Money Made Simple

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 slice of the workforce
The three types of self-employed Kiwis, and why the financial picture looks different for each
Tax, GST, and ACC - the basics you need to know
The KiwiSaver gap between the employed and the self-employed, and what that means for your future
What happened to the government contribution - and why it still makes sense to chase it
The "hidden" perks of employment you quietly lose when you go out on your own
Five practical watch-outs to set up early, including cash buffers, KiwiSaver contributions, and income protection
Why you shouldn't assume selling your business will fund your nest egg - and what to think about when it comes to retirement planning as a self-employed
Resources mentioned in this episode:
- Sorted - tools and guides for building good financial habits: https://sorted.org.nz
- Business NZ x IRD's guide to becoming self-employed: https://www.business.govt.nz/business-stage-or-type/sole-traders/becoming-a-sole-trader
- Retirement Commission x Hnry report on the KiwiSaver savings gap for self-employed: https://retirement.govt.nz/news/latest-news/new-report-highlights-growing-retirement-savings-gap-between-self-employed-and-employees
- Hnry - tax and invoicing platform for sole traders and freelancers: https://hnry.co.nz
- MMS Episode 64 - how compounding returns work: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5GEHBzjZWUhTxnyXBNj6ku?si=7bcc6849f80b4a12 
By the end of this episode, you'll understand exactly how the financial future of a self-employed person is largely theirs to engineer - and a clearer picture of the key things to set up, think about, and get advice on before the tax bill arrives out of nowhere.
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Disclaimer: This podcast contains personal opinions and is intended to provide educational information only. It doesn't relate to your particular financial situation or goals and is not financial advice or recommendations. Simplicity New Zealand Limited is the issuer of the Simplicity KiwiSaver scheme and investment funds. For product disclosure statements please visit Simplicity's website simplicity. kiwi.

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’s journey through journalism and economic reporting 
 How to make economics more human and relatable 
 Why trust, transparency, and incentives matter in media 
 Social media, misinformation, and the role of institutions in public information 
 Whether AI helps or harms journalism and credibility 
 What good journalism looks like in a fast-moving, noisy world
This episode offers a thoughtful conversation about economics, media, trust, and the value of clear storytelling in uncertain times. 
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Please help us share the good word (and make Kiwis richer and smarter with money) - the more we grow, the more good we can do %) Don't forget to follow, subscribe and rate the podcast if you found it useful!

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Disclaimer: This podcast contains personal opinions and is intended to provide educational information only. It doesn't relate to your particular financial situation or goals and is not financial advice or recommendations. Simplicity New Zealand Limited is the issuer of the Simplicity KiwiSaver scheme and investment funds. For product disclosure statements please visit Simplicity's website simplicity. kiwi.

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 ethical investing really means, and the jargon you can safely ignore
How to find out what's actually inside your KiwiSaver
The three big things a fund manager can do with your money
What Kiwis consistently say they don't want their savings funding
Whether choosing ethical means giving up returns
How to spot greenwashing in funds that claim to do good
How your investment choices can matter as much as your shopping ones
Where to start, if you want your money to better match your values
Resources mentioned in this episode:
- Mindful Money Fund Finder - free tool to find a KiwiSaver or managed fund that fits your ethical values: https://mindfulmoney.nz
- Sorted Smart Investor - compare KiwiSaver and managed funds on fees, returns and more: https://smartinvestor.sorted.org.nz
- Simplicity "Where in the world is my money?' Tool: see exactly where your KiwiSaver is invested around the globe: https://simplicity.kiwi/calculators/kiwisaver/where-in-the-world-is-my-money
By the end of this episode you'll come away with a clearer sense of what ethical investing actually is, what your KiwiSaver might be funding without you realising, and why putting your money behind your values doesn't have to come at the cost of your returns.
*For information on Simplicity’s approach to ethical investing, go to simplicity.kiwi/about-us/ethical-investments where you’ll find a link to our Responsible Investment Policy.
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Please help us share the good word (and make Kiwis richer and smarter with money) - the more we grow, the more good we can do %) Don't forget to follow, subscribe and rate the podcast if you found it useful!

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Disclaimer: This podcast contains personal opinions and is intended to provide educational information only. It doesn't relate to your particular financial situation or goals and is not financial advice or recommendations. Simplicity New Zealand Limited is the issuer of the Simplicity KiwiSaver scheme and investment funds. For product disclosure statements please visit Simplicity's website simplicity. kiwi.

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 episode breaks down how to make KiwiSaver work for you - not just what the default says. 
This episode covers:
What's changing in 2026, including the rise in minimum contributions from 3% to 3.5% (with another increase planned)
Updates to government contributions and new eligibility rules
Why 3.5% is a useful baseline, but not necessarily the right number for everyone
How to think about contributions based on your income, life stage and long-term goals
The trade-off between contributing more to KiwiSaver vs investing outside it for flexibility
Why small increases like 0.5% can make a big difference over time thanks to compounding
What to do if cash flow is tight, and when it might make sense to temporarily reduce contributions
How self-employed Kiwis can approach KiwiSaver, including voluntary contributions and government incentives
Why fund choice and fees can matter just as much as your contribution rate
 Jennie and Liv explain in plain English why there's no one "perfect" contribution rate - only the one that works for you. The key is not leaving it on autopilot. A quick check-in now could make a meaningful difference to your future. 
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Please help us share the good word (and make Kiwis richer and smarter with money) - the more we grow, the more good we can do %) Don't forget to follow, subscribe and rate the podcast if you found it useful!

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Disclaimer: This podcast contains personal opinions and is intended to provide educational information only. It doesn't relate to your particular financial situation or goals and is not financial advice or recommendations. Simplicity New Zealand Limited is the issuer of the Simplicity KiwiSaver scheme and investment funds. For product disclosure statements please visit Simplicity's website simplicity. kiwi.

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 watch.
This episode covers:
Why Auckland is the leading edge of NZ's rapidly changing ethnic make-up
What just shifted in NZ's newborn population for the first time, and why it matters
Why low fertility and ongoing migration mean immigration is now locked into our future, not a cyclical choice
How NZ's attitudes to immigration compare with Australia's, and why that gap between the two nations matters
The hidden economic cost of under-using highly qualified migrants, particularly in Auckland
Four practical policy levers that could turn diversity into shared economic benefit
Why multiculturalism, integration and the melting pot describe very different futures for NZ - and what we should be aiming to adopt
The two tensions underneath every diversity conversation, and how we might move past them
By the end of this episode, you'll have a clearer sense of the real choices in front of us when it comes to diversity and migration, and how to live alongside each other well. As Shamubeel puts it, when we talk with openness and curiosity, we usually find more common ground than difference.
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Please help us share the good word (and make Kiwis richer and smarter with money) - the more we grow, the more good we can do %) Don't forget to follow, subscribe and rate the podcast if you found it useful!

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Disclaimer: This podcast contains personal opinions and is intended to provide educational information only. It doesn't relate to your particular financial situation or goals and is not financial advice or recommendations. Simplicity New Zealand Limited is the issuer of the Simplicity KiwiSaver scheme and investment funds. For product disclosure statements please visit Simplicity's website simplicity. kiwi.