Source: Te Ara Ahunga Ora Retirement Commission
Sorted, New Zealand’s free and independent money guide, is celebrating a quarter of a century of helping New Zealanders sort their finances.
Launched on 30 September 2001, Sorted was the country’s first free, independent online money guide, giving New Zealanders trusted information to make informed financial decisions.
It’s grown from a website centred on calculators into a national financial capability platform offering trusted information, practical tools, educational programmes and digital services, including KiwiSaver tools, Smart Investor, Retirement navigator, and the recently launched Sorted Buffer builder app, which uses open banking.
Sorted was established by New Zealand’s first Retirement Commissioner, Colin Blair, who served from 1995 to 2001.
Colin says he considered where the commission could make the greatest difference and decided it should take on an educational role and help people make informed choices about saving and preparing for retirement.
He originally wanted to call it Dollars and Sense, but an advertising agency suggested Sorted.
“So, after a long discussion they convinced me that Sorted, just one word, would be a very good name, and they turned out to be right. It’s a fantastic name,” Colin says.
The concept of the Sorted Mouse mascot was also suggested. People would be using their computer mouse to access the Sorted website, and it would be a nice, friendly character that people would get to know and like, Colin says.
The early Sorted website used calculators to help people understand how much they might need for the retirement they wanted.
Colin says Sorted’s popularity grew because people liked and understood it. He says he’s delighted that successive Retirement Commissioners have continued to improve and enhance the service.
“The central question people had when Sorted began was whether they would have enough money to enjoy the standard of living they wanted in retirement,” Colin says.
Twenty-five years later, that question remains at the forefront as New Zealanders continue to ask how they can manage their spending, reduce debt, build emergency savings, make good KiwiSaver decisions and prepare for retirement.
Current Retirement Commissioner David Boyle says Sorted’s purpose is as important today as when it began.
“The financial challenges New Zealanders face have changed over 25 years, but the need for clear, trusted and independent money guidance remains,” he says.
“For 25 years, Sorted has been there to give people practical, impartial guidance that helps them take the next step with their money. The tools have evolved, but the promise hasn’t changed. We’re not selling anything. We’re here to help New Zealanders make informed decisions on their own terms.”
David says Sorted’s history demonstrates the value of making financial information accessible.
“Sorted has stood the test of time because it takes complicated money topics and makes them easier to understand and act on,” he says.
Sorted’s latest user research shows that New Zealanders continue to value free, independent support that does not sell products, carry advertising or earn commission.
In the 2026 Sorted user survey, nearly 90% of users rated sorted.org.nz as valuable, 70% said it had improved their financial confidence, 69% said it had motivated them to take action, and 55% said they were in a better financial position.
Sorted now has more than two million sessions a year across its tools, guides and calculators.
Tom Hartmann, Personal Finance Lead at Sorted, sees this value every day. “The Sorted calculators and practical tools remain the leading reasons people visit Sorted, followed by information about budgeting and saving,” he explains.
“The one thing that has remained constant is that people need trusted, independent information to help them understand their options and make confident money decisions,” Tom says.
Sorted has continued to evolve as the financial lives of New Zealanders and technology have changed. Its services now include information and tools covering budgeting, debt, saving, investing, KiwiSaver, mortgages and retirement planning. Its current resources include 68 guides, 468 blogs, thousands of social posts, 12 tools and its latest app, Sorted Buffer builder.
David says Sorted will continue to adapt while protecting the qualities that have earned New Zealanders’ trust.
“Our job for the next 25 years is to keep Sorted useful, accessible and independent, while finding better ways to help people understand their finances and see the difference their decisions can make over the long term.”
He says the anniversary is also an opportunity to recognise the people who created Sorted and those who have continued to develop it.
“Colin Blair and the people who worked with him created something genuinely innovative,” he says.
“It’s a privilege to carry that legacy forward and make sure Sorted continues to serve the next generation of New Zealanders.”
The anniversary is a reminder for New Zealanders to take one small money step today, whether that’s starting a buffer fund, checking their KiwiSaver fund type or working out what they may need in retirement.
Notes to Editors:
About Te Ara Ahunga Ora Retirement Commission
Te Ara Ahunga Ora Retirement Commission aims to help New Zealanders to retire with confidence. Retiring with confidence means New Zealanders feel secure they’ll have resources to live and the know-how to make ends meet. We focus on three areas: Retirement Income Policies, Retirement Villages and Financial Capability. Te Ara Ahunga Ora runs Sorted, Sorted at Work, Sorted in Communities, and Te whai hua – kia ora Sorted in Schools, and is responsible for the National Strategy for Financial Capability.
About Sorted
Sorted is a free service run by Te Ara Ahunga Ora Retirement Commission, the government-funded, independent agency dedicated to helping New Zealanders get ahead financially. As New Zealand’s trusted personal finance site, Sorted has the information needed to tackle debt, plan and budget, save and invest, optimise KiwiSaver, plan for retirement, protect wealth, and manage a mortgage. Providing tools, guides and blogs, Sorted serves 1.5 million New Zealanders each year.