New Zealand Herald columnist, author and finance expert Mary Holm thanked the "thousands" of people who had written to her over many years, seeking advice.

She has today been made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to financial literacy education but said the honour was partly due to those who sought her advice.

"I just want to acknowledge the support I've had over the years from subeditors, radio technicians, my son Tim Ansley who runs my website, and all the others who work in the background to make journalism and books happen," Holm said.

"I'm so grateful to the thousands of people - yes, literally thousands - who have sent letters to my Weekend Herald column and RNZ National segment. Through them, I've learnt what worries people, what mistakes they're making, and what they need to understand to make the most of their money so they can get on with the other more important things in life," she said.

Holm's citation says she is a best-selling author and columnist who has written extensively about personal finance and contributed to the financial literacy of New Zealanders.

She holds an MBA in finance and has been a journalist, media commentator, seminar presenter and lecturer for more than 40 years.

Since 1988, she has been a weekly columnist for the Herald and talks fortnightly on RNZ National about how New Zealanders can better manage their money.

In 2018, she wrote Rich enough? A laid-back guide for every Kiwi, a number one bestseller for seven weeks.

She has written three books on KiwiSaver and helped develop tools for the sorted.org.nz financial advice website.

"Holm is noted for her ability to convey complex financial matters in plain and simple terms to ordinary New Zealanders," the citation says.

She was a founding director of the Financial Markets Authority from 2011 to last year and has previously written for The Listener, Dominion Post, The Press and Waikato Times.

She was a director of the Banking Ombudsman scheme from 2010 to 2016 and has been a member of advisory groups and government bodies on financial regulation and literacy.