Keep The Change

How will the 2026 NZ election impact your finances? We break down the potential shifts for property, taxes, and KiwiSaver. With political changes on the horizon, many investors are concerned about how shifting policies might reshape the local economy.

We discuss the potential ripple effects of a change in government. Whether you are planning for the long term or managing current assets, understanding these economic headwinds is crucial. We explore what a victory for the left party might mean for tax structures and retirement savings, ensuring you have the context needed to navigate the coming months.

Find Greg:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-smith-cfa-07214215/

https://generatewealth.co.nz

Our annual live event in Auckland is happening on November 6th in partnership with Sharesies, get your tickets here: https://www.ticketmaster.co.nz/keep-the-change-unplugged-2026-takapuna-beach-06-11-2026/event/240065149252251C

Amy from Levridge is now leading Guardian Financial Planning, helping Kiwi's make smarter financial decisions and build a future with more financial freedom. Book a FREE 15 minute chat with Amy at https://financialplan.co.nz

Stuck? Find Amy:

amy@guardianfinancialplanning.co.nz

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amy.financialplanner/

Website: https://www.financialplan.co.nz/

Generate are supporting my vision to improve the financial literacy of 100,000 kiwis by sponsoring Keep The Change. Cheers Generate. Head to https://www.generatewealth.co.nz/change/ to find out more.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last week I spent a week Niue, helping facilitate a conference and delivering a keynote. I’ll be honest, I had to google where Niue even was. Here I was AGAIN having an experience I couldn’t have imagined when I first started putting myself out there. How did this happen? Let's explore!

Pssst...fuel your day with better nutrition (20% off first order): Radix.co.nz/KTC

Hey thanks for listening! Please take some form of action from this content, don’t just be a consumer, become a producer! Make sure you’re subscribed to Money Mail via Keepthechange.co.nz to receive our weekly lesson on money and financial literacy. Stay close to us on social media and share this with someone that you think this content will help. Together we can collectively improve the financial literacy of New Zealand - let’s get on with it.

Find us here:

@keepthechange_nz

https://www.keepthechange.co.nz/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We know there are a lot of people out there struggling wth the cost of living, a lot of people doing it hard, but at the same time are we also seeing the media buy into it to create fear which is simply holding kiwis back?

Todays episode is a bit controversial, so its worth giving it more than a few minutes of listening before casting any judgement....

Find Mikey:

https://guardiansmith.co.nz/

https://instagram.com/officialmikeysmith

Keep The Change unplugged is back for 2026! Get your tickets here: https://www.ticketmaster.co.nz/keep-the-change-unplugged-2026-takapuna-beach-06-11-2026/event/240065149252251C

Amy from Levridge is now leading Guardian Financial Planning, helping Kiwi's make smarter financial decisions and build a future with more financial freedom. Book a FREE 15 minute chat with Amy at https://financialplan.co.nz

Stuck? Find Amy:

amy@guardianfinancialplanning.co.nz

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amy.financialplanner/

Website: https://www.financialplan.co.nz/

Generate are supporting my vision to improve the financial literacy of 100,000 kiwis by sponsoring Keep The Change. Cheers Generate. Head to https://www.generatewealth.co.nz/change/ to find out more.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You could argue that we’re still in a pretty tough economic environment, plenty of noise, yet there are people out there getting after it. And also it’s always interesting at how different peoples goals are. I always enjoy reading what the community are focussed on. I hope you do too...

Pssst...fuel your day with better nutrition (20% off first order): Radix.co.nz/KTC

Hey thanks for listening! Please take some form of action from this content, don’t just be a consumer, become a producer! Make sure you’re subscribed to Money Mail via Keepthechange.co.nz to receive our weekly lesson on money and financial literacy. Stay close to us on social media and share this with someone that you think this content will help. Together we can collectively improve the financial literacy of New Zealand - let’s get on with it.

Find us here:

@keepthechange_nz

https://www.keepthechange.co.nz/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

New Zealand's at a crucial point in our history with infrastructure, where if something doesn't change soon there could begin to be a crisis, so today Im speaking with CEO of Infrastructure New Zealand, Nick Leggett, to find out whats actually happening.

Find Nick:

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-leggett-a054a559/

Website: https://infrastructure.org.nz/

Keep The Change unplugged is back for 2026! Get your tickets here: https://www.ticketmaster.co.nz/keep-the-change-unplugged-2026-takapuna-beach-06-11-2026/event/240065149252251C

Amy from Levridge is now leading Guardian Financial Planning, helping Kiwi's make smarter financial decisions and build a future with more financial freedom. Book a FREE 15 minute chat with Amy at https://financialplan.co.nz

Stuck? Find Amy:

amy@guardianfinancialplanning.co.nz

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amy.financialplanner/

Website: https://www.financialplan.co.nz/

Generate are supporting my vision to improve the financial literacy of 100,000 kiwis by sponsoring Keep The Change. Cheers Generate. Head to https://www.generatewealth.co.nz/change/ to find out more.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We seem to have a cost of living crisis running alongside a cost of FOMO crisis? The politicians tell us it's the number one election issue. Meanwhilst people are standing in a queue for $17 frozen yoghurt with chocolate on it, queueing online to get tickets to events. And I think social media might be pouring petrol on it. The TikTokification of spending if you will. Let's explore this one!

Pssst...fuel your day with better nutrition (20% off first order): Radix.co.nz/KTC

Hey thanks for listening! Please take some form of action from this content, don’t just be a consumer, become a producer! Make sure you’re subscribed to Money Mail via Keepthechange.co.nz to receive our weekly lesson on money and financial literacy. Stay close to us on social media and share this with someone that you think this content will help. Together we can collectively improve the financial literacy of New Zealand - let’s get on with it.

Find us here:

@keepthechange_nz

https://www.keepthechange.co.nz/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In my lifetime Ive gone from earning minimum wage delivering junk mail, to being an entrepreneur earning north of $400,000 per year all here in New Zealand. Today Im breaking down my journey, what jobs I had, at what age, how much I earnt and the lessons I learnt alone the way.

Sign up to Money Mail for free weekly emails to improve your finances: https://www.keepthechange.co.nz/moneymail

Follow on Instagram for more content: https://www.instagram.com/keepthechange_nz

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Recently Generate Wealth went out and surveyed 500 people on investing & kiwisaver, so today we're sitting down with Nathan Stanners to summarise 5 of the key themes that get in the way of New Zealanders building wealth.

Nathan's worked with over 1,000 New Zealanders as an advisor, seeing whats actually working for everyday Kiwis.

Find Nathan:

https://linkedin.com/in/nathan-stanners-generatekiwisaver/

https://generatewealth.co.nz

Keep The Change unplugged is back for 2026! Get your tickets here: https://www.ticketmaster.co.nz/keep-the-change-unplugged-2026-takapuna-beach-06-11-2026/event/240065149252251C

Amy from Levridge is now leading Guardian Financial Planning, helping Kiwi's make smarter financial decisions and build a future with more financial freedom. Book a FREE 15 minute chat with Amy at https://financialplan.co.nz

Stuck? Find Amy:

amy@guardianfinancialplanning.co.nz

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amy.financialplanner/

Website: https://www.financialplan.co.nz/

Generate are supporting my vision to improve the financial literacy of 100,000 kiwis by sponsoring Keep The Change. Cheers Generate. Head to https://www.generatewealth.co.nz/change/ to find out more.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What if 2027 is a year of rising interest rates? Could you budget cope? Let's get ready BEFORE it is reality. Don’t build your household finances around the assumption that a political party, a Reserve Bank or a new calendar year is coming to save you. 2027 could be much the same as 2026. Be ready!

Pssst...fuel your day with better nutrition (20% off first order): Radix.co.nz/KTC

Hey thanks for listening! Please take some form of action from this content, don’t just be a consumer, become a producer! Make sure you’re subscribed to Money Mail via Keepthechange.co.nz to receive our weekly lesson on money and financial literacy. Stay close to us on social media and share this with someone that you think this content will help. Together we can collectively improve the financial literacy of New Zealand - let’s get on with it.

Find us here:

@keepthechange_nz

https://www.keepthechange.co.nz/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kiwis are awash with debt, buy now pay later, credit cards, vehicle finance, store cards and thats before we even talk about mortgages or student loans. Today we're diving into what these forms of debts are, what you need to be careful of and how you could get yourself out of it.

Sign up to Money Mail for free weekly emails to improve your finances: https://www.keepthechange.co.nz/moneymail

Follow on Instagram for more content: https://www.instagram.com/keepthechange_nz

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A couple months ago I sat down with Amy from Guardian Financial Planning to help build out a rough financial plan for myself, including some of my beliefs around money, today we're doing part two of that session diving further into the topic. Enjoy!

If you missed part one, you can watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-mb9TPldY0&t=1371s

Amy from Levridge is now leading Guardian Financial Planning, helping Kiwi's make smarter financial decisions and build a future with more financial freedom. Book a FREE 15 minute chat with Amy at https://financialplan.co.nz

Stuck? Find Amy:

amy@guardianfinancialplanning.co.nz

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amy.financialplanner/

Website: https://www.financialplan.co.nz/

Generate are supporting my vision to improve the financial literacy of 100,000 kiwis by sponsoring Keep The Change. Cheers Generate. Head to https://www.generatewealth.co.nz/change/ to find out more.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I stopped for the same coffee at two different cafés. Café #1 charged me $5.50. Café #2 charged me $6.50. These two cafés are less than 200m apart. So how can two businesses, selling essentially the same product within a couple of hundred metres of each other, have nearly a 20% difference in price? Very easily, let's explore!

Pssst...fuel your day with better nutrition (20% off first order): Radix.co.nz/KTC

Hey thanks for listening! Please take some form of action from this content, don’t just be a consumer, become a producer! Make sure you’re subscribed to Money Mail via Keepthechange.co.nz to receive our weekly lesson on money and financial literacy. Stay close to us on social media and share this with someone that you think this content will help. Together we can collectively improve the financial literacy of New Zealand - let’s get on with it.

Find us here:

@keepthechange_nz

https://www.keepthechange.co.nz/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Iyia has built multiple successful ecommerce businesses of her own over the years before shifting towards teaching others how to do the same, today she's on the podcast to share whats working in the world of ecommerce not only for herself, but her students too.

Find Iyia: https://www.instagram.com/iyialiu

Amy from Levridge is now leading Guardian Financial Planning, helping Kiwi's make smarter financial decisions and build a future with more financial freedom. Book a FREE 15 minute chat with Amy at https://financialplan.co.nz

Stuck? Find Amy:

amy@guardianfinancialplanning.co.nz

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amy.financialplanner/

Website: https://www.financialplan.co.nz/

Generate are supporting my vision to improve the financial literacy of 100,000 kiwis by sponsoring Keep The Change. Cheers Generate. Head to https://www.generatewealth.co.nz/change/ to find out more.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Did you know: In 2022, the S&P 500 dropped 19.44%. It actually plunged nearly 27% from its peak before recovering slightly toward December. Could you stomach that volatility? Becasue plenty of my DMs seem to think that they can't get beat when investing. Are we getting too confident?

Pssst...fuel your day with better nutrition (20% off first order):Radix.co.nz/KTC

Hey thanks for listening! Please take some form of action from this content, don’t just be a consumer, become a producer! Make sure you’re subscribed to Money Mail via Keepthechange.co.nz to receive our weekly lesson on money and financial literacy. Stay close to us on social media and share this with someone that you think this content will help. Together we can collectively improve the financial literacy of New Zealand - let’s get on with it. 

Find us here:

@keepthechange_nz

https://www.keepthechange.co.nz/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Darren's not your typical bakery owner, he loves the warriors, uses social media to promote his business and sells his pies for close to double what other bakeries do, and importantly, its working well for him.

In this episode we're breaking down exactly how he's done it and what he's learnt along the way about the restaurant/cafe business, content, and what he'd do if he was starting over again today.

Find Darren:

https://www.instagram.com/dazzas_cooked/

https://ashbypies.co.nz/

Amy from http://Levridge.co.nz has come on as a sponsor of Keep The Change to help people with their financial planning.

Stuck? Find Amy : amy@levridge.co.nz

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amy.levridge

Website: https://www.levridge.co.nz

Generate are supporting my vision to improve the financial literacy of 100,000 kiwis by sponsoring Keep The Change. Cheers Generate. Head to https://www.generatewealth.co.nz/change/ to find out more.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I remember my first job. I was about 12 years old, riding around on a one-speed BMX delivering junk mail. New World coupon books were always a test on how many the back and backpack could hold at one time before I needed to reload. I made a video going through all the different jobs I've had and how my income has changed over my lifetime. Something magic happens in the comments when you start talking about your first job or first wage! People start sharing their first job. So what was yours?

Pssst...fuel your day with better nutrition (20% off first order):Radix.co.nz/KTC

Hey thanks for listening! Please take some form of action from this content, don’t just be a consumer, become a producer! Make sure you’re subscribed to Money Mail via Keepthechange.co.nz to receive our weekly lesson on money and financial literacy. Stay close to us on social media and share this with someone that you think this content will help. Together we can collectively improve the financial literacy of New Zealand - let’s get on with it. 

Find us here:

@keepthechange_nz

https://www.keepthechange.co.nz/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There is a pretty good chance KiwiSaver has just passed $150 billion. The latest numbers from Morningstar as at 30 June 2026 had KiwiSaver at $147.7 billion invested. Since 30 June, sharemarkets have continued trending up and US markets have recently been hitting new all-time highs. It has taken 16 years to hit the first $100billion, so how long until it doubles?

Pssst...fuel your day with better nutrition (20% off first order):Radix.co.nz/KTC

Hey thanks for listening! Please take some form of action from this content, don’t just be a consumer, become a producer! Make sure you’re subscribed to Money Mail via Keepthechange.co.nz to receive our weekly lesson on money and financial literacy. Stay close to us on social media and share this with someone that you think this content will help. Together we can collectively improve the financial literacy of New Zealand - let’s get on with it. 

Find us here:

@keepthechange_nz

https://www.keepthechange.co.nz/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this conversation, I sat down with Susannah Batley, GM of Business at Sharesies, to talk about how employees are building wealth through shares in the companies they work for.

We get into what the future paypacket is in New Zealand, why salary alone isn’t enough, stories of people building wealth through equity and much, much more.

Create an account with Sharesies using the code 'KTC10' and they will match your first $10 deposit with an additional $10 to get you started investing. Terms and conditions apply. Visit: https://sharesies.com for more information.

Investing involves risk. You aren’t guaranteed to make money, and you might lose the money you start with. Any information we provide is general only and current at the time prepared. For advice we provide, see our disclosure statement. This is a paid promotion and is not financial advice.

The KTC10 promotional code is offered by Sharesies Limited. Terms and conditions of this offer apply. These terms apply in addition to Sharesies General Terms and Conditions, Invest Terms and Conditions, and Privacy Policy.

Find Sharesies on:

Website: https://www.sharesies.nz/

Instagram: @sharesiesnz

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Sharesies/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Too many New Zealanders (and people in general) find themselves trapped in a job or situation they don't want to be in, but they simply can't leave because of the financial side of things. Today, Mikey & I are diving into how you can take control of your situation and create a better life for you and those around you.

Find Mikey:

https://guardiansmith.co.nz/

https://instagram.com/officialmikeysmith

Amy from http://Levridge.co.nz has come on as a sponsor of Keep The Change to help people with their financial planning.

Stuck? Find Amy : amy@levridge.co.nz

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amy.levridge

Website: https://www.levridge.co.nz

Generate are supporting my vision to improve the financial literacy of 100,000 kiwis by sponsoring Keep The Change. Cheers Generate. Head to https://www.generatewealth.co.nz/change/ to find out more.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The development of robotics is becoming a bigger and biggest industry these days, seemingly growing faster than ever, so today Im sitting down with an expert in the field, Lachlan Murray to find out whats happening.

Lachlan started his company 'Robomate' and within a few years has grown from 3 to 75 staff, with no signs of slowing down. We dive into what humanoid robots are, how they're going to change the way humans live, misconceptions about the industry and lessons he's learnt so far growing his company.

Find Lachlan:

https://robomate.co.nz/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lachlan-murray-32a432150/

Amy from http://Levridge.co.nz has come on as a sponsor of Keep The Change to help people with their financial planning.

Stuck? Find Amy : amy@levridge.co.nz

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amy.levridge

Website: https://www.levridge.co.nz

Generate are supporting my vision to improve the financial literacy of 100,000 kiwis by sponsoring Keep The Change. Cheers Generate. Head to https://www.generatewealth.co.nz/change/ to find out more.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last day in South Africa! Here's a recap so far...

Pssst...fuel your day with better nutrition (20% off first order):Radix.co.nz/KTC

Hey thanks for listening! Please take some form of action from this content, don’t just be a consumer, become a producer! Make sure you’re subscribed to Money Mail via Keepthechange.co.nz to receive our weekly lesson on money and financial literacy. Stay close to us on social media and share this with someone that you think this content will help. Together we can collectively improve the financial literacy of New Zealand - let’s get on with it. 

Find us here:

@keepthechange_nz

https://www.keepthechange.co.nz/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I was reflecting on a top performing podcast from earlier this year focused around building wealth. If I had to boil down a 55-minute conversation with financial adviser James Blair into one sentence, it'd be: Your biggest financial risk isn't making a mistake. It's standing still. Doing SFA. And the election has me seeing clients tell me some of their customers are waiting to commit. Before this election gets even louder, pick 1 thing that will build wealth long term. 

If you haven't listened to the podcast with James, I'd highly recommend giving it a crack.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQ5VOpoa0Ow

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/603ptFB1Z1ZMWrCvEWu4Vi?si=om1DHS4IRuOO5hk6Z6ZpOg

Pssst...fuel your day with better nutrition (20% off first order):Radix.co.nz/KTC

Hey thanks for listening! Please take some form of action from this content, don’t just be a consumer, become a producer! Make sure you’re subscribed to Money Mail via Keepthechange.co.nz to receive our weekly lesson on money and financial literacy. Stay close to us on social media and share this with someone that you think this content will help. Together we can collectively improve the financial literacy of New Zealand - let’s get on with it. 

Find us here:

@keepthechange_nz

https://www.keepthechange.co.nz/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nearly three years ago Mikey & I did a podcast about 'the hunting season' a period of your life where you spend 18-36 months focused on getting after what you want. After that resonated with people, and we saw many KTC listeners go through that period, the natural question was; whats next?

That brings us to today's episode, diving into the next season required for success, the boring season.

If you haven't listened to the hunting season podcast, go back and have a listen here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5qJ5YYe18oQ271qRTKueRI?si=121876623aea4cf3

Find Mikey:

https://guardiansmith.co.nz/

https://instagram.com/officialmikeysmith

Amy from http://Levridge.co.nz has come on as a sponsor of Keep The Change to help people with their financial planning.

Stuck? Find Amy : amy@levridge.co.nz

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amy.levridge

Website: https://www.levridge.co.nz

Generate are supporting my vision to improve the financial literacy of 100,000 kiwis by sponsoring Keep The Change. Cheers Generate. Head to https://www.generatewealth.co.nz/change/ to find out more.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

First home buyers are grabbing record market share in NZ, making up nearly 30% of all property purchases. I remember going through the process and learning A LOT! It’s exciting, but it's also one of the easiest times to make a bad financial decision. I recently sat down with the CEO of Guardian Smith, Mikey Smith to talk about what their mortgage advisory firm is seeing in the market.

Pssst...fuel your day with better nutrition (20% off first order):Radix.co.nz/KTC

Hey thanks for listening! Please take some form of action from this content, don’t just be a consumer, become a producer! Make sure you’re subscribed to Money Mail via Keepthechange.co.nz to receive our weekly lesson on money and financial literacy. Stay close to us on social media and share this with someone that you think this content will help. Together we can collectively improve the financial literacy of New Zealand - let’s get on with it. 

Find us here:

@keepthechange_nz

https://www.keepthechange.co.nz/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Solar power is all the talk right now, especially after supply chains started creating pressure on petrol prices earlier this year. But is it all hype? Or is there genuinely an incredible opportunity for us to harness the sun and go electric here in New Zealand?

Today Im speaking with Mike Casey, founder of Electric Cherries, a cherry orchard in Cromwell powered entirely by electricity and solar.

We discuss the truth about solar, how it can be finances, what kiwis need to know about it and what the future holds. When it comes to investing, everyone is focused on the stock market, crypto or the housing ponzi, but could this be an opportunity sitting right in front of us?

Find Mike:

https://www.instagram.com/electricorchardist/

Amy from http://Levridge.co.nz has come on as a sponsor of Keep The Change to help people with their financial planning.

Stuck? Find Amy : amy@levridge.co.nz

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amy.levridge

Website: https://www.levridge.co.nz

Generate are supporting my vision to improve the financial literacy of 100,000 kiwis by sponsoring Keep The Change. Cheers Generate. Head to https://www.generatewealth.co.nz/change/ to find out more.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"I can't find a job." "I can't find good staff." I spend a lot of time talking to New Zealanders and I can hear both of these statements in the same week. It doesn’t make sense? If unemployment has climbed to 5.6%, (the highest in 11 years), shouldn't employers have plenty of people to choose from?

Pssst...fuel your day with better nutrition (20% off first order):Radix.co.nz/KTC

Hey thanks for listening! Please take some form of action from this content, don’t just be a consumer, become a producer! Make sure you’re subscribed to Money Mail via Keepthechange.co.nz to receive our weekly lesson on money and financial literacy. Stay close to us on social media and share this with someone that you think this content will help. Together we can collectively improve the financial literacy of New Zealand - let’s get on with it. 

Find us here:

@keepthechange_nz

https://www.keepthechange.co.nz/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today Luke sits down with Duncan Wood, founder of Boomfa Vintage, to unpack how a side hustle selling secondhand rugby jerseys on Instagram turned into a full-time business.

Duncan shares the mindset shift it took to quit a stable corporate sales job, the fear of breaking the GST threshold that held him back for years, and how posting daily content eventually landed him on the field at an NRL Grand Final. It's a raw look at the risk, patience, and consistency behind building a real business out of a genuine passion.

Find Duncan:

Website: https://boomfavintage.com/

Instagram: https://instagram.com/boomfa_vintage/

YouTube: https://youtube.com/@duncanwoodNZ

Amy from http://Levridge.co.nz has come on as a sponsor of Keep The Change to help people with their financial planning.

Stuck? Find Amy : amy@levridge.co.nz

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amy.levridge

Website: https://www.levridge.co.nz

Generate are supporting my vision to improve the financial literacy of 100,000 kiwis by sponsoring Keep The Change. Cheers Generate. Head to https://www.generatewealth.co.nz/change/ to find out more.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Over the past few weeks, things have started to feel...normal again. (I have probably jinxed us now!). Even a mate said to me ‘Yeah it’s nice to have a break from the crises but we are surely due for another one 😂’. The next crisis isn't something you'll see coming months in advance. It will probably arrive in a completely different form to the last one. Let's get ready...

Pssst...fuel your day with better nutrition (20% off first order):Radix.co.nz/KTC

Hey thanks for listening! Please take some form of action from this content, don’t just be a consumer, become a producer! Make sure you’re subscribed to Money Mail via Keepthechange.co.nz to receive our weekly lesson on money and financial literacy. Stay close to us on social media and share this with someone that you think this content will help. Together we can collectively improve the financial literacy of New Zealand - let’s get on with it. 

Find us here:

@keepthechange_nz

https://www.keepthechange.co.nz/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Huia grew up in a single-mum household on Waiheke Island where money was never talked about, then found herself as an adult who was, in her own words, "absolutely the wrong person to have a credit card." She opens up about her tertiary overdraft that took years to clear, the guilt she still feels using money for anything beyond basic needs, and how marrying into a family who talked openly about wealth completely changed her relationship with money.

This isn't an expert interview, it's a real, honest conversation with a KTC listener about the messy, ongoing journey of figuring money out.

Amy from http://Levridge.co.nz has come on as a sponsor of Keep The Change to help people with their financial planning.

Stuck? Find Amy : amy@levridge.co.nz

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amy.levridge

Website: https://www.levridge.co.nz

Generate are supporting my vision to improve the financial literacy of 100,000 kiwis by sponsoring Keep The Change. Cheers Generate. Head to https://www.generatewealth.co.nz/change/ to find out more.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There seems to be a theme in my DM's from people in their 20s. Probably nothing new to be fair! When I was in my twenties, I wanted things to happen faster too. I've now interviewed hundreds of successful people across New Zealand. The pattern is often pretty boring. Almost every one of them eventually picked one thing and stayed with it for years. So, with that said, some advice: take it or leave it. 

Pssst...fuel your day with better nutrition (20% off first order):Radix.co.nz/KTC

Hey thanks for listening! Please take some form of action from this content, don’t just be a consumer, become a producer! Make sure you’re subscribed to Money Mail via Keepthechange.co.nz to receive our weekly lesson on money and financial literacy. Stay close to us on social media and share this with someone that you think this content will help. Together we can collectively improve the financial literacy of New Zealand - let’s get on with it. 

Find us here:

@keepthechange_nz

https://www.keepthechange.co.nz/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Whilst Simon was in his early 20's he was making more than the prime minister of New Zealand, despite dropping out of University. He then left his job at 25, built his own business and went on to sell it for many millions of dollars.

He's sold 4 businesses by the age of 38 and made the Deloitte fast 50 3 times... In this episode, he breaks down how you can actually build wealth in New Zealand.

Find Rolland:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-rolland-6751bb8b/

https://www.zurix.co.nz/

Amy from http://Levridge.co.nz has come on as a sponsor of Keep The Change to help people with their financial planning.

Stuck? Find Amy : amy@levridge.co.nz

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amy.levridge

Website: https://www.levridge.co.nz

Generate are supporting my vision to improve the financial literacy of 100,000 kiwis by sponsoring Keep The Change. Cheers Generate. Head to https://www.generatewealth.co.nz/change/ to find out more.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Recently, a 17-year-old asking if he could pay me for an hour of business advice. What in the helly! I jumped on the call. 2 of them turned up. For me, I wanted to understand what a teenager was doing that made him think investing in advice was worthwhile. For the big reveal, turns out he and a mate spend their weekends knocking on doors, offering one simple service.

Pssst...fuel your day with better nutrition (20% off first order):Radix.co.nz/KTC

Hey thanks for listening! Please take some form of action from this content, don’t just be a consumer, become a producer! Make sure you’re subscribed to Money Mail via Keepthechange.co.nz to receive our weekly lesson on money and financial literacy. Stay close to us on social media and share this with someone that you think this content will help. Together we can collectively improve the financial literacy of New Zealand - let’s get on with it. 

Find us here:

@keepthechange_nz

https://www.keepthechange.co.nz/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Recently I went down to Wellington college to teach their students about money, and took along my videographer to capture the day for you.

Sign up to Money Mail for free weekly emails to improve your finances: https://www.keepthechange.co.nz/moneymail

Follow on Instagram for more content: https://www.instagram.com/keepthechange_nz

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For a change Luke's in the hot seat as Amy from Levridge turns the tables and works through his own financial plan and money beliefs. They cover his childhood money beliefs of scarcity and "ask your father," his surprisingly casual approach to retirement planning at 38, and the realisation that he might be more frugal than he needs to be after building a business that's given him the ability to say no.

This is Luke stripped of his usual expert role, doing the same deep work he asks his listeners to do, and bringing you along for the journey.

Download Amy's workbook here to go through these exercises yourself: https://www.levridge.co.nz/workbook

Find Amy:

https://levridge.co.nz/

https://instagram.com/amy.levridge

Amy from http://Levridge.co.nz has come on as a sponsor of Keep The Change to help people with their financial planning.

Stuck? Find Amy : amy@levridge.co.nz

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amy.levridge

Website: https://www.levridge.co.nz

Generate are supporting my vision to improve the financial literacy of 100,000 kiwis by sponsoring Keep The Change. Cheers Generate. Head to https://www.generatewealth.co.nz/change/ to find out more.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I think we're seeing something that doesn't get talked about enough. We're increasingly seeing two different economies. One with a lot of disposable money and one without. So how is this going to play out if interest rates keep increasing?

Pssst...fuel your day with better nutrition (20% off first order):Radix.co.nz/KTC

Hey thanks for listening! Please take some form of action from this content, don’t just be a consumer, become a producer! Make sure you’re subscribed to Money Mail via Keepthechange.co.nz to receive our weekly lesson on money and financial literacy. Stay close to us on social media and share this with someone that you think this content will help. Together we can collectively improve the financial literacy of New Zealand - let’s get on with it. 

Find us here:

@keepthechange_nz

https://www.keepthechange.co.nz/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In todays episode Luke sits down with Mikey from Guardian Smith to break down everything first home buyers need to know about getting a mortgage in 2026... From 5% deposit options most people don't know exist, to why the bank's test rate is still sitting close to 7% even when your actual rate is much lower.

W cover the mistakes that kill mortgage applications , why having a flatmate could dramatically increase your borrowing power, and how offset mortgages could save you hundreds of thousands in interest.

If you're thinking about buying your first home, this is the most practical conversation you'll find on how the mortgage world actually works in New Zealand right now.

Find Mikey:

https://guardiansmith.co.nz/

https://instagram.com/officialmikeysmith

Amy from http://Levridge.co.nz has come on as a sponsor of Keep The Change to help people with their financial planning.

Stuck? Find Amy : amy@levridge.co.nz

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amy.levridge

Website: https://www.levridge.co.nz

Generate are supporting my vision to improve the financial literacy of 100,000 kiwis by sponsoring Keep The Change. Cheers Generate. Head to https://www.generatewealth.co.nz/change/ to find out more.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

4 in 10 New Zealanders say they couldn’t access $5,000 within a week without going into debt if an unexpected emergency came up. $5,000 sounds like a lot of money and will be to many people who read this. Whilst others will feel that $5,000 is stuff all. Remember that finance is personal. But does it really go that far anymore? Well we better at least make sure we've got $5k sorted! 

Pssst...fuel your day with better nutrition (20% off first order):Radix.co.nz/KTC

Hey thanks for listening! Please take some form of action from this content, don’t just be a consumer, become a producer! Make sure you’re subscribed to Money Mail via Keepthechange.co.nz to receive our weekly lesson on money and financial literacy. Stay close to us on social media and share this with someone that you think this content will help. Together we can collectively improve the financial literacy of New Zealand - let’s get on with it. 

Find us here:

@keepthechange_nz

https://www.keepthechange.co.nz/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Most young Kiwi have bought into the belief that home ownership is impossible. Yet Sarah from Guardian Smith bought her first home at 25, after selling her car and riding a mountain bike to save the last $10K of her deposit.

Sarah breaks down what's actually working for young buyers: Kiwisaver contributions, the 5% deposit first home loan scheme most people don't know exists, and the strategy of buying a home and getting mates to pay board... Covering a huge chunk of the mortgage while building equity instead of paying someone else's mortgage.

The average first home buyer age is 37. Sarah's youngest client bought at 22. The difference? A clear goal, consistent saving, and the belief that it can actually be done.

We cover why 20% deposit is a myth, how to get pre-approval ready even if you're not there yet, and the sacrifices that separate people who buy young from those who wait decades. Plus Sarah's journey from math teacher to mortgage broker.

It's still possible. You just need to know how the game actually works.

Find Sarah:

https://instagram.com/mortgagebrokersarah_

Amy from http://Levridge.co.nz has come on as a sponsor of Keep The Change to help people with their financial planning.

Stuck? Find Amy : amy@levridge.co.nz

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amy.levridge

Website: https://www.levridge.co.nz

Generate are supporting my vision to improve the financial literacy of 100,000 kiwis by sponsoring Keep The Change. Cheers Generate. Head to https://www.generatewealth.co.nz/change/ to find out more.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sharesies have recently launched the Sharesies Debit Mastercard that earns its customers 1% Investback.That’s $1 in investments for every $100 they spentd on the card. I sat down with Scott Nixon, the General Manager of Personal for Sharesies, to ask your questions about the card.

Create an account with Sharesies using the code 'KTC10' and they will match your first $10 deposit with an additional $10 to get you started investing. Terms and conditions apply. Visit: https://sharesies.com for more information.

Investing involves risk. You aren’t guaranteed to make money, and you might lose the money you start with. Any information we provide is general only and current at the time prepared. For advice we provide, see our disclosure statement. This is a paid promotion and is not financial advice.

The KTC10 promotional code is offered by Sharesies Limited. Terms and conditions of this offer apply. These terms apply in addition to Sharesies General Terms and Conditions, Invest Terms and Conditions, and Privacy Policy.

Find Sharesies on:

Website: https://www.sharesies.nz/

Instagram: @sharesiesnz

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Sharesies/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We were flying from the US to Canada for the next game and needed a Canadian visa of some sort. Didn’t know this until ole mate at the counter told me we couldn’t fly unless we could show the visa. So I did what most people do. I Googled it. Clicked one of the first links. Rookie mistake! Let me tell you about it in more detail.

Pssst...fuel your day with better nutrition (20% off first order):Radix.co.nz/KTC

Hey thanks for listening! Please take some form of action from this content, don’t just be a consumer, become a producer! Make sure you’re subscribed to Money Mail via Keepthechange.co.nz to receive our weekly lesson on money and financial literacy. Stay close to us on social media and share this with someone that you think this content will help. Together we can collectively improve the financial literacy of New Zealand - let’s get on with it. 

Find us here:

@keepthechange_nz

https://www.keepthechange.co.nz/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The other Saturday morning I spent two hours helping a music teacher with ideas on how to scale his side hustle. I hope you've checked it out? Because he has exactly the same problem that people around NZ have. He has a skill and people are willing to pay for it. But his income is limited by one thing…his time. You sell your time, BUT eventually you hit a ceiling. In the 2 hour recording with Al we try break the back of scaling his side hustle up.

Pssst...fuel your day with better nutrition (20% off first order):Radix.co.nz/KTC

Hey thanks for listening! Please take some form of action from this content, don’t just be a consumer, become a producer! Make sure you’re subscribed to Money Mail via Keepthechange.co.nz to receive our weekly lesson on money and financial literacy. Stay close to us on social media and share this with someone that you think this content will help. Together we can collectively improve the financial literacy of New Zealand - let’s get on with it. 

Find us here:

@keepthechange_nz

https://www.keepthechange.co.nz/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hey thanks for listening! Please take some form of action from this content, don’t just be a consumer, become a producer! Make sure you’re subscribed to Money Mail via Keepthechange.co.nz to receive our weekly lesson on money and financial literacy. Stay close to us on social media and share this with someone that you think this content will help. Together we can collectively improve the financial literacy of New Zealand - let’s get on with it. 

Find us here:

@keepthechange_nz

https://www.keepthechange.co.nz/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today Im sitting down with Michael Rehm, a professor of property at the University of Auckland, to discuss everything going on in the housing market here in New Zealand. From false beliefs about the market, to how we can make housing more affordable and everything in between.

Michael Rehm is one of New Zealand's leading property researchers who's been studying the market for 25 years, to find out what's really driving house prices and whether the easy property gravy train is finally over. If you've ever wondered what drives property prices and whether property is still the path to wealth in New Zealand, this podcast is for you.

Find Michael:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rehmnz/

Amy from http://Levridge.co.nz has come on as a sponsor of Keep The Change to help people with their financial planning.

Stuck? Find Amy : amy@levridge.co.nz

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amy.levridge

Website: https://www.levridge.co.nz

Generate are supporting my vision to improve the financial literacy of 100,000 kiwis by sponsoring Keep The Change. Cheers Generate. Head to https://www.generatewealth.co.nz/change/ to find out more.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After seeing how much you guys loved the pod we did at the start of the year covering 'how to obliterate 2026' we're back with a 6 month update to keep you on track. Covering whats going down, whats changed in the world and what you need to be aware of, plus an update on Luke's stock picks.

Find Mikey:

https://guardiansmith.co.nz/

https://instagram.com/officialmikeysmith

Amy from http://Levridge.co.nz has come on as a sponsor of Keep The Change to help people with their financial planning.

Stuck? Find Amy : amy@levridge.co.nz

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amy.levridge

Website: https://www.levridge.co.nz

Generate are supporting my vision to improve the financial literacy of 100,000 kiwis by sponsoring Keep The Change. Cheers Generate. Head to https://www.generatewealth.co.nz/change/ to find out more.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hey thanks for listening! Please take some form of action from this content, don’t just be a consumer, become a producer! Make sure you’re subscribed to Money Mail via Keepthechange.co.nz to receive our weekly lesson on money and financial literacy. Stay close to us on social media and share this with someone that you think this content will help. Together we can collectively improve the financial literacy of New Zealand - let’s get on with it. 

Find us here:

@keepthechange_nz

https://www.keepthechange.co.nz/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today Im sitting down with Albert, a full-time teacher with a side hustle teaching private music lessons. His problem is he's maxed out on time and can't take on more students so this consulting session is with the goal of helping him figure out how to package his expertise, charge what he's actually worth, and build leverage so he can help more people without working more hours.

If you've got a side hustle that's hit the ceiling, this live consulting session will change how you think about scaling it.

Find Albert:

https://www.instagram.com/albert.lee.educator/

Amy from http://Levridge.co.nz has come on as a sponsor of Keep The Change to help people with their financial planning.

Stuck? Find Amy : amy@levridge.co.nz

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amy.levridge

Website: https://www.levridge.co.nz

Generate are supporting my vision to improve the financial literacy of 100,000 kiwis by sponsoring Keep The Change. Cheers Generate. Head to https://www.generatewealth.co.nz/change/ to find out more.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A few weeks ago I asked a simple question and the answers were bloody thoughtful and honest. Have a think about how you would answer that. And maybe it’s based on what you wish you knew now? Here is a summary of what came through in the comments. AND one suprising one that was missed!

Hey thanks for listening! Please take some form of action from this content, don’t just be a consumer, become a producer! Make sure you’re subscribed to Money Mail via Keepthechange.co.nz to receive our weekly lesson on money and financial literacy. Stay close to us on social media and share this with someone that you think this content will help. Together we can collectively improve the financial literacy of New Zealand - let’s get on with it. 

Find us here:

@keepthechange_nz

https://www.keepthechange.co.nz/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hey thanks for listening! Please take some form of action from this content, don’t just be a consumer, become a producer! Make sure you’re subscribed to Money Mail via Keepthechange.co.nz to receive our weekly lesson on money and financial literacy. Stay close to us on social media and share this with someone that you think this content will help. Together we can collectively improve the financial literacy of New Zealand - let’s get on with it. 

Find us here:

@keepthechange_nz

https://www.keepthechange.co.nz/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hey thanks for listening! Please take some form of action from this content, don’t just be a consumer, become a producer! Make sure you’re subscribed to Money Mail via Keepthechange.co.nz to receive our weekly lesson on money and financial literacy. Stay close to us on social media and share this with someone that you think this content will help. Together we can collectively improve the financial literacy of New Zealand - let’s get on with it. 

Find us here:

@keepthechange_nz

https://www.keepthechange.co.nz/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today Amy from Levridge breaks down some real client examples of New Zealander's building wealth.

The pattern is clear: small tweaks in the right direction and knowing why you're doing it create massive differences over time.

Everyone's at a different starting line, running a different race. But the ones getting ahead all have one thing in common: they got good advice and took action.

We cover relationship property agreements, why your home isn't actually an investment, the importance of accountability, and how restructuring debt can save thousands in tax. Plus, why sometimes the best financial advice is to do nothing at all.

Find Amy:

https://levridge.co.nz/

https://instagram.com/amy.levridge

Amy from http://Levridge.co.nz has come on as a sponsor of Keep The Change to help people with their financial planning.

Stuck? Find Amy : amy@levridge.co.nz

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amy.levridge

Website: https://www.levridge.co.nz

Generate are supporting my vision to improve the financial literacy of 100,000 kiwis by sponsoring Keep The Change. Cheers Generate. Head to https://www.generatewealth.co.nz/change/ to find out more.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I’ve heard this more times than I should.I am sure you would have heard it before. You may even believe it. It is perhaps the most dangerous money belief you can have. So let’s explore how we could look at this from some different angles and perhaps encourage others to do the same. 

Hey thanks for listening! Please take some form of action from this content, don’t just be a consumer, become a producer! Make sure you’re subscribed to Money Mail via Keepthechange.co.nz to receive our weekly lesson on money and financial literacy. Stay close to us on social media and share this with someone that you think this content will help. Together we can collectively improve the financial literacy of New Zealand - let’s get on with it. 

Find us here:

@keepthechange_nz

https://www.keepthechange.co.nz/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Over 90% of Kiwi workers now use AI, but most companies haven't provided official tools yet. Mikey and I break down what's really happening and what's coming next.

We cover the productivity gap where employees are much faster than their bosses realise, using AI for everything from drafting reports to summarising legal briefs in seconds. We explore why GDP hasn't grown despite this AI boom, the jobs that will disappear versus those that will thrive, and whether Universal Basic Income is the answer or just creates more problems.

The arbitrage opportunity exists now, but once everyone has access to AI, no one has an advantage. The window is closing.

Luke and Mikey discuss the investment bubble around AI (everything gets "AI" added to the name and stock prices explode), why some businesses will get crushed while others use AI to become more efficient, and the importance of focusing on what you can control rather than getting distracted by shiny objects.

The world is changing fast. The question is: are you adapting or getting left behind?

Find Mikey:

https://guardiansmith.co.nz/

https://instagram.com/officialmikeysmith

Amy from http://Levridge.co.nz has come on as a sponsor of Keep The Change to help people with their financial planning.

Stuck? Find Amy : amy@levridge.co.nz

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amy.levridge

Website: https://www.levridge.co.nz

Generate are supporting my vision to improve the financial literacy of 100,000 kiwis by sponsoring Keep The Change. Cheers Generate. Head to https://www.generatewealth.co.nz/change/ to find out more.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Every now and then, I see the same scary stat get thrown around. “70% of small businesses fail within the first five years.” I don’t know who started this, but it’s usually said with the same typical Kiwi certainty of those non-players who could coach the AB’s to a World Cup or slot one from the sideline. But because I am slightly unwell, I started trying to figure out where that statistic even came from and if I could find it. Turns out that stat is misleading at best and often flat-out wrong.

Hey thanks for listening! Please take some form of action from this content, don’t just be a consumer, become a producer! Make sure you’re subscribed to Money Mail via Keepthechange.co.nz to receive our weekly lesson on money and financial literacy. Stay close to us on social media and share this with someone that you think this content will help. Together we can collectively improve the financial literacy of New Zealand - let’s get on with it. 

Find us here:

@keepthechange_nz

https://www.keepthechange.co.nz/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Budget 2026!!! I went to the live from the beehive. There were hundreds of pages of forecasts, funding announcements, assumptions and political chat. I’ll be honest I didn’t read every page. The challenge was trying to work out what actually matters to everyday Kiwis like you. So a few (not all) of those things…

Hey thanks for listening! Please take some form of action from this content, don’t just be a consumer, become a producer! Make sure you’re subscribed to Money Mail via Keepthechange.co.nz to receive our weekly lesson on money and financial literacy. Stay close to us on social media and share this with someone that you think this content will help. Together we can collectively improve the financial literacy of New Zealand - let’s get on with it. 

Find us here:

@keepthechange_nz

https://www.keepthechange.co.nz/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Luke caught up with Greg Smith, investment specialist at Generate to break down everything you need to know about the 2026 budget. From changes to FIF rules, to the new infrastructure developments and what it means for everyday New Zealanders.

Find Greg:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-smith-cfa-07214215/

https://generatewealth.co.nz

Amy from http://Levridge.co.nz has come on as a sponsor of Keep The Change to help people with their financial planning.

Stuck? Find Amy : amy@levridge.co.nz

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amy.levridge

Website: https://www.levridge.co.nz

Generate are supporting my vision to improve the financial literacy of 100,000 kiwis by sponsoring Keep The Change. Cheers Generate. Head to https://www.generatewealth.co.nz/change/ to find out more.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dave Wood is one of New Zealand's leading experts on stress control, from working as an intensive care paramedic to coaching some of the UFC's top fighters, and today I sat down with him to understand how to better harness & control our own stress.

Dave breaks down the crisis of unprecedented levels of stimulation in the modern age, how to control your stress level and the breathing techniques anyone can use to see results for themselves. Your ability to control your state under pressure is a skill, it's time to develop it.

Reach out to Dave at info@wmw.co.nz or https://wmw.co.nz/contact/ and mention KTC for 10% off any of their products, only available up until June 30th 2026.

Find Dave:

Website: https://wmw.co.nz/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/integrated.training/

Amy from http://Levridge.co.nz has come on as a sponsor of Keep The Change to help people with their financial planning.

Stuck? Find Amy : amy@levridge.co.nz

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amy.levridge

Website: https://www.levridge.co.nz

Generate are supporting my vision to improve the financial literacy of 100,000 kiwis by sponsoring Keep The Change. Cheers Generate. Head to https://www.generatewealth.co.nz/change/ to find out more.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mark from Feijoa built an app that rounds up your spending and puts it straight into KiwiSaver. 3,000 users are now contributing hundreds if not thousands per year extra without thinking about it.

Mark breaks down how it works, we cover why they chose KiwiSaver first, the 1.6 million who don't regularly contribute, and how roundups solve the behaviour problem traditional saving can't.

We cover the regulatory hurdles, why they use open banking, and the expansion plans into managed funds and ETFs. Plus Mark's fundraising journey, from bootstrapping to raising $750K to scale the marketing and tell more people about automatic saving.

Find more information on Feijoa at https://feijoa.kiwi

Amy from http://Levridge.co.nz has come on as a sponsor of Keep The Change to help people with their financial planning.

Stuck? Find Amy : amy@levridge.co.nz

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amy.levridge

Website: https://www.levridge.co.nz

Generate are supporting my vision to improve the financial literacy of 100,000 kiwis by sponsoring Keep The Change. Cheers Generate. Head to https://www.generatewealth.co.nz/change/ to find out more.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The question a grandparent asked me this week. They had been tucking money away weekly for their grandchildren and wanted to know if they were missing something by not investing the money. They currently save it into a bank account. Great intentions but times have changed a bit! Over long periods of time, investing can dramatically outperform cash sitting in a bank account. So how do we go about it?

Hey thanks for listening! Please take some form of action from this content, don’t just be a consumer, become a producer! Make sure you’re subscribed to Money Mail via Keepthechange.co.nz to receive our weekly lesson on money and financial literacy. Stay close to us on social media and share this with someone that you think this content will help. Together we can collectively improve the financial literacy of New Zealand - let’s get on with it. 

Find us here:

@keepthechange_nz

https://www.keepthechange.co.nz/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

New Zealand liquidations have hit a 15-year high, the highest since the GFC. Todays guest is lawyer Brent Norling who's receiving 160 calls a month from businesses drowning in tax debt, one of the main driving factors of these liquidations.

IRD debt has exploded from $2.5 billion to $9.5 billion, with the next update likely starting with a 10. The pattern is often the same: lose money on a job, do the next job to pay for the previous one, then use IRD and creditors to fund the shortfall until it all collapses.

We cover why employees get burnt when Kiwisaver deductions aren't paid, the construction domino effect when big companies fail, and why most directors never get prosecuted despite owing millions. Plus the harsh reality: if you're using IRD as your bank, you're competing unfairly until you get caught.

The liquidation wave is here. Don't be next.

Find Brent:

Website: https://norlinglaw.co.nz/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brent-norling/

Amy from http://Levridge.co.nz has come on as a sponsor of Keep The Change to help people with their financial planning.

Stuck? Find Amy : amy@levridge.co.nz

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amy.levridge

Website: https://www.levridge.co.nz

Generate are supporting my vision to improve the financial literacy of 100,000 kiwis by sponsoring Keep The Change. Cheers Generate. Head to https://www.generatewealth.co.nz/change/ to find out more.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

That subject line sounds so sexy. But one of my first jobs out of uni was not so sexy. Being an auditor. Don’t you dare judge me. This meant that in my early 20s, I worked inside councils, universities, government organisations, and powerline companies reviewing payroll systems and employee records. I think this experience mattered more than I realised at the time. Because once you’ve seen the data, it becomes harder to believe the story that earning well is impossible.

Hey thanks for listening! Please take some form of action from this content, don’t just be a consumer, become a producer! Make sure you’re subscribed to Money Mail via Keepthechange.co.nz to receive our weekly lesson on money and financial literacy. Stay close to us on social media and share this with someone that you think this content will help. Together we can collectively improve the financial literacy of New Zealand - let’s get on with it. 

Find us here:

@keepthechange_nz

https://www.keepthechange.co.nz/

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Today we're talking about the all important subject of how where you live impacts not only your finances, but your life in general. Answering the questions of should you move somewhere cheaper to save money? Or does it make sense to live in a more expensive area to go after opportunity? Should you buy someone with a long commute, or rent somewhere without one? All of this and more in todays episode.

But we want to hear from you too, whats worked for you? What have you learned?

Find Mikey:

https://guardiansmith.co.nz/

https://instagram.com/officialmikeysmith

Amy from http://Levridge.co.nz has come on as a sponsor of Keep The Change to help people with their financial planning.

Stuck? Find Amy : amy@levridge.co.nz

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amy.levridge

Website: https://www.levridge.co.nz

Generate are supporting my vision to improve the financial literacy of 100,000 kiwis by sponsoring Keep The Change. Cheers Generate. Head to https://www.generatewealth.co.nz/change/ to find out more.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There is no hard and fast ‘business or hobby?’ number, so let’s explore how it works. To start with, let’s keep it simple. A hobby = done for fun. Probably one off or done rarely. A business = done to make money. Consistently. However, it’s not what you call it. It’s how it looks.

Hey thanks for listening! Please take some form of action from this content, don’t just be a consumer, become a producer! Make sure you’re subscribed to Money Mail via Keepthechange.co.nz to receive our weekly lesson on money and financial literacy. Stay close to us on social media and share this with someone that you think this content will help. Together we can collectively improve the financial literacy of New Zealand - let’s get on with it. 

Find us here:

@keepthechange_nz

https://www.keepthechange.co.nz/

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Michelle Morfett has a cake shop, a self published cookbook, an ecommerce site, a thriving social media presence and manufactures her own baking tins.

Today she breaks down how she built multiple income streams, we cover why she turned down publishers, and why diversifying income streams gives her confidence.

We cover the loneliness of entrepreneurship, why she lost all shame about posting content, and how social media became essential after initially building a business without it.

Sometimes the best business strategy is just backing yourself to figure it out.

Find more info on Michell:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michellemorfett/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MichelleMorfett

Website: https://michellemorfett.com/

Mint Cakery: https://mintcakery.com/

Amy from http://Levridge.co.nz has come on as a sponsor of Keep The Change to help people with their financial planning.

Stuck? Find Amy : amy@levridge.co.nz

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amy.levridge

Website: https://www.levridge.co.nz

Generate are supporting my vision to improve the financial literacy of 100,000 kiwis by sponsoring Keep The Change. Cheers Generate. Head to https://www.generatewealth.co.nz/change/ to find out more.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, I want to tell you about a new Kiwi fintech called Feijoa. But first, full transparency: after being a customer, I ended up investing in their recent funding round and am now a VERY, VERY small shareholder. So yes, you could 100% argue I’m biased. It is my first 'Fintech' investment, and I am looking forward to taking you on that journey of how that space works, where appropriate also. With that said, I’m going to give you the straight view as always, and why I kicked some of my hard-earned money in. 

Hey thanks for listening! Please take some form of action from this content, don’t just be a consumer, become a producer! Make sure you’re subscribed to Money Mail via Keepthechange.co.nz to receive our weekly lesson on money and financial literacy. Stay close to us on social media and share this with someone that you think this content will help. Together we can collectively improve the financial literacy of New Zealand - let’s get on with it. 

Find us here:

@keepthechange_nz

https://www.keepthechange.co.nz/

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Sign up to Money Mail for free weekly emails to improve your finances: https://www.keepthechange.co.nz/moneymail

Follow on Instagram for more content: https://www.instagram.com/keepthechange_nz

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Create an account with Sharesies using the code 'KTC10' and they will match your first $10 deposit with an additional $10 to get you started investing: https://sharesies.com terms and conditions apply

Investing involves risk. You aren’t guaranteed to make money, and you might lose the money you start with. Any information we provide is general only and current at the time prepared. For advice we provide, see our disclosure statement. This is a paid promotion and is not financial advice.

The KTC10 promotional code is offered by Sharesies Limited. Terms and conditions of this offer apply. These terms apply in addition to Sharesies General Terms and Conditions, Invest Terms and Conditions, and Privacy Policy.

Find Sharesies on:

Website: https://www.sharesies.nz/

Instagram: @sharesiesnz

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Sharesies/

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Mike Sutherland bought a tiny brewery in Leigh with very little brewing experience. Now, Sawmill produces almost 2 million litres a year and employs 50+ people.

Mike breaks down the journey from learning to brew from a textbook, competing against Lion and DB's exclusive contracts, and building the business through farmers markets and word of mouth. We cover the 1am phone call that changed everything - "the brewery is on fire" - and how they kept growing while rebuilding everything from scratch.

The fire destroyed one end of the building, but Mike never considered quitting. They brewed at 15 different breweries during the rebuild and came back stronger.

We cover the morning tea rule (everyone stops at 10am, no phones allowed), why they focus on bars and restaurants over supermarkets, and the B-Corp certification that proves you can run a sustainable business with a sustainable bottom line. Plus why Mike thinks New Zealand needs to keep control of its food and beverage assets instead of selling them overseas.

From reluctant employee to brewery owner employing 50 people, sometimes you have to take the leap to find what you're meant to do.

Find more info on Sawmill:

Website: https://www.sawmillbrewery.co.nz/

Instagram: https://instagram.com/sawmillbrewery/

Amy from http://Levridge.co.nz has come on as a sponsor of Keep The Change to help people with their financial planning.

Stuck? Find Amy : amy@levridge.co.nz

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amy.levridge

Website: https://www.levridge.co.nz

Generate are supporting my vision to improve the financial literacy of 100,000 kiwis by sponsoring Keep The Change. Cheers Generate. Head to https://www.generatewealth.co.nz/change/ to find out more.

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New Zealand ranked last out of 11 Asia-Pacific countries for business growth for the second year in a row. And I don’t think it’s JUST because of the economy. The data suggests it’s because of who’s running it. One factor is something we are scared to talk about. Let me explain. 

Hey thanks for listening! Please take some form of action from this content, don’t just be a consumer, become a producer! Make sure you’re subscribed to Money Mail via Keepthechange.co.nz to receive our weekly lesson on money and financial literacy. Stay close to us on social media and share this with someone that you think this content will help. Together we can collectively improve the financial literacy of New Zealand - let’s get on with it. 

Find us here:

@keepthechange_nz

https://www.keepthechange.co.nz/

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Andrew Rooney started making drum videos as a personal library for his students. Now he's got 177,000 subscribers and makes more from YouTube than he ever did gigging.

Andrew breaks down the accidental journey: from "Coffee with Rooney" Facebook lives during COVID to viral drum reaction videos that hit 3.5 million views. We cover why he gave up thousands of gigs to focus on content creation, the loneliness of building something while others have normal jobs, and how sponsors found him instead of the other way around.

The video that changed everything was filmed on a Samsung S5 with terrible audio while he had a cold, sometimes imperfect action beats perfect planning.

We cover the income streams most people don't know exist (AdSense, Patreon, sponsorships), why Americans are more generous with support than Kiwis, and the mindset shift from trading time for money to building an audience.

Your expertise is valuable. The internet just makes it scalable.

Find Andrew on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AndrewRooneyDrums

Amy from http://Levridge.co.nz has come on as a sponsor of Keep The Change to help people with their financial planning.

Stuck? Find Amy : amy@levridge.co.nz

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amy.levridge

Website: https://www.levridge.co.nz

Generate are supporting my vision to improve the financial literacy of 100,000 kiwis by sponsoring Keep The Change. Cheers Generate. Head to https://www.generatewealth.co.nz/change/ to find out more.

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I know I’m flogging a dead horse because there are now a million users of it and over 40% of the users have multiple accounts. But anyway, I enjoy pushing sh!t up hill for the few who will listen. When you’ve already pre-spent and committed that buffer on repayments, you don’t have cash to absorb the shock so you feel it immediately. The buffer in the budget is gone! That makes you vulnerable. No one likes feeling vulnerable.

Hey thanks for listening! Please take some form of action from this content, don’t just be a consumer, become a producer! Make sure you’re subscribed to Money Mail via Keepthechange.co.nz to receive our weekly lesson on money and financial literacy. Stay close to us on social media and share this with someone that you think this content will help. Together we can collectively improve the financial literacy of New Zealand - let’s get on with it. 

Find us here:

@keepthechange_nz

https://www.keepthechange.co.nz/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alongside six others, Leighton Roberts co-founded Sharesies back in 2017. Sharesies is a wealth app that's helped make investing simpler for one million users. He breaks down why most people struggle with investing and how to actually get started.

Leighton explains why Kiwi can get overwhelmed by choice, the journey building a startup, how to overcome analysis paralysis when it comes to investing, and the power of compounding returns.,

Get started on Sharesies

Create an account with Sharesies using the code 'KTC10' and Sharesies will match your first $10 deposit with an additional $10 to get you started investing. Terms and conditions apply. For more info visit https://sharesies.com

Investing involves risk. You aren’t guaranteed to make money, and you might lose the money you start with. Any information we provide is general only and current at the time prepared. For advice we provide, see our disclosure statement. This is a paid promotion and is not financial advice.

The KTC10 promotional code is offered by Sharesies Limited. Terms and conditions of this offer apply. These terms apply in addition to Sharesies General Terms and Conditions, Invest Terms and Conditions, and Privacy Policy.

Find Sharesies on:

Website: https://www.sharesies.nz/

Instagram: @sharesiesnz

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Sharesies/

Amy from http://Levridge.co.nz has come on as a sponsor of Keep The Change to help people with their financial planning.

Stuck? Find Amy : amy@levridge.co.nz

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amy.levridge

Website: https://www.levridge.co.nz

Generate are supporting my vision to improve the financial literacy of 100,000 kiwis by sponsoring Keep The Change. Cheers Generate. Head to https://www.generatewealth.co.nz/change/ to find out more.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

ASB just dropped a number that made me look twice to see if it was right. They say that ‘households will likelThat’s hard enough for most people. But then an accountant like me says no you don’t. You need MORE! Because that $55 a week is after-tax money.y face a $55 per week increase in the cost of living over 2026'. Let's explore how that works.

Hey thanks for listening! Please take some form of action from this content, don’t just be a consumer, become a producer! Make sure you’re subscribed to Money Mail via Keepthechange.co.nz to receive our weekly lesson on money and financial literacy. Stay close to us on social media and share this with someone that you think this content will help. Together we can collectively improve the financial literacy of New Zealand - let’s get on with it. 

Find us here:

@keepthechange_nz

https://www.keepthechange.co.nz/

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Just when it felt like things were improving, here we go again. Multiple conversations I had over the week cited the same thing. People back in fear. People delaying decision making. People not wanting to invest or take out debt. Business confidence has tanked quickly too! Inside my business I’ve noticed business planning inquiry drop. It’s hard to plan for 12 months' time when you can’t see certainty in front of you. And all of this before things REALLY change for NZers.

Hey thanks for listening! Please take some form of action from this content, don’t just be a consumer, become a producer! Make sure you’re subscribed to Money Mail via Keepthechange.co.nz to receive our weekly lesson on money and financial literacy. Stay close to us on social media and share this with someone that you think this content will help. Together we can collectively improve the financial literacy of New Zealand - let’s get on with it. 

Find us here:

@keepthechange_nz

https://www.keepthechange.co.nz/

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Chloe McKnight sells businesses and sees the same patterns: the businesses that sell well are organised, have systems, and can prove consistent income. The ones that struggle are hoping someone will pay for their potential.

She's seen young people selling e-commerce empires they built as side hustles, and baby boomers shocked their 30-year business isn't worth what they thought.

We cover vendor finance deals, why banks are getting more flexible with business lending, and how most people leave selling too late and end up accepting whatever they can get.

Find Chloe:

https://www.instagram.com/chloemcknightkakapo/

Amy from http://Levridge.co.nz has come on as a sponsor of Keep The Change to help people with their financial planning.

Stuck? Find Amy : amy@levridge.co.nz

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amy.levridge

Website: https://www.levridge.co.nz

Generate are supporting my vision to improve the financial literacy of 100,000 kiwis by sponsoring Keep The Change. Cheers Generate. Head to https://www.generatewealth.co.nz/change/ to find out more.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mikey and I have both become millionaires through building million dollar businesses alongside traditional investments.

Mikey left a million-dollar income to start Guardian and is only just coming out the other side after four years, whilst Ive grown my accounting & advisory firm alongside my business partner to $2m/year in revenue. We cover the valley every entrepreneur faces, why most people quit when things get hard, and how believing in something for a decade changes everything.

We cover why speed beats perfection, the resilience required to build something meaningful, and how both their businesses reward them for the risk they're taking. Plus the mindset shift from thinking in months to thinking in decades, and why New Zealand is actually perfect for building wealth if you're willing to do the work.

It can still be done in New Zealand. You just have to be willing to do the hard work.

Find Mikey:

https://guardiansmith.co.nz/

https://instagram.com/officialmikeysmith

Amy from http://Levridge.co.nz has come on as a sponsor of Keep The Change to help people with their financial planning.

Stuck? Find Amy : amy@levridge.co.nz

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amy.levridge

Website: https://www.levridge.co.nz

Generate are supporting my vision to improve the financial literacy of 100,000 kiwis by sponsoring Keep The Change. Cheers Generate. Head to https://www.generatewealth.co.nz/change/ to find out more.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Most people are letting momentum and compounding work against them. They're compounding the wrong things... Debt, bad habits & negative thinking, instead of building momentum toward their goals.

Luke and Mikey break down why momentum is like compounding but for your daily life: once you get it rolling, things become easier, but you have to get your foot on the gas first. We cover the stages of momentum, why it's a cruel mistress that can turn on a dime, and how to harness it when it arrives.

In a country of so much negativity and doom and gloom, it's crucial to be around high energy and momentum. You can spot it in people who are building and creating.

Momentum is your most valuable asset. Are you building it or letting it work against you?

Find Mikey:

https://guardiansmith.co.nz/

https://instagram.com/officialmikeysmith

Amy from http://Levridge.co.nz has come on as a sponsor of Keep The Change to help people with their financial planning.

Stuck? Find Amy : amy@levridge.co.nz

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amy.levridge

Website: https://www.levridge.co.nz

Generate are supporting my vision to improve the financial literacy of 100,000 kiwis by sponsoring Keep The Change. Cheers Generate. Head to https://www.generatewealth.co.nz/change/ to find out more.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The other day I posted a photo online. It was just a payment terminal with a small sign: “CREDIT/PAYWAVE 1.5% surcharge”. It blew up. HUNDREDS of thousands of people saw it. Hundreds of comments. Over one thousand people voted in a poll asking if they do the same. In the comments, people were debating, agreeing, asking questions. All over one simple statement: “I still insert debit card to avoid 1.5% surcharge.”

Hey thanks for listening! Please take some form of action from this content, don’t just be a consumer, become a producer! Make sure you’re subscribed to Money Mail via Keepthechange.co.nz to receive our weekly lesson on money and financial literacy. Stay close to us on social media and share this with someone that you think this content will help. Together we can collectively improve the financial literacy of New Zealand - let’s get on with it. 

Find us here:

@keepthechange_nz

https://www.keepthechange.co.nz/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Renata built Roam with Kids from zero to 4,000 paying subscribers while raising three kids. Her secret? Posting every single day for two and a half years, even when no one was watching.

Renata breaks down the reality of building a startup in New Zealand, whilst juggling work & kids. We cover the loneliness of building something while everyone else has normal jobs, and how consistency beats perfection every time.

We cover the pivot from travel vlogger dreams to local business reality, why she charges less than half a cup of coffee per month, and how she's building something that actually helps families while creating wealth. Plus the harsh truth: if you want to build something meaningful, you have to be willing to do boring work consistently when no one's watching.

Speed creates momentum. Consistency creates success.

Find Roam With Kids:

https://www.instagram.com/roamwithkids/

Find Renata:

https://www.instagram.com/renataroaming/

Amy from http://Levridge.co.nz has come on as a sponsor of Keep The Change to help people with their financial planning.

Stuck? Find Amy : amy@levridge.co.nz

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amy.levridge

Website: https://www.levridge.co.nz

Generate are supporting my vision to improve the financial literacy of 100,000 kiwis by sponsoring Keep The Change. Cheers Generate. Head to https://www.generatewealth.co.nz/change/ to find out more.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Immigrants often arrive with nothing to fall back on so “safe” feels different.

Why are so many newcomers in NZ are willing to start businesses, take bigger risks, and end up hiring Kiwis? While locals often see business as too risky.

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This time of the year can be where the new year's energy has died down, and we waver from goals, or we realise we didn’t do what we said we were going to and now there is no point. For some inspo, I asked some KTC listeners what it was like to ‘think they can’t’ but ‘do it anyway’ and what they noticed. Perhaps NOW is the time. What do you need to start doing?

Hey thanks for listening! Please take some form of action from this content, don’t just be a consumer, become a producer! Make sure you’re subscribed to Money Mail via Keepthechange.co.nz to receive our weekly lesson on money and financial literacy. Stay close to us on social media and share this with someone that you think this content will help. Together we can collectively improve the financial literacy of New Zealand - let’s get on with it. 

Find us here:

@keepthechange_nz

https://www.keepthechange.co.nz/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Most Kiwis are overthinking wealth building. They're waiting for the perfect election result, the right market timing, or the ideal economic conditions. Meanwhile, they're missing the simple fundamentals that actually work.

James Blair from Lighthouse Financial breaks down why money is actually straightforward: earn as much as you can, don't spend it all, pay down debt, buy shares, buy property. That's it. We cover why waiting for political changes is pointless, why timing the market fails, and why victim mindset keeps people poor.

Stop waiting for perfect conditions. Start taking imperfect action. The fundamentals work if you work them.

Find James:

https://www.instagram.com/lighthousefinancialnz/

Amy from http://Levridge.co.nz has come on as a sponsor of Keep The Change to help people with their financial planning.

Stuck? Find Amy : amy@levridge.co.nz

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amy.levridge

Website: https://www.levridge.co.nz

Generate are supporting my vision to improve the financial literacy of 100,000 kiwis by sponsoring Keep The Change. Cheers Generate. Head to https://www.generatewealth.co.nz/change/ to find out more.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sign up to Money Mail for free weekly emails to improve your finances: https://www.keepthechange.co.nz/moneymail

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Well here we are again. More volatility + vulnerability and a sense of not knowing how long this could go on. I am not going to explore that too deeply, but I do want you to reflect on 2025. Because if you want to invest, you have to accept risk and therefore understand that risk is not a bug in investing, it’s part of the process. Markets are constantly reacting to something.

Hey thanks for listening! Please take some form of action from this content, don’t just be a consumer, become a producer! Make sure you’re subscribed to Money Mail via Keepthechange.co.nz to receive our weekly lesson on money and financial literacy. Stay close to us on social media and share this with someone that you think this content will help. Together we can collectively improve the financial literacy of New Zealand - let’s get on with it. 

Find us here:

@keepthechange_nz

https://www.keepthechange.co.nz/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Most people misallocate their time worrying about share platform fees when they should be asking their boss for a raise. They're trying to optimise $3 in fees instead of increasing their income by $10,000.

Luke and Mikey break down the hierarchy: time allocation first, income allocation second, capital allocation third. We cover why when you're young, time is your capital, and when you're older, capital buys your time back.

You can get more money, but you can't get more time. Yet most people waste hours researching investments instead of spending that hour asking for a pay rise.

We cover why misallocating time is worse than misallocating money, the needle-moving activities that actually matter, and why successful people do boring things consistently. Stop looking for magic solutions in chapter 8 when you haven't finished chapter 1.

Time is your most valuable asset. Are you treating it that way?

Find Mikey:

https://guardiansmith.co.nz/

https://instagram.com/officialmikeysmith

Amy from http://Levridge.co.nz has come on as a sponsor of Keep The Change to help people with their financial planning.

Stuck? Find Amy : amy@levridge.co.nz

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amy.levridge

Website: https://www.levridge.co.nz

Generate are supporting my vision to improve the financial literacy of 100,000 kiwis by sponsoring Keep The Change. Cheers Generate. Head to https://www.generatewealth.co.nz/change/ to find out more.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Let’s run the numbers on someone earning $35 an hour trying to “get ahead” in NZ.

Full-time is roughly $72,800.

After tax, ACC, KiwiSaver (3%), you’re left with roughly $55k take-home.

Here are the real costs one person shared (good starting point: 29, single, no kids, flatting):

Rent: $350/week

Food: $150/week

Fuel: $45/week

Insurance (car, contents, health): $60/week

Gym (CrossFit): $50/week

Power: $60/week

That totals about $715/week, or $37,200/year.

So on paper:

Take-home: $55,000

Core living costs: -$37,200

Leftover: $17,800/year

That suggests they could be lucky to save around $15k per year.

I think there are some missing costs from this budget:

Dentist / medical. Car repairs + servicing + tyres. Registration + WOF. Clothing, gifts, travel, weddings. Subscriptions, eating out, entertainment.

That $17.8k surplus becomes something like: $12k–$15k per year saved.

That’s still solid! BUT let’s be honest about NZ.

ISSUE 1: You can’t afford emergencies… and you really can’t afford house prices running away

If you’re saving $12k–$15k a year,

A major car problem can wipe out a big chunk of your progress or a job interruption hurts.

AND you definitely don’t want house prices rising quickly while you’re trying to stack a deposit.

If a $600,000 house increases by 5%, that’s $30,000 of price movement in a year. (You will get blasted by multiple media articles monthly about how possible this is and how predicted it is).

So while someone is proudly saving $15k, the goalposts could move by $30k.

With the cost of living increasing and tax rates not being indexed to inflation, keeping your saving rate in line with house increases becomes very hard. Fortunately house prices have been flat in SOME regions.ISSUE 2: People WITH $$$$ are experiencing the opposite

The sharemarket returned a solid 15% in 2025 for many S&P500 investors. $100k invested and you have $115k at the end of the year (loose math). You didn’t have to work a year to gain $15k. You had to risk $100k.

(The market doesn’t always act like this but it did in 2025, and in 2024 and in 2023).

Even “Risk-averse Randy” with $400,000 in a term deposit at 6% received roughly $16,080 after tax in interest for risking his $400k.

So of course younger people (or anyone without capital) get frustrated watching others make money “easily” like this, while they grind for the same result.

When the math looks like this, it’s not hard to see why so many are choosing to try their luck somewhere else.

We all know deep down that our income earning ability is our single biggest asset.If you were 25–30 right now, what would you do?

SOLUTIONS??

Bluntly, people in this position face a choice:

- Earn more (overtime, upskilling, better industry, commission-based roles, side income)

- Change housing structure (flatting vs living alone)

- Stay home with parents (if it’s viable)

- Reduce big recurring costs (or just do less for a season)

- Invest in assets where possible (even small, consistent amounts)

- Speculate (high risk, usually punished)

- Move to Australia (which has been very popular)

The importance of KiwiSaver to get the employer match. When saving for the first home not many financial advisors would suggest exposing the deposit to too much risk so some may not have seen the gains of those investing for different purposes (more long term).

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In accounting, one of the most important reports is a ‘profit and loss’. This report shows you the total sales, less the expenses, which equates to profit. In a world of ‘I do a million a year’ they typically mean they have sold $1million worth of something. ‘How I made $1million in 2025’ was probably $1mil of sales. There are always expenses to create the sales. Sales - expenses = profit. 

Hey thanks for listening! Please take some form of action from this content, don’t just be a consumer, become a producer! Make sure you’re subscribed to Money Mail via Keepthechange.co.nz to receive our weekly lesson on money and financial literacy. Stay close to us on social media and share this with someone that you think this content will help. Together we can collectively improve the financial literacy of New Zealand - let’s get on with it. 

Find us here:

@keepthechange_nz

https://www.keepthechange.co.nz/

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Cameron Ward runs 62 Anytime Fitness gyms across New Zealand and has seen what separates successful franchises from failures. The stats are brutal: 1 in 20 gym franchises fail within 2 years, but 1 in 5 independent gyms don't make it.

Cam breaks down what it really takes to succeed in franchising: follow the systems religiously, have proper capital (not just for setup, but working capital too), and understand you're investing in proven processes, not buying passive income.

The most successful franchises follow the systems. The ones that struggle think they know better than the proven model.

We cover the journey from employee to franchise owner, why some people own multiple sites, and the reality check every potential franchisee needs: if you think franchising is easy money, you're going to come unstuck pretty quick.

Franchising isn't plug and play, it's investing in a system that works if you work it.

More information on Anytime Fitness: https://www.anytimefitness.co.nz/

Amy from http://Levridge.co.nz has come on as a sponsor of Keep The Change to help people with their financial planning.

Stuck? Find Amy : amy@levridge.co.nz

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amy.levridge

Website: https://www.levridge.co.nz

Generate are supporting my vision to improve the financial literacy of 100,000 kiwis by sponsoring Keep The Change. Cheers Generate. Head to https://www.generatewealth.co.nz/change/ to find out more.

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6 expensive headwinds of New Zealand 🇳🇿

1. New Zealand has an ageing population.

Cost = super + healthcare.

2. Health issues rising. I.e. Obesity and point 1.

Cost = system strain.

3. Infrastructure deficit.

Cost = rebuild or maintenance bill.

4. Brain/worker drain.

Cost = lost taxpayers to fund the above.

5. Capital stuck in property.

Cost = low productivity and low risk tolerance.

6. Education slipping.

Cost = weaker future economy.

Many have been watching these come at us for years, perhaps decades. But they aren’t going away anytime soon!

⚠️ As an individual you will need to plan accordingly.

- Build income outside PAYE only

- Own productive assets

- Own / Grow businesses

- Investing globally

- Increasing your earning capacity

- Look at medical insurances

- Discuss financial situations with parents (rest home costs can wipe out wealth fast)

- Have the “inheritance isn’t guaranteed” conversation

- Prepare for more tax and more inflation

What else

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“It’s a write-off that’s why businesses do it”. You’ve seen it online where non-business owners and non-accountants suddenly educate you with 100% confidence on business ‘write-offs’ and how business owners pay no tax. So let’s clear this up. Because a tax write-off is not free money. It’s not a refund. And it’s definitely not the IRD wiring you back the full amount.

Hey thanks for listening! Please take some form of action from this content, don’t just be a consumer, become a producer! Make sure you’re subscribed to Money Mail via Keepthechange.co.nz to receive our weekly lesson on money and financial literacy. Stay close to us on social media and share this with someone that you think this content will help. Together we can collectively improve the financial literacy of New Zealand - let’s get on with it. 

Find us here:

@keepthechange_nz

https://www.keepthechange.co.nz/

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Conner grew up on a council estate where people end up stuck in the same system. He came to New Zealand with $2,000 in his pocket and is now running a successful landscaping business in Queenstown.

Conner breaks down his journey from addiction and destruction in England to finding purpose through running and gardening in South America, then building a business in New Zealand. We cover why he's lost friends who don't understand his transformation, how Kiwis helped him succeed, and why he believes New Zealand is the best country on earth.

"If you turn up with a good attitude and you're honest about what you're doing and you try and help people, people get behind it. People want to see you succeed."

From sleeping rough to employing others, Conner proves that your past doesn't define your future. Sometimes you have to leave everything behind to find who you're meant to be.

Find Conner:

https://www.homegrowntahuna.com/

Amy from http://Levridge.co.nz has come on as a sponsor of Keep The Change to help people with their financial planning.

Stuck? Find Amy : amy@levridge.co.nz

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amy.levridge

Website: https://www.levridge.co.nz

Generate are supporting my vision to improve the financial literacy of 100,000 kiwis by sponsoring Keep The Change. Cheers Generate. Head to https://www.generatewealth.co.nz/change/ to find out more.

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They want to earn more. They want to start something small. They want to build skills and income outside their job. But then they look at tax and it kills the motivation. They won't be the first or last Kiwi to get p!ssed off by this. However, maybe the bigger risk isn’t paying 33% the bigger risk is not exploring where you could end up with another income stream.

Hey thanks for listening! Please take some form of action from this content, don’t just be a consumer, become a producer! Make sure you’re subscribed to Money Mail via Keepthechange.co.nz to receive our weekly lesson on money and financial literacy. Stay close to us on social media and share this with someone that you think this content will help. Together we can collectively improve the financial literacy of New Zealand - let’s get on with it. 

Find us here:

@keepthechange_nz

https://www.keepthechange.co.nz/

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New Zealand's economy is patchy, spending fell 0.5% in December, Boxing Day sales down 12%, and job ads are still 30% below pre-pandemic levels. Meanwhile, electricity is up 12% and gas up 16% - the highest increases since the late 1980s.

Brad Olsen from Infometrics breaks down what's really happening and why the economy isn't magically turning around like everyone hoped.

The biggest challenge? We've got an aging population to pay for, infrastructure deficits, and young people fleeing to countries that value them more.

The economy might improve, but only if you stop waiting for someone else to fix it.

Find Brad:

https://www.infometrics.co.nz/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradolsennzl/

https://www.instagram.com/bradolsennzl/

Amy from http://Levridge.co.nz has come on as a sponsor of Keep The Change to help people with their financial planning.

Stuck? Find Amy : amy@levridge.co.nz

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amy.levridge

Website: https://www.levridge.co.nz

Generate are supporting my vision to improve the financial literacy of 100,000 kiwis by sponsoring Keep The Change. Cheers Generate. Head to https://www.generatewealth.co.nz/change/ to find out more.

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That’s according to the comment section of just about every social platform I use. The sad thing? Many of these people leaving comments so desperately want to be right. ‘I told you so’. Cool bro. Now what? Nothing. They won’t do anything, just like they never have before. Some of the people most worried about a stock market collapse have $0 invested. Make that make sense. Let's try...

Hey thanks for listening! Please take some form of action from this content, don’t just be a consumer, become a producer! Make sure you’re subscribed to Money Mail via Keepthechange.co.nz to receive our weekly lesson on money and financial literacy. Stay close to us on social media and share this with someone that you think this content will help. Together we can collectively improve the financial literacy of New Zealand - let’s get on with it. 

Find us here:

@keepthechange_nz

https://www.keepthechange.co.nz/

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Most first home buyers are back with low deposits and record-high debt, often borrowing with less than 20% deposit.

Luke and Mikey break down the reality: people are stretching themselves thin with low equity loans that cost more in interest. We cover why you need to understand the true cost (not just the mortgage payment), the risks of buying with minimal deposit, and what happens when house prices drop while you're over leveraged.

Don't let FOMO drive the biggest financial decision of your life. Understand what you're signing up for first.

Find Mikey:

https://guardiansmith.co.nz/

https://instagram.com/officialmikeysmith

Amy from http://Levridge.co.nz has come on as a sponsor of Keep The Change to help people with their financial planning.

Stuck? Find Amy : amy@levridge.co.nz

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amy.levridge

Website: https://www.levridge.co.nz

Generate are supporting my vision to improve the financial literacy of 100,000 kiwis by sponsoring Keep The Change. Cheers Generate. Head to https://www.generatewealth.co.nz/change/ to find out more.

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Today marks 300 episodes of KTC Money Mail. 300 editions ago I was sitting in my one-bedroom apartment during lockdown, getting started. Hitting send on edition one. Today this will go to tens of thousands of people across various platforms. So how to we summarise the 300 editions? Let's try!

Hey thanks for listening! Please take some form of action from this content, don’t just be a consumer, become a producer! Make sure you’re subscribed to Money Mail via Keepthechange.co.nz to receive our weekly lesson on money and financial literacy. Stay close to us on social media and share this with someone that you think this content will help. Together we can collectively improve the financial literacy of New Zealand - let’s get on with it. 

Find us here:

@keepthechange_nz

https://www.keepthechange.co.nz/

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Amy breaks down why most people feel confused about money... They know what to do but don't do it, they can't articulate what they actually want, and they're stuck thinking "we want to create wealth" without knowing what for.

80% of people know what's good for them but don't follow through. They want passive income but can't explain why. They want to build wealth but haven't defined what success looks like.

Money is just the tool. It's the vehicle that gets you from A to B. Nothing more, nothing less.

We cover why intention and planning gives you permission to spend, how to map out what your future actually looks like, and why every decision becomes easier when you're clear on your goals. Plus the budget items most people forget: new tires, unexpected repairs, and the stuff that always comes up.

Money isn't everything. But having a plan for it means you can focus on what is.

Amy from http://Levridge.co.nz has come on as a sponsor of Keep The Change to help people with their financial planning.

Stuck? Find Amy : amy@levridge.co.nz

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amy.levridge

Website: https://www.levridge.co.nz

Generate are supporting my vision to improve the financial literacy of 100,000 kiwis by sponsoring Keep The Change. Cheers Generate. Head to https://www.generatewealth.co.nz/change/ to find out more.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

These words stood out to me and should for you too. “It’s been a slog, and I've made many mistakes, but I have grown so much I feel like I'm a completely different person’’. That’s the real win. Becoming the version of yourself that you know that you could be! So HOW did they do it?

Hey thanks for listening! Please take some form of action from this content, don’t just be a consumer, become a producer! Make sure you’re subscribed to Money Mail via Keepthechange.co.nz to receive our weekly lesson on money and financial literacy. Stay close to us on social media and share this with someone that you think this content will help. Together we can collectively improve the financial literacy of New Zealand - let’s get on with it. 

Find us here:

@keepthechange_nz

https://www.keepthechange.co.nz/

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2026 is going to be wild. AI will start eating jobs, currencies might collapse, and New Zealand has an election that could get divisive. The question is: are you ready?

Luke and Mikey break down how to dominate 2026: take action now while others wait, build psychotic belief in yourself, and use AI as your unfair advantage instead of fearing it. We cover why the people who prepared in 2024-2025 will get rewarded big time, the AI arbitrage opportunity most people can't see, and why complacent people are screwed.

The winners of 2026 will be the independent, critical thinkers who are deliberate in their actions. Everyone else gets left behind.

We cover election predictions, why young people might finally get angry enough to demand change, and the importance of helping each other through what's coming. Plus the mindset shifts that separate those who thrive from those who just survive.

It's time to get to work on 2026, baby.

Find Mikey:

https://guardiansmith.co.nz/

https://instagram.com/officialmikeysmith

Amy from http://Levridge.co.nz has come on as a sponsor of Keep The Change to help people with their financial planning.

Stuck? Find Amy : amy@levridge.co.nz

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amy.levridge

Website: https://www.levridge.co.nz

Generate are supporting my vision to improve the financial literacy of 100,000 kiwis by sponsoring Keep The Change. Cheers Generate. Head to https://www.generatewealth.co.nz/change/ to find out more.

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As we close in on Week 300, I want to share with you an email I received recently and some of the key principles. ‘’For a long time, I let my lack of education and some really destructive self-talk become my narrative. I spiralled into a lot of debt - managed to rack up over $100k worth of the stuff and I have no one to blame but myself. I was spending money recklessly and committing my future wealth on stupid things like motorbikes, overseas trips, and nights out. Nothing useful, I was simply trying to fill the then ever growing hole of not meeting my potential’’. Fast-forward three years and they are now on track to be completely debt-free by August 2026, with a $20,000 emergency fund!

Hey thanks for listening! Please take some form of action from this content, don’t just be a consumer, become a producer! Make sure you’re subscribed to Money Mail via Keepthechange.co.nz to receive our weekly lesson on money and financial literacy. Stay close to us on social media and share this with someone that you think this content will help. Together we can collectively improve the financial literacy of New Zealand - let’s get on with it. 

Find us here:

@keepthechange_nz

https://www.keepthechange.co.nz/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.