Ways to Manage Your Finances Online

Keeping your finances in check used to take a lot of work. Today you can forget about busting out the calculator, since you can handle lots of those pesky money management tasks with technology. There are great services online that can save you time and money. Here are some of the top options out there today.

Make Saving a No-Brainer With Automated Apps

It’s tempting to go ahead and spend money when you see it show up in your checking account, but automated services can help you stay on track with your savings goals. Just set the app or service to automatically withdraw from your account. In no time, you’ll have a respectable savings account, retirement fund, or both.

One popular service in this category is Acorns, an app that automatically rounds up each of your debit card purchases to the nearest dollar. The app then invests the excess change, so your little seeds slowly grow over time. It’s a great option for those who have trouble saving or who want to just dip their toes into investing in an easy and approachable way.

Stay on Budget With a Smartphone App

Keeping track of your finances can be tricky. With all the small and large expenses and purchases that pop up throughout the month, who can stay on top of it all? Smartphone apps like Mint make it easy to look at your budget day by day to see if you’re staying on track. Some apps also have handy Web-based interfaces so you can see the big picture on your laptop, too.

Budgeting with one of these financial tools gives a much clearer picture of your strengths and weaknesses than you get with a review of your bank statements. You can categorize purchases to see how much you’re spending in each area. You can use them to set financial goals, too, which helps you limit your spending when needed. You can also track debt repayment for better savings in the long run.

Send Money Quickly (and Securely) With Online Transfer Services

Getting your money from one place to another used to be a big hassle. You had to write out checks, visit a bank branch, or drive across town to physically put your money into different accounts or pay off bills. That has all changed with online money transfers. Now you can easily send money anywhere and any time with the tap of a finger on your mouse or smartphone screen.

Whether you need to pay off bills, fund other financial accounts, or simply repay a friend, you can send money online quickly and easily with a number of convenient services. In addition to being fast, they’re more secure than many of the physical methods necessary in years past.

Try some of the new online money management services if you want to take the hassle out of handling your finances. It’s a great way to use your tech-savvy skills to save time and money.