Best Finance Apps for Immigrants in Australia
Finance apps are a great way to improve your personal finances and reach your financial goals. In this post, I will share with you what I believe are the Best Finance Apps for Immigrants in Australia.
You don’t have to be a new diaspora in Australia to be looking for how to improve your personal finances! I know that the priority for the first few years in Australia for most immigrants is adaptation and settling down. This includes finding permanent accommodation, work and making new friends and getting to know your community.
Regardless of what stage of life you are at or your personal financial goals, you could benefit from the apps that I’m going to share with you.
In Australia, we say that there are two kinds of diaspora. Those who moved here temporarily and weren’t planning to stay but fell in love with the country, and those who moved here planning to make Australia their new home.
I’m sure you feel like you fit into one of these categories. Everyone gets to a point where they want to settle down eventually for a better life!
I know what you’re thinking…
Everything in Australia is expensive and it’s very difficult to settle down when you’re an immigrant. Don’t give up on your goals! Remember most of us in Australia are migrants or also come from immigrant families so we know what it’s like to get set up in a new country.
Whatever your financial goals, being organized is the best way to achieve them. I know that you may feel a bit overwhelmed with the amount of information so start with some simple steps.
Set your Goal! No goal is too big or small
Some common financial goals of people who start life in another country are:
– Travelling to visit family back home
– Paying for family holidays
– Paying for family members’ education
– Improving the quality of life of their relatives
– Buying a house in their home country
– Buying a car in Australia
– Starting a business in Australia
– Going to university in Australia
– Getting a loan to buy property in Australia
Australian homes are comfortable, safe, secure and in most cases are also a good investment. So how can foreigners buy property in Australia? Well, the requirements vary depending on whether you are a non-resident, temporary resident or permanent resident. For more information check our blog How can foreigners buy property in Australia?
Why is tracking your money important?
Nevertheless, Peter Drucker famously said, “If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it.” When we talk about financial objectives, planning and tracking your spending is essential.
If you’re not familiar with the tools that can help you with your goals, keep reading below to learn about the Best Finance Apps for Immigrants in Australia.
FINANCE APPS
I’m going to introduce you to some apps that can be useful. Although they have similar tools and features, some are more sophisticated and complex than others and are better at certain things.
The basic principle and purpose behind these apps are the same – save more, spend less, pay less interest and find and track investments.
Some of these apps will require you to share information from your bank accounts or other accounts.
Popular finance apps are:
– MoneySmart
– MoneyBrilliant
– Goodbudget
– Your bank’s app
MONEY SMART
Money Smart was created by the Australian Federal Government to help people living in Australia take control of their finance with free tools, tips and guidance.
The main advantage of this app is that you have tools for any questions you may have about money. It’s a free app that provides you with all the information you need to make better financial decisions.
Some of the tools in the Money Smart app are:
Budget planner
Check where your money is going and build your own custom items.
Reduce your debt
Learn how to get debt under control and prioritise and manage debt.
Plan for your future
Everything you need to know regarding retirement planning, how to grow your super and develop an investment.
Choosing a financial adviser
Also, you can find information on how to find free Financial Counselling if you need it.
POCKETBOOK
Pocketbook is a free budget administrator and personal finance app that can help you set up and manage budgets, track spending and manage bills.
Availability: iOS and Android
Some of the tools in the Pocketbook app are:
Connect
You can connect your bank, super and investment accounts.
Track
Categorise your transactions and tracking your finances.
Plan
Create a budget and accomplish your goals.
Explore
Discover tips that will help you save and improve your finances.
MONEY BRILLIANT
Money Brilliant has a free version and a paid one. You can check all the transactions from all your accounts together in one app. This application has multiple features for individuals, personal advisers and corporates.
Availability: iOS and Android
Some of the tools in the Money Brilliant app are:
Personal alerts
Get personal alerts on upcoming bills, low account balances, cash flow warnings, withdrawals, fees charged etc.
Safe Spending
Discover tips that will help you save money (finance companies do not recognise this in Australia).
Assets and liabilities
All of your accounts, cash, credit cards, investments, loans, mortgages, superannuation are in one place.
Optimise my Banking feature
Analyse your financial products and check options to earn more interest or save on charges.
Compare to other people
You can compare your salary and expenses to other people like you. Based on demographic data.
GOODBUDGET
Goodbudget helps you to keep to your budget limits based on the (envelope budgeting method) without the hassle of keeping actual cash in physical envelopes.
Some of the tools in the Goodbudget app are:
Budgeting
Be more aware of each others spending – very useful to manage the budget as a couple.
Sync & share budgets
Synchronise your household budget. When you deduct money from an envelope, the person you’re sharing with knows what’s spent and where.
Save for big expenses
You can plan and save for significant expenses months in advance.
Pay off debt
You can track your payoff journey and see when you’ll be debt-free.
YOUR BANK’S APP
If you don’t feel safe sharing your personal financial information with third parties, then this is completely understandable. I know your security and peace of mind are your priority.
One idea is to explore the alternatives that your own bank offers you to manage your budget. Nowadays banks also include a lot of handy budgeting and planning features in their apps too. Please visit your bank’s website and apps for more information.
ANZ: Budget planner
Bendigo: Online Budget Planner
CommBank: Spend Tracker and Insights
NAB: Budget planner calculator
Westpac: Budget planner
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