Tools & Apps

As your parents get older, they might appreciate a bit of help with managing their finances. Of course, many seniors are content to look after their finances by themselves and are more than capable of doing so. In some cases, however, aging parents need assistance paying bills and monitoring investments. If a parent does ask…

Personal Capital (now called Empower) first introduced what is by far the best financial dashboard I’ve used. It’s a free online tool that tracks everything from your bank accounts to your investments. It comes with great graphs and charts that show your asset allocation, investing costs, and cash flow. One of its best features, however,…

Acorns saves your money consistently, and completely out of sight then lets you invest that savings in a diversified portfolio of stocks and bonds. If you’ve never been able to save and invest in the past, this app can get you moving in the right direction. Acorns has been steadily upgrading the app to present…

In a real way, Personal Capital has something for everyone. That’s true whether you are a novice finding your way through the financial universe or if you have a large investment portfolio you need professionally managed. The free financial dashboard is for anyone who wants better control over their finances. It offers some of the…

When it comes to personal finance, nothing beats being able to track where your dollar goes. Sites like Mint.com and tools like You Need A Budget (YNAB) are indispensable for the savvy planner. They’re easy-to-use, simple to understand and provide great information at a glance. But these tools fall short in one area: credit card…

You can save money on nearly anything with promo codes. Luckily, with the power of the internet, it’s now possible to quickly find promo codes for just about anything you might want to buy. Whether you’re on your way out the door to pick up some groceries, or considering a big-ticket online purchase, these websites…

We all need to eat, and who doesn’t want to be rewarded for that obligatory milk and bread run? Even if you’re the coupon-clipping master, it’s impossible to completely eliminate a grocery bill. With grocery receipt scanning apps, though, you can earn cash and rewards on those necessary food purchases making that mundane trip to…

I do a fair amount of shopping online, whether we are talking about back-to-school clothes for my kids, new furniture, or my frequent Amazon buys. I use coupons when I can, and I always pay with a credit card that earns cash back rewards. But there’s one more way that I can keep more of…

Swagbucks is often promoted as an income opportunity. In reality, it’s much more than a way to make a few bucks. In fact, it might be more accurate to say that it is a site where you can earn rewards for doing what you already do on the web. It also offers discounts and cash…