In these challenging times of pandemic and economic instability, it’s good to know that there is lots of accessible help available for people to get on top of their personal finances. You can find free personal finance apps for just about anything today, including investing, saving, budgeting, buying online and credit scores.
Here are 5 personal finance apps for available for free right now.
- Personal shopping app: Klarna
Ideal for people who shop online a lot, Klarna allows you to pay in monthly instalments for all your online purchases. The money is taken directly from the card details you input, so you definitely won’t miss a payment. There are no hidden charges, no fees and no interest to pay so it’s a win/win.
Klarna currently works with more 205,000 major retailers. Big names you can buy from using Klarna include H&M, Halfords, Adidas and ASOS. All you need to do is buy what you want and then you can spread the cost across three instalments. You can even wait until 30 days after you make your purchases to start paying back.
The app also helps you save, plan and budget because it tracks every online purchase you make. Klarna operates across 17 countries and so far has been used by more than 85 million people.
- Savings app: Plum
Another free to use app, Plum uses artificial intelligence (AI) to help you save money. It sets aside a percentage of your money automatically to grow, save and invest. There is also a function that analyses the way you shop, any transactions you make and works to stop you being overcharged.
You can just leave the app to decide whether you have enough spare money to save, as it’s all in the AI software. It works with all major banks and statistics show Plum has saved each customer an average of £179 a year. Collectively, it has saved £110 million on behalf of 650,000 users.
- Savings app: Snoop
Covered by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), Snoop analyses your finances. It provides you with visual data of the way you spend in order to demonstrate where you can save. It looks at bank accounts, shopping and bills you pay and links it altogether.
Once downloaded, you can expect regular updates that add extras each time. So far these include notifications on when to switch to save on utilities and balance alerts. In a similar way to Plum, it can also track if you are being overcharged so that you can look for better deals and save cash.
- Credit score app: Credit Karma
For people who want to improve their credit score, this free app is a good choice. It will show you the credit score in an accessible way and tell you how to improve it. All of your accounts will be shown in one place. Simply select the score you want to reach, and the app will recommend a range of personal finance products that you could use.
Credit Karma will also notify you when there are changes to your credit score. This helps to ensure you’re on top of any potentially unusual transactions. You can also keep track of any issues that are adversely affecting your credit score.
- Banking app – Monzo
Monzo is one of a number of mobile banking apps recently launched by fintechs. They all offer personal financial advice covering budgeting and saving. Banking apps often come with all kinds of features, ranging from tracking your spending to giving you more ways to save. These banking apps are hassle-free and easy to use. They’re ideal to help you gain control of your personal finances and help you to reach your savings goals.