By Joni Lindquist, MBA,CFP® | Trusted Advisor and Career Coach
As of March 23, 2024, Intuit has announced it will shut down Mint, the personal budgeting platform. Personal budgeting apps allow users to create budgets, link accounts, and track expenses. Mint was a free option used by millions of people, albeit with numerous ads, that allowed users to link multiple accounts, create customized budgets and track their spending.
NEXT STEPS
If you are one of those who have relied on Mint, here is what to do:
- Gather the information you want off the Mint platform before it closes. You can download data using an Excel spreadsheet.
- Make a list of the functions you found most helpful with Mint.
- Use this list to screen potential replacements.
- Consider the tradeoffs of free versus subscription based. Subscription based services often provide more functionality and don’t have ads. “Free” apps are likely to have ads sent your way that may distract or clutter your views.
ALTERNATIVE TO CONSIDER
Consider these alternatives to Mint (in alphabetical order). Please note: All prices are as of January 8, 2024.
1. FREE- Honeydue is designed so you and a partner can view your financial pictures in one app. Both partners can sync bank account, credit care, and loans. Almost every feature can be shown by individual or joint views. You can customize how you categorize your spending and it notes which partner made the purchase. Limits can be set for categories and you receive notifications as you near those limits each month. It appears the site may be less intuitive than other apps, forcing you to clink on more buttons for key information.
2. SUBSCRIPTION – Monarch Cost: $14.99/month, $99 /year. There appears to be some deals to attract Mint users, as of January 11, 2024;50% off. This app gets high ratings from multiple sources (CNET, Wall Street Journal, NerdWallet). Monarch features more automation and fewer notifications than other apps. The interface seems clear and provides emojis along the way. It’s easily customizable to categorize your transactions, with a main dashboard that’s also customizable and provide a good look at your overall budget and comparison to other time periods. Easy to use for partners/couples. A client of Aspyre Wealth has made the transition and states:
“We went with Monarch to replace Mint. This was the only option that worked with our Credit Union that all our direct deposits go to. It’s been great and they are regularly updating and improving just the short time we’ve been using them. I would certainly recommend Monarch as a viable solution at only $99/year. I never realized how nice it was to not have all the ads from Mint until moving to Monarch.”
3. FREE – NerdWallet. For a free app, NerdWallet is easy to use by linking your accounts. The cash flow tab is “well designed and intuitive” (Wall Street Journal) and you can sort through your transactions. Provides good visuals of incoming and outgoing money each month. It lacks the ability to set forward looking goals, so tends to be more reactive.
4. Free/Subscription levels – Free or premium service at $8/month or $35/year. Gets high ratings as one of the best Free apps, although you can’t link bank accounts without the premium service. Provides basic budgeting features like spending pie charts and bill tracking. Easy to transfer your Mint information. The premium plans allow for more features, and many of the reviews online recommend upgrading to the premium version.
5. FREE – WallyGPT. This is for those who want an AI based system, where you can ask questions and get responses. You don’t have to look at pie charts. But for visual learners, WallyGPT may be lacking. If you want an AI experience, I’ve included it on this list!
6. Subscription – YNAB (You Need A Budget). Cost: $14.99/month, or $99 per year. This app is good for you if you want to be totally immersed in your spending, as the app will ask you to categorize each transaction. IT certainly requires more attention than other apps. Some people like this feeling of control but requires spending 10-15 minutes every day or so to keep up. If you’re looking for ease, this may not be the one for you.
There are some good apps out there for personal budgeting with Mint disappearing. Understand the features that are most important to you, and research the above for a replacement. We believe that budgeting and cash flow management is critical to one’s financial success, and if an app helps you do that, then spending for one is a reasonable expense. If you have questions give us a call.
For more information, check out this review in The Wall Street Journal.