Thanks to mobile technology, keeping track of your finances and the economy at large is easier than ever, even when you’re on the go. In fact, the resources available to smart phone owners vary, so it’s easy to get overly caught up in weighing your choices against one another. Which apps should you trust and how much should you be willing to pay for their services?
No need to worry. As it turns out, you don’t need to put a price on useful financial info. We’ve put together a list of excellent investment apps, and the best part is that they’re all completely free. If you’re looking for the perfect mobile money manager, try out a few of these apps, with no strings attached.
Bloomberg
Image via iTunes
When it comes to up-to-the-minute information on stocks, bonds, commodities, and currencies all over the world, few apps do it better than Bloomberg. Besides trackers for this info, which you can customize as you see fit, the app also offers breaking news and headlines from Bloomberg’s global journalism network. The app presents these features in an easy-to-use, highly eye-pleasing package.
Bloomberg is available for iPhone, BlackBerry, iPad, and Android.
Motif
Image via iTunes
We can’t all be financial experts. It takes a considerable amount of study and research to decipher the mysteries of the market, but without such a background certain industries make for a dangerous investment. Motif Investing lets you try out your investment strategies in a safe environment. The app uses themed portfolios to illustrate the ups and downs of niche markets, creating a valuable learning experience endorsed by MIT finance professor Andrew Lo.
Motif is available for iPhone.
SigFig
Image via iTunes
Many apps offer comprehensive services for storing and checking investment data and updating your portfolio; SigFig is no exception. However, it stands out for going the extra mile, providing a service that could just make the app your most trusted adviser. SigFig will check your portfolio for hidden fees, overcharges, underperforming funds, and other problems that may otherwise go unnoticed, and will offer suggestions on how to optimize your gains.
SigFig is available for iPhone and Android.
MarketMinder
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Most of the time, what you need isn’t all the information but the right information. Too much data (or worse, conflicting data) often just leads to confusion, and following a false lead will bring trouble. Fisher Investments’ MarketMinder app cuts out all the filler and comes clean with clear, insightful commentary on the latest market events. Thanks to Fisher’s investing global research platform, you can rest assured that the app’s commentators are well-informed and on the right track.
MarketMinder is available for iPhone.
Personal Capital
Image via iTunes
Budgeting is a complex process, especially when you’ve got investments tied up in plenty of different areas and a long list of expenses to boot. Personal Capital does its part to simplify this process by giving you a platform to organize all of your investment info in one convenient place. The app’s greatest service is simple but effective; it condenses your broad financial status in its entirety into a quick, concise summary.
Personal Capital is available for iPhone and Android.
StockTwits
Image via iTunes
When you’re shopping for a product online and need to judge its quality and customer satisfaction, the first place to look is the review section. Whether they love it or hate it, customers will have plenty to say about their experiences, and this will often decide between buying or not. With StockTwits, you can apply the same principle, essentially, to stock investment.
The app finds and pulls out posts from Twitter from professionals and ordinary investors alike about the stock of your choice, so you can gauge its popularity before committing.
StockTwits is available for iPhone, BlackBerry, and iPad.
ETFdb
Image via iTunes
When you’re dealing with a specific type of investment, you’ll naturally want to focus on information tailored to it and thus a general news app will be more than what you really need. Fortunately, technology will find a way to satisfy any niche. A great example is ETFdb, which stands out as a top resource for all of your needs on exchange-traded funds. If you need help with ETFs, the app’s sharp focus will get you the info you’re searching for straight away with no digging required.
ETFdb is available for iPhone and iPad.
Given that these apps are all free, there’s nothing stopping you from exploring their functions at your leisure. Any one of them could be the tool that transforms your investment experience for the better. Give them a try to find out.
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“Finance Strategy” image courtesy of Shutterstock.
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