The Curve

Most money advice tells you to spend less and save more. But what if the real answer is just spending better? This week Sophie sits down with Fran (aka Martha Stewish), chartered accountant and personal finance creator you're going to want to follow, to talk through one of the most practical frameworks we've covered on the show. We dig into how to figure out your authentic spending code: the personal values that should be driving every financial decision you make, and why ignoring them is probably why you feel stuck.

We also get into why deprivation always backfires, how she saves 35% of her salary without feeling restricted, and the simple habit shifts that actually move the needle, whatever you're earning. This one will make you look at your bank statement completely differently.

Fran’s links:

Tiktok (https://www.tiktok.com/@martha30s)

Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/martha.stewish/)

Substack (https://marthastewish.substack.com/)

YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@martha.stewish)

Credits:

Host: Sophie Hallwright

Guest: Martha Stewish

Producer: Emily Rigby

Editor: Isabella Reeve

Social & Digital Manager: Lucy Munro

⁠⁠Leave us a message on The Curve Hotline 💌☎️⁠⁠

For more from The Curve:⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Chapters

00:00:00 Intro & Who is Fran (aka Martha)?
00:00:52 The Gap in Personal Finance Content
00:03:47 How Fran Thinks About Building Wealth
00:05:12 Growing Up With Frugal Fraser
00:06:24 What Is Your Authentic Spending Code?
00:08:49 Fran's Four Spending Pillars
00:12:44 Emotional Spending & Money Guilt
00:17:58 How Fran Balances Saving & Living
00:20:27 Blocking Out the Noise & The Rich Girl Wish List
00:27:34 Where Do You Start?
00:32:02 Quick Fire Questions
00:38:00 Thank You For Listening
00:38:24 Financial Disclaimer

Disclaimer: Raising The Curve has been prepared solely for informational and educational purposes. Any information provided and serviced described in this website are intended to be of general nature and provide general information only. The opinions expressed by The Curve do not constitute investment advice.

This week Vic's flying solo (miss you Soph!!), and she's brought the big stories. SpaceX has officially filed to go public, and it could be the largest IPO in history at a $2 trillion valuation. But is the hype justified? Vic breaks down what SpaceX actually is, what you'd be buying, and how everyday investors can get involved. Plus, Elon Musk's lawsuit against OpenAI gets thrown out of court in under two hours, and the reason why is more embarrassing than the loss itself. Shakira just won a €55 million tax battle with the Spanish government, and there are some surprisingly practical takeaways for anyone who spends time across different countries. And finally, the latest US jobs data tells a more complicated story than the headlines suggest, and what it really means for your career in the age of AI. 

Back to regular programming next week!

We're hiring a junior podcast editor based in London, if that's you (or someone you know), check out the full job description here. (https://www.linkedin.com/posts/thecur...)

Wondering whether an investment actually lines up with your values?

👉 Submit your money and morals question to The Ethical Hotline: (https://form.typeform.com/to/BZHujjGM)

WTF does that mean? A guide to all the jargony bits:

NASDAQ – A US stock exchange. Basically where all the big tech companies live.

Retail Investors – Everyday investors. You and me.

Valuation – What people think a company is worth.

Revenue – Money coming in. Not the same as profit.

Statute of Limitations – Waited too long to sue? Case dismissed.

Tax Resident – The country that gets to tax you.

Dividends – Getting paid just for owning shares.

The 4% Rule – Withdraw 4% a year in retirement and your money should last 30 years.

Credits:

Hosts: Victoria Harris & Sophie Hallwright

Producer & Editor: Emily Rigby

Social & Digital Manager: Lucy Munro

⁠⁠Leave us a message on The Curve Hotline 💌☎️⁠⁠

For more from The Curve:⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠Website⁠⁠

⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠Newsletter⁠⁠

Chapters

00:00:00 Coming up in this episode...
00:01:05 Pathfinder x The Curve
00:01:35 The Space X IPO
00:12:06 Musk's lawsuit against OpenAI: case closed
00:15:29 Pathfinder x The Curve
00:16:28 How Shakira beat a €55 million tax bill
00:20:19 Is AI actually killing jobs? The truth is complicated
00:25:39 Community question: Can you really retire on dividends alone?
00:28:27 Thank you for listening!
00:29:06 Financial Disclaimer

Disclaimer: Raising The Curve has been prepared solely for informational and educational purposes. Any information provided and serviced described in this website are intended to be of general nature and provide general information only. The opinions expressed by The Curve do not constitute investment advice.

This episode is, quite frankly, unhinged. Sophie sits down with Holly to hear one of the wildest relationship-and-money stories we’ve ever had on the podcast, involving property, trust, legal drama, a cancelled wedding, and the kind of plot twists that make you want to scream into a cushion. Without giving too much away, it’s a story about what can happen when love, money and home ownership get tangled together… and why protecting yourself financially isn’t unromantic, it’s essential. Juicy? Extremely. Educational? Absolutely. Please keep snacks nearby.

We’re proud to be partnering with BNZ, who know that home ownership isn’t a straight line. Sometimes life throws curveballs, and BNZ is all about supporting you through the hard stuff, not just the highlights. Whether you’re planning ahead or needing a bit more support right now, BNZ’s home loan experts have the tools and people ready to help you find a way.

👉 To learn more, head here. (bnz.co.nz/home-loan-partners-spotify-ep13)

BNZ home loans are subject to BNZ’s lending criteria (including minimum equity requirements), terms and fees. An establishment fee of up to $150 may apply.

Credits:

Host: Sophie Hallwright

Guest: Holly Egerton

Producer & Editor: Emily Rigby

Social & Digital Manager: Lucy Munro

⁠⁠Leave us a message on The Curve Hotline 💌☎️⁠⁠

For more from The Curve:⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠Website⁠⁠

⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠Newsletter⁠⁠

Chapters

00:00:00 Coming up in this episode…
00:01:30 BNZ x The Curve
00:02:31 Meet Holly
00:05:28 How Holly bought her first property
00:10:35 Another big milestone
00:11:51 How the finances were split
00:13:35 The night everything changed
00:16:33 Things escalate...
00:20:06 Trying to get her back
00:21:50 The legalities
00:24:52 Getting lawyers involved
00:26:38 The court battle
00:36:42 Lessons learned
00:42:29 How the experience changed Holly
00:43:48 Tips for listeners
00:47:33 Final words of wisdom
00:52:27 BNZ x The Curve
00:54:01 Financial Disclaimer

Disclaimer: Raising The Curve has been prepared solely for informational and educational purposes. Any information provided and serviced described in this website are intended to be of general nature and provide general information only. The opinions expressed by The Curve do not constitute investment advice.

Lime is everywhere. A billion rides across 29 countries and 230 cities, and yet they're about to go public not because they're crushing it, but because they need the money. We break down what's really going on under the hood, what it means for investors, and whether this is a business worth backing.

We also cover:

- GameStop vs eBay: the board said no, but the CEO is going directly to shareholders. Is this actually going to happen?
- Oil & Inflation: the numbers are starting to come through and they're not pretty. What the latest figures mean for your cost of living.
- Prediction Markets: the fastest growing space in finance right now. From hair dryers near airport sensors to a US soldier using classified intel to win $400k, the stories are wild. Plus, is this gambling or investing?
- Australia's Capital Gains Tax Change: a major shift that every investor needs to understand, whether you're based in Australia or not. We break it down simply and compare it to the UK and New Zealand.
- Community Question: hedged vs unhedged ETFs. What does it actually mean and should you even care?

👗 The wardrobe app we mentioned: Whering (https://whering.co)

🗳️ Should we do a full episode on hedged vs unhedged ETFs?Let us know here (https://form.typeform.com/to/jrwHNDPu)

Wondering whether an investment actually lines up with your values? 👉 Submit your money and morals question to The Ethical Hotline:https://form.typeform.com/to/BZHujjGM

WTF does that mean? A guide to all the jargony bits:

Capital Gains Tax — Tax on profit you make from an investment.

Free Cash Flow — Money a business has left after paying its bills.

Hedged ETF — Protected from currency swings. Unhedged? You take what comes.

Prediction Markets — Betting on whether something will happen. Like gambling but make it finance.

Meme Stock — A stock driven by viral hype, not actual performance.

Shareholder Meeting — When investors get together to make big company decisions.

Stake — How much of a company you own.

Commodity — Raw materials like oil or gold that are traded on markets.

Credits:

Hosts: Victoria Harris & Sophie Hallwright

Producer & Editor: Emily Rigby

Social & Digital Manager: Lucy Munro

⁠⁠Leave us a message on The Curve Hotline 💌☎️⁠⁠

For more from The Curve:⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠Website⁠⁠

⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠Newsletter⁠⁠

Chapters

00:00:00 Coming up in this episode...
00:01:05 Pathfinder x The Curve
00:01:31 Soph's confession and Vic's new app
00:05:24 GameStop vs eBay: the takeover that won't die
00:09:05 Oil crisis: the numbers are in and they're not pretty
00:11:29 Prediction markets: genius, wild, and barely legal
00:16:48 Lime IPO: the business that looks like it's killing it
00:27:10 Pathfinder x The Curve
00:27:54 Australia's budget: the tax change every investor needs to know
00:39:57 Hedged vs unhedged ETFs: what does it actually mean?
00:46:42 Episode preview: The Property Breakup From Hell
00:48:53 Thank you for listening!
00:49:31 Financial Disclaimer

Disclaimer: Raising The Curve has been prepared solely for informational and educational purposes. Any information provided and serviced described in this website are intended to be of general nature and provide general information only. The opinions expressed by The Curve do not constitute investment advice.

We recorded an episode this week, edited it, and were ready to publish, then realised we hadn't done the topic justice. This is a short explanation of why we paused, and an open invitation to share your experience so we can cover this topic properly.

If you'd like to share your experience or perspective, please feel free to leave a comment wherever youre listening or watching, you can email us at [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]), leave a voice note on the Curve Hotline (https://thecurveplatform.com/pages/the-curve-hotline?srsltid=AfmBOopCf5wEepE-DTLGLkXkjbftJnk4kAfWjqM8BwMJV2KGhPeDEEoq), or DM us on any of our socials.

Credits:

Hosts: Victoria Harris & Sophie Hallwright

Producer & Editor: Emily Rigby

Social & Digital Manager: Lucy Munro

⁠⁠Leave us a message on The Curve Hotline 💌☎️⁠⁠

For more from The Curve:⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠Website⁠⁠

⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠Newsletter⁠⁠

Disclaimer: Raising The Curve has been prepared solely for informational and educational purposes. Any information provided and serviced described in this website are intended to be of general nature and provide general information only. The opinions expressed by The Curve do not constitute investment advice.