Need help with your money moves? There’s an app for that.
Sure, there’s a lot to learn about money, but technology can make it SO much easier to manage & automate your money. Below are some of my # 1 recommendations for budget tracking, saving, investing & more!
Disclaimer: includes affiliate links to products and services I personally use or strongly believe in.
My favorite money tools, tried & tested
Budgeting
Where did all my money go?
Wish there was an app to help you save and track all of your money? Check out Rocket Money! Simply link your bank accounts, credit cards, etc. and Rocket will give you the big picture — are you staying within budget? What does your spending across categories look like over time? They’ll even cancel subscriptions and negotiate bills for you! It’s like a money nerd’s dream come true.
Saving
How can I save more?
I’ve been with Ally for years and recommend them 100% over anyone else. With a current savings rate of 3.3% (as of Jan 2023), over 300x the rate at big banks like Citibank, and excellent customer service, Ally is a no brainer. When it comes to my money, I rest easy knowing they will respond quick and happily when I need it.
Investing
What’s an easy way to start?
Looking for an easy way to invest beyond your 401k? I recommend Wealthfront, a robo-advisor that offers a standard brokerage, a Roth IRA and SEP IRA. Studies show that robo-advisors manage just as well, if not better than financial advisors, and generally at a lower cost! Based on a quiz, they’ll assign you a “risk score” and manage your investments for you!
What about my investment portfolio?
Empower is asset tracking on steroids. I don’t recommend it for everyone, but if you’re into managing your own investments and want to make sure they are diversified and balanced properly across multiple accounts, then Empower is right up your alley.
How can I cut some of my bills?
I’m a big fan of the Rocket Money app for negotiating my bills and catching recurring subscription services I no longer need. One time there was a cable outage in my neighborhood, and Rocket Money contacted Comcast to reduce my next bill. Sure, they take a cut of the refund, but they save you all the work! They’ll help you cancel subscriptions and save automatically, too.
What if I want to start smaller?
When it comes to investing, “Go big or go home.” isn’t a thing. If something gets you comfortable with investing, then I am all for starting small. Check out the Acorns app. It’s a mobile app that invests your spare change from purchases made on your credit card. Doesn’t get much easier than that.
Retirement
Where should I go to invest in low-fee funds?
If you’re looking for a financial provider with low-fee options for investing, I recommend Vanguard. Vanguard invented the first index fund in 1975, which are low-fee mutual funds that track a stock market index. If you’ve ever heard of the financial independence, retire early community, they are ALL ABOUT index funds — and for good reason. Even a small percentage fee can have a large impact overtime. Luckily, Vanguard offers some of the lowest in the biz.
Credit
How can I improve my credit?
For starters, you need to know what it is. I recommend using a service like Credit Karma who will keep track of your credit, tell you exactly where you go if you need to run a credit report (or file a dispute), and keep on top of things. If something funny happens, they’ll tell you.
Diversification
How can I keep my retirement accounts balanced?
You need to make sure all of your investments are properly diversified and rebalance every once in a while. This will help keep your growth on track — but it can also get a little complicated. That’s why I recommend Blooom, which links your 401k (they don’t help with other retirement accounts yet) and automatically does the rebalancing for you, for only $10/month — totally worth it to save you the hassle!