Keep The Change

2026 is going to be wild. AI will start eating jobs, currencies might collapse, and New Zealand has an election that could get divisive. The question is: are you ready?Luke and Mikey break down how to dominate 2026: take action now while others wait, build psychotic belief in yourself, and use AI as your unfair advantage instead of fearing it. We cover why the people who prepared in 2024-2025 will get rewarded big time, the AI arbitrage opportunity most people can't see, and why complacent people are screwed.The winners of 2026 will be the independent, critical thinkers who are deliberate in their actions. Everyone else gets left behind.We cover election predictions, why young people might finally get angry enough to demand change, and the importance of helping each other through what's coming. Plus the mindset shifts that separate those who thrive from those who just survive.It's time to get to work on 2026, baby.Find Mikey:https://guardiansmith.co.nz/https://instagram.com/officialmikeysmithAmy from http://Levridge.co.nz has come on as a sponsor of Keep The Change to help people with their financial planning. Stuck? Find Amy : amy@levridge.co.nz Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amy.levridgeWebsite: https://www.levridge.co.nzGenerate are supporting my vision to improve the financial literacy of 100,000 kiwis by sponsoring Keep The Change. Cheers Generate. Head to https://www.generatewealth.co.nz/change/ to find out more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As we close in on Week 300, I want to share with you an email I received recently and some of the key principles. ‘’For a long time, I let my lack of education and some really destructive self-talk become my narrative. I spiralled into a lot of debt - managed to rack up over $100k worth of the stuff and I have no one to blame but myself. I was spending money recklessly and committing my future wealth on stupid things like motorbikes, overseas trips, and nights out. Nothing useful, I was simply trying to fill the then ever growing hole of not meeting my potential’’. Fast-forward three years and they are now on track to be completely debt-free by August 2026, with a $20,000 emergency fund!Hey thanks for listening! Please take some form of action from this content, don’t just be a consumer, become a producer! Make sure you’re subscribed to Money Mail via Keepthechange.co.nz to receive our weekly lesson on money and financial literacy. Stay close to us on social media and share this with someone that you think this content will help. Together we can collectively improve the financial literacy of New Zealand - let’s get on with it. Find us here:@keepthechange_nzhttps://www.keepthechange.co.nz/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2025 was a strange year for investors, but 2026 could be even stranger. Generate's Greg Smith breaks down what every Kiwi needs to know.We cover the investment trends shaping 2026: why diversification matters more than ever, emerging markets and the political chaos that's coming with Trump's new policies. Plus the New Zealand outlook, why our market hit record highs but still disappointed compared to global returns.Greg shares his predictions for interest rates, the Fed chair drama unfolding in the US, and why Kiwisaver changes mean you need to pay attention. We also discuss the baby boomer wealth transfer, why term deposit money is finally moving into investments, and the sectors to watch.Generate are supporting my vision to improve the financial literacy of 100,000 kiwis by sponsoring Keep The Change. Cheers Generate. Head to https://www.generatewealth.co.nz/change/ to find out more.Please note: No part of this podcast is intended as financial advice; it is intended as general information only. It does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. You should consider seeking expert advice before making any decisions. The views expressed by individual speakers are their own and do not necessarily reflect Generate’s opinions. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. To see a copy of Generate's Product Disclosure For more information about Generate's Schemes see their Product Disclosure Statements at http://generatekiwisaver.co.nz/disclosures. The issuer is Generate Investment Management Limited.Find Greg Smith:Email: greg.smith@generatewealth.co.nzAmy from http://Levridge.co.nz has come on as a sponsor of Keep The Change to help people with their financial planning. Stuck? Find Amy : amy@levridge.co.nz Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amy.levridgeWebsite: https://www.levridge.co.nz Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sign up to Money Mail for free weekly emails to improve your finances: https://www.keepthechange.co.nz/moneymail Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Labour recently announced a 28% capital gains tax on rentals, batches and commercial properties. Politicians say it'll make housing affordable, but the data says otherwise.Luke and Mikey break down why this won't work: no country has ever lowered house prices with property taxes, wealthy people will just borrow against assets instead of selling, and the revenue projections are fantasy. To get $965 million in year three, they need $3.4 billion in property gains - in this economy?New Zealand is taxed up to your eyeballs. Everything you touch has a tax, levy, or fee. We cover why Australia's CGT didn't stop their property ponzi, how governments get addicted to property tax revenue, and why this policy is 20-30 years too late. Plus the harsh reality: if you want to disincentivize property investment, you needed this before we financialised housing.Capital gains tax won't save New Zealand. It's just another way to extract money from people who actually build wealth.Find Mikey:https://guardiansmith.co.nz/https://instagram.com/officialmikeysmithAmy from http://Levridge.co.nz has come on as a sponsor of Keep The Change to help people with their financial planning. Stuck? Find Amy : amy@levridge.co.nz Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amy.levridgeWebsite: https://www.levridge.co.nzGenerate are supporting my vision to improve the financial literacy of 100,000 kiwis by sponsoring Keep The Change. Cheers Generate. Head to https://www.generatewealth.co.nz/change/ to find out more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

‘If no one knows you, money won't flow to you’ - simple but confronting words that stopped me in my tracks a long time ago. Unfortunately, for many, many Kiwi people we are allergic to getting known. But you’re getting in your own way, over complicating it all. All you have to do is be good at something and have people know that you are. That’s all it is now. Keep it that simple to win and progress.Hey thanks for listening! Please take some form of action from this content, don’t just be a consumer, become a producer! Make sure you’re subscribed to Money Mail via Keepthechange.co.nz to receive our weekly lesson on money and financial literacy. Stay close to us on social media and share this with someone that you think this content will help. Together we can collectively improve the financial literacy of New Zealand - let’s get on with it. Find us here:@keepthechange_nzhttps://www.keepthechange.co.nz/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Everyones favourite to predict...and get wrong!See what happened in 2024 and 2025 here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTvtdNmI7gU Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Its not as glamorous as some make it out to be, but here's the truth as to how I make genuinely passive income from New Zealand.Sign up to Money Mail for free weekly emails to improve your finances: https://www.keepthechange.co.nz/moneymail Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1 in 2 New Zealanders don't have a will. That means when they die, their family gets chaos, uncertainty, and massive legal bills to sort everything out.Holly from Succession NZ breaks down what actually happens: default rules kick in that split assets between partners and kids (not how most people want it), court applications cost thousands, and families fight over who's in charge. We cover the $40,000 threshold that freezes your Kiwisaver, why getting married cancels your will, and the retirement village fees that shock every family.The brutal reality? Your inheritance can become relationship property if your kids don't protect it properly. Your parents' house could end up half-owned by an ex-partner.Find Holly:https://succession.nzhttps://instagram.com/succession.nz Amy from http://Levridge.co.nz has come on as a sponsor of Keep The Change to help people with their financial planning. Stuck? Find Amy : amy@levridge.co.nz Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amy.levridgeWebsite: https://www.levridge.co.nzGenerate are supporting my vision to improve the financial literacy of 100,000 kiwis by sponsoring Keep The Change. Cheers Generate. Head to https://www.generatewealth.co.nz/change/ to find out more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today Im breaking down exactly how to get started investing in New Zealand, and why it may not be what you think... Sign up to Money Mail for free weekly emails to improve your finances: https://www.keepthechange.co.nz/moneymail Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

New year, new you yada yada. But 'budgeting' is highly searched at this time of the year. I want to show (or remind) you how I think about budgeting, and it’s the exact system I used to go from credit card debt to building over $1m in assets. And a warning, sorry there are no apps or fancy dashboards. Step 1: Stop “budgeting” and start tracking cash flowHey thanks for listening! Please take some form of action from this content, don’t just be a consumer, become a producer! Make sure you’re subscribed to Money Mail via Keepthechange.co.nz to receive our weekly lesson on money and financial literacy. Stay close to us on social media and share this with someone that you think this content will help. Together we can collectively improve the financial literacy of New Zealand - let’s get on with it. Find us here:@keepthechange_nzhttps://www.keepthechange.co.nz/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sarah breaks down the uncomfortable truth: you're gaining something from your problems. Whether it's safety, comfort, familiarity, identity, or an excuse, if you weren't getting something from them, you'd easily let them go. We cover the three ingredients to change (awareness, action, accountability), how to access your intuition, and why your internal narrative is the most powerful thing you have.Sign up to Money Mail for free weekly emails to improve your finances (and get notified for future events): https://www.keepthechange.co.nz/moneymail Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Max breaks down the journey from age 13 fundraising for refugees to building a proper business: getting his first van at 14, learning to price properly, and connecting with successful clients who became mentors. We cover the loneliness of entrepreneurship, why he's lost friends who don't understand the grind, and how cleaning cars opened doors to learn from millionaires. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bradley Shaw has been around death since he was 16. Now he's the youngest president of the Funeral Directors Association of New Zealand and sees something most people don't: life is way shorter than you think.Bradley breaks down the brutal economics of death, how funeral directors getting stuck with debt from unpaid funerals and why 1 in 5 people are skipping funerals entirely.We cover why people feel more grief over pets than humans, the aging demographic creating massive opportunities, and how the industry has changed from cabinet makers to event managers. Every funeral Bradley attends, he walks away thinking "Life's short, man. What am I doing? Why am I holding back?"The research shows 70% of people find funerals valuable for starting their grief journey. But the bigger lesson? We're all going to get there one day. You've got so much you want to achieve... Why are you waiting?Life is short. It could be way shorter than you realise.Find Bradley:https://gatewayfuneral.co.nz/ https://linkedin.com/in/bradley-shaw-83336b1a6Amy from http://Levridge.co.nz has come on as a sponsor of Keep The Change to help people with their financial planning. Stuck? Find Amy : amy@levridge.co.nz Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amy.levridgeWebsite: https://www.levridge.co.nzGenerate are supporting my vision to improve the financial literacy of 100,000 kiwis by sponsoring Keep The Change. Cheers Generate. Head to https://www.generatewealth.co.nz/change/ to find out more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

David Niethe breaks down the goal setting formula that actually works: Belief + Imagination + Conviction + Expectations = Results. We cover why 95% of people live in blame, excuse, and denial while 5% take ownership, accountability, and responsibility. Plus his journey from dyslexic failure to coaching champions.Sign up to Money Mail for free weekly emails to improve your finances (and get notified for future events): https://www.keepthechange.co.nz/moneymail Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How much money do you want in your hand each month? That’s your goal. Next, get clear on your starting point…How much do you actually have after tax in your hand each month right now? The difference between the two is your gap. Let's close it and get closer to your goal before 2027 gets here.Hey thanks for listening! Please take some form of action from this content, don’t just be a consumer, become a producer! Make sure you’re subscribed to Money Mail via Keepthechange.co.nz to receive our weekly lesson on money and financial literacy. Stay close to us on social media and share this with someone that you think this content will help. Together we can collectively improve the financial literacy of New Zealand - let’s get on with it. Find us here:@keepthechange_nzhttps://www.keepthechange.co.nz/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Luke & Mikey reflects on the year that changed everything for them at Keep The Change Unplugged, including the business lessons that came from years of grinding and how success changes your perspective on risk and relationships. Building something meaningful takes time, and most people never see the struggle behind the success. Luke & Mikey share the vulnerable moments, the breakthrough decisions, and why having someone who believes in you changes everything. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Most people's minds are a complete mess. They're worried about Bitcoin, day trading, Trump's 50-year loans, and whether they should invest or pay down debt. Meanwhile, they haven't finished chapter one of getting their finances sorted.Luke and Mikey break down why messy thinking kills progress: you're trying to get from chapter one to five without reading two, three, and four. If you can figure out how to focus and clean up your thoughts, you're clear on your direction.We cover the woman in the red dress (shiny object syndrome), why successful people do boring things consistently for years, and how to use the "love-hate exercise" to figure out what actually matters. Plus why saying no to everything else is more important than saying yes to the right thing.Opportunities are unlimited throughout your lifetime. Focus is not. Choose wisely.Find Mikey: https://instagram.com/mikeysmithofficialhttps://guardiansmith.co.nz/Amy from http://Levridge.co.nz has come on as a sponsor of Keep The Change to help people with their financial planning. Stuck? Find Amy : amy@levridge.co.nz Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amy.levridgeWebsite: https://www.levridge.co.nzGenerate are supporting my vision to improve the financial literacy of 100,000 kiwis by sponsoring Keep The Change. Cheers Generate. Head to https://www.generatewealth.co.nz/change/ to find out more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Out of interest, I asked the KTC audience how their year was via Instagram. Let's go through some replies. Some raw ones there! And interestingly, 66% said that 2025 was better than expected. For all of us, let’s have a moment to reflect. Ask yourself, was 2025 better than you expected? Next, ask yourself this ripper… ‘What would I need to do in 2026 to have a GREAT year?’.Hey thanks for listening! Please take some form of action from this content, don’t just be a consumer, become a producer! Make sure you’re subscribed to Money Mail via Keepthechange.co.nz to receive our weekly lesson on money and financial literacy. Stay close to us on social media and share this with someone that you think this content will help. Together we can collectively improve the financial literacy of New Zealand - let’s get on with it. Find us here:@keepthechange_nzhttps://www.keepthechange.co.nz/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Blake Evans is 21 years old and generated $1.7million in revenue last month (November 2025). He's running a global e-commerce empire from his bedroom.Blake breaks down the reality of making serious money online, selling his car to fund his business, losing most of his friends, and the journey from working at Wendy's to earning more in a month than the top 1% of Kiwis make in a year.We cover the loneliness of entrepreneurship, why he doesn't care about haters anymore, and how posting lifestyle content brings in new audiences. Plus his advice: pick something and stick to it instead of jumping between shiny objects.Most people his age are worried about assignments. Blake's worried about scaling to eight figures.Find Blake: https://instagram.com/blakeevansnzAmy from http://Levridge.co.nz has come on as a sponsor of Keep The Change to help people with their financial planning. Stuck? Find Amy : amy@levridge.co.nz Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amy.levridgeWebsite: https://www.levridge.co.nzGenerate are supporting my vision to improve the financial literacy of 100,000 kiwis by sponsoring Keep The Change. Cheers Generate. Head to https://www.generatewealth.co.nz/change/ to find out more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.