December 2025 – Quarterly Stakeholder Newsletter

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Kia ora and welcome to our end-of-year update

As we approach the end of 2024, I want to take a moment to express my gratitude for your ongoing support and willingness to collaborate. Your dedication and commitment have been instrumental in helping us make a positive impact on the lives of many. 

I was thrilled to see those of you who were able to join us at the launch of the new National Strategy for Financial Capability. This is not just a document – it’s a call to action for us to work together to maximise our collective ability to help New Zealanders become more financially resilient.

In addition, we’re working with financial education providers and the Ministry of Education to improve consistency of the provision of financial education in schools. Step one is developing a new learning framework to crystallise money and goal-setting knowledge that students can achieve at the different year levels, aligned to the New Zealand curriculum.

We’ve also just released a comprehensive research paper on what retirement looks like for over-65s. This paper offers insights into the experiences and challenges faced by retirees today and will help support the 2025 Review of Retirement Income Policies.

National Strategy 2025–2027 launch

An optimistic sense of drive and determination pervaded the launch of the National Strategy for Financial Capability 2025 – 2027 on 19 November, when more than 80 partners came together from all corners of the sector. 1News Business Correspondent Katie Bradford helped manage proceedings, during which I was part of a lively panel discussion with Lyn McMorran of Financial Services Federation, Kirk Hope of the Financial Services Council and Nick Hakes of Financial Advice New Zealand.

Click through to learn about the new strategy and three-year plans, and gain access to the Shared Resource Hub, shared measurement tool and De-jargoning Money glossary.

 

The latest research

2025 Review of Retirement Income Policies (RRIP)

Every three years, the Retirement Commission is required by the Government to undertake a review of retirement income policies. Over the coming year, our Policy & Research team will conduct research on topics such as KiwiSaver and other savings, explore emerging trends and what retirement might look like in 2050, compare what others are doing globally, and delve a bit deeper into the experiences of women, given the disparities they face in retirement, including a 25% gender retirement savings gap. These insights will support the development of the final report on the findings, including a series of recommendations to help shape improved policy, and interventions to support better retirement outcomes for New Zealanders.

We welcome submissions related to topics covered in the Terms of Reference. Please send them to submissions@retirement.govt.nz before 30 June 2025.

 

What does ‘retirement’ look like in 2024?

Peppered with real-life first-person insights, our paper Older People’s Voices provides a window into the financial lives of New Zealanders aged 65 and over. Its findings result from the analysis of 36 in-depth conversations with people aged 65-plus and an online survey of 1,420 people in the same demographic, all undertaken nationwide earlier this year.

Amid the examination of the underlying attitudes and experiences of older people in relation to money are case studies and stories from participants in the focus groups and interviews. This paper provides a tool that can be used to inform the way public and private organisations communicate with and provide support to retired New Zealanders.

You can read the full report here.

What’s new for Sorted.org.nz

Sorted x The Morning Shift

‘Entertaining’ isn’t a word commonly associated with financial information, but in the perfect pairing, Sorted’s partnership with hit local podcast The Morning Shift for our ‘Sussed, Sorted, Shifting’ series has brought a really enjoyable element to Sorted’s already highly relatable money-management material.

Following the late-November recording of an episode on dealing with debt, in which hosts Jordan River, Brooke Ruscoe and Marc Peard had an info-packed chat to MoneyTalks’ Angela Smart, we wrapped production in early December with our Personal Finance Lead Tom Hartmann providing a round-up of ways to start 2025 feeling more confident and less stressed about money. You’ll find all eight episodes full of take-home tips here.

Thank you once again for your support in 2024. I look forward to continuing our work together and achieving even greater success. Wishing you all a wonderful holiday season and a happy 2025.

Ngā mihi,

Jane Wrightson

Mana Ahungarua/Retirement Commissioner 

 

 

Posted 23 Jan 2025