Happy New Year! 2014 has the potential to be a great year, especially if you aren't stressed about money. Fortunately, with countless personal finance apps, saving money is easier than ever.
If sticking with your budget is on your resolution list, the following apps can help you get your finances in line. Monitor your expenses, find discounts, and stay organized by turning your phone into a digital wallet.
After you save all that money in 2014, celebrate with a 2015 New Years Bash. That, or party it up with Macklemore.
LearnVest is for people who want to create a budget, but don’t know where to begin. First, sync your savings and investment accounts to LearnVest to get an overview of where your money flows. LearnVest categorizes your expenses, showing you how much you spend on restaurants and travel. The app then lets you set goals and track your progress, to see if you’re staying within your spending limits. LearnVest also provides a complimentary call with a financial expert, to help you sort out your goals. Other budget planning services are available for additional fees. This free app is available on iOS.
Personal Capital is helpful for viewing your finances at a glance. The app provides bar and line graphs, to track your expenditures and investments. Use Personal Capital to check your balance and view itemized expenses. Certified investment advisors are available to give advice through via FaceTime or email. The app shows you how your investments compare to the overall market performance, to see how you stack up. Personal Capital also takes a look at your assets to see where there are opportunities for investment diversification. This free app is available on Android and iOS.
BillGuard helps you monitor all your bills in one place. Load credit cards and BillGuard will graph your charges. Keep tabs on when payments are due and make sure that no unwanted charges go your way. BillGuard alerts you if anything seems questionable. Using your data, the app searches for relevant coupons that will lower your bills each month. BillGuard also displays spending analytics, showing you where your money goes. This free app is available on iOS.
For those of you that are tired of carrying around loyalty cards,
Cybersecurity service, Lifelock, recently acquired digital wallet app, Lemon Wallet. The two combined forces to launch Lifelock Wallet earlier this month. Like Google Wallet, Lifelock Wallet is an app that stores loyalty card information. You can also scan credit cards and identity cards, such as a driver’s license. Use Lifelock to keep track of credit card balances. It also categorizes your spending habits, so you can see where your dollars are going. If your physical wallet gets stolen, call Lifelock and they will cancel all your credit cards for you. This free app is available on iOS and Android.
