For many people, managing money simply means checking their bank account each month and paying their bills. It’s a great starting point. However, if you want to have a solid financial foundation and maybe even retire as a millionaire, you need to set goals and have a plan to achieve them. This involves budgeting, saving, building a good credit history, and more.
Fortunately, with today’s technology, you don’t have to be a math whiz to make these smart financial choices. In fact, you don’t even have to look at a spreadsheet.
To help you get started, we’ve compiled a list of apps that will help you automate (and get a handle on) your personal finances:
Budget
To start your financial journey, you need to know where you are today. Budgeting is probably the most basic aspect of personal finance. There are plenty of budgeting apps out there, but Mint is one of the best known for good reason. Mint lets you manage your finances from start to finish: you can link your bank accounts, credit cards, investment accounts (like CI Direct Investing!) and bills to Mint. You can track your spending, create a budget, and get a full view of where your money is going, all in one place. It is an ideal tool for tracking your daily transactions and long-term goals.
If you want a more detailed guide to creating and tracking a budget, take a look at You Need A Budget (YNAB). Not only can you link your accounts and track your expenses here, but you can also get tips on how to pay off debt, manage your monthly expenses, and accumulate savings. It’s always a benefit when a business incorporates financial education into its functionality. Knowledge is power!
Taxes
We understand that tax season is probably not your favorite time of year. Fortunately, apps like Turbo Tax aim to make filing taxes less of a pain. The app asks you to answer a number of simple questions, prompting you to provide relevant information, and then does the calculations for you. No need to go through all these tedious steps yourself! The goal is to make sure you don’t leave money on the table in unclaimed deductions.
Credit rating
Having a healthy credit score is very useful when you need to borrow money for a big purchase like a house or even get a credit card. Credit Karma allows you to better understand your credit score. It gives you easy and free access to your credit rating, to understand what positively or negatively affects your rating and to see how you can improve it.
It is also an exceptionally powerful tool to prevent identity theft. Unfortunately, anyone can become the target of an online scam these days. This application can bring you some peace of mind. You’ll receive an alert when a new account is added, eliminating worries about identity theft through credit inquiries.
Invest
With an online investing app like CI Direct Investing , you can start investing effortlessly to grow your money for the future, without the need for investment knowledge. We strive to make things easy and convenient for Canadians, offering low fees and automatic portfolio management.
And while you can always keep tabs on your money with the CI Direct Investing app, you can reach our professional financial advisors via message or phone if you need a little more help. CI Direct Investing offers unlimited financial planning, no matter how much you have invested.
Rate comparison
Here’s a little bonus. Although it’s only offered online and not via an app, we felt Rate Hub was worth mentioning.
If you’re looking for a mortgage or a new credit card, Rate Hub is a one-stop-shop for Canadians to compare interest rates between different lenders and make sure they’re getting the best rate. as low as possible. Shopping around for rates is especially important when it comes to big financial decisions like mortgages. After all, you may be closing one of the biggest deals of your life. Given the high dollar value and long term of the loan, getting a good rate can mean thousands of dollars kept in your pocket.
And There you go. Using these financial apps is a great way to start taking control of your money.
Ready to kick your finances into high gear? Open an online investing account with CI Direct Investing today.
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