’s relevant in the current climate. To celebrate, we're debunking the money myths that might be taking up valuable brain space. All so you can pause, and get your money sorted.  In...

As Kiwis, we’re savers at heart. Generally speaking, we tend to rely on savings accounts to grow your short-term money. But are there investment funds that might also be suitable for getting you to the same goals?  *Cash Funds enter the room*  The funds that Cat reckons are getting a glow-up in 2023.  So what are these types of funds, why use them and how do they compare to savings accounts? We cover all this and more in this episode.  Specifically, we chat about:  Differences in cash...

Recently, Kernel hosted an event in collaboration with Lighthouse Financial, Haigh Lyon, and Edwards & Co. all about the exciting world of investing for your family. And one of the panellists in this event actually happens to be our very own co-host, Cat! Tune into this special episode as Cat adds her unique insights on how parents can set their families up for success. We were also lucky to have James Blair, the Wealth Director at Lighthouse Financial, and Shaun McGivern, the Principal...

On today’s podcast, we're back at it again with Insurance Specialist & Financial Adviser, Carley Ellis to dive into the financial side of all things unfortunate. If you haven't listened to part one, stop right now and go back to our previous episode. It's one not to miss. Plus this podcast will probably make a little more sense after listening to the first one. Specifically, we cover: The different types of insurance that are available for you to consider and which cover specific...

On today’s podcast, we're joined by Insurance Specialist & Financial Adviser Carley Ellis to dive into the financial side of death.  As a topic that isn't often openly talked about, today we have an honest chat about ensuring the cost of death - those around you, and yours - don't lead to having a large impact on your situation, particularly in a time of grieving.   Specifically, we speak about: Why we're not talking about money and death, but need to! What happens to your assets when...

Today on the podcast we are joined by Daphne van der Oord, Head of Australia and New Zealand at S&P Dow Jones Indices. Daphne has an impressive career spanning 20 years, after graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Economics and History and a Master’s Degree in Applied Finance. Daphne has worked at many international financial institutions you may have heard of; Man Investments, ING, Credit Suisse and Citibank. Daphne manages S&P Dow Jones Indices business in the Aus/NZ region,...

You might've noticed that there is a new KiwiSaver provider on the block, this time offering a unique opportunity to DIY your KiwiSaver.  On today's podcast we chat about what this entails, the pros and cons and whether DIY'ing your KiwiSaver is something you might like to consider.  Specifically, we speak about:  Finding the sweet spot with how engaged you are with your KiwiSaver; is there a point at which we're too engaged? Considerations to make BEFORE you think about choosing the...

After reflecting on our episodes this year so far, we wanted to pick out what we feel are our favourite moments so far.  In this episode, we chat about:  Reframing how we think about "living pay cheque to pay cheque"Whether side hustles are worth it or not, especially in tech Modeling financial behaviour for your kids, particularly as a couple Tips for job hunting in today's climate - marketing yourself 24/7, plus looking beyond job adsJuggling contentment vs ambitions Cash funds vs savings...

Back by popular demand is our friend and Recruitment Partner, Rose-Marie (Rosey) Nathan, to chat about navigating your career through a recession.  With over 20 years of experience across various industries, Rosey has a deep understanding of the needs and goals of both candidates and organisations. She's our go-to for all things career & money.  In this episode, Rosey answers all your career questions. We chat about: What Rosey is currently seeing in the employee/employer market, incl....

In today's Money Moments episode, we're joined by Rachel Arcos, Automation Engineer, avid podcast listener, and big financial spreadsheet fan! Immigrating to NZ when she was young, we chat to Rachel about her and her family's experience with money growing up. From how this played into her career choice, and the way she manages money as an individual and now in a couple.  In this episode, we chat about: Rachel's parents' approach to money, including working 2 jobs to ensure the kids had more...

Whether we're in a recession or not, a lot of us will probably agree that our budgets are feeling a bit tighter lately, and you're not wrong. From groceries all the way to mortgages, many Kiwis are feeling more and more worried about their money situations. But what can you do during more expensive times like this? Tune into this episode where we'll be chatting through exactly that. In this episode, we cover: A few key money stats, including what Kiwi households are the most worried...

Helloooo and welcome to this episode of Money Moments, where we chat with real Kiwis about their experiences with money. Today, we've got Tim Rodriguez, Marketing Coordinator and  Gen Z'er spilling the tea on his personal finance journey. Tim's love for all things business and finance inspired him to prioritize his personal finance journey right out of uni - so much so he even ended up working in the FinTech space!  Join us as we chat with Tim to hear about the valuable lessons he's learned...

In today's Money Moments episode, we're joined by Ryan Potter, friend, Senior Front End Developer, and all round good guy.  We chat to Ryan about his journey with money - the good and the not-so-good - plus dig into what he's learned in his 10+ year career as a developer.  Specifically, we chat about: What it was like graduating into a recession in NZ and starting at $33k in 2010 His strategy in negotiating salaries and  expected salary ranges for the different experience levels of Front End...

Aaand we're back for part two of our creating a financial plan series with Lighthouse Financial.  If you haven't listened to part one, stop right now and go back to our previous episode. It's one not to miss. Plus this podcast will probably make a lot more sense after listening to the first one too. Without further ado, let's jump right back in as Christine and her partner Ollie are put on the hot seat as Wealth Director & Financial Adviser, James Blair, takes them through the 2nd part...

Our podcast is all about having real, honest conversations about money. We believe that talking openly about our personal finances is the first step to building a better financial future for ourselves and our community. That's why this week and next, we're bringing you a two-part financial planning series in collaboration with Lighthouse Financial.  Christine and her partner Ollie are put in the hot seat as Wealth Director & Financial Adviser, James Blair, takes them through a financial...

Today on the podcast Cat is joined by Tim Edwards, the Managing Director and Global Head of Index Investment Strategy at S&P Dow Jones Indices (S&P DJI). Tim hails from London and has vast experience working in derivatives all through to global equities. His team crunch data on over 2 million indices per day! In this episode we cover: The history of S&P Dow Jones Indices and why it was createdWhy Tim chose to study a PhD in Mathematics The importance of creating a...

Hello and welcome to a super special episode of It's No Secret - why is it so special you may ask? It's because we have a few milestones that we'll be celebrating! Firstly, today is the two-year anniversary of the podcast (woohoo!). Can you believe that it’s been two years already since we’ve been chatting away? The second milestone is that we are juuust about to hit 100k downloads! It’s hard to believe we’ve reached 100,000 people (that we know of). And the final celebration point today is...

Today on the podcast we're back with another Money Moments episode with Cat & Christine. Money Moments is where we chat with real Kiwis about their journey with money.  In our case, it's an update on what happened after the Christmas break, how our international trips went, and what we've been up to with our finances since then. Specifically, we chat about:  What challenges we faced on our overseas trips and why we're even bigger fans of travel insuranceWhy Christine is thinking of...

With the 2023 general elections right around the corner, now is a great time to take a moment and reflect on how any change in leadership or government might impact your financial stability. Today we're looking at some key policies from a few political parties that could financially impact you if they are elected (or reelected). In this episode we cover: Different policies that a few parties are offering, specifically ACT, National and LabourHow these policies around economy, housing, tax,...

With interest rates on the rise, many of you are feeling the pinch - especially those with a mortgage! So, what steps can you take to help deal with the extra interest payments? Tune in to see what you can do to cut costs and give yourself more flexibility in the short term. In this episode we cover: Why extending your mortgage may be an option for you to consider, especially if you are well into your mortgage termThe pros and cons of having a fixed rate vs a floating rate mortgage and how...

As the saying goes, "You have to spend money, to make money" but how much do you really have to spend, especially when it comes to investing?  In New Zealand, there are costs that come with using investment platforms. More commonly, these include transaction fees and fund management fees, but what if we told you that there are a few more hidden costs that may fly under the radar?  In this episode, we cover:  The costly inefficiencies that can come with ETF vs Index fund investing and how...

Where and how you decide to invest your money can be a big decision for many. So, it's important to consider all the factors that could affect the safety (or security) of your investments – including those in the fine print. In this episode we cover: A few common investing myths when it comes to the security of your money. e.g., Can I trust that my money is safer with an older investment platform (since they've been around longer) vs a younger company? Whether the investment or KiwiSaver...

In 2022 alone we’ve seen record interest rate rises, the highest rate of inflation in 30 years, house price declines, the threat of a looming recession and a number of global events that have added to the uncertainty. The good news is that there is still an opportunity for you to grow your wealth in 2023 - if you know the habits that lead to long-term success. To help you on the journey, let’s take a look at what we can expect for the five big money trends of 2023. In this episode, we...

Are you nearing the stage of life where expanding your family is a focus or goal?  In this episode, we cover:  Costs to consider when having kids, and whether these should inform your decision or not Why you often have much longer to save for the expenses than you think Whether the reality of the finances with having kids versus the idea of it are the sameHow Cat's finances have faired before and after having a child - did she stick to her budget or not? Whether having kids can actually...

For most Kiwis, withdrawing your KiwiSaver to purchase a first home is a no-brainer. In fact, NOT withdrawing it to do is likely more of a rarity. But is there an argument in favour of the former? Let's discuss.  In this episode, we cover:  The impact of withdrawing your KiwiSaver balance to buy a first home (or not) Whether Cat & Christine will be/have withdrawn theirs to purchase homesOutside of using your KiwiSaver balance, how else would you purchase a home? I.e. how do you have...