In this episode of Money Made Simple, Jennie and Liv get cozy on their new podcast couch (very exciting!) to tackle a topic that affects us all: generational differences in mindset and money habits. From bearish Baby Boomers to easy-go-lucky Gen Z's, they explore the unique challenges, triumphs, and quirks of each generation's approach to life and finance, sharing a few digs but also a few lessons along the way. This episode covers:An overview of each generation (starting with Boomers), and t...

In this episode of Money Made Simple, join Liv as she chats with well-being and resilience guru Brad Hook. He provides a bunch of insight and tips on mastering your money mindset and aligning your spending with your values. They dive into ways to mange stress and prevent burnout, and the link into how this can actually boost your financial wellbeing (a win-win, as we like to say!). This week's episode covers:A dive into Brad's background, journey and own money mindset (it's always great to le...

In this rather lively episode of Money Made Simple, Jennie and Liv dive into our individual financial facepalms! We share the lessons we've learned since our early investing days, the hard way. Grab a cuppa and join us as we laugh (and maybe cry) about our top money blunders. And maybe you'll get the chance to turn our mistakes into your opportunities! This week's episode dives into:Liv's (drawn out) attempts to be a finance bro, playing the stockmarket (free guesses into how that went!)Jenni...

In this episode of Money Made Simple, Liv kicks off a BRAND NEW podcast segment where we talk to real investors about their money journeys - the good, the bad and the ugly! Our very first investor guest is Te Wai Coulston, a long-standing member and huge advocate of Simplicity. Te Wai shares with us his personal finance experiences and insights, with plenty of learnings along the way. This episode covers:How Te Wai's family environment and early financial experiences shaped his approach to mo...

In this episode of Money Made Simple, Jennie and Liv dive into the essentials of budgeting - exciting, we know! We discuss what a budget actually is in simple terms, how to get started, and different methods that can help you manage your money more effectively. This episode is packed with practical suggestions and tools to help you understand and implement budgeting in your daily life. This episode covers:Understanding what budgeting really entails — planning your income versus your expenditu...

In this special, slightly extended episode of Money Made Simple, Liv is joined by Shamubeel Eaqub, renowned Kiwi chief economist, for a deep dive into the current state and future of New Zealand's economy. This episode offers an insightful yet easy-to-understand breakdown of the drivers, challenges, potential solutions, and future projections that concern everyday Kiwi. This episode covers:An overview of the current economic landscape, and how it's been influenced by recent global disruptions...

In this episode of Money Made Simple, Jennie and Liv address the most frequently asked questions by our KiwiSaver and Investment Fund members. With insights from across the Simplicity team, this episode aims to help troubleshoot common issues and queries, and provide practical tips to help you navigate your KiwiSaver and Investment Fund accounts more efficiently and effectively. We cover the following FAQs we see almost err' day:Should I lump sum it, or do regular investment contributions? Ex...

In this episode of Money Made Simple, Jennie is joined by the impressive Sam Bridgewater, co-founder and director of the Pure Food Co., a company revolutionising nutrition for seniors around the globe. Simplicity has invested in Pure Food Co. via our Private Capital business, and today, Sam shares his own story and the inspiring journey behind the company's mission to nourish the world's seniors with nutrient-rich, enjoyable food. This week's episode covers: How personal family experienc...

In this episode of Money Made Simple, Jennie and Liv address the often intimidating and complex world of investing, breaking down the finance-bro jargon! Gaining a deeper understanding around some of these tricky terms is super useful for anyone looking to make informed investment decisions and manage their finances effectively. Today, we break down key investment terms into simple, easy-to-understand language to help you navigate the investment landscape confidently. This episode covers:Defi...

In this episode of Money Made Simple, Jennie and Liv continue their discussion on how to beat the cost of living crisis. This is part two of our (hopefully super practical and helpful!) two-part episode. While part one focused on smart cost-cutting strategies, part two shifts to exploring ways to potentially increase your income, as well as outlining the resources where you can find immediate, additional support. This episode covers:A list of ways to boost your income through freelancing, sid...

In this episode of Money Made Simple, join Jennie and Liv as they dive into the hot topic of the cost of living crisis, offering insights and practical suggestions to help you navigate what can feel like ever-increasing expenses. This episode covers:An exploration of the factors contributing to the cost of living crisis, including the pandemic, supply chain issues, labour shortages and geopolitical tensionsA look at how the impact on everyday expenses in New Zealand, from housing to groceries...

In this episode of Money Made Simple, join Liv and Jennie as they dive into the essentials of setting up a rainy day AKA an emergency fund. With the current economic climate bringing uncertainty for many of us, having a financial safety net is more crucial than ever. This episode covers:What a rainy day fund is and why it's critical for our financial securityPractical steps about how to get started, including how to determine how much you need in your emergency fundTips for setting up and man...

In this episode of Money Made Simple, Liv is joined by Simplicity's (quietly) kick-ass Head of Private Capital, Matt Houtman, to delve into the intriguing but sometimes confusing world of Private Equity and Venture Capital. Get ready to understand why a KiwiSaver and Investment Fund manager would invest in private companies (rather than just the share market), and how it specifically benefits investors. This week's episode covers:Matt's journey from investment banking, to raising $500 m...

In this episode of Money Made Simple, Jennie welcomes Liv back after a bit of a hiatus (all is explained!) to chat about what is a highly searched, but often misunderstood topic: Opting out of KiwiSaver, as well as making early withdrawals. We explain how and why someone might choose to opt out once they're automatically enrolled, and the (several) reasons you can take some or all your KiwiSaver funds out before you retire.This week's episode covers:The voluntary nature of KiwiSaver, an...

50% of New Zealand adults don't have a will(!) In this episode of Money Made Simple, Jennie invites Glenys Talivai, CEO of Public Trust, to tell us all about wills - why so many don't have them, why they're so very important, and how you go about making yours. Many people think everything will automatically go to their partner or next of kin when they die, but this is not always the case. This week's episode covers:What a will actually is, and a whole lot of stuff you could include beyo...

In this episode, Jennie sits down with Simplicity superstar Sebastian Neubrandt to delve into the topic of kids and KiwiSaver. Should Kiwis under 18 have a KiwiSaver? What's the best time to set up an account? What are the key benefits and are there any disadvantages?Jennie and Seb both admit that they don't have KiwiSaver set up for their own kids yet, but they're definitely considering it by the end of their conversation.This episode covers:The compelling reasons to consider signing your ki...

Colin Magee from Catalist is back, baby! Last time he demystified stock exchanges with Liv, and in this episode of Money Made Simple he helps explains financial regulations to Jennie... Don't worry, it's more interesting than you may imagine! As an ex-lawyer and previous FMA exec, Colin is a fountain of knowledge on the topic and is here to explain the basics so you can feel confident in your investment decisions.This week's episode covers:The difference between licensed and regulated provide...

In this episode of Money Made Simple, Liv is joined by Simplicity's Deputy Head of Investor Services Emma Ryan to get the goss on why getting KiwiSaver government contributions is SUCH a no-brainer. (Caveat - that's if you're eligible!). This episode covers: A quick explainer on the three main types of KiwiSaver contributions and how they all work togetherHow the KiwiSaver year works (and why it's relevant to getting your govt contributions!)The three main eligibility criteria you need to...

In this episode of Money Made Simple, we're stoked to invite our good friend Sarah, host of the OneUp Project podcast to chat all about the Digital Nomad Visa. Not familiar?! Listen in, and you will be in 20 minutes!! Sarah explains to us how this relatively new type of visa tends to work, and we discuss the financial/budgeting side of embarking on a "remote work trip of a lifetime". This episode covers: An intro to Sarah, her journey with OneUp and how she's got to this point where she's...

In this episode of Money Made Simple, we're back on the topic of choosing the right KiwiSaver provider for YOU. In Part two of two, we look at a couple more factors to consider when choosing a KiwiSaver provider, some would say having saved the best for last.... Jennie and Liv talk about how you might like think about things like a provider's performance, fees and  the concept of value for money. This episode covers: Fund performance across (almost) all the different KiwiSaver providers -...

After mastering the stock market in our last episode, we're going back to basics - how to choose a KiwiSaver provider. This is possibly one of the more important and long-term relationships you’ll have in your life - so you want to get it right! Liv and Jennie discuss why you might want to switch, the key factors to consider when evaluating different providers, and the practical steps involved in making the switch. They had so much to say about this topic we've divided this episode into two...

In this episode of Money Made Simple brought to you by Simplicity, we attempt to demystify and "dejargonise" the behemoth known as the Stock Exchange! And 'cos we're not actually share market aficionados, this week we've wrangled in a special guest who actually is. We welcome Colin Magee, founder of Catalist, to the show to explain to us what we mean when we throw the terms "share", "stock", or "equities" around. He also patiently explains to us how real-life stock exchanges work (it's not...

In this episode of Money Made Simple, Jennie and Liv tackle one of our favourite topics - the age-old passive vs active investing approach! We explain (in simple terms, of course) what these terms actually mean, and go into a little detail around some of the key differences between the two styles, both for an individual and a fund manager like Simplicity. We provide our own take on which approach is best (any guesses?!) and why. This week's episode covers: What we mean when we talk about...

In this second episode for 2024 - where has January gone! - Liv and Jennie dish the dirt on KiwiSaver fund types, and why being in the right fund for you is so damn important. Hint: it can make a BIG difference to how much money you end up with at 65 (we're talking potentially tens of thousands of dollars or more!).  We take a look at the five basic KiwiSaver fund types, explain the basics around risk vs returns and chat about why you need to be super realistic about your own attitude to...