“Now we’ve got emergency savings… And goals for my kid’s soccer kit!” — Mandy
With Buffer builder app, you pay yourself first! Easy.
“Now we’ve got emergency savings… And goals for my kid’s soccer kit!” — Mandy
With Buffer Builder app you pay yourself first! Easy.
Nau mai. Welcome to CAP Initiatives. Where whānau become financially resilient.
Who is CAP Initiatives?
CAP Initiatives has partnered with Sorted — one of NZ’s most trusted independent money guides — to bring you Buffer builder.
CAP & Sorted want to make saving easy and automatic. So when life happens, you’re already sorted.
Car repairs? A sick pet? A family emergency? You’ve got this! Better yet, start saving for fun things and whānau goals.
CAP Initiatives is driven by insights from Christians Against Poverty. Since 2007, Christians Against Poverty has journeyed alongside thousands of whānau – from money chaos to thriving.
Each week, Christians Against Poverty’s free Debt Help service walks alongside 600+ NZ households in financial hardship.
- 4,705+ CAP Debt Help clients have said ‘goodbye’ to unmanageable debt!
- 20,000+ New Zealanders have taken Christians Against Poverty’s free CAP Money course.
What is Buffer builder?
Buffer builder is a secure app, helping you build savings for an emergency. No subscriptions, hidden fees or ads.
Build a buffer before life's surprises happen. With Buffer Builder it's automatic – and easy!
Once securely connected to your bank, Buffer builder gives you three easy ways to save:
Pay yourself first! Buffer builder spots each time you're paid and then sets aside a set amount or percentage you choose… So you save automatically. Every payday becomes more rewarding.
Round up. Automatically stash and save spare change every time you spend. You can choose to round up to the nearest $1, $2 or $5 with each spend – and that heads to your buffer! Nice. If you want, you can even double (2x) or triple (3x) that!
Top up. Got a bit extra? Boost your buffer in the moment by stashing a one-off amount into your buffer with just a couple of taps.
It's your money, so it's always your call. Your security and control comes first.
Stay safe with bank-grade security.
Money moves within your accounts. Your savings only ever moves money into your own buffer account within the limits you set and decide. The app works with ANZ, ASB, BNZ, Kiwibank and Westpac.
Press pause whenever you want. It's easy to stop saving and turn off your bank feeds whenever you like, in the app, with Akahu or your bank.
Buffer builder reads your real-time transactions, so you can see exactly where your money is going.
An app from Sorted
Buffer builder is from CAP Initiatives and Sorted — New Zealand’s trusted, independent money guide, known by over half of all New Zealanders.
Sorted is run by Te Ara Ahunga Ora Retirement Commission, the government-funded, independent agency dedicated to helping New Zealanders get ahead financially.
Set it up in 5–10 mins
It’s a one-time setup.
After a little effort up front, the app runs itself. Setup takes about 5–10 minutes and a couple of approvals (connecting your bank and authorising money to move).
After that your buffer builds in the background, so you’re always saving! You can jump in anytime to see how you’re going, pause or make changes.
Secure bank connection
Akahu is accredited to request data on your behalf from your bank, certified, independently audited and use the latest encryption.
Your savings only ever moves money into your own buffer account within the limits you set and decide. The app works with ANZ, ASB, BNZ, Kiwibank and Westpac.
Akahu provides 256-bit encryption. They’re accredited to request data on your behalf from your bank, certified and independently audited.
Hang on. Is it really safe to connect my bank account to an app? Sorted have a great blog post: Learn how your bank data is yours, how open banking works, and how you can put it to work to improve your financial position.
Money worries?
More services from Christians Against Poverty
Money problems? We care. Help is free and confidential. You don’t need to live with debt stress any longer. 4,700+ New Zealanders like Erena have said “goodbye” to unmanageable debt. You can start thriving too!
Are you managing your money… or is money managing you? Learn to spend, budget & save, so that you reach your goals faster. Whatever stage you’re at — unemployed, professional, a new dad, retired — taking CAP Money is like getting a free pay rise! 3x 90-min sessions is all it takes.
Haere ra.
Thanks for stopping by.