We all need professional help when it comes to handling our finances. Thankfully, with the beauty of technology, banking has become not only accessible but much simpler. Having your bank’s app is a great place to start this journey; you can transfer money, pay bills, deposit checks, and much more with your bank’s app. But, the relationship you have with your money far exceeds the dealings with your bank. Proper budgeting, analyzing accounts, tracking spending, or simply keeping a control over your financial landscape can be quite tricky and very difficult to organize if you do not have consultant or any training. But, if you are looking for a more approachable alternative, then perhaps some of these (free) apps and sites will be able to help you meet your needs. Most of these apps/sites listed here cater to different needs and serve different purposes so make sure to check them all out. Let us know which one you use that you would recommend to others with a comment below!
Mint
Mint is quite possibly the most popular finance tool. The beauty of Mint is that it lets you (securely) sync all your accounts allowing you to monitor them from one place; information on all your credit cards, checking and savings accounts, 401k, investments, and even insurances and loans can all be set up. The app is especially essential for those looking to budget properly; the app lets you set up a budget and can show you the categories you are spending in; allowing you to make wiser decisions. The app takes it one step further by allowing users to set up financial goals that can help save towards something you may really desire – like a trip, car, or payments towards debts. You can also set up bill reminders which come in forms of email or text allowing you to never have to miss deadlines. The app also lets you check your credit score and its summary for free. What makes this app great is that it has an extremely easy and friendly interface and very easy to learn. In addition, it also gives you expert advice and information on things like banking fees, credit cards, loans and much more.
Finovera
Finovera is very similar to Mint in a lot of aspects but there are a few additional features and a few that are missing. Like Mint, you can (securely) sync all your accounts and track all their activities. Finovera takes this a step further by allowing you to link your utility accounts as well; there are over 3,500 listed providers and the number ever growing (if your account isn’t listed, they let you manage it offline). Finovera also creates an online database of 12 months of your previous statements from all your accounts as well as important documents like tax returns and makes them easily accessible. Ability to get reminders for paying bills is also available. Unlike Mint however, tools for proper budgeting are not included. A combination of both Mint and Finovera can really help you take your financial control to a whole another level.
Check
Check is similar to Mint and Finovera in a lot of aspects like bill reminders and account analysis. But the ability to be able to pay the bills puts this app apart from the others. You get the option to make one time immediate payments or set up an automatic monthly payment; there is a small fee for these transactions. The app also sends you reminders when your accounts are in peril; situations like low balance or near completed credit limits.
SavedPlus
SavedPlus is a great tool for those looking to increase the volume of their savings account. The concept behind this app is to automatically transfer a percentage (which you can decide) of your transaction to your savings account. Say you set your percentage at 15% and you spent a $100; the app would transfer an additional $15 into your savings account. All you have to do is submit your checking and savings (or the preferred) account information along with account and routing numbers to do this. The app is very smart in situations where an overdraft may occur and protects this from happening. You can even create a parameter on the size transactions you don’t want to save on; any transactions over $500 for example. The makers of the app are trying to increase the dynamics to allow transfers to IRA and credit cards (to pay off the balance). Their website claims to help people save up to $350 per month on average.
Spending Tracker
For those looking to get a good grip on their budget without some complexities of Mint should check out the Spending Tracker app. The purpose of this app is to allow yourself to visualize your spending and thus save you money by learning your patterns. The app requires you to log your income and expenses and summarizes the details for you with a very creative and easy to understand user interface. The app also features a budget mode that helps you stay within your means, allowing you to save.
Larky
If you are somebody who is a member of “membership only” groups like AARP, professional and/or alumni associations, health insurance, banks, credit unions, shopping clubs, museums, etc., then you must immediately familiarize yourself with Larky. The groups always have perks they offer but keeping track of all of them is almost impossible. Larky changes that by allowing you to stay on track with the offers and consistently sends you alerts when you become eligible for any new ones. Something as simple as your health/auto insurance offers you a lot of perks you may not be aware about and having Larky in your pocket can very easily change that. The company reports that their users save an average of $1000 annually so join up. As of right now, there is an app for iOS users but one for Android is under construction; however, android users can reach this service through their browsers.
Splitwize
If you are living with a roommate or are generally finding yourself in IOU situations, then you should have Splitwize. For people that have roommates, this app will help you keep track of the amount of money you borrowed or lent, with whom, and what for; especially handy if you think such agreements have brought you both financial and mental misery. Say you went out with your friends to eat and you spotted them money, you can log this experience into the app and stay on top of the (hopeful) return. You may be wondering, “Couldn’t I just make up such IOU’s?” Well, no because the person that you either lent or borrowed from will have to be invited to join the program as well; so the app only works for people who are mutually using it. This way everybody involved in the IOU agreement will be informed and there will be no awkward conversations. The best feature about this app is that it also lets you settle all the business using PayPal!