Frances Cook

Podcaster, Columnist, Author, Speaker

Frances Cook is a money communicator and journalist, a reformed financial hot mess who now makes a living saving others from her money mistakes. As a podcaster, columnist, author, and speaker, Frances knows how to balance giving you the information you need with making sure you don’t fall asleep.

Frances is well known and respected for her work as the BusinessDesk Investments Editor. She hosts a weekly personal finance podcast Cooking the Books for BusinessDesk and NZ Herald, and answers reader questions in the weekly Money Answers BusinessDesk column. She also regularly explains what you need to know about the money world in a fortnightly slot on the AM Show, as well as across other radio and TV shows including TVNZ Breakfast, NewstalkZB, The Hits and Flava. Her specialty is taking complicated, specialised knowledge, and simplifying it down to just what you need to know. Her two books, Tales from a Financial Hot Mess and Your Money, Your Future, were both best sellers.

If you want to know more about money mindset, your KiwiSaver, how to buy a first home, or dip a first toe into investing, Frances can help you. Priding herself on a clear communication style that is never judgemental, Frances has built an audience of people who felt excluded by traditional money advice. From getting out of debt all the way to finding financial freedom, Frances is the smart friend who can make it make sense. Frances has experience speaking at a wide range of events, including TedX and corporate conferences. Her skills from a successful career in radio, digital, and print journalism transfer seamlessly to speaking at a wide range of events, as well as interviewing or MCing. She’s comfortable anywhere from a small intimate conference, to keynote speaker for large corporates, to keeping a rowdy panel debate under control.