Help

You can find information on this page about using the site in general, technical problems, the calculators and your Sorted account. You’ll find information about how the calculators work on a separate page. Or you can contact us. 

Using the Sorted website

Saving your work

A Sorted account is free and lets you save and review your tools on your personal dashboard. Anyone can read all the content on the site and use the tools without any restrictions.

If you want to save your calculations for later use, you’ll need to register for a free, private and secure Sorted account. We don’t share your data with anyone else.

To open a Sorted account, click on the ‘Sign up’ link at the very top of any page. If you’re already signed up, you can use the ‘Log in’ link instead to access your dashboard and saved tools.

Getting the best experience

To get the best experience out of the website and tools, we recommend using the most up-to-date version of your preferred browser. Because different browsers work in different ways, the site may display differently, so we recommend that you use Google Chrome or Firefox to enjoy optimum performance of the site. The site will still work in other browsers, though.

Different versions of browsers also affect how the site displays, and there are issues with older versions of Internet Explorer (Sorted supports Internet Explorer 8 and above). Older versions of browsers can have security issues and newer versions offer a better experience.

Updating your browser

It’s easy to update your browser. Visit the relevant pages to download the latest version:

• Internet Explorer by Microsoft
• Chrome by Google
• Firefox by Mozilla
• Safari by Apple.

To experience all of the features of our new tools, you’ll need to have JavaScript turned on – find out how to do that in Turning on JavaScript below. Some versions of older browsers, for example Internet Explorer 7, are not supported due to known security issues – find out more about downloading the latest browser version in ‘Updating your browser’ above.

Inputting your data

When you open any of our tools, you’ll see empty boxes.

If you see a * next to the box, it means you must fill in this box for the calculator to give you a result. If you’re not sure what to put, try the ‘?’ button, which you’ll find next to each box – this will provide you with some tips.

You’ll find your result towards the bottom of the calculator. It’s easy to change any of your information. All you have to do is go to the relevant box, type in the new information, and the results will update automatically.

If you spot an orange box next to your results, try the slider to see what happens!

If you’re not sure what to do next, have a look at the related links at the bottom of each page. You’ll find some tips and suggestions to help you. The sliders will change your inputs to show you how your financial situation could look. See the ‘How this tool works’ link at the top of the tool you’re using to finds out more.

Saving your results

Saving your tools is a great way to keep your finances on track. It helps you review your finances without having to do the calculation again each time you visit Sorted.

You need a Sorted account to save your tools. It’s free and easy to register – all you need is a few minutes and an email address. You’ll find the ‘Sign up’ link at the top of each page on Sorted.

How the tools work

For more detailed information on what the tools do and the assumptions they make, see How the calculators work.

Clearing the c​ache

To keep things running smoothly, it’s advisable to periodically clean out stuff the browser has stored by clearing the cache:

• Check which browser you’re using (for example, Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari or Chrome).
• Search your browser help or use a site that provides instructions for most common browsers, for example How do I clear my web browser's cache, cookies, and history?

Turning on JavaScript 

The calculators use something called JavaScript to work and you need to have it turned on so you can get the best experience from them. JavaScript does the following things:

• Provides usability enhancements such as date-pickers, print buttons and the ability to choose a different text size
• Hides ‘busy’ parts of the page within tabs
• Launches specialty content in ‘lightbox’-style pop-ups
• Instantly updates the calculator results when you change one of the input values.

If you don’t have JavaScript turned on, you’ll see a message on the screen advising you to do so.

• Check which browser you’re using (for example, Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari or Chrome)
• Search your browser help for instructions, or go to enable-java-script.com for a visual guide to enabling JavaScript in the most commonly used browsers.
  

Your Sorted account is a free and secure place where you can save your tools. You’ll be able to see and access all the tools you’ve used and saved at a glance on your personal dashboard.

We recommend that you use a personal email address, rather than a work email address, so you don’t miss out on any important emails about Sorted. As part of our account management process, we may send you an email if your account is left unused for a year. We’ll also send you emails to inform you of any changes to our tools or website assets.

My Sorted security safeguards

We safeguard the security of all personal information collected and stored in the site database, and the actual figures stored in your Sorted saved tools. The privacy of this information is taken very seriously by Sorted. We don’t share information about you with anyone else, and because your personal details and saved tools are stored in a database, they’re not at risk of being emailed to anyone by mistake.

How you can keep your personal information safe

We recommend you follow standard security procedures, such as not writing down passwords or the answers to security questions and not leaving your computer or device unattended when you’re logged in to Sorted.  

If you use Google Chrome as your browser, we recommend turning off automatic filling in of forms so that personal details you enter aren’t later inadvertently displayed to anyone else who happens to be using your computer. To disable Autofill:

1. Click the Chrome menu on the browser toolbar.

2. Select ‘Settings’.

3. Click ‘Show advanced settings’ and go to the ‘Passwords and forms’ section.

4. Deselect the ‘Enable autofill’ checkbox.

How to register for a free Sorted account

When you register for a Sorted account, you’ll be asked to supply an email address and set a password. We need you to confirm the email address to check it’s really yours. Make sure you check your inbox for our confirmation email – you’ll need to click on this link before you can use your Sorted account. (If the confirmation email doesn’t arrive in your inbox, please check your spam or junk mail folder, in case it’s there.)

If you don’t confirm your email address, you’ll receive an email to prompt you. If you decide you no longer want a Sorted account, just contact us to let us know and we’ll delete it for you. We may delete accounts that have not been used for a year or more.

We also ask for some information about you – this is anonymous and helps with gathering statistics. If you have any problems or questions, email us via the feedback form.

Use of demographic data

When you register for Sorted, we ask you for some personal information. We sometimes use this information to collect statistics about who’s using the site, so we can make sure we’re providing the right content and information for Sorted users. All individuals remain anonymous when we collect the data and compile reports.

Problems logging in to your Sorted account

If you’ve forgotten your password, click the ‘Forgot password?’ link from the login screen and follow the instructions to reset your password. A password reset link will be emailed to you.

If you haven’t used your Sorted account for some time, it may have been removed in our regular clean-up process. We may delete accounts that have not been used for more than a year if they don’t have any saved calculators.

If you have any problems or questions, contact us.

What’s happened to your saved calculators

As part of our most recent site rebuild in March 2016, we upgraded the technology that Sorted uses. Although most of the calculators were imported over, a few tools were merged, discontinued or, in the case of the money planner, completely overhauled. In these instances, we were not able to move saved calculators to the new site.

We published details on Sorted.org.nz on how to print saved calculators, announced changes through our social media channels, and sent emails to our newsletter and user databases before the new site went live. If you have a Sorted account, make sure you keep your email address up to date, so you don’t miss out on our emails.

We’re happy for other organisations to link to Sorted. Just make sure you use the following url: www.sorted.org.nz.

Linking to Sorted

Please get in touch via the feedback form if you wish to use any of our images or logos in any external publications.

Using Sorted content

If you want to use our content on your website or other publication, you’ll need to obtain our permission. This helps us ensure that our content is kept up to date and accurate.

Find out more about using our content on our Terms and conditions page, or get in touch by using the contact form.

If you need help with logging in to your Sorted account, resetting your password or changing your Sorted email address, send us an email using our feedback form.