Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Don't get caught at the check out counter with your pants down


Would you know...

...if your paycheck was delayed by a week?

...if your spouse spent $300 on the shared family credit card?
...if a fraudster stole your credit card number and ran up your balance?

Have you ever walked into a store and wondered "Do I have enough in my bank account to buy what I need to buy?" or "Do I have enough credit to purchase all the items that I need?" If so, you're in the same boat as two-thirds of Americans. To avoid embarrassing situations at the cash register, you'll need an easy way to check your bank balance and/or available credit before you check out. Sure, you could download each banking app individually, but if you have more than one bank account and/or credit card, you'll have to download multiple apps, open each app individually, and enter a password for each account.


A better way

Instead, consider Mint or PageOnce. Both are powerful financial tools. One of their core functions is aggregating account data and providing you the information in real-time. In other words, just before you step foot into the store or begin shopping, you can open a single app and get a real-time view of your financial position. 

What you need
  • Mobile or online access to your bank and/or credit card
  • Mint or PageOnce account
  • Smartphone
How to get started
  • Sign up for Mint or PageOnce
  • Download the Mint or PageOnce app to your smartphone
  • Add relevant bank or credit card accounts to your Mint or PageOnce account
How to use
  • Before you start shopping, start your Mint or PageOnce app to verify your bank balance or available credit
    • Screenshot of mobile app (Mint)
    • Screenshot of mobile app (PageOnce)
Conclusion
Never walk into a store without the information you need. If your spouse spent $300 on a shared credit card and didn't tell you, you'll know. If your utility charged you based on your automatic billing, you won't get caught in a situation where you have less in your bank account than you expected. You'll also be in a better position to know how much you can afford to spend.

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