Overview
Keeping track of your household budget and investments can be a tedious task, but with the advancements in technology, it has become much easier. Gone are the days when you had to manually record your expenses and investments in a notebook, now there are numerous financial tools and apps that can help you manage your finances efficiently.
In this blog post, we will discuss some of the top financial tools and apps that can assist you in managing your household budget and investments.
1. Mint
Mint is a popular financial management tool that allows you to track and manage your expenses, debts, investments, and more. It’s user-friendly and provides a comprehensive overview of your financial health in one place.
This app connects to your bank and credit card accounts to automatically categorize your expenses and income. It also sends you alerts when you exceed your budget or have an upcoming bill payment. You can also set financial goals and track your progress towards achieving them through Mint.
2. Personal Capital
Personal Capital is another financial tool that offers a broader view of your financial portfolio by integrating your bank accounts, investments, and retirement plans. It also has a feature that tracks your net worth and provides personalized investment recommendations based on your financial goals and risk tolerance.
One unique feature of Personal Capital is its retirement planner, which analyzes your current investments and predicts your future retirement outlook. It also offers a fee analyzer that evaluates your investment fees and suggests alternatives to save money.
3. Acorns
Acorns is a micro-investing app that helps you invest spare change from your everyday purchases. It connects to your debit and credit cards to round up your transactions and invest the spare change into your chosen portfolio of exchange-traded funds (ETFs).
With Acorns, you can start investing with as little as $5 and also have the option to set up recurring investments. It also offers additional features such as an IRA, retirement account, and a checking account, making it an all-in-one financial tool.
4. You Need a Budget (YNAB)
YNAB is a budgeting and expense tracking app that focuses on giving every dollar a job. It encourages users to allocate their income towards pre-decided categories, such as rent, groceries, savings, etc.
This app has a unique feature that allows you to include your future income in your budget, which helps you plan for upcoming expenses. It also offers real-time synchronization across multiple devices and provides detailed reports and visualizations of your spending habits.
5. Robinhood
Robinhood is a commission-free investment app that allows you to invest in stocks, ETFs, options, and cryptocurrency. It’s easy to use, and you can start investing with as little as $1.
This app provides real-time market data and financial news to help you make informed investment decisions. It also offers a cash management account with a debit card and no ATM fees, making it an appealing option for managing your investments and cash flow.
6. Stash
Stash is an investment app that allows you to invest in stocks, ETFs, and fractional shares with as little as $5. It offers various investment themes, such as clean energy, technology, and values-based investing, making it a great choice for socially responsible investors.
Stash also provides financial education through its Stash Learn feature, which offers articles, videos, and quizzes on various financial topics. It also has a useful feature called Auto-Stash, which automatically invests a set amount on a regular basis.
7. Goodbudget
Goodbudget is a budgeting app based on the envelope budgeting method. It allows you to create virtual envelopes for different expense categories and assign a budget for each envelope. You can then track your expenses and see how much you have left in each envelope.
This app is great for couples or families as it offers a feature called Household Accounts, which allows you to sync your budgets and expenses with other users. It also provides a debt snowball feature that helps you pay off your debts systematically.
8. Zillow
Zillow is a real estate platform that provides information on properties for rent or sale. It’s a useful tool for managing your household budget as it allows you to search for properties based on your desired location, price range, and amenities.
You can also use Zillow’s mortgage calculator to estimate your monthly mortgage payment and plan your housing budget accordingly. It also offers an option to save and track your favorite properties, making it easier to find your dream home.
Conclusion
In conclusion, managing your household budget and investments has never been easier with the variety of financial tools and apps available. These tools not only help you keep track of your finances but also provide valuable insights to improve your financial health. So, download these apps and start managing your budget and investments like a pro.
