I AM IN CHARGE OF MY MONEY: The Budgeting Section
Best for user friendliness and financial education: Once you sign up, you can easily create your first budget and allocate every dollar for a specific purpose, such as your rent or car payment. The goal is to value every dollar enough that it can help you get at least one month ahead financially— aka Zero Based Budgeting. YNAB aims to teach its users financial literacy enough by providing learning resources to help you stay on track. For $99/year, this option is quite costly but considerably worth it!
Best for overspenders: PocketGuard aims to help people easily understand how much money can be spent within their budget each month. Their In My Pocket feature is designed to help users keep tabs on their spending money after paying for bills & necessities. This option is great for those using the 50/30/20 Budgeting Method. Additionally, it can also track your spending by retailer and negotiate bills if needed.
Best budgeting app for couples (all relationship stages): Zeta is a free budgeting app designed specifically for couples, whether they share joint finances or not. The app caters to all types of couples — including those who are co-living, married, or new parents. You can sync various accounts to track spending, see your net worth, and manage bills together. You can also sign up for a joint no-fee banking account and cards with features like no account fees, digital checks, and access to the Allpoint ATM network.
Best app for building wealth: Unlike the other apps, Empower is a wealth management app that helps you track your portfolio and spending habits. Unfortunately, it doesn’t allow you to set specific budget goals. However, it can help you get a better picture of your investment portfolio. They have tools for retirement planning, investment fee analysis, and networth planning. Empower is free to use, with the option to add investment management services. However, Your Rich BFF doesn’t recommend it because the fees tend to be quite high.