Tuesday, January 4, 2011

tracking personal finances




Five Best Mobile Personal Finance Tools





It's easy to convince yourself to spend and save responsibly when the numbers are right in front of you, but it's a different story when you're on-the-go. These five great mobile personal finance tools keep your money goals nearby at all times.

Photo a composite of images by neernijus and mellowr.


Smartphones have brought nearly every aspect of desktop computers to your pocket; it only makes sense they'd bring money management, too. Earlier this week we asked you to share your favorite mobile personal finance tool. Now we're back to highlight the five most popular options.


Mint (Android/iOS, Free)




Popular web-based personal finance tool Mint has an equally as popular mobile application for Android and iOS devices. It sports the same simple design as Mint's main site and makes it easy to track your spending, receive alerts about bills and budget issues, and monitor your savings goals. It's polished, the graphs are easy to read, and the total-overview that Mint provides helps keep you on top of your personal finances in ways other tools don't.



Pageonce (Cross-Platform, Free)




Pageonce isn't only about personal finance, but it does personal finance well, and it's available for nearly every mobile platform around. On top of a web-based interface, they have highly polished apps for Android, iOS, BlackBerry, and Windows Mobile (including the newly released Windows Phone 7). It's easy to get real-time updates via email or push notifications on your phone, set alerts to warn you about impending bills or overspending, and view all of your financial stats in eye-catching charts and graphs.



EasyMoney (Android, $9.95)




EasyMoney is an Android-only personal finance manager that includes a home screen widget for speedy transaction inputs, bill notifications, graphs to help you analyze and chart your past and future spending, and a host of small but very useful features like the ability to split transactions between multiple categories. Easy Money also includes a tool for photographing receipts and importing data as well as a checkbook register and easy import/export to .CVS files. EasyMoney offers a 30 day-trial if you're on the fence about spending $10 on the app (consider also, many of the features in EasyMoney are paid upgrades on similar applications).



Pocket Money (iOS, $4.99)




Pocket Money puts a sweeping view of all your accounts and transactions right on your iPhone or iPad. You can manually enter transactions, create repeating transactions based on cycles or dates, create custom filters to view your money the way that is most useful to you, and more. On top of the plethora of features in the stock app you can expand the feature set with in-app purchases like the $0.99 Photo Receipts plugin that allows you to photograph your receipts and import the transaction data off them. Pocket Money has a companion desktop application available for Windows, Mac and Linux—a nice break from the common pattern of iOS apps having Mac-only desktop companions.



ProOnGo (Cross-Platform, Starting at $0.99/Month)




ProOnGo is the most distinctly business-oriented tool in this week's Hive Five. You could use it as a personal finance manager if you desired but the feature set is weighted heavily towards business users who need to track things like automotive mileage, business-related expenses, and generate reports for tax purposes and submission to their company. The basic package runs $0.99/month and is limited to manual entires and expense report generation, the premium package runs $4.99/month and includes web-based access, backups, custom spreadsheets, and synchronization to your American Express business card.



Now that you've had a chance to look over the five most popular mobile finance tools, it's time to vote for your favorite:





Have an idea for the next Hive Five? Shoot us an email at tips@lifehacker.com with "Hive Five" in the subject line and we'll do our best to give you idea the attention it deserves.





Send an email to Jason Fitzpatrick, the author of this post, at jason@lifehacker.com.






Best Mobile Personal Finance Tool?





Earlier this year we took a look at best money management web sites, but often, tracking money on-the-go is just as important. What's your favorite tool for managing your money on the go?

Photo by Erik Hersman.


Whether you're using a mobile-optimized web site or an application specific to the iOS, Android, BlackBerry, and so on, we want to hear from you. What mobile money management tool makes it easy to manage your money when you're away from your computer?


Hive Five nominations take place in the comments, where you post your favorite tool for the job. We get hundreds of comments, so to make your nomination clear, please include it at the top of your comment like so: VOTE: Mobile Personal Finance Tool. Please don't include your vote in a reply to another commenter. Instead, make your vote and reply separate comments. If you don't follow this format, we may not count your vote. To prevent tampering with the results, votes from first-time commenters may not be counted. After you've made your nomination, let us know what makes it stand out from the competition.


About the Hive Five: The Hive Five feature series asks readers to answer the most frequently asked question we get: "Which tool is the best?" Once a week we'll put out a call for contenders looking for the best solution to a certain problem, then YOU tell us your favorite tools to get the job done. Every weekend, we'll report back with the top five recommendations and give you a chance to vote on which is best. For an example, check out last week's Five Best Resources for Free Games.





Send an email to Jason Fitzpatrick, the author of this post, at jason@lifehacker.com.







robert shumake detroit

Pink Floyd Re-Signs With EMI: Good <b>News</b> for the Band or the Label?

Progressive rock legends Pink Floyd have re-signed with their longtime record label EMI.

Small Business <b>News</b>: Starting Your New Business In A New Year

Whether your starting a new business or rethinking an existing one, 2011 offers fresh possibilities and a new start. If you're launching a new business, there.

Are Korea&#39;s “Bending” away from Bluster? « Liveshots

LONDON After a 2010 that saw the Korean peninsula edge towards the brink of nuclear Armageddon,


robert shumake detroit

Pink Floyd Re-Signs With EMI: Good <b>News</b> for the Band or the Label?

Progressive rock legends Pink Floyd have re-signed with their longtime record label EMI.

Small Business <b>News</b>: Starting Your New Business In A New Year

Whether your starting a new business or rethinking an existing one, 2011 offers fresh possibilities and a new start. If you're launching a new business, there.

Are Korea&#39;s “Bending” away from Bluster? « Liveshots

LONDON After a 2010 that saw the Korean peninsula edge towards the brink of nuclear Armageddon,


robert shumake



Five Best Mobile Personal Finance Tools





It's easy to convince yourself to spend and save responsibly when the numbers are right in front of you, but it's a different story when you're on-the-go. These five great mobile personal finance tools keep your money goals nearby at all times.

Photo a composite of images by neernijus and mellowr.


Smartphones have brought nearly every aspect of desktop computers to your pocket; it only makes sense they'd bring money management, too. Earlier this week we asked you to share your favorite mobile personal finance tool. Now we're back to highlight the five most popular options.


Mint (Android/iOS, Free)




Popular web-based personal finance tool Mint has an equally as popular mobile application for Android and iOS devices. It sports the same simple design as Mint's main site and makes it easy to track your spending, receive alerts about bills and budget issues, and monitor your savings goals. It's polished, the graphs are easy to read, and the total-overview that Mint provides helps keep you on top of your personal finances in ways other tools don't.



Pageonce (Cross-Platform, Free)




Pageonce isn't only about personal finance, but it does personal finance well, and it's available for nearly every mobile platform around. On top of a web-based interface, they have highly polished apps for Android, iOS, BlackBerry, and Windows Mobile (including the newly released Windows Phone 7). It's easy to get real-time updates via email or push notifications on your phone, set alerts to warn you about impending bills or overspending, and view all of your financial stats in eye-catching charts and graphs.



EasyMoney (Android, $9.95)




EasyMoney is an Android-only personal finance manager that includes a home screen widget for speedy transaction inputs, bill notifications, graphs to help you analyze and chart your past and future spending, and a host of small but very useful features like the ability to split transactions between multiple categories. Easy Money also includes a tool for photographing receipts and importing data as well as a checkbook register and easy import/export to .CVS files. EasyMoney offers a 30 day-trial if you're on the fence about spending $10 on the app (consider also, many of the features in EasyMoney are paid upgrades on similar applications).



Pocket Money (iOS, $4.99)




Pocket Money puts a sweeping view of all your accounts and transactions right on your iPhone or iPad. You can manually enter transactions, create repeating transactions based on cycles or dates, create custom filters to view your money the way that is most useful to you, and more. On top of the plethora of features in the stock app you can expand the feature set with in-app purchases like the $0.99 Photo Receipts plugin that allows you to photograph your receipts and import the transaction data off them. Pocket Money has a companion desktop application available for Windows, Mac and Linux—a nice break from the common pattern of iOS apps having Mac-only desktop companions.



ProOnGo (Cross-Platform, Starting at $0.99/Month)




ProOnGo is the most distinctly business-oriented tool in this week's Hive Five. You could use it as a personal finance manager if you desired but the feature set is weighted heavily towards business users who need to track things like automotive mileage, business-related expenses, and generate reports for tax purposes and submission to their company. The basic package runs $0.99/month and is limited to manual entires and expense report generation, the premium package runs $4.99/month and includes web-based access, backups, custom spreadsheets, and synchronization to your American Express business card.



Now that you've had a chance to look over the five most popular mobile finance tools, it's time to vote for your favorite:





Have an idea for the next Hive Five? Shoot us an email at tips@lifehacker.com with "Hive Five" in the subject line and we'll do our best to give you idea the attention it deserves.





Send an email to Jason Fitzpatrick, the author of this post, at jason@lifehacker.com.






Best Mobile Personal Finance Tool?





Earlier this year we took a look at best money management web sites, but often, tracking money on-the-go is just as important. What's your favorite tool for managing your money on the go?

Photo by Erik Hersman.


Whether you're using a mobile-optimized web site or an application specific to the iOS, Android, BlackBerry, and so on, we want to hear from you. What mobile money management tool makes it easy to manage your money when you're away from your computer?


Hive Five nominations take place in the comments, where you post your favorite tool for the job. We get hundreds of comments, so to make your nomination clear, please include it at the top of your comment like so: VOTE: Mobile Personal Finance Tool. Please don't include your vote in a reply to another commenter. Instead, make your vote and reply separate comments. If you don't follow this format, we may not count your vote. To prevent tampering with the results, votes from first-time commenters may not be counted. After you've made your nomination, let us know what makes it stand out from the competition.


About the Hive Five: The Hive Five feature series asks readers to answer the most frequently asked question we get: "Which tool is the best?" Once a week we'll put out a call for contenders looking for the best solution to a certain problem, then YOU tell us your favorite tools to get the job done. Every weekend, we'll report back with the top five recommendations and give you a chance to vote on which is best. For an example, check out last week's Five Best Resources for Free Games.





Send an email to Jason Fitzpatrick, the author of this post, at jason@lifehacker.com.







robert shumake

Quicken Mac 2007: More detailed paycheck tracking by Quicken Online


robert shumake

Pink Floyd Re-Signs With EMI: Good <b>News</b> for the Band or the Label?

Progressive rock legends Pink Floyd have re-signed with their longtime record label EMI.

Small Business <b>News</b>: Starting Your New Business In A New Year

Whether your starting a new business or rethinking an existing one, 2011 offers fresh possibilities and a new start. If you're launching a new business, there.

Are Korea&#39;s “Bending” away from Bluster? « Liveshots

LONDON After a 2010 that saw the Korean peninsula edge towards the brink of nuclear Armageddon,


robert shumake

Pink Floyd Re-Signs With EMI: Good <b>News</b> for the Band or the Label?

Progressive rock legends Pink Floyd have re-signed with their longtime record label EMI.

Small Business <b>News</b>: Starting Your New Business In A New Year

Whether your starting a new business or rethinking an existing one, 2011 offers fresh possibilities and a new start. If you're launching a new business, there.

Are Korea&#39;s “Bending” away from Bluster? « Liveshots

LONDON After a 2010 that saw the Korean peninsula edge towards the brink of nuclear Armageddon,


robert shumake detroit

More likely than not, if you are starting a small business, you will need to secure a small business loan. The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) offers help and advice on securing a small business loan. Some of the points to consider before applying for a loan include the following:

1. Assessing your financial needs. First, determine how much money you will require from the small business loan. For what purposes will that money be used? How will the money that is loaned out to you help your business plan? Incidentally, if you have no business plan, make sure to write one now. Most lending agencies will want to take a look at your business plan and where the capital will be allocated before any loans are considered.

2. Borrowing money. When borrowing money for your small business, there are usually two types of financing: equity and debt. Equity financing (also known as equity capital) occurs when a company raises capital in exchange for ownership shares in the business. The money that is raised does not need to be repaid over a set period of time. Debt financing is when a company borrows money and must later repay it, usually with interest. The lenders do not own shares in the company when debt financing is secured.

Regardless of whether equity or debt financing is secured, lenders and venture capitalists will assess the company's debt-to-equity ratio before making an investment. In most cases, investors prefer that a business's total debt and/or liabilities not be more than four times the amount of the business's equity. Ability to repay, the amount of business collateral, management experience, as well as personal and business credit history, are also examined.

3. Establishing business credit. Many business owners assume that business credit and personal credit are separate entities. However, if you have not owned a business in the past, the only credit your lenders can examine is your personal credit. Therefore, prior to taking a loan, it is imperative that you get your personal finances in order. Obtain your credit report from agencies such as Equifax, Experian, or Trans Union and note any errors or omissions that may be present.

4. Estimating startup business costs. It costs more money to start a business than to simply keep it going. Additionally, while some businesses can be started using almost no cash, others require extensive initial spending. To find out how much seed money you will need, estimate the costs of business operation for at least several months. Separate one-time from ongoing costs; for example, incorporating your business is a one-time cost, while utilities and insurance are ongoing costs. Likewise, divide your expenses into the following two categories: fixed and variable. Fixed expenses are items such as rent and insurance. Variable expenses are items such as sales commissions, shipping charges, and inventory storage charges. An effective tool for making such calculations is the following Starting Costs Calculator.

5. Creating financial statements. Once your small business loan is secured, you will need to track it and make sure that it is being spent wisely. Tracking your loan may even be a requirement if you have secured equity financing from private stockholders and venture capitalists. Most businesses track and report their financial activities via balance sheets and income statements.

The balance sheet explains a company's financial health at a certain point in time. On the balance sheet, several items are listed, including company assets, liabilities, and net worth. The balance sheet is so called because at the document's bottom line, the company's assets must equal its liabilities plus net worth. Assets are all the items of value that are owned by or due to the business. Liabilities and net worth are typically the business's source of funds.

The income statement (also known as the profit and loss statement) describes a company's profitability over a set period of time. Income statements are useful because they show how much net profit a business is generating after all expenses are accounted for. In order to generate a balance sheet for your business, or an income statement, you may go to the following SBA resource.


robert shumake detroit

Pink Floyd Re-Signs With EMI: Good <b>News</b> for the Band or the Label?

Progressive rock legends Pink Floyd have re-signed with their longtime record label EMI.

Small Business <b>News</b>: Starting Your New Business In A New Year

Whether your starting a new business or rethinking an existing one, 2011 offers fresh possibilities and a new start. If you're launching a new business, there.

Are Korea&#39;s “Bending” away from Bluster? « Liveshots

LONDON After a 2010 that saw the Korean peninsula edge towards the brink of nuclear Armageddon,


robert shumake

Quicken Mac 2007: More detailed paycheck tracking by Quicken Online


robert shumake



Five Best Mobile Personal Finance Tools





It's easy to convince yourself to spend and save responsibly when the numbers are right in front of you, but it's a different story when you're on-the-go. These five great mobile personal finance tools keep your money goals nearby at all times.

Photo a composite of images by neernijus and mellowr.


Smartphones have brought nearly every aspect of desktop computers to your pocket; it only makes sense they'd bring money management, too. Earlier this week we asked you to share your favorite mobile personal finance tool. Now we're back to highlight the five most popular options.


Mint (Android/iOS, Free)




Popular web-based personal finance tool Mint has an equally as popular mobile application for Android and iOS devices. It sports the same simple design as Mint's main site and makes it easy to track your spending, receive alerts about bills and budget issues, and monitor your savings goals. It's polished, the graphs are easy to read, and the total-overview that Mint provides helps keep you on top of your personal finances in ways other tools don't.



Pageonce (Cross-Platform, Free)




Pageonce isn't only about personal finance, but it does personal finance well, and it's available for nearly every mobile platform around. On top of a web-based interface, they have highly polished apps for Android, iOS, BlackBerry, and Windows Mobile (including the newly released Windows Phone 7). It's easy to get real-time updates via email or push notifications on your phone, set alerts to warn you about impending bills or overspending, and view all of your financial stats in eye-catching charts and graphs.



EasyMoney (Android, $9.95)




EasyMoney is an Android-only personal finance manager that includes a home screen widget for speedy transaction inputs, bill notifications, graphs to help you analyze and chart your past and future spending, and a host of small but very useful features like the ability to split transactions between multiple categories. Easy Money also includes a tool for photographing receipts and importing data as well as a checkbook register and easy import/export to .CVS files. EasyMoney offers a 30 day-trial if you're on the fence about spending $10 on the app (consider also, many of the features in EasyMoney are paid upgrades on similar applications).



Pocket Money (iOS, $4.99)




Pocket Money puts a sweeping view of all your accounts and transactions right on your iPhone or iPad. You can manually enter transactions, create repeating transactions based on cycles or dates, create custom filters to view your money the way that is most useful to you, and more. On top of the plethora of features in the stock app you can expand the feature set with in-app purchases like the $0.99 Photo Receipts plugin that allows you to photograph your receipts and import the transaction data off them. Pocket Money has a companion desktop application available for Windows, Mac and Linux—a nice break from the common pattern of iOS apps having Mac-only desktop companions.



ProOnGo (Cross-Platform, Starting at $0.99/Month)




ProOnGo is the most distinctly business-oriented tool in this week's Hive Five. You could use it as a personal finance manager if you desired but the feature set is weighted heavily towards business users who need to track things like automotive mileage, business-related expenses, and generate reports for tax purposes and submission to their company. The basic package runs $0.99/month and is limited to manual entires and expense report generation, the premium package runs $4.99/month and includes web-based access, backups, custom spreadsheets, and synchronization to your American Express business card.



Now that you've had a chance to look over the five most popular mobile finance tools, it's time to vote for your favorite:





Have an idea for the next Hive Five? Shoot us an email at tips@lifehacker.com with "Hive Five" in the subject line and we'll do our best to give you idea the attention it deserves.





Send an email to Jason Fitzpatrick, the author of this post, at jason@lifehacker.com.






Best Mobile Personal Finance Tool?





Earlier this year we took a look at best money management web sites, but often, tracking money on-the-go is just as important. What's your favorite tool for managing your money on the go?

Photo by Erik Hersman.


Whether you're using a mobile-optimized web site or an application specific to the iOS, Android, BlackBerry, and so on, we want to hear from you. What mobile money management tool makes it easy to manage your money when you're away from your computer?


Hive Five nominations take place in the comments, where you post your favorite tool for the job. We get hundreds of comments, so to make your nomination clear, please include it at the top of your comment like so: VOTE: Mobile Personal Finance Tool. Please don't include your vote in a reply to another commenter. Instead, make your vote and reply separate comments. If you don't follow this format, we may not count your vote. To prevent tampering with the results, votes from first-time commenters may not be counted. After you've made your nomination, let us know what makes it stand out from the competition.


About the Hive Five: The Hive Five feature series asks readers to answer the most frequently asked question we get: "Which tool is the best?" Once a week we'll put out a call for contenders looking for the best solution to a certain problem, then YOU tell us your favorite tools to get the job done. Every weekend, we'll report back with the top five recommendations and give you a chance to vote on which is best. For an example, check out last week's Five Best Resources for Free Games.





Send an email to Jason Fitzpatrick, the author of this post, at jason@lifehacker.com.







robert shumake

Pink Floyd Re-Signs With EMI: Good <b>News</b> for the Band or the Label?

Progressive rock legends Pink Floyd have re-signed with their longtime record label EMI.

Small Business <b>News</b>: Starting Your New Business In A New Year

Whether your starting a new business or rethinking an existing one, 2011 offers fresh possibilities and a new start. If you're launching a new business, there.

Are Korea&#39;s “Bending” away from Bluster? « Liveshots

LONDON After a 2010 that saw the Korean peninsula edge towards the brink of nuclear Armageddon,


robert shumake

Quicken Mac 2007: More detailed paycheck tracking by Quicken Online


robert shumake detroit










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