Why You Should Never Give a Budgeting App Your Bank Login
When you connect your bank account to a budgeting app, you're not just granting read access to transaction data. You're giving a private company the ability to log into your bank as you. There's a $58 million legal settlement behind this story.
Read articleLumio vs YNAB
YNAB is a subscription that syncs your bank. Lumio is a one-time purchase that keeps your data on your Mac. An honest look at how they compare, and where YNAB still wins.
Read articleLumio vs Mint
Mint shut down in 2024. Here is how Lumio compares to what Mint offered, without the ads, bank logins, or data monetization.
Read articleWhy We Built Lumio to Slow You Down
Most finance apps are built around the idea that automation equals control. We think that's backwards. Here's the philosophy behind Lumio and where we're taking it.
Read articleShould You Pay Off Debt or Build Savings First?
When you can only do one, do you attack debt or build a cushion? An honest framework for deciding what comes first, written from the worst financial year of my life.
Read articleWhy a Spreadsheet Still Beats Most Budgeting Apps
Someone on Reddit told us Excel beats every app we could build. They have a point. Here's what the spreadsheet gets right, where it costs you, and what we did about it.
Read articleDoes Your Budgeting App Sell Your Data?
Most budgeting apps will tell you they don't sell your data. That statement is carefully worded. Understanding what it actually means changes how you think about every app you've ever connected to your bank account.
Read articleIs Plaid Safe? What You Need to Know Before Linking Your Bank
Plaid powers bank connections for over 8,000 apps and roughly 1 in 2 American adults have used it. It hasn't had a major credential breach. But the safety question is more complicated than that.
Read articleHow to Pay Off Debt Faster: Avalanche, Snowball, and Finding What Actually Works for You
There are two well-known methods for paying off debt faster. One saves you the most money. The other works better for most people. And there's a third approach that most articles don't talk about, which is building a plan around your actual situation.
Read articleFixed vs Variable Rate Loans: Why the Cheaper Option Often Isn't
Variable rate loans look attractive when rates are low. Here's why most people should think twice before taking one, what happened to homeowners and student loan borrowers when rates rose, and how to get out if you're already in one.
Read articleBest Mint Alternatives in 2026 (And Why Bank Sync Might Be the Wrong Thing to Look For)
A year and a half after Mint shut down, a lot of people are still searching. Not because there aren't options, but because the options all share the same underlying problem Mint had.
Read articleHow to Export Your Bank Transactions to CSV or Excel
Every major bank lets you download your transaction history as a file you can open in Excel or import into a budgeting app. Most people don't know it's an option. Here's how to do it for every major bank.
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