December 14th, 2011
Review: Organize Your Financial Life With The Adaptu Wallet
We’re sad to say that the Adaptu Wallet service has been discontinued, along with the site. Congrats to the team for a good run!
Adaptu, the money management and financial literacy site, just launched an iOS app to help you budget your finances and organize your wallet. The timing’s great, since it’s the spendiest time of the year, and Adaptu makes the bold claim that you’ll never go over budget again. The app is free and cleanly designed.
If you’re already a member of the Adaptu community, downloading The Adaptu Wallet is a no brainer. If you’re not yet an Adaptu member, the app makes a compelling argument for joining.
How it Works
The Adaptu Wallet lets you see all of your bank and credit card accounts at a glance. As a big fan of financial literacy and my iPhone in general, I was excited to see what Adaptu had come up with. One feature I love is the ability to add in accounts manually, in order to account for the gold you have buried in the yard, or the checking account from the bank with no online access.
October 21st, 2011
Teach Siri to Manage Your Finances
October 20th, 2011
Review & Giveaway – How to be Rich: The Couple’s Guide to a Rich Life Without Worrying About Money
“How to be Rich: The Couple’s Guide to a Rich Life Without Worrying About Money” is a fresh take on the average personal finance book that weaves a story with financial advice.
Instead of throwing as many money-saving tips as humanly possible at his readers, certified financial planner Chuck J. Rylant focuses on helping consumers understand the emotions tied to financial decision-making, while also providing the basics needed to make educated choices about your money.
October 15th, 2010
5 Money Management Apps You Might Not Be Using Yet, And Why You Should
Everybody and their mom has an opinion on how you should handle your personal finances. My opinion, as a young and intelligent (read: geeky) girl, is to let intelligent software tools, like various web and mobile apps, help you best manage your money.
August 23rd, 2010
Twitter-style Reviews: The Latest Financial Start-ups, Tweeted!
The internet is like a great big digital playground, where thousands of companies debut who they are, what they do, and why they’ll make consumers’ lives better.
Since there are as many start-ups this year as you have Facebook friends, we thought we’d have a little fun reviewing a handful of financial and tech companies Twitter-style.
August 20th, 2010
Overspending? MasterCard’s InControl Forces You To Stop Breaking Your Budget
For those of you prone to overspending on your credit card, MasterCard's inControl program offers the first ever "chastity belt for finances" that alerts and cuts you off from going over your pre-set budget. Is this a cardholder's new shopping conscience?
March 24th, 2010
Review: HelloWallet, The Latest Startup In Personal Finance Websites
For the price of a cup of coffee, HelloWallet will revolutionize how we think and manage our personal finances and provide everyone access to “the first independent online financial guidance service”.
Bill Clinton endorses HelloWallet, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom blogged about it, and entire cities have already begun adopting it. But does HelloWallet live up to the buzz?
January 4th, 2010
Monday Jumpstart to Personal Finance & Credit Report News
The stock market jumped on the first day of trading in 2010! This good omen, triggered by commodity prices lifted by a weakened dollar and higher-than-expected manufacturing activity around the world, could signal positive economic prospects in the new year. Here’s a head-start on improving your own personal economy with a round-up on improving your personal finance and credit standing.
Personal Finance News
Top picks of financial resolutions and money management guides for 2010 from across news sites and the blogosphere:
- The 21 day financial fast will improve your money management promises The Color of Money column. Can you last that long without using your credit card and ONLY spending on necessities?
- 7 New Year’s resolutions for your career from CNN Money. Make 2010 the year to refocus on your career path.
- 8 keys to financial security from Kiplinger. Key #1: Invest in yourself!
- 10 things not to buy in 2010 reported by SmartMoney. Don’t waste your money on DVDs, gas-guzzling cars, and digital cameras, and more.
- How to fix your finances in 2010 from The Wall Street Journal. A step-by-step guide to keep you on your financial track throughout the year.
Credit Report & Credit Scores News
Is a better credit score part of your New Year’s resolution? Boost your credit with these articles on how specific actions will affect your credit score:
- Your credit score: how to improve it now and later from The New York Times.
- Before you cancel that credit card, determine the impact on your credit score from NJ.com.
- How credit inquiries affect your FICO credit score blogged by Doughroller.
- Bankrate spells out the ABCs of credit reports to help you assess your credit score, especially if you are looking into a any kind of loan this year.
- How much does your credit score matter? According to FiveCentNickel, a high versus low credit score could spell a 5% difference in interest rates for a home mortgage, and as high as a 13% difference in auto loans! Read more in Effect of FICO credit scores on loan interest rates.
December 30th, 2009
Wednesday Trends in Credit Cards & Debt
Do you think you could live happily on 75% less money? MSN Money poses this question as the Great Recession spills over into 2010 and challenges consumers to do more with less money. Is living a happier, more financially-fit lifestyle on your list of resolutions this year? Read ahead for debt reduction tips and credit card strategies to help you maximize your New Year’s money management habits.
Credit Card News
- Charge cards make a comeback in our credit crunched economy in the Wall Street Journal’s Tamer cards for toughter times.
- Another alternative to credit cards is gift cards, and MSNBC wants to make sure you know how to get full value for your gift card.
- Building an army of cashback credit cards is the best way to optimize your earning power as a savvy credit card user, advises Money Under 30.
- New credit card rules add accountability reports the Los Angeles Times, and explains how your credit card company will change once major industry reforms take effect in February.
- What is the 10 second credit limit increase? Bargaineering blogs on the quick credit line increase you might be eligible for, and also the benefits and drawbacks of upping your limit.
Debt News
- Wise Bread helps consumers get a grip on their debt with advice on how to obtain a clear, concise snapshot of your personal finances.
- If you are intimidated by the heights of your mountain of debt, The Chicago Tribune maps out the first steps on how to scale it.
- Looking into debt consolidation? Doughroller suggests one method of consolidating debt with P2P websites Lending Club or Prosper; it might be just the kind of debt help you need.
- Pay off debt in 2010 by increasing your debt snowball blogs Enemy Of Debt. Some motivating words to get you on your way: “Being broke is no fun. Living paycheck to paycheck is stressful, so now it is time to make the changes necessary.”
- Another post to help with your New Year’s resolution to ditch debt: Kiplinger puts you on a financial diet for 2010 with 4 ways to trim your spending. Start simple with #1: Track your spending.
December 28th, 2009
Monday Jumpstart to Personal Finance & Credit Report News
After a brief holiday break, Credit Karma Blog is back and ready to jump right back into financial action!
First thing to tackle is three important financial tasks, courtesy of The Chicago Sun-Times, to check-off your to-do list before 2009 comes to a close. Read ahead for more information to keep you up-to-date on your personal finances, plus tips and advice on maintaining healthy credit into 2010.
Personal Finance News
- CNN Money lists 10 jobs that will get a raise in 2010. Careers in the information technology, finance, and administrative fields made the top of the list.
- With rates so low, where should you put your cash?, The Miami Herald reports. “The short answer: Don’t expect much for now from those traditional cash deposits”; read on to find out more of how to make the most of your money.
- This blog post plays devil’s advocate on whether automating your finances is an expensive mistake, written by Bargaineering. It will make you think twice about paying your bills automatically online or linking your checking account for automatic transfers.
- Personal finance planning for the next year, brought to you by The Digerati Life.
- For more steps to steer in you in right financial direction in 2010, check out SmartMoney’s 10 ways to save money in 2010, which kicks off with tip #10: Pick a friendlier credit card.
Credit Report & Credit Scores News
- You can and should check your credit profile for free reports USA Today, and mentions Credit Karma as an important resource!
- The Dallas Morning News writes on how the recession gives parents opportunity to teach financial lessons to kids, such as keeping up a good credit history for future financial opportunities.
- Keep watch on your credit score reports Philly.com, with a special Q&A on how to prevent holiday damage to credit scores.
- If you thinking about home loan modification, read Freep.com’s report on how modifying your home loan can damage your credit score and potentally tighten your access to credit.
- Another article detailing the effects of loan modifications is CNN Money’s Mortgage rescue: credit score killer, which explains how Obama’s foreclosure rescue plan is reportedly hurting homeowners’ credit.
