Mint
This is a completely free money management app that offers a variety of features and is available for iOS, Android, and Kindle. Created by Intuit, Mint allows you to see everything at a glance. The home screen shows you:
- All of your balances including bank accounts, credit cards, and investments
- Latest transactions
- Credit Score
- Monthly Budget (and how you’re doing)
- Cash Flow
There’s also a section for spending trends. This allows you to see your spending habits categorically. In fact, one of Mint’s best features is the ability to look at your spending habits in a handy pie chart graphic. You can tap on any color in the graph and see how much you’ve spent in that category. You can also expand the graph to see each transaction and what specific category they are in.
Mint does a good job of putting transactions in categories for you, but on occasion it the app gets it wrong. For example, a copay from a doctor’s office might end up categorized as a restaurant, but you have the option to change the category and next time, Mint will remember your selection.
The Highlights- A great comprehensive app for getting a handle on all your finances including credit scores and investments
- Available for iOS, Android, and Kindle
- FREE
Credit Karma
Another completely free money management app that keeps a tight watch on your credit score, Credit Karma has several other features that make it worth the download.
- View your credit score from both TransUnion and Equifax
- See how much you owe to all accounts reported on your credit report including open credit cards and loans as well as collection activity
- See your credit card usage at a glance
- Simulate your credit score to show what it would be if you paid off a debt
Not only does Credit Karma allow you to see your score from both credit bureaus, but it also allows you to see a breakdown of the accounts on your report and how they are affecting your score. You can see if you have too many late payments or hard inquiries and exactly how that affects your score. You can also dispute items on your report in the app.
Credit Karma also checks to see if you have unclaimed property. For example, you’re owed a refund on your electric bill in say North Carolina, Credit Karma will check the unclaimed property records in that state for your name and alert you to money you may be owed.
The Highlights- See your credit score from TransUnion and Equifax
- View a breakdown of everything on your credit report and how it affects your score
- Available on iOS and Android
Stash
Stash is a money management app that pulls double duty. It’s an investment app that allows you to get started investing with just $5.00. You invest in ETFs or Exchange Traded Funds. ETFs are investment funds traded on an exchange (like NASDAQ or The New York Stock Exchange) just like other stocks. But with an ETF, you don’t own stock in a single company. Instead, the funds are made up of securities from various companies and you own shares of these securities.
The nice thing about this money management app is that it doubles as a high-interest savings account. You can put money into your “stash,” but you don’t have to invest it. If you let it sit in the account it will gain 0.55 percent interest annually, much more than a savings account at your local bank.
Stash also has a retirement option. You can deposit money into a Roth IRA, and unlike your company’s 401k, you can choose where to invest it.
The Highlights
- You don’t need thousands of dollars to start investing
- Available for iOS and Android
- High yield savings account
Getting control of your finances can be a daunting task. Unfortunately, it is absolutely necessary. But these three money management apps can help make things a bit easier and allow you to see exactly where you stand right now so that you can plan for the future.
If you enjoyed this blog, take a look at some of our other related articles:
- 6 Smart Money-Saving Habits Of Wealthy People
- 10 Ways You Can Make Extra Money
- How to Use a Credit Union to Pay Off Debt
- 10 Reasons Why You Should Follow RMCU On Social Media
Non RMCU links are being provided as a convenience and for informational purposes only; they do not constitute an endorsement or an approval by Rocky Mountain Credit Union of any of the products, services or opinions of the corporation or organization or individual. RMCU bears no responsibility for the accuracy, legality, or content of the external sites.
