A ton of apps are available to help you handle your finances.
We get it — new ones pop up all the time.
And we know you don’t have the spare hours to comb through the App Store comparing every option to find the perfect fit.
So we decided to save you some time and share which money-management apps we’ve actually put through their paces. They might not suit everyone, but you can rest assured these have been tested.
Money-Management Apps Savinly Readers Actually Use
Here are some personal finance apps we’ve tried — and recommend:
1.Get a Free Assistant to Haggle Down Your Bills
Tired of being on hold with your wireless or internet provider trying to argue for a lower monthly charge?
Go ahead and hang up. (You were probably listening to bad elevator music while waiting anyway.)
Install TrueBill, an app that negotiates your bills, cancels subscriptions you don’t use and hunts down bank-fee refunds.
After installation, create an account and link your bank accounts and/or cards. Activate the bill-negotiation and outage-detection features. Boom. TrueBill begins scanning for possible credits — it might find a refund even if you didn’t realize there had been an outage.
On average, TrueBill users receive about $12 in monthly credits on their cable bills.
The app will also flag those sneaky subscriptions you’ve accumulated over the years so you can terminate what’s unnecessary and reclaim that portion of your monthly budget.
Signing upand using the basic service is free, though optional premium features are available — and they might be worth it for some users.
2.Let This App Spot You a Few Bucks When You’re Short
We’ve all experienced it at least once — the dreaded overdraft. It’s humiliating when your card is declined at checkout over a few dollars, and the fees only make things worse. Double ugh.
But a fintech app called Chime aims to shield you from both problems with its SpotMe® feature1. It’s fee-free overdraft protection that can cover up to $2001 (for eligible members) without charging penalties.
Yes — sign up for a free Chime checking account and arrange a qualifying $200 monthly direct deposit to access this wallet-saving perk. You’ll also enjoy other handy features, like getting paid up to two days2 earlier via direct deposit, built-in help to grow your savings automatically, and access to over 60,000 fee-free3 ATMs.
Registration takes only a few minutes. Have your Social Security number ready — your details are safeguarded with bank-level security, FDIC insurance and two-factor authentication.
3.Invest Your Spare Change
Everyone knows investing can be a clever way to grow wealth.
But sometimes it feels like a world reserved for the affluent.
These apps change that.
If you’re like most people hoping money would look after itself, think about opening an investment account withAcorns.
You can begin with tiny amounts and accumulate change via its “round-up” feature. If you spend $10.23 at the store, 77 cents is moved into your Acorns account. The app then invests that money for you.
Acorns charges $1 per month for balances under $1 million, and you’ll receive a $5 bonus when you sign up.
TheStashapp curates investment options from professional managers and simplifies the choice for you — without overwhelming investment jargon.
You simply pick from straightforward portfolios that reflect your values, interests and objectives.
Bonus: Right now, Savinly is partnering with Stash to offer an extra $5 after your first investment.
4.Play Games — and Stash $5 in Savings
If you’re more of a “stay home and game” person but you’re forcing yourself to read this because you want to get the adulting thing right, there’s an app for that.
The team behindLong Gamebuilt a game that’s entertaining and helps you hit your financial targets.
As you save and complete small goals you’ll earn coins to play mini-games for cash prizes: think slots, scratch-offs and spin wheels.
Savinly reader Carson Kohler uses Long Game to save. Every other week, it quietly transfers $5 from her bank account and rewards her with coins.
In two months she saved $35.70, simply by playing the app. Plus, her winnings effectively produced about a 2% return — much better than the interest she earns in other savings accounts.
Once you link your bank account, you’ll receive 300 coins so you can start playing right away while waiting for your next paycheck.
5.Get an Adorable Money Assistant to Help You Save
A personal finance helper would be great… and an adorable one would be even better, right? *nudge, nudge, wink, wink*
Meet Charlie. He’s a money-saving penguin. He won’t be doing belly flops in your living room, but he’ll live in your SMS texts or Facebook Messenger (though Charlie is more entertaining and dependable on Messenger).
He’s not just cute. He’ll also help you save.Charlie offers assistance across a few areas, such as:
- Finding you free money by checking you’re getting the best deals available (ahem, are you really paying $24 more a month than necessary for your phone?).
- Preventing surprise fees by reminding you when bills are due.
- Tracking spending so you can realize that maybe curb your dining-out habit (Charlie won’t shame you, though!).
- Prompting you when to save and suggesting amounts you can comfortably set aside.
Getting started with Charlieis straightforward.Hit “get started” on the homepage, choose to chat via text or Facebook Messenger, and answer a few prompts. You’ll connect your bank account or card (or both) so Charlie can begin scanning.
And he’s free! Thanks, little buddy.
6.Guard Your Credit Score
Your credit score matters. A stronger score gets you better terms on mortgages, auto loans or credit cards. We’re talking significant savings.
Even if buying a house isn’t on your horizon, a poor credit score often means steep security deposits when renting a car or leasing a new apartment.
But did you realize your credit score can contain mistakes?According to a Federal Trade Commission study, one in five credit reports includes an error.
To monitor your credit, get a free score and a “credit report card” from Credit Sesame. It explains what’s on your credit file in plain language, how those items influence your score and what steps to take to fix issues.
Because it simplifies the information, spotting errors should be easier. If you find an “unpaid” account you know you paid or a collection that never existed, you can dispute the incorrect entry and potentially boost your credit score.
7. Lower Your Interest Rates
If you carry credit-card debt, you know the stress — the interest, the worry that you’ll never escape.
And truthfully, credit-card companies aren’t on your side. They profit from high interest rates. But a service called AmOne may be able to help.
If your total credit-card balances are $50,000 or less, AmOne will pair you with a lower-interest personal loan you can use to pay off multiple cards.
The upside? You’ll have one monthly payment. Since personal loans generally have lower interest rates (AmOne rates begin at 3.99% APR), you can accelerate getting out of debt. Bonus: No credit-card minimum this month.
AmOne protects your data and maintains privacy, which likely contributes to its long-standing A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau after two decades in operation.
It takes about two minutes to see if you prequalify for up to $50,000 online. You’ll need to provide a real phone number to check eligibility, but rest easy — you won’t be bombarded with sales calls.
Chime is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services and debit card are provided by The Bancorp Bank N.A. or Stride Bank, N.A.; Members FDIC.
1 Chime SpotMe is an optional service that requires a single deposit of $200 or more in qualifying direct deposits to the Chime Checking Account each month. All qualifying members will be allowed to overdraw their account up to $20 on debit card purchases and cash withdrawals initially, but may be later eligible for a higher limit of up to $200 or more based on member’s Chime Account history, direct deposit frequency and amount, spending activity and other risk-based factors. Your limit will be displayed to you within the Chime mobile app. You will receive notice of any changes to your limit. Your limit may change at any time, at Chime’s discretion. Although there are no overdraft fees, there may be out-of-network or third party fees associated with ATM transactions. SpotMe won’t cover non-debit card transactions, including ACH transfers, Pay Anyone transfers, or Chime Checkbook transactions. See Terms and Conditions.
2 Early access to direct deposit funds depends on the timing of the submission of the payment file from the payer. We generally make these funds available on the day the payment file is received, which may be up to 2 days earlier than the scheduled payment date.
3 Out-of-network ATM withdrawal fees may apply except at MoneyPass ATMs in a 7-Eleven, or any Allpoint or Visa Plus Alliance ATM.
