Skip to main content

    Budgeting Apps

    See where money goes. Stay on track.

    Empower (Personal Capital)

    FREE

    Best free tool. Connects all accounts. Net worth + retirement projection.

    Best overall.

    Monarch Money

    $100/yr

    Mint replacement. Full budgeting + investing. Senior-friendly.

    Best paid.

    YNAB (You Need a Budget)

    $15/mo

    Best budget mindset. Steeper learning curve but transformative.

    Best for budgeters.

    Copilot

    $95/yr

    Beautiful iPhone-first app. Great UI.

    Best UI.

    Pen + paper

    FREE

    Old-school works. Pencil register, monthly summary.

    Best non-tech.

    Spreadsheet (Excel/Numbers)

    FREE

    Custom + private. Many seniors prefer this.

    Best private.

    Mint shut down 2024

    Intuit closed Mint. Many users moved to Monarch (paid) or Empower (free). If you used Mint — try Empower first. Free, similar features, no migration anxiety.

    Senior priorities

    • Track spending — discover the $300/mo "leaks" (subscriptions, dining out).
    • Net worth — across all accounts.
    • Retirement runway — am I on track?
    • Tax-loss harvesting reminders.
    • RMD reminders — required minimum distributions.
    • Bill payment alerts.

    Connection security

    All these apps use Plaid (or similar) to read-only connect to banks. They CAN'T move money. Legitimate. But pick well-reviewed apps. Avoid sketchy ones — banking credentials are sensitive.