Frances Cook

Auckland, Hamilton

Investments Editor at BusinessDesk

Independent financial journalist and commentator. Like cats a bit much.

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Articles

How to survive this era of financial insecurity

1 week ago | 1news.co.nz | Frances Cook

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.
How to keep Trump from derailing your retirement plans

2 weeks ago | nzherald.co.nz | Frances Cook

When even penguins are getting walloped with tariffs, it becomes a little difficult for financial journalists such as myself to make predictions. The old rules are out the window, as US President Donald Trump applies harsh new trading demands to friend, foe, and penguins on uninhabited islands alike. Cue the market meltdown. Most New Zealanders have spotted it in their KiwiSaver, a sea of red as values suddenly dipped.
Simple ways to save - even when money is tight

2 weeks ago | 1news.co.nz | Frances Cook

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

3 weeks ago | 1news.co.nz | Frances Cook

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.
‘I was too careful’: How the retirement commissioner would save differently now

3 weeks ago | thespinoff.co.nz | Frances Cook

Retirement commissioner Jane Wrightson talks to Frances Cook about her money regrets, and the changes she’d like to see for New Zealanders. Even people whose job it is to think about money all day can have money regrets. For retirement commissioner Jane Wrightson, she knows exactly what hers is: she didn’t take enough risks with her money when she was younger, and had the time to let those calculated risks pay off.
How to boost your money motivation

1 month ago | 1news.co.nz | Frances Cook

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.
Hot tip: Don’t look at your Kiwisaver right now

1 month ago | thespinoff.co.nz | Frances Cook

With economic uncertainty comes investing jitters, but it can also be an opportunity, writes Frances Cooke. Checked your Kiwisaver balance lately? Yeah, it’s probably not looking great. Well, at first glance, anyway. Your Kiwisaver going down can actually be a good thing for the future – yes, I’m serious. But first we have to learn how to knuckle down and make it through a dip, smartly and strategically. When the market gets rough, and you’ve got a sea of red swamping your money, don’t panic.
Side hustles to small business: How to make a ‘patchwork career’ work

1 month ago | thespinoff.co.nz | Frances Cook

Whether by choice or circumstance, a growing number of people are leaving ‘real jobs’ for more flexible modes of employment. Frances Cook spoke to one such self-employed slashie about how she’s made it work for her. Beth Vickers never planned to run her own business. She had a solid, stable career, a climb-the-ladder mindset, and a firm belief that working harder would fix everything. Then motherhood happened. And redundancy. And a series of job attempts that made her question everything.
How to turn the side hustle into Plan A

1 month ago | francescooknz.substack.com | Frances Cook

Hey teamI 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

1 month ago | 1news.co.nz | Frances Cook

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.