In this episode of Economy Made Simple, Shamubeel Eaqub chats with journalist, author and personal finance expert Susan Edmunds about KiwiSaver, the questions New Zealanders are asking, and why getting the basics right still matters. Susan has just written a book about KiwiSaver, based on the questions people regularly ask her - from choosing the right fund and contribution rate, to hardship withdrawals, first-home access, fees, self-employment, and what happens once people reach retirement. ...
Jun 22
19 min
Retirement can feel like something to worry about “later” - especially when you’re in your 20s or 30s. But every decade comes with opportunities to improve your financial future. In this episode of Money Made Simple, Jennie and Liv talk about what retirement planning looks like at different ages and stages of life. From making the most of KiwiSaver early on, to checking whether you’re on track in your 40s and 50s, to thinking about how you’ll actually use your savings in retirement, this epis...
Jun 14
17 min
In this week's episode of Money Made Simple, Liv and Jennie tackle a topic that deserves some airtime: the finances of self-employment. Nearly 1 in 5 Kiwis work for themselves - and the financial scaffolding that employees take for granted simply doesn't come with the territory. They break down what that means in practice, what to set up early, and how to make sure your future self doesn't miss out. This episode covers: The scale of self-employment in New Zealand - and why it's a growing slic...
Jun 1
18 min
In this episode of Economy Made Simple, Shamubeel Eaqub sits down with journalist and publisher Bernard Hickey to talk about how economic stories are told, why trust in media matters, and what’s changed in journalism over the past few decades. Bernard reflects on the major economic shifts in NZ, how his own views on markets and capitalism have evolved, and why good reporting still matters in a world shaped by social media, misinformation, and AI. This episode covers Bernard Hickey...
May 24
25 min
In this episode of Money Made Simple, Jennie sits down with Barry Coates, CEO of Mindful Money, to unpack what ethical investing really means and how Kiwis can put their KiwiSaver and other investments behind the values they care about. Barry brings decades of experience from the UK and NZ ethical investment communities, and more recently founded Mindful Money as a charity to give New Zealanders free, comparable information on what's actually inside their funds. This episode covers: What ethi...
May 17
17 min
In this episode of Money Made Simple, Jennie and Liv revisit one of the most important - and most overlooked - parts of your KiwiSaver: your contribution rate. With changes coming into effect in 2026, including a lift to the default minimum, now's the perfect time to check in and ask whether you're actually contributing enough. From what's changed and what it means for your take-home pay, to how to think about contributions based on your income, life stage and goals, this ep...
May 3
16 min
In this episode of Economy Made Simple, Simplicity's Chief Economist Shamubeel Eaqub is joined by Money Made Simple host Liv to unpack one of the biggest quiet shifts happening in New Zealand right now: our rapidly changing ethnic make-up, and what it will take to turn that into something genuinely good for everyone. Drawing on his recent research for the Auckland Policy Office, Shamubeel walks through the numbers, the tensions and the choices in front of us, and why Auckland is the place to ...
Apr 27
27 min
The world feels a bit uncertain right now - headlines are full of market volatility, rising oil prices, and global tensions. In stories about investments, you might be hearing a lot about the importance of “diversification”… but what does that actually mean? And how do you put it in to practice? In this episode of Money Made Simple, Liv and Jennie break down the main investment asset classes - what they are, how they work, and why spreading your money across them is one of the simplest and mo...
Apr 19
18 min
Cost of living is spiralling higher and higher - but we're here to help you tackle it. In this episode of Money Made Simple, Liv and Jennie discuss the psychology of spending, the traps that make it easier to overspend, and how to (gently) retrain your brain so your money decisions feel more intentional and less impulsive. We unpack the “Want Monster” - that little voice in your head telling you to buy the coffee, click the sale, upgrade the phone, or treat yourself because you “deserve it”.&...
Apr 6
19 min
In this episode of Economy Made Simple, Shamubeel Eaqub breaks down the recent surge in oil prices driven by conflict in the Middle East - and what it means for NZ households, businesses and the wider economy. While price shocks like this are not new, the episode highlights why they may become more frequent and what we need to think about as a country, as we prepare for the future. This episode covers: What’s behind the current spike in oil prices, and why conflict in the Middle East has gl...
Mar 24
16 min
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