Claim OwnershipCheques and Balances
Subscribed: 97Played: 9,403
Subscribe
© Cheques and Balances
Description
Whether you're buying your first home, tackling debt, or building long-term wealth, we’ll show you how to make smarter money moves. With over 20 years of combined experience as qualified financial advisers, James Blair and Michael Vincent share straight-talking advice, practical strategies, and real conversations about money - all to help you take control of your financial future with confidence.
Check out our website below:
lighthousefinancial.co.nz
Check out our website below:
lighthousefinancial.co.nz
547 Episodes
Reverse
New Zealand works harder than ever - so why does it feel like we’re falling behind?In this episode, we sit down with Chlöe Swarbrick, co-leader of the Green Party, to unpack wealth tax, inequality, productivity, housing, KiwiSaver, capital gains, and why New Zealand’s economy is stuck in a loop of speculation instead of innovation.Chlöe does not endorse any products or services provided as per Parliamentary standards.For more money tips follow us on:FacebookInstagramThe content in this podcast is the opinion of the hosts. It should not be treated as financial advice. It is important to take into consideration your own personal situation and goals before making any financial decisions.
Most of the tax advice you see online isn’t just wrong - it could cost you thousands.In this episode, James sits down with Lighthouse Senior Accountant Vinay Reddy and Managing Director Matt Harris to react to the worst tax advice online and break down what you can actually claim, what you can’t, and the costly mistakes business owners make.Next Steps: Bad tax advice can cost you real money - if you want clarity and confidence in your structure, speak to the Lighthouse Accounting team today. For more money tips follow us on:FacebookInstagramThe content in this podcast is the opinion of the hosts. It should not be treated as financial advice. It is important to take into consideration your own personal situation and goals before making any financial decisions.
They paid off $45,000 of debt in months and didn’t feel restricted doing it.In this final episode of Inside a Financial Plan, we review Rachel and Dion’s progress since October - breaking down their budget using PocketSmith, selling down shares to reduce their mortgage, setting up a separate rental property account, restructuring KiwiSaver into a high-growth fund, upgrading insurance, and navigating the mindset shift from “grow at all costs” to building wealth with clarity and choice.This episode is proudly sponsored by PocketSmith: Big goals mean nothing without action. PocketSmith helps you track, plan, and stay accountable. Start today with 50% off your first two months.For more money tips follow us on:FacebookInstagramThe content in this podcast is the opinion of the hosts. It should not be treated as financial advice. It is important to take into consideration your own personal situation and goals before making any financial decisions.
KiwiSaver holds $145 billion so why are so many Kiwis still heading for a broken retirement?In this episode, we’re joined by Dean Anderson, Founder and CEO of Kernel, to unpack what’s holding KiwiSaver back - from weak incentives and disengaged members to election-year policy risks, default fund underperformance, gaps for the self-employed, and why short-term political decisions could cost New Zealand decades of future wealth.For more money tips follow us on:FacebookInstagramThe content in this podcast is the opinion of the hosts. It should not be treated as financial advice. It is important to take into consideration your own personal situation and goals before making any financial decisions.
New Zealand used to punch above its weight - so why does working harder now feel like it’s getting us nowhere?In this episode, we unpack New Zealand’s productivity problem from slowing output and wage stagnation to brain drain, innovation gaps, capital shortages, and why productivity isn’t about longer hours, but smarter systems, better incentives, and backing people to actually have a crack.For more money tips follow us on:FacebookInstagramThe content in this podcast is the opinion of the hosts. It should not be treated as financial advice. It is important to take into consideration your own personal situation and goals before making any financial decisions.
Is the sharemarket dangerously expensive or just evolving with a new era of growth?In this episode, the team unpacks whether today’s valuations actually signal a bubble, what price-to-earnings ratios really tell us, how AI and the Magnificent Seven are distorting markets, why timing the market rarely works, and the long-term strategies investors should focus on instead - including diversification and playing the slow game.Next Steps: If you’re questioning whether your investment strategy is built for what’s happening in today’s market, the Lighthouse Financial team can help you structure a diversified portfolio aligned to your goals - get in touch today.For more money tips follow us on:FacebookInstagramThe content in this podcast is the opinion of the hosts. It should not be treated as financial advice. It is important to take into consideration your own personal situation and goals before making any financial decisions.
Bitcoin just lost $3.2B in a single day and this crash wasn’t random.We unpack what triggered the February 5 sell-off, how leverage and forced liquidations created a domino effect, why Bitcoin is behaving more like a volatile tech stock than digital gold, and what the broader crypto drawdown since October means for investors and diversification.Next Steps: If Bitcoin’s in your portfolio but there’s no plan around it, Lighthouse Wealth can help you build a diversified strategy that actually makes sense.For more money tips follow us on:FacebookInstagramThe content in this podcast is the opinion of the hosts. It should not be treated as financial advice. It is important to take into consideration your own personal situation and goals before making any financial decisions.
Silver surged, crashed, and reminded investors just how quickly sentiment can turn.In this quarterly investment update, we break down global market performance, diversification away from US tech, bond and property headwinds, silver’s explosive rise and sudden pullback, and what it all means for portfolios heading into 2026.Next Steps: If market volatility has you questioning your positioning, now’s the time to stress-test your plan - book a no-obligation chat with a Lighthouse financial adviser today. For more money tips follow us on:FacebookInstagramThe content in this podcast is the opinion of the hosts. It should not be treated as financial advice. It is important to take into consideration your own personal situation and goals before making any financial decisions.
Structure your debt smarter - because how you own assets can be the difference between paying more tax or keeping thousands. Drawing on a real example of an investor saving $9,000, the team unpacks tax-efficient debt structuring, interest deductibility, trusts vs look-through companies, common mistakes property investors make, and why treating your portfolio like a business can materially improve your long-term tax position.Next Steps: If you’re building wealth through property, speak with Lighthouse Accounting before restructuring - the right advice could save you far more than it costs.For more money tips follow us on:FacebookInstagramThe content in this podcast is the opinion of the hosts. It should not be treated as financial advice. It is important to take into consideration your own personal situation and goals before making any financial decisions.
Debt is rising and relief hasn’t arrived.In this episode, the team unpacks rising mortgage arrears, increasing unemployment, stubborn interest rates, and the growing risk of stagflation - asking the critical question: can households actually afford the debt they’re carrying?Next Steps: If you’re feeling the pressure of rising debt or a mortgage rolling off soon, reviewing your loan structure could make a bigger difference than you think - speak to the Lighthouse Mortgage team to understand your options.For more money tips follow us on:FacebookInstagramThe content in this podcast is the opinion of the hosts. It should not be treated as financial advice. It is important to take into consideration your own personal situation and goals before making any financial decisions.
You can be paying thousands for insurance and still be dangerously under-covered.In this episode of Inside a Financial Plan, Callum walks Rachel and Dion through a full insurance reset - restructuring life, trauma, income protection, and health cover to reduce wasted premiums, close major coverage gaps, and align everything with their real financial plan, while increasing protection by thousands for only a marginal cost increase.Next Steps: If you haven’t reviewed your insurance recently, talk to the Lighthouse team to make sure your cover actually matches your life, your risks, and your long-term plan.This episode is proudly sponsored by PocketSmith: Big goals mean nothing without action. PocketSmith helps you track, plan, and stay accountable. Start today with 50% off your first two months.For more money tips follow us on:FacebookInstagramThe content in this podcast is the opinion of the hosts. It should not be treated as financial advice. It is important to take into consideration your own personal situation and goals before making any financial decisions.
New Zealand’s economy is sending mixed signals and the outlook for 2026 isn’t as simple as “good” or “bad.”In this episode, the team breaks down inflation sitting above the Reserve Bank’s target, what it means for interest rates and the OCR, why spending is soft despite rising non-discretionary costs, and why first home buyers may actually be sitting in a rare “Goldilocks” window - all while unpacking why forecasts matter less than having a long-term plan.For more money tips follow us on:FacebookInstagramThe content in this podcast is the opinion of the hosts. It should not be treated as financial advice. It is important to take into consideration your own personal situation and goals before making any financial decisions.
Elon Musk says we don’t need to save for retirement - but should we actually believe him?In this episode, the team breaks down Musk’s viral comments on AI, robots, and the future of work, explores why the idea resonates with so many people, stress-tests the timelines against reality, and explains what relying on tech, KiwiSaver, or “someone else saving us” could really mean for retirement in New Zealand.Next Steps: AI might change the future, but your retirement still needs a plan. Talk to the Lighthouse Wealth team about building a clear, realistic retirement strategy you can actually control.For more money tips follow us on:FacebookInstagramThe content in this podcast is the opinion of the hosts. It should not be treated as financial advice. It is important to take into consideration your own personal situation and goals before making any financial decisions.
If you haven’t filed your tax return yet, what you don’t know could already be costing you money.In this episode, the team breaks down how to legally minimise tax, the must-have documents every business owner and property investor should keep, common record-keeping mistakes, deductible expenses like interest and insurance, why structure matters, and when to engage an accountant so your tax strategy isn’t left to the last minute.Next Steps: If your tax strategy starts in March, you’re already behind start the conversation with Lighthouse Accounting now to get organised early and position yourself for better tax outcomes.For more money tips follow us on:FacebookInstagramThe content in this podcast is the opinion of the hosts. It should not be treated as financial advice. It is important to take into consideration your own personal situation and goals before making any financial decisions.
Is the classic buy-and-hold strategy still enough in today’s property market?In this episode, we’re joined by Jim Dodd, Founder of Property CEO, to unpack whether long-term holding still stacks up - or if more active strategies like property trading are the smarter path forward - covering how investors can shorten timelines, manage risk, and regain control as growth rates, lending rules, and market conditions shift.Next Steps: To learn more about property trading and active investment strategies, check out Property-CEO a coaching and mentoring programme helping Kiwis understand the strategies, funding options, and systems used to build wealth through property.If you’re rethinking your property strategy and want help structuring the right approach whether that’s buy and hold, trading, or a mix of both get in touch with the Lighthouse mortgages team.For more money tips follow us on:FacebookInstagramThe content in this podcast is the opinion of the hosts. It should not be treated as financial advice. It is important to take into consideration your own personal situation and goals before making any financial decisions.
Mortgage rates aren’t rising because of one headline number - there’s a lot more going on behind the scenes.In this episode, we break down the real drivers behind rising mortgage rates, including wholesale funding costs, swap rates, global uncertainty, and why banks can lift longer-term rates even when the OCR hasn’t moved - plus how borrowers should think about fixing, floating, and avoiding emotional decisions.Next Steps: Before you react to the headlines or lock in a rate, talk to the Lighthouse Mortgages team to understand what’s really driving your mortgage and what makes sense for you.For more money tips follow us on:FacebookInstagramThe content in this podcast is the opinion of the hosts. It should not be treated as financial advice. It is important to take into consideration your own personal situation and goals before making any financial decisions.
Insurance isn’t about ticking boxes - it’s about protecting the life you’re actually building.In this episode of Inside a Financial Plan, Lighthouse Insurance Adviser Callum Gilmour breaks down Rachel and Dion’s real insurance setup, covering life, trauma, health, and income protection, how much cover is actually enough, where self-insurance makes sense, and how insurance should change as your assets, income, and priorities evolve.This episode is proudly sponsored by PocketSmith: Big goals mean nothing without action. PocketSmith helps you track, plan, and stay accountable. Start today with 50% off your first two months.For more money tips follow us on:FacebookInstagramThe content in this podcast is the opinion of the hosts. It should not be treated as financial advice. It is important to take into consideration your own personal situation and goals before making any financial decisions.
Can you actually get a mortgage after 50 or does age quietly change the rules?In this episode, we break down how banks assess lending as you get older, including servicing requirements, loan terms, retirement runways, exit strategies, and the key differences between owner-occupied and investment property lending - and why age itself isn’t the decision-maker.Next Steps: If you’re navigating lending later in life or weighing up a big property decision, speak to Lighthouse Financial about aligning your mortgage, wealth plan, and long-term goals before you commit.For more money tips follow us on:FacebookInstagramThe content in this podcast is the opinion of the hosts. It should not be treated as financial advice. It is important to take into consideration your own personal situation and goals before making any financial decisions.
New Zealand’s healthcare system isn’t broken - but it is under serious strain.In this episode, we’re joined by Nick Astwick, CEO of Southern Cross Health Society, to unpack why demand is overwhelming supply, what rising waitlists and costs really mean, how public and private healthcare intersect, and what needs to change to improve access, outcomes, and long-term health in New Zealand.Next Steps: Lighthouse Insurance can help you structure health cover properly so medical decisions don’t turn into financial stress.Register now: Buying a home, investing, or want better control of your money? Join Michael Vincent and James Blair for a practical 2026 financial planning webinar.For more money tips follow us on:FacebookInstagramThe content in this podcast is the opinion of the hosts. It should not be treated as financial advice. It is important to take into consideration your own personal situation and goals before making any financial decisions.
Property can make you look rich... while quietly leaving you cash-poor in retirement.In this episode, Mike and James break down why relying solely on property can undermine retirement income, covering liquidity, cashflow realities, transaction costs, leverage, when property works best, when it doesn’t, and how blending property with diversified investments creates a retirement that actually pays you to live.Next Steps: If property has built your wealth but won’t fund retirement, speak to the Lighthouse Wealth team today about a real financial plan.Register now: Buying a home, investing, or want better control of your money? Join Michael Vincent and James Blair for a practical 2026 financial planning webinar.For more money tips follow us on:FacebookInstagramThe content in this podcast is the opinion of the hosts. It should not be treated as financial advice. It is important to take into consideration your own personal situation and goals before making any financial decisions.
Download from Google Play
Download from App Store
United States
Regarding this, if this scenario did happen.. would that person who is going to invest in the house, do they go on the title? Can they get a contract noting their equity in the house to show that they have assets/ equity? Would that help them if they were going to borrow again? Like an investment/ savings account.