iPhone Apps
CULoc8
The first CU-specific app for iPhone was created by Texas Dow Employees CU (CU Journal, May 4), CULoc8 finds the nearest TDECU branch, ATM, or one of the more than 3,000 shared branches and 37,000-networked ATMs across the country. CULoc8 also works with iPod touch. For more details, go to www.cujournal.com and search CULoc8.
Cost: Free
Tech CU
Technology CU soon followed with its own iPhone app that helps members locate branches, AllPoint and CO-OP ATMs, as well as a log-in to mobile banking (CU Journal, May 25). For more details, go to www.cujournal.com and search Tech CU iPhone.
Cost: Free
E*TRADE Mobile Pro
As the most popular free iPhone financial application, E*TRADE Mobile Pro allows users to monitor their investment products and make trades in a number of marketplaces with their iPhone. The app also provides streaming real-time quotes, charts as well as news and commentary. Users can also make cash transfers to and from any institution with E*TRADE Mobile Pro.
Cost: Free
Mint.com
From the popular budgeting website comes Mint.com's mobile application. Users input their online banking, investment and credit accounts and Mint.com takes care of the rest. It shows income vs. expenses in real time, tracks budgets over periods of time, and automatically displays purchases and deposits made in every account at any financial institution. It also tracks investment account performance and breaks down expenses not only by the type of transaction but by the specific merchant. Mint.com also provides alerts if accounts are low on funds, if there is unusual account activity, when large purchases are made and if the user is going over budget.
Cost: Free
Bank of America-Mobile Banking
BoA's mobile banking application is the second most popular free financial application. Bank of America's app allows its customers to check balances, pay bills, transfer funds and helps them find the nearest ATM without having to input a current address. Its integration with iPhone commercials and popularity make it a strong competitor for credit unions. JPMorgan Chase and Citigroup both have similar applications that are nearly as popular.
Cost: Free
PayPal
The mobile version of PayPal works much like the regular web version, allowing users to send money to friends and family or make payments but is admittedly very scaled down. The app comes with a transaction history and works in the UK and Australia, but there are a number of complaints that it crashes frequently. PayPal's mobile solution does allow users to look at all of their accounts in real time and check balances as well.
Cost: Free
Kids Allowance and Rewards
iPhone users that have a tough time keeping up with their allowance payments to their children can now rely on this application. It schedules and tracks money that users owe to their kids for their weekly allowances as well as any other chores or tasks that were done for payment. Allowance and Rewards goes beyond just money as it also has a "reward points" system parents can use to keep track of good behavior or accomplishments that can earn money or treats later.
Cost: $2.99
Save Benjis
Applications that help consumers find the lowest prices on goods like Frugal and Save Benjis are among the most popular for the iPhone and iTouch. Save Benjis compares prices of a product over the Internet versus at a brick and mortar location. The user inputs the product's name, number, barcode, manufacturer or even publisher into a search engine and the application spits out the best price it can find at a number of retailers. Users can sift through prices for appliances, books, car parts, electronics, tools, toys, even baby supplies and more.
Cost: $0.99
Quicken Online Mobile
Released in late April, the tax preparer's iPhone application has swiftly become one of the most highly demanded apps. Quicken Online Mobile gives users the ability to see every online account in one place-accounts from every financial institution, credit card provider and lending institution can be consolidated into this application's interface. It also provides real-time budgeting information, tracking users' budgetary goals and forecasting what they will have left from their paychecks after the essentials are taken care of.
Cost: Free
KivaAlerts
This spare application allows users to check on the latest loan requests on the peer to peer lending site Kiva.org. The alerts are updated every few minutes and loans can be browsed by primary activity, amount, country and field partner.
Cost: Free
QuickTip Tip Calculator
This application does exactly what it says-calculate tips quickly and easily. QuickTip features large, easy-to-read numbers and a slider that allows users to adjust the tip percentage between 0% and 30% and displays the new totals in real-time. It also includes a rounding function if the user does not want any coins in change.
Cost: Free
Mastercard's ATM Hunter
By using the iPhone's GPS locator, ATM Hunter is constantly aware fo the user's location inputting an address is not necessary. The app allows the user to widen the search up to all nearby locations at financial institutions, stores or kiosks or narrow it all the way down to those at a specific FI if the user needs to make a deposit or wants to avoid fees. It can also filter based on drive thru access, 24 hour service, surcharge free and provides driving directions.
Cost: Free
Fake-A-Bank Account
One of the more quirky financial applications available for iPhones, this app looks much like other mobile interfaces except that it displays fictituous accounts. Users input false checking, savings, investment and credit card accounts that can make them look like millionaires to family, friends, someone they wish to impress or even total strangers. The application is password protected so others can't see the accounts are made up.
Cost: $0.99
Adamcode.com's Spend
This budgeting tool has the distinct advantage of not requiring Internet access. It tracks budgets on whatever basis the user chooses, daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, yearly or a custom setting. The app gives complete budget histories, shows recurring expenses including those that cut be cut to save more money and is billed as "perfect for people who like to budget but don't want to bother with a full-blown money management application." Cost: $1.99 for version 2.1
Loan Calculator-What If?
Financial institutions usually provide a general guideline or even a more in-depth quote for an assortment of lending products on their websites, but this application goes further to determine how much money a user could save over a given period of time if he manages to get a better rate and/or makes additional payments. It also breaks down hypothetical loans and shows how much principle and interest is paid off each month.
Cost: $0.99
Loan Refinance Calculator
United Mobile Software's refinance calculator is particularly pertinent in today's economy. This application calculates not only mortgage payments to financial institutions but also includes the costs of insurance, property taxes and other fees to determine the real cost of buying a property. It calculates vehicle and credit card loan payments as well. When a loan is saved in the application, the user can then input new interest rate or other information and shows the monthly payment as well as the long-term differences between the two.
Cost: $0.99
Debt Snowball Pro
From the creator of the Loan Calculator, this application promotes itself as the way to "achieve financial freedom." The application allows users to input debts including balance, interest rate and monthly payment and then calculates the best payoff method. It helps users grab a hold of their debt situations by showing them how to pay off debts with high interest rates to save money or to take care of those with the lowest balances to provide motivation. Aside from showing when the debts will be paid in full, the app also features an in-depth spreadsheet that shows the effects of "snowball payments" to individual debts.
Cost: $2.99
BlackBerry Apps
Ascendo Money
This application works on BlackBerry mobile devices and PC desktops and helps users manage their finances. Ascendo Money features budget analysis, transaction scheduling and histories, a mobile banking interface, sophisticated charting as well as an import/export function that allows for data exchange with Microsoft Money, Quicken as well as other apps.
Cost: $29.95
Obopay
BlackBerry users can now make a wide variety of purchases and direct money transfers. Obopay is a money transferring solution that allows users to send funds from their accounts a number of parties, including individuals. Users do have to send funds to their Obopay account, much like PayPal, but at that point they can not only send and receive but also withdraw money back to their bank accounts or even get a prepaid MasterCard linked directly to their Obopay accounts so they can spend the cash in the real world.
Cost: Free
