In the past keeping track of and budgeting a family budget or even individual budget could be quite strenuous, trying to remember old math formulas while planning for future changes is thankfully now a thing of the past. With the proliferation of internet and app-based tools, there has never been an easier time to manage money. Below I have listed three of the top tools for financial planning and management all of which are available for free online.
Financial Calculator
Online calculators might not seem like the most exciting tool however financial calculators allow for plenty of specialized calculations and projections including interest, future value, retirement, loan, adjustable and fixed-rate mortgage, debt, and investment calculators. What is wonderful about this particular online calculator is its simplicity which allows practically anyone from a high school student to an elderly retiree to complete complex online calculations in a timely and efficient manner. Online calculators like these can be quite empowering.
Pocket Guard
Available on the app store or Google Play Pocket Guard is a free app that allows users to easily manage their money through its innovative platform. One example of Pocket Guard’s function is the personalized spending reports that are available for users to customize according to their personal preferences, personal spending is also visualized via pie chart allowing users to quickly see which areas of their spending are eating up too much of the pie. An additional feature that has a lot of value is the composite ability to see all of your (the users) financial accounts (banks, investments, loans, cash) in one place.
Free Online Courses
There are several different platforms out there that allow people to take highly regaled university courses online and for free. Sites include- Coursera, EdX, and Udemy, after signing up for an account, users will have the ability to take certain courses for free or to pay for other more selective courses. Free courses as of August 2020 include Financial Markets taught by Yale, Financial Accounting taught by the University of Virginia, and many more, providing perhaps the best investment there is education.
