Buying a house can be a tedious and nerve-wracking process as your credit, spending habits, income and overall finances are put under a microscope. So before you embark on homeownership, it’s important to make sure your finances are in tip-top shape. The apps listed below are among the best for keeping track, budgeting and saving so you can afford the house you’ve always dreamed of, but remember, If this is the first time you are ever buying a home, then consider getting these first time home buying services before checking these apps.
Mint is rated as one of the top apps for finances. Using Mint, you are able to look at your bank accounts in real time to keep track of what your realtime available balances are to help you avoid overspending. Mint makes budgeting simple and helps you stick to your plan by sending you alerts when you start to get close to your preset limits. Users are able to add multiple accounts, credit cards and even keep up with loans and bill payments; Mint tracks everything in one place.
Saving has never been easier than with SavedPlus. With this app, a percentage of what you spend from your checking account is automatically transferred to your savings account. For example, if you set your percentage at 10 percent of every transaction and spend $20 on gas, $2 will move to your savings account without you even noticing. You can also customize the app to only take a certain percentage based on dollar amount or to stop transferring if your checking account funds are low. Affording for your dream house will be easier than ever.
When taking out a loan, your credit score is crucial. It is even more important that you maintain good standing with the credit bureaus. Credit Karma makes that effortless. All you have to do is sign up to access your score and set alerts for any changes. And the best part is that unlike most credit score sites, it’s completely free.
Late payments, overdue bills and bills that have gone unpaid can negatively affect your credit score and hurt your chances of getting your dream home. To make bill paying easier, the Check app — an extension of the Mint program — streamlines the process. This app tracks your accounts and lets you know when a bill due date is coming up. From there you can pay the bill or set up a future payment.
Identity theft is a surefire way to ruin your chances of purchasing a home. Thieves are innovative in finding new ways to steal bank information from unsuspecting victims who typically don’t know it’s happened until it’s too late. The LifeLock Wallet app makes it easy to keep identity theft at bay. Store digital copies of your payments, loyalty cards, and memberships right on your smartphone. LifeLock Wallet also lets users cancel lost or stolen cards right from the app and even offers an upgrade to include LifeLock’s identity protection service.
When you are saving for your dream home, every penny counts and wasting unnecessary dollars is senseless. The Cellfire app gives users access to downloadable coupons for different stores and saves loyalty card info. Gone are the days of forgetting your paper coupons at home and missing out on savings.
It’s disappointing to find out that your financial state is what’s standing in the way of you and the house you’ve always dreamed of owning. Whether it’s your credit score or your spending habits, there’s a mobile resource to make your life easier and get you closer to your dream home.
