5 financial tools everyone should be using

Every day, we make financial decisions, whether it’s as minor as buying a new outfit or as major as purchasing a house. No matter the case, we constantly deal with money and we are responsible for our financial stability.

In line with this, the tech industry has developed and released a steady stream of apps and tools that can help you in various areas including budgeting, bills, credit cards, among others, for effective modern money management.

The following five financial tools are designed to aid people in making better choices when it comes to managing their money.

1. Mint – Helps users save more and spend less

In recent years, this application has become the market leader in budgeting management. It is favored by many users because it automatically updates and categorizes transactions and syncs with various user accounts to track spending. Mint creates a big picture of your spending in real time and also allows personalization. Users do the following: add their own categories; track bills, ATM transactions, cash purchases; and set budgets that signal users when they start to top out.

Benefits:

• Easy to use

• Cost: free

• Reliable and favored by most users

• Available on iOS and Android.

2. Payday Loan – App for fast cash in advance

Sometimes, you might find yourself having unexpected expenses so getting money in advance is a heaven-sent quick fix. For such a scenario, this app is an option that helps many users face any cash emergency they might be in.

First, you will need to fill out a request form with personal details. The Payday Loan app then performs a bank scrape of your finances from the last 3 months. It could all take around 30 minutes, but you could walk away with up to $3000 on the same day.

Of course, avoiding loans would be ideal. To help with this, educate yourself with some 101 Personal Finance in order to manage your income responsibly.

Benefits:

• Processing is faster than other lending companies;

• Easy form and fast approved;

• No obligation or hidden fees;

• Money up to £3000.

There are plenty of apps and tools available that can help people in making smarter money choices. (Photo by DepositPhotos)

3. PriceGrabber – E-commerce solutions for shoppers.

It is a leading distributed content e-commerce platform and shopping site that connects millions of shoppers each month with thousands of merchants. When shopping, it’s not always obvious if you’re getting the lowest price possible on an item. With the PriceGrabber app, you can quickly scan the item and see if it’s available for less somewhere else. You can also set up price alerts on items you have your eye on.

Benefits:

• Users can access a variety of products listed, along with their details.

• Provides free information on millions of products in 25 different categories.

• You can join this service easily and quickly with your StoreFront.

4. Prism – App for paying and tracking bills.

If you are looking for a tool that lets you see all your bills in one place, then Prism is for you. It is endorsed by many users because it automatically tracks your bills and sends bill payment reminders, Fast and accessible, Prism helps you avoid missed bills and late fees as you’re able to see your income, account balances, and expenses along with your outstanding bills.

How does it work? First, you link all your bills with the app, then you link all your payment accounts, such as checking accounts and credit cards. Afterward, Prism will monitor all of your bills for you. When a new bill is available, Prism sends a push notification to your phone letting you know that you should schedule a payment.

Benefits:

• Cost: free

• Safety: maintains robust security features

• You get an accurate picture of your total monthly expense.

• Access: iOS, Android, Windows Phone, Windows 8, Kindle.

5. Personal Capital – Best tool to evaluate investment accounts.

It is a smart way to track and manage your financial life, and for this reason, their reputation is formidable. Broadly speaking, Personal Capital is an investment management service that integrates the algorithms used by robo-advisors with human financial advisors. Clients who invest assets with the company have to pay a fee, but there’s still a selection of financial tools available for free. Plus, Personal Capital creates summaries of your spending, net worth, and most importantly, your investment portfolio.

Benefits:

• Access: Website, iOS App, Apple Watch, Android App

• Cost: free

• Excellent customer service and user experience.

All things considered, everyone wants a stable and safe financial future. Whether you need something that actually pays your bills for you or just lets you know when your bank account is running dry, the solution is on this list and it’s your turn to be responsible and take charge of your money.

(Featured image by DepositPhotos)

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DISCLAIMER: This article expresses my own ideas and opinions. Any information I have shared are from sources that I believe to be reliable and accurate. I did not receive any financial compensation for writing this post, nor do I own any shares in any company I’ve mentioned. I encourage any reader to do their own diligent research first before making any investment decisions.