14 Free Online Financial Management Tools
By, Michelle Fabio
One of the best ways for busy career girls to keep finances in order is to record everything in one place for easy reference; seeing all of your money matters in front of you can not only give you a better indication of your overall financial health but can also spark ideas on where you can increase savings and decrease expenses.
Perhaps you’ve been getting along quite nicely with your trusty Excel spreadsheet or even Quicken, but since those basic programs were invented years ago, many online financial management applications have been developed, allowing you to keep track of your money no matter where you are–and some of them are free to boot!
If you’re ready for some new ways to keep track of your finances that can offer financial goal tracking, online communities, and more, why not give some of these a test run? Here are:
14 Free Online Financial Management Tools
1. Billster: Allows you to keep track of personal and group expenses, receive reminders about money owed to you or money you owe, and see how much you’re spending on particular things such as gas and groceries.
2. Buddi: Free software designed for beginners that lets you record transactions, keep track of spending, and create reports to more clearly show you where your money is going.
3. BudgetPulse: Budget and tracking tools presented in a simple, functional manner; also, no need to worry about identity theft here as you don’t enter your account information.
4. Buxfer: Automatically downloads and categorizes expenses from your accounts but keeps your banking credentials safe and private offline on your desktop.
5. ClearCheckbook.com: Described on the site as an “online checkbook register with the added bonus of viewing reports, setting budgets, creating reminders and more.”
6. Geezeo: Track your finances and also discuss financial goals, money-making strategies, and more in Geezeo online community groups.
7. Just Budget: Promises you can manage your personal budget easily and quickly–in just five minutes per day.
8. Mint.com: One of the newest and most popular online financial management tools, Mint allows to keep all your accounts in one place anonymously; iPhone application also available.
9. Moneystrands: Provides free online tools and software for money management, debt management, and budgeting planning; replaces the now defunct Expensr.
10. Moneytrackin’: Keeps track of how you spend your money; also allows you to perform accounting tasks for small businesses.
11. NetworthIQ: Personal finance manager to help you figure out your net worth and then share and compare it with others.
12. Quicken Online: For those used to Quicken, this online version is basically a stripped down version and gives you a simple way to track expenses; iPhone application also available.
13. Wesabe: Financial management tools, tips based on your shopping habits, the ability to set financial goals, and a social marketing component that lets you communicate with other users.
14. Yodlee: One of the oldest online tools for money management, this program gives you the big picture so you can see your overall financial situation and find ways to improve it.
As the specifics of each of these free online financial management tools differ, think about trying out a few before picking a favorite. Then please come back and share your research process and final choice; of course, if you already use an online financial management tool, which one do you prefer and why?
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Michelle Fabio writes the About.com Guide to Law School and writes for several online education and legal websites including, OnlineGraduateEducation.org. She also runs the blog, “Bleeding Espresso,” which was a finalist for Best European Weblog in the 2009 Bloggies. Follow Michelle on Twitter @michellefabio or @lawschoolguide.
