- Best Personal Finance Software Mac
- Mac Personal Financial Software Reviews
- Personal Financial Planning Software Mac Free
Budgeting is a discipline that’s not often met with excitement. Many assume that budgeting is something reserved for companies or, say, freelance workers. However, personal budget software is just as important as corporate one — it’s a fundamental understanding of where money is coming and going.
You may consider it to be boring, tiring, time-consuming, or difficult, but managing your finances well can help you achieve goals and stave off the stress of a rainy day. Thankfully, there are tools and apps on Mac which can help you get on top of budgeting, no matter how experienced you are.
Why Should I Use Budget Tracking Software?
If you haven’t done a budget before, you should start now. You never know when you might need a particular sum of money to solve an issue, meet a goal, or take advantage of a sudden opportunity.
Budget programs help you reduce the stress and uncertainty that comes with not knowing where you stand financially. If you don’t have a home budget software, you might be tracking towards a situation where you run out of money, without even knowing it. If you do have a budget, then you’ll have a documented plan of action to improve your situation.
Importantly, you don’t need any qualifications to do a budget, nor do you need to be good with numbers. Take advantage of the best budget software for Mac to help you take control of your finances without the hassle. Budgeting tools come in many shapes and sizes, so selecting the right one for you depends on personal preference and previous experience with managing money.
Financial Analysis: Online personal finance software for mac helps you estimate your financial plan based on your day-to-day expenses such as invoices, insurance policies, and so on. With the software, you can evaluate your spending habits and view your portfolio performance over time so that you can make wise financial decisions for the future.
- Quicken is the granddaddy of personal finance software. But over the years, it's made some big changes. Once upon a time, you had to go to the software store to buy an edition of Quicken. Now the software operates on a subscription model, so you just need to sign up and download it online.
- Use Personal Capital's free personal financial software and tools to monitor net worth, manage investment portfolios, find hidden fees, and track spending. Planning Their Financial Lives. As of 5/31/20. Sign up for free tools. See all your money, all in one place. Each person who uses this webpage to register with Personal Capital.
Handy tips for budgeting tools
If you’re ready to start your budget, it’s best to consider a strategic approach to ensure maximum utility. Too often, budgets sit collecting dust after being created, and sometimes the act of creating a budget could feel like enough to satisfy financial concerns — it’s not. Here are some tips for making the most out of your budget.
First of all, definitely use an app to help you manage a budget. App developers invest a lot of time and money into figuring out how their software can make your life easier and better, so rather than trying to understand all the nuances for yourself, let a dedicated app do it for you. There’s even some free budget software around, so you have very few excuses not to try!
If you run a business (or freelance on a side), a little bit of work each week means end of year taxes are a breeze. It’s not about doing a marathon of work in a few days, but making a habit to consistently do a little bit here and there. Try aiming for 10 minutes every few days. The best tax preparation software will also have reminders and notifications to help you achieve this goal.
It might sound contradictory, but budgeting isn’t always about getting the numbers 100% accurate. When it comes to tax preparation software — sure. But budgeting is mostly about understanding where your money is being spent and then using that information to make more informed decisions going forward. Therefore, make sure you categorize your transactions so that it’s easier to spot those minutiae differences and trends. The best finance apps should do this for you automatically.
In summary, you want to ensure you take advantage of the online budgeting tools available to you, aim to update your records frequently, and focus on categorization over accuracy.
Features of good personal budget software
The best personal budget software for Mac is easier to pin down when you know exactly what you’re looking for. Not all apps are the same — they vary by function and pricing. Generally speaking, there are a few key features you want to see in your budget software for Mac:
- It should be simple and easy to add new records or transactions
- Importing bank and credit card statements should be possible
- Automatically synchronizing statements will take the edge off your manual inputting
- Useful dashboards or visuals will help you understand your situation at a glance
- You should be able to categorize your transactions into groups
Out of those five key points, the ability to import is often the most essential. Importing saves you the hassle of adding each transaction into the money management software line-by-line, which adds up to a lot of time. It’s hard enough already to schedule frequent updates to your budget, so if you can remove the largest friction point of manual entry, then you’re in a good place.
The best budget software for Mac comparison
When it comes to programs to help budget money, there are countless options. It’s easy to get lost diving deep into each budget software review, but here are some of the best available, ranging from beautifully basic to powerfully advanced.
You’ve probably heard of Quicken, given that the name has been around since the early 80s. Even then, it was known as one of the best tax software companies around. That says something about the strong product, which carries all of the basic functions you’ll need to manage your budget well.
Right away though, you might notice that the interface has become somewhat dated in comparison to the newer contenders out there. But one of Quicken’s praised features is the ability to download bank statements and have the records automatically categorized, which can drastically reduce the time it takes to input your information, so you can spend more time making sense of it. Sadly, the Mac version is somewhat limited when it comes to advanced features, unless you splash out for the Home and Business edition.
MoneyDance is very similar to Quicken in terms of its basic features, including the ability to create a budget with notifications for bills and invoices. It also allows you to make your own charts and graphs to monitor spending habits over time, which can be seen on the homepage for a quick glance of your activity. Out-of-the-box integrations with online banking services also make it easy to send payments.
Unlike Quicken, Moneydance has some more advanced features including an investment monitor, which tracks your investments and their fluctuations — a useful addition, although best for the intermediate to advanced user. The app also has a developer API system in place to allow extended functions, mostly good for power users. Importantly, security is not an issue, as Moneydance utilizes end-to-end encryption for your data to give you that extra peace of mind.
You Need A Budget, also known as YNAB, is budget tracking software that runs on both Windows and Mac via web — saving automatically to the cloud, which is a bonus for multi-platform users. It also features native apps for iOS and Android, so you can literally tackle your budget from anywhere.
The app itself follows a simple design language, which is perfect for beginners, but if you find yourself needing help you can sign up for a personal instructor. YNAB doesn’t let you slack at all, and if you start to stray from your budget, the app will raise a red flag through it’s built-in Accountability Partner.
Although YNAB doesn’t support the ability to download and automatically categorize records from bank statements, it could be argued that entering them manually helps the user pay more attention to where their spending is going. Still, it’s a more time-consuming process that might be problematic for users processing hundreds or more records each month.
MoneyWiz stays true to its name — a comprehensive budget software and investment tracker that’s packed full with over 400 useful features. View your financial situation quickly by browsing accounts, groups, or searching for individual records. Speaking of records, you can enter them manually or have them automatically sync with leading banks, cryptocurrency exchanges, and financial services for an accurate real-time understanding of your accounts.
With all of this data in hand, MoneyWiz can prepare and export over 50 reports to help you gain deeper insights into your finances. Your data could be accessed from its cloud-based app or straight from the native software for Mac. All in all, MoneyWiz is extremely powerful: accessible for beginners and interesting for the most advanced users.
Receipts is yet another money management software for Mac, and is specifically well-known for its clever handling of invoicing. Using Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology, Receipts automatically reads and translates important information about your bills, such as amount, date, currency, and more (even if the text is in another language).
Besides, Receipts can issue payments for invoices directly using third-party providers, such as iFinance and BankX. The OCR technology alone makes it a strong contender against other more simple online budgeting tools. Not least, Mac users will be glad to see how this application was designed to look and feel like a macOS product. Using a familiar user interface could make life a little easier after all.
Between the five options above, you have a strong starting point for your budgeting tools depending on your experience. Remember that importing is one of the key features to look for in budget programs. Still, in order to find the best fit you might need to try a couple of different options.
Thankfully, both MoneyWiz and Receipts have a free 7-day trial that you can take advantage of by heading over to Setapp, an app subscription service for Mac that gives you access to over 150 macOS apps, including all the necessary budget tools. Getting MoneyWiz and Receipts at once? You won’t be disappointed.
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Having a plan for your finances is crucial, and a comprehensive financial plan may include budgeting, saving, investing, paying off debt and creating a roadmap to retirement. Working with a financial advisor can be helpful in creating your personal money plan, but DIY types might prefer to use a financial planning software instead. There are a multitude of options to choose from and each one has a different range of features. If you’re a financial advisor yourself, there are also plenty of software options that you can use to help you build plans for your clients.
Financial Planning Software for Individuals
Personal Capital
Fees | – Free |
Best For | – Those who want to integrate their investing needs with a financial plan |
Personal Capital is a popular financial planning software option for both beginners and those more experienced with money management. The free version of the software includes all the features necessary for basic financial planning, including:
- The ability to link all of your financial accounts, including retirement and investment accounts, in one place
- A “net worth” tracker
- A tool to find hidden fees you might be paying for your investments
- Budgeting and cash flow tools to track spending
- Goal trackers for your spending and savings targets
- Tools for forecasting retirement and college savings outcomes
These features are included in the software at no charge and offer a comprehensive view of your finances. If you need help choosing investments, Personal Capital also offers robo-advisor wealth management services for a fee.
Quicken
Fees | – Plans start at $34.99 |
Best For | – Users looking for a simple software |
Best Personal Finance Software Mac
Quicken offers multiple financial planning software solutions, depending on what exactly you want to do with your money. The Starter version, for example, lets you view all of your accounts in one place, create a budget, track your spending, manage your bills and categorize your purchases.
If you want to take a deeper dive into your finances, the Premier version may be more appropriate. This version lets you do everything the Starter version does, while also adding in some additional features and tools, such as:
- The ability to track loans, investment and retirement accounts in one place
- Access to Morningstar’s® Portfolio X-ray® tool
- Automatic bill pay
- Market comparison and investment tax planning tools
There’s also the Home & Business version, which might be helpful if you need a streamlined way to manage business and personal finances.
Intuit Mint
Fees | – Free |
Best For | – Existing Intuit customers – Anyone with multiple bank accounts |
Mint is one of the most popular free financial planning tools on the market. There’s a lot you can do with Mint, including:
- Tracking all of your bank and credit card accounts in one place
- Setting your monthly budget
- Tracking and categorizing expenses
- Monitoring your credit score
- Tracking your investments
- Setting up bill pay reminders
“Mint is an incredibly popular online personal finance tool that’s great for all kinds of users. Aside from it being a great budgeting tool, it has a plethora of money management tools that you can also use,” says Brian Meiggs, founder of millennial finance site MyMillennialGuide.com.
Mint is more focused on basic budgeting and money management than it is on investing. You also can’t pay your bills through the software. Still, it’s got a good user interface that’s easy to navigate, and it’s great for users who are mainly interested in tracking their spending and keeping on budget. The app works on both mobile and desktop, so it might also be good for someone who wants to manage their finances on the go.
WealthTrace
Fees | – $229 to $309 for first year – $169 to $269 for renewal |
Best For | – Those looking for more in-depth analysis – Smaller advisory firms that want plenty of support |
WealthTrace is a financial planning program that both individuals and advisors can use. Individual users can choose from three package tiers: Basic, Advanced and Deluxe. The cost of the software ranges from $229 to $309 for the first year, with lower rates for subsequent annual renewals.
What WealthTrace offers in exchange for these prices is the ability to budget your money and set specific savings goals. You can plan for both retirement and college savings, as well as attain some insight into how to minimize your tax liabilities.
Like some of the advisor-focused programs on the market, WealthTrace also allows you to run scenarios on things like market downturns, life insurance needs and retirement income. If questions come up as you use the program, you can connect with a WealthTrace expert by phone, email or live chat to get help.
Financial Planning Software for Financial Advisors
MoneyGuidePro
Fees | – $50 to $175 per advisor, per month – $500 to $2,000 per advisor, per year – $400 to $660 per year for various add-ons |
Best For | – Solo financial planners – Individual RIAs |
MoneyGuidePro is a client-centered financial planning software used by professional financial advisors. It’s focused on alternatives to the standard methods of retirement planning. One of the features that’s integrated within this software is called Play Zone, which utilizes sliders for retirement age, financial goals and more to illustrate how financially successful a client’s retirement could be.
Mac Personal Financial Software Reviews
This software comes in three forms: One, Pro and Elite. One is the most basic version, as it comes with a risk tolerance assessment tool, financial and lifestyle goals planning and more. Pro boasts all of the features of One, as well as a bunch of extras, like risk management, estate planning and Social Security optimization. The Elite edition offers everything, in addition to secure income modeling, total income modeling and advanced lifetime protection.
In March 2019, Envestnet purchased MoneyGuidePro for $500 million and took over its operations. Envestnet is a large financial services company that focuses on various advisor-centric wealth management platforms.
eMoney Advisor
Fees | – Varies depending on the needs of the advisor or firm |
Best For | – Firms looking for a complete set of advisory services and programs |
eMoney Advisor offers a hefty suite of financial planning services for advisor firms and large advisory enterprises. The program is based around three distinct packages of services (Plus, Pro and Premier), with a fourth tier reserved for customized enterprise relationships.
Customers who purchase the Plus tier receive bare-bones access to eMoney’s customer website and mobile app, foundational financial planning services and advanced financial analytics. If you need more than that, the Pro version upgrades the basic foundational financial planning services for an advanced level, in addition to advanced financial analytics. Premier customers gain access to everything that eMoney has to offer.
eMoney Advisor can be integrated with other popular advisory services from Morningstar, Salesforce, Fidelity, Envestnet and more.
Money Tree
Fees | – $495 to $1,345 per advisor, per year |
Best For | – Multi-advisor firms |
Money Tree is an advisor platform that uses a three-pronged approach to financial planning. The software allows advisors to complete a big picture, in-depth and advanced cash flow analysis for their clients.
With Money Tree, advisors can create a financial plan independently of, or in collaboration with, their clients. The software also features an interactive tool that allows advisors to quickly and easily run “what-if” scenarios to determine different outcomes. The program’s design is also capable of helping advisors pinpoint the potential shortfalls in their clients’ financial plans and find solutions for closing the gap.
RightCapital
Fees | – Basic tier: $124.95 per advisor, per month – Premium tier: $149.95 per advisor, per month – Platinum tier: Call for pricing |
Best For | – Larger financial planning and wealth management firms |
Personal Financial Planning Software Mac Free
Advisors can use RightCapital to develop financial plans through an innovative platform. It’s the software Jason Ball, a CFP at Ball Comprehensive Planning in West Linn, Oregon, uses for his clients. What he likes best about the software is its “ability to integrate accounts, client vaults and strategic tax planning for retirement planning.”
RightCapital also offers a mobile-friendly user-interface, which tech-savvy advisors may appreciate. The inclusion of tax planning tools is one of the most important things that sets the software apart from its competitors.
Bottom Line
Whether you do it yourself or work with an advisor, it’s important to build a comprehensive financial plan. Fortunately, there are several online services that make it easier to build a financial plan and track your saving and spending.
Before you make a firm decision as to which software you want to partner with, it might be worth writing down what goals you want to plan for. By doing this, you can ensure that the benefits of whatever software you select align perfectly with your overall needs.
Financial Planning Tips
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- Consider working with a financial advisor to build a financial plan that’s tailored to your life. While financial planning software can help you get control of your money, it’s not a complete substitute for the human touch. SmartAsset’s advisor matching tool can connect you with up to three suitable advisors in your area. Get started now.
- Before selecting a financial planning software, assess your needs. For instance, are you looking for a program that focuses on weekly and monthly budgeting? Do you need something that includes long-term retirement planning and other tools to help you grow your wealth? The answers to these questions will lead you to the best options for you.
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