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Any [iPhone] "Apps" you like?

Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2014 1:05 pm
by Hawkeye_Saver
My wife and I finally bit the bullet and bought I-phones. Does anyone have some recommendations for apps they like regarding personal finance or Boglehead related areas, ie. business, money, etc.?

Re: Any "Apps" you like?

Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2014 1:08 pm
by rob
I use very few finance apps...
- Vanguards is ok
- I use mint for expenses so that app is handy at times
- My local bank is helpful for the depositing of checks (take pic of front/back) and saves a trip to the ATM
- I could care less about stock quotes but... I'm sure there are a zillion of those

Re: Any "Apps" you like?

Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2014 1:27 pm
by bungalow10
I use the Capital One (formerly ING) and my credit union "apps" (which are really just mobile websites) to deposit checks.

I use Amazon's app to price compare when I shop.

I use Out of Milk (free) to store shopping lists. I keep a Costco list, hardware store list, garage sale list, etc.

I don't know if this works with Apple, but I use the Google Drive cloud to store many, many spreadsheets and documents that I can view and update from my phone or from any computer.

Re: Any "Apps" you like?

Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2014 1:43 pm
by chaz
Bogleheads on the Safari browser on my iPad.

Re: Any "Apps" you like?

Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2014 2:02 pm
by kenyan
Since I started budgeting last year, YNAB.

Re: Any "Apps" you like?

Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2014 2:09 pm
by walkabout
Chrome browser. If you use Chrome on your desktop/laptop/tablet, and if you log into Google, you can turn on "Chrome to Mobile" which makes it very easy to share links between devices. There is a Chrome app/plugin for your computer that enables this. If you are on your computer, using Chrome, and are on a page that you want to send to your iPhone (maybe so that you can text it to someone else, or maybe because you want to look at it later, etc), just press the Chrome to Mobile icon in the address field and voila, the link will go to your iPhone. Similarly, each instance of Chrome that you are logged into (maybe your iPhone and your home computer), can see what tabs are open in Chrome on the other computers/devices. You might have been looking at a particular post in Bogleheads at work (over lunch, I'm sure). When you get home, you can easily visit that tab on your iPhone (or any other device) simply by clicking on "Other devices", finding the device where you were viewing the post, and click on it. It is easier and more convenient than it sounds.

Whatever app your bank has. Hopefully it has mobile deposit so that you can deposit checks via photo.

Re: Any "Apps" you like?

Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2014 2:20 pm
by Fletch
Vanguard Investor

Vanguard Advisor

Mint

My credit card app

My bank app

My insurance company app

My pharmacy app

Not particularly a finance app, but 1Password is wonderful.

... Fletch

Re: Any "Apps" you like?

Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2014 4:28 pm
by Browser
I don't regard smartphones as secure, so I wouldn't dream of conducting important financial transactions on one. I'm worried enough about conventional computers, but we are probably stuck with that since the alternative is either telephone or snail mail, both of which are no more secure IMO.

Re: Any "Apps" you like?

Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2014 4:36 pm
by GDBryan
Google Maps is indispensable for navigation. Though we updated our Garmin before we left on vacation, it's still behind for several new roads. GM also will find things that aren't in the GPS.

Re: Any "Apps" you like?

Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2014 4:38 pm
by protagonist
For android (I have others, but these are ones I use a lot):
Playing Music for musicians- iRealb, mobile metronome, gStrings, amazing slow downer
Listening- Grooveshark, TuneIn Radio, BeyondPod, iSyncr, SoundHound
Travel- TripAdvisor, CityMaps, Talking Translator, Tripit, Best Parking, Google Maps
Communication- Google Voice
Movies- Flixter, Fandango, JoeVLC, VideoStream
Tools- AdBlockPlus, Eye in the Sky, Folder Editor, NovaLauncher, PowerToggles, PerfectAppProtector, GoogleSkyMap

I don't use finance apps. Though I can get stock quotes, etc. since I am invested in predominantly a few low-cost index funds and a bunch of CDs, my finances are simple enough that I don't need them (smile).

Re: Any "Apps" you like?

Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2014 4:44 pm
by Browser
I'm curious why there are so many posts about android apps when the OP clearly stated they had purchased iphones? We are just so danged proud of our phones we just wanna tell somebody about them, I guess. :happy (full disclosure: I am an android guy myself and happy about it. Now let me tell you more.....)

Re: Any "Apps" you like?

Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2014 4:57 pm
by denovo
Browser wrote:I don't regard smartphones as secure, so I wouldn't dream of conducting important financial transactions on one. I'm worried enough about conventional computers, but we are probably stuck with that since the alternative is either telephone or snail mail, both of which are no more secure IMO.
Seriously. I don't need to check the balances of my 401k account or checking accounts every minute to begin with, or see how the stock market is doing, so no financial apps on my phone at all.

Re: Any "Apps" you like?

Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2014 5:01 pm
by surfstar
Candycrush

Re: Any "Apps" you like?

Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2014 5:03 pm
by SpringMan
Gas Buddy is useful to find cheapest gas.
I use a Battery app to display battery usage.
Vanguard has an app.
I listen to many free podcasts.

Re: Any "Apps" you like?

Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2014 5:26 pm
by kenyan
Browser wrote:I don't regard smartphones as secure, so I wouldn't dream of conducting important financial transactions on one. I'm worried enough about conventional computers, but we are probably stuck with that since the alternative is either telephone or snail mail, both of which are no more secure IMO.
This has basically been my stance with respect to financial institutions. I know the claims are that it is most likely secure, but I haven't felt the desire to make this leap, trusting in technology that I don't have a complete grasp of. I only perform financial transactions (including checking on bills/portfolio) from my desktop computer at home or work. Don't trust the laptop while on hotel internet either.

Re: Any "Apps" you like?

Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2014 5:29 pm
by Browser
Lord only knows what those apps are sticking their noses into on your phone. Ever check the permissions? And that's not even accounting for hacking and Big Brother storing your every move in cyberspace somewhere. They probably not only know where you were when you made that equity trade but what you were eating and the color of your shoes.

Re: Any "Apps" you like?

Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2014 5:38 pm
by protagonist
Browser wrote:I'm curious why there are so many posts about android apps when the OP clearly stated they had purchased iphones? We are just so danged proud of our phones we just wanna tell somebody about them, I guess. :happy (full disclosure: I am an android guy myself and happy about it. Now let me tell you more.....)
In my case, it is because many apps are made for both, but I don't keep up with which ones. I figure the OP can sort that out.

I think iPhone has a slight edge over Android with their app selection.

A bigger question might be why I didn't recommend any finance apps, when that is what the OP clearly asked for (laughing)

Just trying to be helpful in my own way.

Re: Any "Apps" you like?

Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2014 5:52 pm
by stickman731
Appsgonefree

Re: Any "Apps" you like?

Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2014 6:17 pm
by rob
Browser wrote:I'm curious why there are so many posts about android apps when the OP clearly stated they had purchased iphones? We are just so danged proud of our phones we just wanna tell somebody about them, I guess. :happy (full disclosure: I am an android guy myself and happy about it. Now let me tell you more.....)
Same reason people list all sorts of apps that are not financial..... lack of reading :D

Re: Any "Apps" you like?

Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2014 2:22 pm
by chaz
stickman731 wrote:Appsgonefree
I like this one also.

Re: Any "Apps" you like?

Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2014 2:30 pm
by fareastwarriors
the Bloomberg app is a great source for free news/price quotes
I also use the Bloomberg Radio+ app when I want to be a market watcher. :D

Re: Any "Apps" you like?

Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2014 3:27 pm
by Ice-9
I try to only do finances on my desktop PC for security reasons. However, I can't resist the ease of depositing checks to my Capital One 360 account with the phone's camera, so I make an exception for their app. My brick and mortar bank has an app without that feature and I haven't bothered to even download it.

I entered the ETF equivalents of all of my mutual funds into the Stocks app that comes with the iPhone. There's no real strategic purpose for this. I just like to look at it on days when I've scheduled a purchase and say either, "Hey look, they went down, I'm getting a better price than yesterday!" or "Hey look, they went up, I'm a little less poor!" :)

Non-financial apps that I really like:
* Dropbox - I hardly ever use USB flash drives anymore because of this app on my phone, home desktop, home laptop, and work PC
* Evernote - great for taking notes and syncing them across all your devices
* Map My Ride - turn it on during bike rides, long walks, or hikes, and get a map of your route along with stats on calories burned, etc
* My Fitness Pal - quickly get nutritional stats on everything you eat, add in a record of your exercise and get net calories each day
* my electric company's app - used this a number of times to report outages as soon as they happen and see a map of outages
* Paper Karma - take a photo of your junkmail, and Paper Karma will try to unsubscribe you - it really works!
* Find Friends - once you get over the creepiness of someone else seeing where you are, it really is handy when, for example, you're waiting to pick up your wife at the Metro Station and want to see if her train has arrived yet

Also, one handy iPhone feature I didn't even realize until I'd had one for three years: Whenever you're on a screen for typing (virtual keyboard comes up), you can click the microphone button and speak instead of typing. It probably won't correctly enter the name of a Vietnamese restaurant, for example, but for most quick notes or texting to others, it's a real time saver!

Re: Any "Apps" you like?

Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2014 5:22 pm
by MathWizard
Kayak for trip planning when not at a computer

Gasbuddy for finding cheap gas on the road.

CityMaps2Go for maps of a city I'm not familiar with. Download before you go, and
you can use it even when you are off-line to save on data charges.

Password wallet (forget what it's called)

Rick Steves' podcasts for European sites. Better than being in a tour group because you can stop the
podcast and look as long as you want.

Re: Any "Apps" you like?

Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2014 5:27 pm
by Levett
Night sky

Viber

Flightaware.

Lev

Re: Any "Apps" you like?

Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2014 8:00 pm
by dumbbunny
SpringMan wrote:Gas Buddy is useful to find cheapest gas.
Yup!

Re: Any "Apps" you like?

Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2014 8:17 pm
by sscritic
I do have an app for stock quotes. The only one I check is the S&P 500. That is close to TSM, so I check to see if today is a day I want to rush home to update my net worth or a day to go to a bar after work and get sloshed.

Re: Any "Apps" you like?

Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2014 8:29 pm
by Cosmo
Fletch wrote:Vanguard Investor

Vanguard Advisor

Mint

My credit card app

My bank app

My insurance company app

My pharmacy app

Not particularly a finance app, but 1Password is wonderful.

... Fletch
Yes! Exactly what Fletch said. Absolutely love mint btw. Great for monitoring transactions including credit card transactions.

Cosmo

Re: Any "Apps" you like?

Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2014 10:10 pm
by Archie Sinclair
Fletch wrote:Vanguard Investor

Vanguard Advisor

Mint

My credit card app

My bank app

My insurance company app

My pharmacy app

Not particularly a finance app, but 1Password is wonderful.

... Fletch
Irwin, what is Vanguard Advisor? What do you use it for?

Re: Any "Apps" you like?

Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2014 10:14 pm
by schuyler74
"Vanguard Investor" is an app to monitor your investment accounts.
"Vanguard Advisors" has lots of links to articles and videos of interest to Advisors.

I don't have a vanguard account but I installed the Advisors app. There's a new article/video every other day or so.

Re: Any "Apps" you like?

Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2014 10:34 pm
by DTSC
Stitcher for listening to podcasts
Dropbox
Kindle
Marketplace

Re: Any "Apps" you like?

Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2014 11:00 pm
by dumbbunny
I use the Bank of America app to take pictures of checks (for mobile deposits).

Re: Any "Apps" you like?

Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2014 12:12 am
by Balance
I use:
Mint
Vanguard
Pandora and iHeart radio for music
Yelp
Yahoo Sports
Netflix

Re: Any "Apps" you like?

Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2014 12:22 am
by schoolboyguy
Financial apps are vanguard, credit card, both banks.

No need to download stock quote app, it's already on your phone under "stocks." It will not track funds, but if there is an Etf version of your funds, put in their signals and you can at least check percentage change.

I also downloaded Microsoft office on iPhone. If you use "one drive" you can access your excel, word, and PowerPoint docs.

All kinds of stuff out there, now we just Need a bogle heads app....... :D

Re: Any [iPhone] "Apps" you like?

Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2014 7:34 am
by jebmke
Bloomberg.

I don't use any banking/broker apps. I can't imagine not being able to wait until I am home to use my computer.

Re: Any [iPhone] "Apps" you like?

Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2014 8:12 am
by SpringMan
Another useful app is a flashlight app, there are many of them. They turn your camera flash into a flash light which can be helpful when caught in the dark.

Re: Any "Apps" you like?

Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2014 10:18 am
by chaz
sscritic wrote:I do have an app for stock quotes. The only one I check is the S&P 500. That is close to TSM, so I check to see if today is a day I want to rush home to update my net worth or a day to go to a bar after work and get sloshed.
Healthier not to look.

Re: Any [iPhone] "Apps" you like?

Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2014 11:11 am
by May335
My husband and I began using EEBA for budgeting about 18 months ago and it has been lafe changing. He uses the EEBA app on his iPhone to post his transactions. The site it now being called "Good Budget."
I would also recommend having a calculator on your iPhone and I second what MathWizard said about the Rick Steves travel podcasts.

Re: Any [iPhone] "Apps" you like?

Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2014 11:53 am
by buckstar
I have the MathU 12D financial calculator app, which is an HP 12-C emulator. Love it!

Re: Any [iPhone] "Apps" you like?

Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2014 12:14 pm
by vesalius
SpringMan wrote:Another useful app is a flashlight app, there are many of them. They turn your camera flash into a flash light which can be helpful when caught in the dark.
If you have iOS 7 or greater than a flashlight is now built into the OS under the Control Center, and unless you have an iPhone 4 or earlier I can not think of a reason not to upgrade to iOS 7.1. Very convenient and can be accessed from the lock screen.
Image

I will toss in another vote for PaperKarma as a free and easy to use way to limit unwanted mail.

Re: Any [iPhone] "Apps" you like?

Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2014 12:50 pm
by FelixTheCat
I use a lot of the apps mentioned. I wanted to add

Pandora - Music
Uber - In case I need a ride.

Re: Any [iPhone] "Apps" you like?

Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2014 11:01 am
by Frugal Al
HP12C emulator app (12E), or even the HP17BII app.

Re: Any [iPhone] "Apps" you like?

Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2014 11:50 am
by SpringMan
vesalius wrote:
SpringMan wrote:Another useful app is a flashlight app, there are many of them. They turn your camera flash into a flash light which can be helpful when caught in the dark.
If you have iOS 7 or greater than a flashlight is now built into the OS under the Control Center, and unless you have an iPhone 4 or earlier I can not think of a reason not to upgrade to iOS 7.1. Very convenient and can be accessed from the lock screen.
Image
I tried your suggestion on my iPod touch 5th generation running IOS 7.1.1 . When I go to Settings >Control Center, I have two options. One to turn Control Center access On/Off in the Lock Screen, the other to turn access On/Off in Apps. Can't find the Control Center screen you displayed. I do see the bar at the bottom center of the Lock Screen but can not get it to respond to touching or selection? Any suggestions? Maybe a difference between iPhone and iPod. I thought the only difference was in the phone call / data capability and the 5 megapixel camera vs the 8 megapixel on the iPhone.

EDIT: Never mind it is a PIC error (Problem In Chair) :happy It works fine but is activated by an upward swipe, not a tap. Duh :happy

Re: Any [iPhone] "Apps" you like?

Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2014 12:27 pm
by HIinvestor
I like "Red Lazer," which is a free app, allowing you to store all kinds of things, including loyalty cards. It also allows you to scan UPCs and other codes, comparing prices with amazon.com and nearby stores. It is very handy for price comparisons.

I also have Priceline and Hotwire, as well as Yelp.

Downloaded Mint, but have never used it because I don't trust putting sensitive financial information into my phone.

Best for me

Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2014 12:47 pm
by davebarnes
My credit union (DCU.org) app. I use every week to deposit my business-related checks.

Yelp. For determining whether or not to visit a new restaurant.

Nocs. For managing shopping lists on 6 Apple devices in our household.
It requires Dropbox.

Car2Go. To find a car for that short trip when our other car is not handy.

Here are a few apps

Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2014 8:32 pm
by Urvile1
Voice Dream coupled with Instapaper is outstanding.

I take 10 minutes browsing all the news outlets I like (e.g., NYTs most emailed), click the Instagram button that imports it into my Instagram cue, open Voice Dream on my iphone, sync, and then go about my day listening to the articles being read back to me. Paraphrasing Pink Floyd, it takes away the moments that make up a dull day. I'm surprised at how much I use it. Really fantastic. It works on PDFs too.

Fancy Hands (quality virtual assistants)
Postgram (create your own postcard)
FastCustomer (never wait on hold again)
World Lens (never wonder what written foreign language says)
TripIt (keep travel organized)

Re: Here are a few apps

Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2014 9:21 pm
by protagonist
Urvile1 wrote: FastCustomer (never wait on hold again)
This sounds useful. Tell me more please?

Re: Any [iPhone] "Apps" you like?

Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2014 10:16 pm
by aquifer
I use an app called compoundee. Pretty slick for playing with compound interest calculations. The only other finance apps I use are Vanguard, my credit card app, and my bank's app.

Re: Any [iPhone] "Apps" you like?

Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2014 11:33 pm
by mlebuf
Here are the one's I find most handy on my iPhone:

1. Find My iPhone, iPad, Mac, etc. - Comes in very handy if you lose one.

2. Find My Car Smarter - For an additional $30 you can buy a dongle that plugs into the cigarette lighter and will automatically direct you to your car. With the free app, you set your car's location as you leave the car.

3. Battery Magic - Informs you how much juice is left in the battery.

4. Gas Buddy - Locates nearby gas prices.

5. iExit - detects, food lodging, etc. within one mile as you cruise an interstate.

6. Dust Storm - Good for AZ residents. Alerts you of dust storms in the area allowing you to take precautions.

7. Flashlight - Comes in handy when needed.

8. Cat Piano - Fun for cat people.

Re: Any [iPhone] "Apps" you like?

Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2014 12:35 am
by bogleblitz
Google Authenticator It creates an additional 6 digit password for gmail that changes every minute. This makes someone trying to steal your gmail account much much harder. Very important especially for people who use online banking, mint, etc.

Re: Any [iPhone] "Apps" you like?

Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2014 11:32 am
by MN-Investor
- Comparison shopping. Use your phone's camera to take pictures of items while shopping so you can further research them and do cost comparisons. I took photos while we were shopping for dining room chandeliers. After a while, you forget what you saw where. Photos are invaluable.

- Document scanning. There are apps which will work with your camera to create pdfs plus do optical character recognition. My brother uses this kind of app for copying receipts for work. My sister, an author, uses this while doing research at the library.

- Pocket. This app works on my Windows PC, my iPod Touch, and my 7" Google Nexus android tablet. It allows me to save internet articles to be read later. While surfing on my PC, for example, I came across an article from MarketWatch on 30 Reasons to Fall in Love with Index Funds. I clicked on the Pocket icon in Firefox to save the article. When I opened Pocket on my Nexus, the story downloaded to my tablet. Now I can read it to my husband in the car when we're out of wifi range. Or I can save off articles I want to keep - my aunt's obituary, the front page article about my niece in her hometown newspaper, how best to manage investment accounts in retirement. I don't have to search for those articles in the future. Pocket saved them for me.

OverDrive Media Console - Check out ebooks from your library via OverDrive.