Money Management Websites: The 3 That Eliminate The Hassle
There are many free online financial tools seniors can take advantage of. In the past, similar money management tools were available only via a software purchase and installation, but now many great resources – some of which are free – are available on the Internet.
These tools are more convenient to use compared to manual money management methods. Check registers, for example, can be a nuisance, especially when you discover an error. Rather than combing through several past transactions to locate one misplaced figure or errant calculation, let technology do the work for you.
Here are some top online tools:
Buxfer
This is a free resource available on the Web. Buxfer permits you to manage financial information for a group of people as well as yourself. This is useful if you share expenses with someone but don’t make payments from a shared account. For example, if you and your spouse split payments for expenses from individual checking accounts rather than a joint account, Buxfer helps you determine how much money you owe each other.
According to U.S. News and World Report, another of Buxfer’s key characteristics is the site has a streamlined layout. The user-friendly layout allows you to get started right away without reading through many pages of instructions, and you can try a live demo before you sign up.
Mint.com
Mint.com is another free tool and one of the more well-known resources available to consumers. The site is a hub for all of your financial accounts, including your checking account, investments, retirement savings and credit card accounts. You simply register all of this information in the site and manage your expenses, account balances, payment dates and more.
“Mint.com is a hub for all of your financial accounts.”
If you have trouble managing a budget, Mint.com is one of the best sites you can find. Not only does the site tell you if your current spending habits exceed your budget, but it also notifies you if your saving habits aren’t on track with your plan.
Numerous news outlets and other sources have rated Mint.com one of their top financial management resources. Additionally, the site also has a mobile application you can download on your smartphone or tablet for on-the-go budgeting.
Money Center by Yodlee
According to Kiplinger, Yodlee is one of the veteran Web-based personal finance tools. In fact, Yodlee’s software enabled Mint.com developers to provide account aggregation services.
Money Center is another easy-to-use service. You can customize its layout to the format that suits your needs. This includes adding any of the site’s more than 50 applications – ranging from bill pay to portfolio management – to your dashboard.
Money Center also has budgeting features and tools to track your spending. One feature that sets this resource apart from the competition is its tax management section. This service, which Yodlee provides through a partnership with H&R Block, allows you to see possible deductions, estimate the amount of taxes you’ll pay for the year and upload your information into H&R Block’s online tax filing service.
