Plus, are online sports bettors destined to lose money? Finance journalist Randall Smith shares his findings from a Wall Street Journal investigation. Also, save big on rideshares with my Uber vs. Lyft comparison. Discover the top-paying cybersecurity jobs, free finance calculators to manage debt and cloud storage options.
The best budgeting and finance tools for home and business
The Mint budgeting app has been folded into Credit Karma, owned by Intuit. It’s been around since 2006, so it’s a shame to see it go. Worry not! There are other options out there.
What to look for in a budgeting app
Don’t just blindly choose the first app that pops up when you search for budgeting apps. There are several factors to consider when selecting the one that fits your needs best.
Security
Most budgeting apps have you connect your credit cards and bank accounts and enter personal information, including your most delicate passwords. That’s a lot of faith given to one app.
With hackers being a constant concern, security should be your number one priority when choosing the right budgeting app. Do they have a history of being hacked? Does the application offer two-factor authentication? Be sure to check the security settings of an app before making a final choice.
Cost
Budgeting apps typically have a free option, but many require upgrading if you want premium options. This doesn’t mean you should avoid the paid apps, but you’ll want to ensure the purchase is worth it for your budgeting needs.
Features
Not every app is created equal. Some will let you track all your financial accounts, and some are more limited. Investigate a few apps before choosing so you can see which features are the most valuable to you and if they are worth paying for. Now onto the apps.
You Need A Budget (YNAB)
When you look up the best budgeting apps online, you’ll probably find YNAB. That’s because it has a ton of robust features you can use to take charge of your personal finance goals.
Privacy tip: Make sure you're not accidentally sharing your location with apps or people
Ever text a picture to an acquaintance or someone you just met? Depending on your phone and camera’s settings, you may have inadvertently sent where you live, too. This is what someone can see from just a photo.
One good thing about social media is that most platforms wipe out this data. Still, they’re exposing you in other ways. Here’s how to check everything Facebook collects.
💸 Someone’s getting fired: Texas-headquartered company Orion lost $60 million in a bank wire transfer scam. Details are scarce, but these schemes usually involve someone tricking a finance department employee via email. The FBI warns it’s becoming a multibillion-dollar problem. Here are tips for staying safe if you run a biz or ever need to make a wire transfer.
The worst money apps for your data revealed
I can’t remember the last time I went into a bank. No reason to now that I do it all from my phone. We trust banking apps to keep our financial info safe and secure — but what about privacy? Oh yeah, that.
Merchant Machine reviewed the privacy policies of today’s top banking and finance apps. Researchers found that the 20 worst offenders take an average of 20 unique types of data. Major yikes.
You can take over 1,700 free university courses online now
So you want to upgrade your skills and know-how. Why not go straight to the experts? With Coursera, you can take free university courses online.
Thanks to Coursera, you can learn from Ivy League universities. These eight universities are among the best in the world — and their expensive tuition reflects that. If you’ve ever wished you could learn from Harvard, Yale or Princeton professors, you’re in luck.
Work in one of these 10 fields? Scammers are targeting you
Scammers often have preferred targets. Whether a susceptible senior or someone who left their account exposed, they usually have the tools to rip them off.
But it’s not always about age or how tech-savvy you are. Sometimes working in a specific industry could put a target on your back.
Listener question: 'Is Dave Ramsey's budgeting app EveryDollar any good?'
There’s never a wrong time to save some money, but it’s been a crucial task during the pandemic.
Gas prices are high, and every cent you can save on a gallon adds up by the end of the year. One way to save is to use the pumps at big-box stores like Costco and Sam’s Club. A membership to shop and fuel up there isn’t free, but it could offset some of your expenses at the pump. Tap or click here to learn more.
3 apps that help you manage your money in new ways
If you can’t afford an accountant, try an app on your smartphone. Many budgeting apps can help you track spending, monitor expenses and see how your investments are doing. Here are the best budget apps we recommend for 2022.