Our financial lives can be complex. Managing money is about more than knowing you have enough to pay this week’s bills. Getting a handle on your finances is critical to almost any goal you have. Whether it is as simple as knowing what your take-home pay is every month, building a budget or investing, personal finance software can be an essential tool to meet your goals.
There are software options to fit any financial goal. If you want to make and stay on a budget, consider the low-cost app from You Need a Budget, which shortens its name to YNAB. If you need to manage different types of accounts, check out Quicken’s powerful desktop software. When you want shift between the big picture and a detailed view of your finances, Mint offers a full featured online service and a mobile app.
Here’s how to use money-management software to meet your financial goals.
[See: 8 Easy Ways to Organize Your Financial Life.]
See the big picture. Your bank account is just one piece of your financial life. Your bills, credit cards, student loans, investments, car payments and retirement plans are all part of your finances. While every account has its own website or app, it’s up to you manage them. One of the best features of personal finance software is the ability to see multiple accounts in one place.
Seeing your bank accounts, your current credit card balance and your car loan in one location can give you a clear picture of your net worth, or how much money you have minus your debts. Not only does this help you know if you can afford that new smartphone, it can help you avoid overspending.
[See: 8 Big Budgeting Blunders — and How to Fix Them.]
Make specific financial goals. The best personal finance software will help you plan and budget for your specific financial goals. If you want to lower your debt, you can set a budget that focuses on limiting your spending and increasing your payments to a credit card bill or loan. If you want to increase your savings, you can set a budget to keep your spending low while allocating a certain amount toward your savings account. Use the software to set spending limits, automate where your money goes and alert you when you’ve spent too much.
Save time with imported accounts. Rather than spending hours manually entering your financial information, most apps allow you to easily import your account information directly from the banks. This will you save time and eliminate any mistakes you might make when entering manually. It’s still important to review your imported accounts to make sure there are no issues or unexpected entries. Electronically updating your accounts ensures you are always looking at the most current snapshot of your finances.
Automate your money. You can use personal finance software to set up automatic payments and transfers between your linked accounts. Set up automatic transfers to make sure you have the necessary funds in the right account to cover your bills. Enroll in automatic payments to ensure your bills are paid by the due date every month. Missing a bill date can not only cost you money in late fees, but can also harm your credit rating. Use financial software to monitor your transfers and confirm that your bills have been paid.
[See: 12 Ways to Be a More Mindful Spender.]
Track your spending. One of the most powerful features of having all your finances in one place is that you can see how you spend your money. Most software can use your accounts to build easy-to-read charts and graphs of where and how you spend. Focus on trends that impact your financial goals. If you see that you eat out a lot, scale back on dining out. Use how much you’ve spent on an unused gym membership to spur you to work out more often or cancel it.
Set alerts and reminders. Personal finance software is a great tool if you need a little nudge to stay on a budget or limit your spending. You can set alerts for when a credit card balance gets too high or when a bank account gets too low. You can set reminders for when you get paid and when bills are due (or past due). Alerts are a great way to keep yourself informed about your finances.
Keep everything secure. Having all your financial information on one place makes it important that you protect yourself from identity theft. If you use local computer software, password protect the computer login. If you use a phone app, password protect the phone. Use strong passwords for web services. Back up your data in case the software gets corrupted or if you want to change services.
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7 Savvy Ways to Use Personal Finance Software originally appeared on usnews.com
