Where's My Money Season 3, Episode 11

Season Three of the multi-award-winning podcast Where’s My Money? is done and dusted, and here we bring you the hot tips shared by host Reagan White and his guests over the season. 

enable.me partners with rova to bring this podcast to life and stimulate the conversation about finances with everyday Kiwis. Where’s My Money? follows the story of Reagan – a man chasing the Kiwi Dream but feeling stuck living month-to-month – and his discussions with the experts about what he may be doing wrong and how to fix it.  

One man. One million dollars of debt. One podcast to find a way out.  

The OCR cut and your wallet 

In this bonus season finale, host Reagan White tackled the Reserve Bank’s drop in the Official Cash Rate (OCR) from 3.5% to 3.25% – the lowest since October 2022 – and what this meant for mortgages, KiwiSaver, interest rates, and your financial strategy. 

Joined by podcast powerhouse Frances Cook, enable.me financial strategist Katie Wesney, and Squirrel’s David Cunningham, Reagan pulls apart the headlines to ask: Should we care about the OCR drop? What should we actually do next? 

Boring news is good news 

Kicking off the episode, Frances Cook (host of Making Cents podcast joins Reagan to translate the OCR change into plain Kiwi speak. 

She explains that while the drop was “a smidge boring,” that’s actually a good thing – it signals more breathing space for mortgage-holders and – hopefully – renters as well. 

But Frances warns that the Reserve Bank’s language also included a not-so-subtle warning: uncertainty and instability (especially with shifting political dynamics in the U.S.) could throw a wrench into recovery plans. 

Frances discusses the recent budget, particularly the cuts to KiwiSaver incentives, calling for more forward-thinking policy that rewards long-term saving – and urges Kiwis to take matters into their own hands. 

“It is hard to convince people to save for the future. It’s cheaper for all of us when we have our own savings to go into retirement with rather than having to prop people up once they get there and they’re unprepared,” Frances says.  

KiwiSaver: Small changes, big impact 

In light of the recent budget news, Frances shares her number one tip to make sure you’re getting the most out of KiwiSaver – making sure you’re in the right fund. 

“The biggest thing that will change your KiwiSaver is making sure you’re in the right fund, because changing from conservative to growth – as long as that’s the right choice for your stage of life – can double your money, by the time you retire,” Frances shares. 

She encourages listeners to use Sorted’s Fund Finder and to stop putting off simple switches that can create long-term financial wins.  

“That change you can make by yourself, will actually be bigger than the rest of the changes,” she adds. 

Strategy beats guesswork 

Later in the episode, the conversation moves into deeper OCR territory as Reagan is joined by enable.me’s Katie Wesney and Squirrel’s David Cunningham. 

David breaks down what the OCR really impacts (hint: mostly floating mortgage rates, which apply to less than 10% of Kiwis) and why the forward forecast is more important than the drop itself. 

“It’s almost irrelevant in terms of what happens today, it’s what’s going to happen in the future that matters. What’s the OCR going to be in 3 months, 6 months, a year,” he says.  

“That’s what will determine where fixed home-loan rates – which almost all of us have – are going to be.” 

Katie echoes the sentiment that while interest rates have eased, now is not the time for complacency. It’s a moment to be proactive – to lock in structure, protect against volatility, and get clear on what you’re really trying to achieve. 

“Complacency sets in, because I think there’s a period of a little less instability – so this is time to make hay, to get a plan, to make sure you really take advantage,” Katie adds.

Real people, real strategy 

Closing out the episode, Reagan plays out hypothetical scenarios for fictional individuals at different life stages: 

Steve (25) is building a house deposit – is now a great time to continue saving hard while the market stabilises? 

“Keep doing what he’s doing, I think,” David says. “And just building that nest egg to a point.” 

Kate & Gary (36 and 37) are looking to refix a mortgage – what do they need to think of around refinancing and cashback offers? 

“Should I be refinancing that lending to another bank, to get the most competitive rate, a bit of a cashback, and reset that mortgage structure?” Katie poses to the discussion. 

Martha (64) is nearing retirement with conservative investments and worried about eating into early retirement capital. 

“You’re pretty active in your retirement ‘till maybe 75, even 80. You spend your money while you have that physical health, and then accept that your income can drop later in those last 10 or 20 years of your life,” David says.  

Across all three cases, one principle keeps coming up: structure matters more than speculation. The goal isn’t to chase perfect timing – it’s to build a strategy that works no matter the cycle. 

“Have a strategy, be brave in terms of splitting that lending. I think it’s time to put a stake in the ground,” Katie says. “Take advantage of this time, complacency will be the biggest hamper for your future success.” 

Knowledge is your advantage 

This final episode of Where’s My Money? Season three is part education, part motivation – a reminder that we don’t need to be economists or fortune-tellers to take control of our finances. We just need to pay attention, build a strategy, and make one smart decision at a time. 

Missed our Season One and Season Two wrap-ups? Follow Reagan’s story from the beginning and catch all of the expert financial tips and tricks on Where’s My Money? 

Where’s My Money? Season 1 wrap-up 

Where’s My Money? Season 2 wrap-up

Disclaimer: The Where’s My Money? podcast and the information shared by host Reagan White and his guests does not constitute individual financial advice. If you’re interested in receiving financial advice, you can book a consultation with an enable.me coach. Costs apply.