As the cost of living continues to squeeze household budgets, a local startup is highlighting a hidden problem: many Kiwis cannot see the full picture of their own finances, leaving them more vulnerable at a time when clarity matters most.
Dashr, a New Zealand–built financial dashboard, allows users to see balances from multiple banks, KiwiSaver providers, investment platforms, and crypto services in one secure, read-only view, giving households a single answer to a simple question: how much money do I actually have?
Internal surveys conducted by Dashr suggest 73 percent of Kiwis now use more than three financial providers, reflecting how fragmented personal finance has become. While this diversification can be positive, the lack of visibility creates stress and uncertainty, particularly as households navigate rising living costs.
“People’s money is spread across more places than ever before, but the tools to see it all haven’t kept up,” said Dashr founder Tom Filmer.
“When households are under pressure, not knowing where you stand financially can be as stressful as having less money.”
Banks and financial platforms typically only show their own products, and there is little incentive for any provider to offer visibility across competitors.
“No bank is rewarded for helping customers see accounts held elsewhere,” Filmer said.
“That leaves everyday people stitching together their finances manually, not just for day-to-day account use, but also for financial tracking. I’ve seen countless spreadsheets and notebooks that people use to try and understand their position, for example, calculating net worth.”
Recent progress in Open Banking regulation in New Zealand is now making consumer-first tools like Dashr possible. Open Banking allows individuals to securely share financial data with third-party services using regulated APIs, rather than screen scraping or giving away passwords.
“Open Banking has quietly changed what’s possible,” Filmer said.
“For the first time, people can safely authorise a neutral service to show their full financial picture without losing control or compromising security. Open Banking has been available in many OECD countries, but New Zealand was lagging behind.”
Dashr connects to New Zealand’s leading banks, KiwiSaver providers, and investment platforms. Access is read-only by default, credentials are never stored, and users can delete their data at any time. Dashr does not provide financial advice or recommend products – its focus is clarity and visibility.
“Before advice, before budgeting, before investment decisions, there’s a more basic need,” Filmer said.
“People need to be able to answer one simple question: how much money do I actually have?”
Dashr is currently opening access via a public waitlist, available at dashr.nz , and is focused exclusively on the New Zealand financial ecosystem.
Media Release on 2 February 2026
Media Contact
Tom Filmer, Dashr NZ
tom@dashr.nz
022 321 1231
dashr.nz