Best Personal Finance Apps and Tools To Manage Your Money

We all want to earn more money, save more, and even retire early. But how exactly should we do that? From expense tracking to investing, apps these days can help you in every facet of your life. We have curated a list of the best apps for each kind of financial goal you may possibly have.

Table of Content:

Best Apps for Expense Tracking

Some of you out there love tracking expenses. Others find it a huge chore, and unnecessarily time consuming.

However, tracking expenses is one of the most effective ways to save money and reach your financial goals.

It makes you more aware of where you are spending. It helps you cut down on unnecessary expenses. And best of all, it helps you plan your expenses to make the most efficient use of your money.

Thanks to technology, there are so many apps out there that can make the process easy, quick, and rewarding.

Here are some of our favourites.

1. Money Lover

If you love your money, then this app might be perfect for you.

MoneyLover hosts a wide variety of features including credit card and bank account syncs across multiple devices. It can even sort your expenditures based on pictures of your receipts.

Touted as one of the most simple and pain-free expense tracking applications out there, this is a great all-rounder for any type of budgeter.

One potential con of this app is its simplicity. It does not have many fancy features or details. For those who want extremely detailed breakdowns and reports, perhaps our next pick might be the one for you.

2. YNAB

YNAB or You Need a Budget has been a fan favourite for recent years. Designed to get you out of debt, this is a great app for any series budgeters out there. One of its key features is detailed expense tracking, with each dollar given a ‘job’ as they are sorted into digital envelopes.

However, one big hurdle that comes with the app is its relatively high cost, which is slightly ironic considering it’s a budgeting application. Furthermore, the many widgets may confuse budgeting newbies, making the application not very beginner-friendly.

3. Notes & Excel

We promise this is not a joke.

Excel is an old-school classic. It is free, completely customisable, and boasts thousands of functions so that you can manage your personal as well as corporate finances. Needless to say, there is a reason why this application has stood the test of time.

If Excel appeals to you, but the idea of creating your own spreadsheet by manually coding commands immediately cues a migraine, don’t fret. These days, there are many other templates available. Simply create a copy and customise it according to your preferences.

However, Excel is far easier to use on a desktop. So pair Excel up with a free note-taking app like Google Keep or even your plain and simple Notes app to record your expenses while on the go.

Then, once you have the time, you can consolidate everything on your fully customised Excel spreadsheet.

Best Apps for Trading and Investing

Investing is risky, but it is also a great way to diversify your income stream and grow your funds.

Whether you’re a serious investor or a newbie just exposed to the world of trading, there are applications with features out there that suit everyone’s needs.

The best time to start investing is now. So, here are our top three mobile apps that let you trade on the Singapore Exchange.

1. Tiger

Tiger Brokers is pretty much a staple for investors.

With one of the lowest commission rates on the market, live prices for Singapore stocks, and intuitive platform design, Tiger Brokers sets itself apart from the crowd.

Furthermore, for those interested in trading abroad, Tiger Brokers gives customers real time access to markets in the United States, Australia, China, and Hong Kong.

However, this reach does not extend too far, and those of you interested in having a larger market access may find this brokerage lacking.

2. moomoo

Next we have moomoo, a brokerage that also boasts one of the lowest commission rates.

This mobile application has an incredibly simple UI/UX design offering features like chat functions, technical indicators, ratings, and insights.

One potential limitation to moomoo would be that it has relatively limited market access as compared to its competitors. So if you’re looking for a comprehensive brokerage that lets you reach markets far and wide, moomoo may not be for you.

3. uSMART

uSMART comes with the cheapest commission rates of a mere 0.02%. This may not seem a lot, but when you’re investing in the thousands, you want as little of your money to go to commissions as possible.

The app also features specially-curated content for investing beginners as well as a large treasure trove of resources to get you started.

A potential limitation is that uSMART does not have a desktop application. So if you wish to have access to your account without your phone, this app may fall short.

Best App for Managing Insurance Policies

Nowadays, there is an insurance policy for everything, ranging from cars to health to homes. Managing these multiple policies is crucial for successful financial planning.

1. PolicyPal

Imagine: in one glance you can see the premiums you have to pay and the coverage you might be missing. This would make setting aside funds and meeting the terms of your policy far easier. It also makes you aware of future payments you have to make, and allows you to plan accordingly so that you never find yourself in a tight financial spot.

Introducing PolicyPal, an app designed to help you do just that.

In just two minutes, you find your coverage gaps after uploading your policies. Never again would you need to deal with messy paperwork and haphazard management, as the app helps you keep track of your policies digitally, wherever you may be.

Best Apps for Payments

Cash is quickly becoming a thing of the past, if it isn’t already. Nowadays, almost any store, from an upscale boutique to a hawker stall, accepts some form of online payment.

The convenience that comes with online payments is undeniable. You may lose track of your cards and accidentally misplace them, but you probably won’t ever lose your phone.

Additionally, online payment apps allow you to earn rewards at two places with one transaction. Credit cards, can have good rebates and cashback for customers.

Most online payment platforms offer additional rewards, on top of the cashback you would already receive. So if you want to earn more bucks by making purchases you already do, downloading one of the apps we’ll mention may serve you very well.

1. Google Pay

Google Pay is a well designed payment application that allows users to transfer money. You can send money to other accounts, scan QR codes to pay vendors, and even be eligible for rewards.

For every transaction over S$10 you make to a unique person, Google Pay offers you a scratch card, where you can earn up to S$10 of cashback.

2. DBS PayLah

DBS PayLah is a payment app that doesn’t require you to input your credit card details. This makes it perfect for those of you who are more conscious about security.

Furthermore, PayLah has been a long running payment method, accepted by most vendors in Singapore. It also lets you pay by scanning an SGQR code, making it super convenient to use.

Of course, it’s quite troublesome for non-DBS/POSB account holders to sign up, but once you’ve crossed that bridge the entire process is pretty smooth sailing.

3. GrabPay

Most of you probably know GrabPay as the way you pay for a ride or food delivery.

But GrabPay has many more uses. More and more vendors are making online payments via GrabPay accessible. So if you already use Grab, which you probably do, you can now use it for a greater variety of online payments.

While GrabPay does not have cash back rewards, you do get benefits in the form of points. These can come in really handy when you need to dock off a few dollars from an expensive Grab ride at peak hour.

Best Apps for Side Income

If you have a one or two hours to spare, side hustles can be a great way to get some additional income.

1. Carousell

Selling off used items is not only a good way to get some extra cash, but is also great for the environment.

In an era of sustainability, an app like Carousell can come in very handy. Sell items around your house that you can’t find the time for to another home where they’ll be used and loved.

With online payment apps (see our payments section), there is no need for physical transactions. All you need to do is receive proof of transfer and mail the items to your buyer’s desired address.

2. Fiverr

If you have a unique skill and a few more hours on hand, you can sign up for a Fiverr account.

Using Fiverr, you can post listings of services you offer (i.e. graphic design, front-end coding etc.) along with a portfolio and price. Then wait for people to contact you for a gig.

By turning your skills and hobbies into part-time jobs, Fiverr allows you to earn a few bucks doing something you love.

Conclusion

There you have it: the best mobile apps out there to help in every facet of your financial life.

From expense tracking to getting discounts, and many more, we hope that you have gained some insight on ways to achieve your financial goals.

We hope that you have found something useful here. Now go get the best bang for your hard-earned buck.