Top 10 Reasons to Give Your Finances a Dash of Mint(.com)

The recession (or depression, depending on how you look at it) is not quite over and people are watching their finances much more carefully. Some use desktop software like Quicken, while others go for a more “analog” approach by writing everything down in their checkbooks.

For those who are very wary of the economy, the domination of technology and the forthcoming robotic apocalypse, a hollowed-out mattress seems to do the trick.

With everything these days moving to “the cloud”, it was only a matter of time before a Web-based financial management system took form. Managing finances via the cloud may sound phishy, but debtors can feel safe using Mint.com and here are ten reasons why:

10. It’s FREE

Mint.com is completely free – no strings attached. They make money if you sign up for a service advertised on their site. Should you switch to a lower interest credit card via Mint, the site gets a small payment from that company and you get to track spending on that new card free of charge.

9. Manage Everything

Not only can you manage your credit cards and other banking info, but also your car and student loans, mortgages, 401ks, and dozens of other investments. Mint.com keeps everything in one place so you don’t have to trek all over the Web to manage each account.

8. Mint’s Middle Name is “Security”

7. It Sets Your Budget

Mint.com tracks your spending so closely, it sees what you spend your money on the most and then drafts a budget for each category. Eat way too much fast food? Buying too many DVDs? Mint.com will let you know, giving you a better idea of where your funds are going each month.

6. Money Shall Not Be Moved

Don’t worry about your money being shuffled from one account to another. Mint.com is strictly “read-only,” so even if someone gets your account information, they can’t do any real damage.

5. Customize Almost Everything

Each transaction made by the user is assigned a category based on where the transaction was completed. For example, a $10 payment at Shoprite will result in a category assignment of “Groceries”. If a transaction is placed within the wrong category, you can choose a new one from a drop down menu or enter your own customized category name. This feature makes tracking your money a lot easier than relying on the bank’s own confusing abbreviations and terminology.

4. Constant Notifications

Mint.com is all about keeping you obscenely in-the-know about your finances. Tweak your settings to alert you via text, email, smoke signal and sign language (okay, maybe not the last two) whenever you go over-budget, drop below a certain amount, and/or when an upcoming bill is due.

3. Keep Up with the Latest (Spending) Trends

2. Investments Made Easy

1. Save More with Mint.com