8 Great Personal Finance Apps to Try for Fun (and More)

Budgeting, saving and getting out of debt probably don’t sound like a lot of fun, but app designers are trying to change that with an array of mobile apps to help people better manage their money.

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Budgeting, saving and getting out of debt probably don’t sound like a lot of fun, but app designers are trying to change that with an array of mobile apps to help people better manage their money. Some of these apps even use gaming elements to help make personal finance more fun and to increase user motivation and engagement.

Gamification can improve learning and boost performance. Game-design features trigger an unconscious incentive that entices the user to reach a certain goal. This could be optimizing their expenses, income or savings.

For example, Outbank (opens in new tab) uses illustrated bars to visualize transactions. The bar for outgoing transactions is red and grows longer and closer to the green savings bar with every dollar spent. The incentive is to save as much as possible to see a larger difference between the bars. Other examples for game elements in financial apps include rewarding users when they check in at a bank branch and awarding badges for reaching savings goals.

The following apps — some of which feature gamification, and others that are more traditional — can help you meet your financial goals.

Written by Marguerita M. Cheng (opens in new tab). Cheng is the CEO at Blue Ocean Global Wealth (www.blueoceanglobalwealth.com). She is a CFP® professional, a Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor℠, Retirement Income Certified Professional and a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst.

This article was written by and presents the views of our contributing adviser, not the Kiplinger editorial staff. You can check adviser records with the SEC or with FINRA.

Marguerita M. Cheng, CFP®
CEO, Blue Ocean Global Wealth

Marguerita M. Cheng is the Chief Executive Officer at Blue Ocean Global Wealth (opens in new tab). She is a CFP® professional, a Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor℠, Retirement Income Certified Professional and a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst. She helps educate the public, policymakers and media about the benefits of competent, ethical financial planning.