Ancient thinking, according to the art of palmistry, signals your potential for wealth in the myriad etchings found in the palm of your hand: from a fish sign on your ‘Mount of Saturn’ (as Jennifer Lopez boasts), a ‘Phoenix Eye’ on your thumb, to a money management line running parallel to your heart line.
Modern thinking offers you the chance to control your financial fate from the palm of your hand—we call it a ‘phone.’ Within that small device lie myriad apps that can help you retain, track and more wisely deploy your money, getting you closer to the life of affluence for which you are surely fated. Here are five to check out:
Wealthsimple
Come for the high interest savings account, stay for the “automatic roundup”. First you link your credit and debit charges to the app, then every purchase you make gets rounded up and that difference goes straight into your savings account. The more you shop, the more you donate to yourself. Genius.
Best for: Spendy Wendys
Money Box
Saving up for a cottage down payment? Whether you need to pay for a wedding or send your first-born off to college, this app brilliantly helps you set, track and achieve your savings goals. It’s not the fanciest app you’ll ever use, but it’s possibly one of the easiest. Set your goals, input your progress and off you go. Think of it as MyFitnessPal for your finances. (Except you will be gaining, not losing).
Best for: Goal-Oriented Types
Ebates Canada
You can’t save it if you’re spending it all, so Ebates Canada is a clever app that allows you to shop online then get up to 30% cash back on your purchases. The participating retailers include: Sephora, Indigo, Amazon, Hudson’s Bay, lululemon, Nike, Best Buy, Expedia, Ebay, and many more. You shop at these places anyway, why not accept a big fat chunk of cash afterward?
Best for: Smart Frugalistas
Mint
Ugh, budgeting. Spending limits and paying bills are rarely fun but this app is the closest to fun that keeping a budget can get. The perky app helpfully provides you with bills that need paying, then updates your inflow and outgo on a daily basis. The result is a greater likelihood that your money will outlast your month, rather than the other way around.
Best for: Reluctant Budgeters and Bill Payment Avoiders
Mogo
Setting savings goals and tracking them is a solid feature of Mogo, but where this app really shines is in the area of credit. The app will monitor your credit every month to protect you from fraud, help you improve your credit, and is even willing to step in and help you get a loan, a prepaid credit card or even a mortgage when you need it. Bonus? You can use it for buying, selling and storing bitcoin as well, if you’re into that sort of thing.
Best for: House Hunters
