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Mobile Banking

Greenlight Review: A Great Tool To Help Raise Financially Literate Kids

If you are looking for a platform that allows you to have an efficient system when it comes to giving allowances to your kids, at the same time, helps teach them the value of money, then you got to keep reading this Greenlight review.

Greenlight Review: A Great Tool To Help Raise Financially Literate Kids

Being consistent in giving allowances could sometimes get a little challenging especially for busy parents. More so, to include teaching them how to properly handle their finances.

But that is part of our responsibilities as parents. Financial management, after all, must be first taught at home.

The earlier we teach our kids how to manage their finances wisely, the better. It will surely help keep them away from financial troubles in the future. It’s preparing them to be responsible individuals d as early as now.

Unfortunately, though, a survey conducted by Harris Poll on behalf of the American Psychological Association (APA) revealed that the majority of Americans (64%) says that money is a somewhat or very significant source of stress especially for parents whose children are aged 18 years old and below.

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Furthermore, the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) test, which measures the financial knowledge and skills that are needed to make the jump from high school to college and on into the workforce revealed that one in five American teens fail to meet the level to be considered as financially literate.

To be honest, these numbers need improvement. Young American people need to be educated to handle their finances well. After all, this will help them in facing the realities of life as they grow older.

Parents have definitely a lot of work to do, but, as we’ve said, the results will be very helpful in the long run – not just for your kids, but for the community as well.

Teaching financial literacy these days is a lot easier – actually. There are so many platforms available out there that parents can use to help teach their children how to handle their money well.

Thanks to the advent of technology, there are platforms like Greenlight that parents can use to raise financially literate individuals.

Speaking of Greenlight, in the next few sections, we are going to do an in-depth review about this financial platform that was specifically created to help parents teach their children about the value of money. It is an app that helps parents automate allowance-paying with a prepaid debit card for kids.

In particular, this Greenlight review will focus on providing essential information about this financial app by answering the following commonly asked questions:

  • What is Greenlight?
  • Who is Greenlight best for?
  • What does Greenlight offer?
  • How does Greenlight work?
  • Are there fees involved?
  • How to open an account with Greenlight?
  • Is Greenlight safe?
  • What are the upsides of Greenlight?
  • What are the downsides of Greenlight?

WHAT IS GREENLIGHT?

Greenlight is an app founded in 2017 with a mission to “help parents raise financially smart kids.”

With the app, parents can automate seamlessly allowance-paying with a prepaid card for kids.

By using Greenlight, parents become the bank. You get to control funding the prepaid cards of your kids, which they can use anywhere and for any purchases.

Through the app and the prepaid debit cards, your kids get to feel what it’s like in the real world. They get to experience managing their money with your guidance.

Greenlight allows parents to automate, at the same time, oversee their kids’ spending with security features built-in.

The app allows parents to set up “accounts” for up to five kids. All of this can be controlled using the app.

Furthermore, parents can opt to divide their kids’ allowance into Saving, Spending, and Giving categories by percentages.

Similar to banks, parents can also set up interest in the savings category so your children earn rewards for saving their money.

For more information about the Greenlight and what to expect from it, check the video below by Neat Apple Tech:

If your kids do have phones, they can access their “account” by downloading the app. There they get to see how much money they have per category, their spending history, as well as their approved list of stores.

Sure, Greenlight seems to be a very good tool to teach kids how to manage their finances, but all these services come with a monthly fee of $4.99 a month.

All Greenlight accounts are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), which means each depositor will receive up to $250,000 in case of a bank failure.

WHO IS GREENLIGHT BEST FOR?

Greenlight is ideal for parents who want to teach their kids how to be responsible in handling money.

It is a great app for kids as well who want to learn how to handle their finances at an early age.

Greenlight should appeal to parents who want to take advantage of automating the allowance-paying feature. This helps parents be consistent in proving their kids their weekly or monthly allowances.

For parents, Greenlight is good for you if you want to still have control over your kids’ accounts as the app allows you to see your children’s spending as well as their balances. Additionally, the app allows you to choose the stores where your kids can use the money.

Also, since Greenlight comes with a monthly fee, this should be a good option for families with extra money to pay for the fees.

Greenlight is an all-digital financial platform, which means it does not have a physical branch location like a typical bank. So, it should appeal the most to parents who are okay with the all-digital setup.

WHAT DOES GREENLIGHT OFFER?

As mentioned, Greenlight is an app that comes with prepaid debit cards. It helps kids become responsible for handling their finances.

Major Features

By using Greenlight, you get to enjoy the following major features:

  • Parental Controls
  • Incentivizing Chores
  • Earn Interest
  • Money Requests
  • Up to 5 Kids Per Account

Parental Controls

Greenlight app allows parents to split the money into two categories. First is using one pot for money your kid can spend anytime and anywhere. The other would be the one with multiple parental controls.

If you opt to put money under the parental control spot, you will be notified whenever your child makes a purchase, as well as when payment was declined, or when their account balance is running low.

Incentivizing Chores

The app allows parents to incentivize chores with payouts. Using the app, you can create chores and then pay for one-off and recurring chores.

Furthermore, parents can set recurring payments if they want to.

Earn Interest

Similar to how banks work, parents can also set an annual percentage yield (APY) to encourage their kids to save.

Your preferred interest is paid out to your kid’s account on a monthly basis.

Money Requests

With the Greenlight app, kids can also request money through the app when their balances are running low. This is very helpful especially when your kids are away from home and they get into a money emergency.

Once you agree to send money, the amount will appear in real-time to your kids’ wallet.

Up to 5 Kids per Account

Greenlight lets you open an account for up to five. Additionally, you can customize your children’s cards by adding their photographs to it. This, however, costs $9.99.

Additional Features

Apart from the above-mentioned, Greenlight also offers the following features:

  • Custom Spending Limits
  • Activity Notifications
  • Educational Saving Tool
  • Customized Alerts

Custom Spending Limits

What’s nice about Greenlight is that it allows parents to have full control over the stores that their kids can purchase items from.

Parents can whitelist or blacklist websites and stores in just a few clicks. By blacklisting a store, all attempted transactions will be automatically declined.

Activity Notifications

To keep parents informed about their kids’ spending activities, Greenlight allows you to turn on notifications so you are informed every time your kid spends his to her money.

Additionally, parents can also set up the accounts in a way that they have to approve every transaction that their kid makes.

Customized Alerts

Greenlight allows parents to create their own alerts. This way, they are notified every time their kid uses their Greenlight card in making transactions.

Parents may also op to custom alerts when a balance reaches a certain amount or when the card is declined. This feature helps teach your kids not to overspend.

HOW DOES GREENLIGHT WORK?

Now that you already know what the app is all about and what it has to offer, on this part of our Greenlight review we are going to look into how it actually works.

First of all, you need to download the app to your mobile phone to be able to start using Greenlight.

You will then have to link your existing bank account and set up your Parent Wallet.

Greenlight will ask you to provide personal information such as your name, address, and Social Security number, as well as your date of birth.

Setting Up Parent Wallet

The Parent Wallet is where you will find your current balance. It also allows you to set up AutoFunding.

Additionally, the Parent Wallet records your funding history so you know how much you’ve given to each of your kids every week (or month).

Using a debit card or a bank account, transfer a starter amount of money to your Greenlight Parent Wallet. The app will then pull the Parent Wallet to distribute weekly allowances to your kids’ accounts.

Transferring money from your bank to the Greenlight app is free. It is important to know, though, that it takes a day or two to process the transaction.

You may also opt to set up an AutoFunding option to have Greenlight fund a certain amount into your wallet.

Setting Up Weekly Allowance

Setting up a weekly allowance is easy. You can set up an automatic allowance amount per week, and you get to decide what percentages of allowance got to a particular category, which includes Save, Spend, and Give.

Kids Version of the App

If your children have mobile phones, they may as well download the Greenlight app. However, the interface is different from yours.

Your kids will see their weekly allowance and balances in the Saving, Spending, and Giving categories. Your kids will also see where they can spend their money. That way they know what specific stores to buy from.

ARE THERE FEES INVOLVED?

As already mentioned in earlier sections, using the Greenlight app comes with a fee.

Greenlight costs $4.99 per month, which is automatically taken out of your Parent Wallet.

The monthly fee covers up to five kids, which makes it worth it for bigger families. If you have five kids, for instance, that means you spend $1 a month per child.

Meanwhile, if you want your child’s photographs to be placed on the card that costs $9.99.

Apart from these, the app does not charge anything else. Transferring money from your bank to the app does not cost a fee.

HOW TO OPEN AN ACCOUNT WITH GREENLIGHT?

Opening a Greenlight account is quick and easy.

To start a Greenlight account, all you have to do is following the following steps:

First, download the app to your mobile phone.

Second, link your existing bank account, and set up your Parent Wallet. You will need to provide some personal information to finish this process.

Greenlight requires you to provide your name, address, and Social Security number, as well as your date of birth.

IS GREENLIGHT SAFE?

The safety of your account and personal information is important to Greenlight.

Greenlight uses state-of-the-art SSL encryption to ensure your data are safe. The app’s partners comply with Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard when processing and storing sensitive information.

Meanwhile, Greenlight debit cards have an EMV chip, and PINs can be controlled by parents. Additionally, cashback is unavailable to prevent unmonitored spending from happening. Rest assured that unsafe spending is prevented by Greenlight’s automated blocked categories.

As mentioned, all accounts are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), which means each depositor will receive up to $250,000 in case of a bank failure.

WHAT ARE THE UPSIDES OF GREENLIGHT?

This Greenlight review will not be complete without providing you with a summary list of the pros and cons of using the app.

For this section, we are providing you with the upsides of Greenlight, which include the following:

  • Automated Allowance-Paying Process – This helps parents a lot to be consistent in giving allowances to their kids.
  • Customized Features – Greenlight offers customized features so parents can take control of their kids’ spending and saving habits, which will definitely help them learn to handle their finances responsibly.
  • Parental Control – Greenlights allows parents to take full control of their kids’ money by choosing how much goes to Save, Spend, and Give categories, as well the stores where they can purchase items from.
  • Multiple Accounts – Parents can set up accounts for as many as five children.
  • Debit Cards – The account comes with a debit card, one per kid. Unlike cash, this makes it easier for children to keep track of their spending, as well as their balances.
  • Customizable Debit Cards – For the amount of $9.99, parents may opt to put their kids’ photographs on their respective cards to make them more personalized.
  • Security Features – Greenlight has put essential security features in place to ensure all accounts are safe.
  • Reasonable Monthly Fee – For the price of $4.99 per month, families can enjoy all the perks that Greenlight has to offer. In fact, the monthly fee becomes super worth it if you have five children in the family that you want to enroll in. That means spending $1 per month per child only.
  • FDIC Insured – All accounts are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), which means each depositor will receive up to $250,000 in case of a bank failure.

WHAT ARE THE DOWNSIDES OF GREENLIGHT?

In this section, we listed down some of the major downsides of the Greenlight app. This includes the following:

  • Card Replacement Fee – Although replacement of card is free for the first time, you will need to pay a cost once it happens again.
  • Monthly Fee – Although the amount is fair enough, the monthly fee may seem a lot for some parents whose budgets are tight.
  • Allowances Are Not Withheld Automatically – Unfortunately, the app does not automatically withhold allowances in case your kid fails to complete a chore. Parents need to do it manually by turning the allowance off.
  • Entirely Online – Greenlight is a mobile application and is entirely online. So, if you want in-person access to your account that is not available. You may have to look for something else.

FINAL THOUGHTS ON GREENLIGHT

Greenlight is a great tool to help parents teach kids the value of money. It provides a lot of great features that are helpful to both parents and kids.

There is a lot of things to love about this app. But of course, like anything else, it does have its share of downsides as well. One of them is the monthly fee of $4.99.

However, if you look at what it has to offer, and how it will help parents raise financially literate children, then, it should be worth it.

So, are you considering downloading Greenlight now?

This Greenlight review, brought us to conclude that overall, Greenlight is a great app to help parents raise children who know how to handle money well.

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Mobile Banking

FamZoo Review: One Of The Best Financial Tools For Kids

If you are looking for a financial tool that will help teach your kids about financial responsibility, then this FamZoo review is for you.

FamZoo Review: One Of The Best Financial Tools For Kids

Money matters is not a very easy thing to discuss at home especially with kids. But, it is essential so younger generations learn how to properly handle their finances in the long run.

As parents, it is your responsibility to teach your kids how to handle money wisely. Teaching them young is the most ideal thing to do as it will absolutely affect how they handle their finances in the long run.

The earlier they learn about financial management, the better.

We understand how challenging the task can be. Thus, we are not quite surprised that in the 2017 T. Rowe Price Survey, it was found that kids are actually not learning about financial literacy at home.

In fact, 69% of parents are reluctant about discussing financial matters with their children. Out of all the respondents, only 23% of them, indicated that they often talk to their parents about money matters while 35% stated that their parents are not comfortable about discussing financial stuff at home.

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Meanwhile, according to research conducted by the National Bureau of Economic Research, 40.2% of young people with low levels of financial literacy rely on their parents, friends, as well as acquaintances when it comes to gaining financial knowledge, while 20.8% are financially literate.

So, you see, whether you like it or not, as a parent you have to work on teaching your kids financial literacy.

Here’s the thing, unlike before, today, thanks to the advent of technology, there are actually a lot of available tools online that you can use to teach your children financial management.

One of the many platforms to choose from is FamZoo, a prepaid card that specially designed to teach kids the fundamental principles of good money management.

In the next few sections, you will learn more about the FamZoo as we specifically answer some of the most important questions about this tool, which include:

  • What is FamZoo?
  • Who is FamZoo best for?
  • What does FamZoo offer?
  • How does FamZoo work?
  • Are there fees involved?
  • How to open an account with FamZoo?
  • Is FamZoo safe?
  • What are the upsides of FamZoo?
  • What are the downsides of FamZoo?

WHAT IS FAMZOO?

FamZoo is a prepaid card company that was founded in 2006 by Bill Dwight. It is an online virtual family bank that can be used, obviously, by parents and children.

It specifically focuses on helping teach kids the fundamental principles of good financial management.

By using FamZoo, your kids will learn how to earn, save, as well as spend money sensibly.

What’s nice about FamZoo is that it was specifically made with children in mind.

In fact, Dwight initially created it to help his own children understand the importance of handling money wisely.

With FamZoo, parents and children can track spending and save through its website or its mobile app. Meanwhile, families can use IOU accounts to track spending.

FamZoo comes with a prepaid debit card that does not charge overdraft fees. It also does not drain the children’s parents’ actual checking account by accident. If you have lots of children, each of them gets to have their own IOU as well as debit card accounts.

Know more about FamZoo and what makes it work for young people based on a user’s perspective in the video below by Marble Jar Channel:

WHO IS FAMZOO BEST FOR?

FamZoo should appeal to parents who want to teach their children how to manage their money wisely. In the same way, it is best for children who want to learn financial literacy as early as now.

FamZoo is open to any family. All you need is to open one account per family. One parent will be the primary account holder, and they will be the ones responsible for transferring money to their kids’ debit cards as well as IOU accounts.

Children, as well as teens who earn an allowance or have a side job, may benefit the most from FamZoo as they may already have a basic concept of saving and spending money.

Although FamZoo primarily appeals to younger people, some families even use IOU accounts as well as debit cards for their college-aged kids.

Again, if you are a parent who finds teaching your kids financial management very challenging, FamZoo may just make your life so much easier.

Also, it is important to know that FamZoo is available for children who are 13 years old and above. For children below 13 years, FamZoo allows parents to get “on behalf of” debit cards.

For children below 13 years old, FamZoo expects that a parent is present when the child is making a purchase.

WHAT DOES FAMZOO OFFER?

FamZoo offers two products — the Prepaid Card Accounts and the IOU Accounts.

Prepaid Card Accounts

As mentioned, FamZoo offers a prepaid card that is ideal for children from preschool up to college.

It is a financial product that is made to be supervised and managed by parents or guardians.

Unlike other prepaid cards in the market, what makes FamZoo unique is that it offers a way to set up and divert money to different accounts for categories such as saving, investing, spending, and giving.

FamZoo debit card offers a few more perks, including:

  • No overdraft fees
  • No hidden fees
  • Free card loading options
  • Support major digital wallets, which include Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay

With FamZoo, parents get to retain control of the card as well as the account all the time. More so, they can set up special accounts for monthly allowances or for certain payment chores.

Unlike a typical prepaid card or debit card, a FamZoo card can be ordered online without a credit check.

The Prepaid Card Accounts come with a monthly fee, which varies between $2.50 and $5.99 per month depending on your preferred subscription.

Here’s the price breakdown per subscription:

  • $5.99 per family when you pay each month
  • $4.33 per family when you pay $25.99 in advance for six months
  • $3.33 per family when you pay $39.99 in advance for 12 months
  • $2.50 per family when you pay $59.99 in advance for 24 months

IOU Accounts

With IOU Accounts, parents get to track funds they are holding elsewhere for their kids. While FamZoo still keeps track of them, parents handle the transaction of cash and inform FamZoo about it.

The fees are similar to the Prepaid Card Account. However, instead of one month, you get the first two months for free.

For your reference, here are the four different IOU budget plans to choose from:

  • Starter Plan– This allows young children to track occasional deposits and purchases.
  • Simple Allowance/Chore Plan– Parents may opt to pay for chores or a regular allowance, which makes it easier to track their child’s earning.
  • Spend-Save-Give Plan- This plan emphasizes splitting income between saving, spending, as well as giving accounts.
  • Teen Budget Plan– This plan allows division of income between different budget percentages for the present as well as for future expenses.

HOW DOES FAMZOO WORK?

To be honest, FamZoo is like a serious play.

You are probably wondering why. Well, it’s because using it turns parents into bankers for their kids.

You get to use FamZoo by buying a subscription. In the subscription, each family gets a primary card, which is controlled by the parents, as well as additional cards. The number of cards depends on how many your children are.

The primary card is like the bank. It is the one that is responsible for funding the children’s cards. Meanwhile, the primary card is funded by a different bank account owned by one of the parents.

Your children’s cards can also be funded by another bank account, which makes it ideal if your kids are planning to do a part-time or a summer job.

Like a typical debit card, each of FamZoo cards does have its own routing and account number, which means you can use it to set up direct deposits or bank transfers.

It is also important to know that your children are not limited to having just one debit card. In fact, your kid or each of your kids can have several cards. It’s like having several piggy banks for different spending goals.

To make it easier for the cardholder to identify which one is for a specific spending goal, the cardholder can use the custom label embossed beneath the cardholder’s name.

As mentioned in the previous section, FamZoo does not require a credit check, which means regardless of your credit standing, you can open one for your family.

With FamZoo, both parents and children get to view their account activity on a shared dashboard.

This platform can also be used by parents to set allowances as well as give rewards to their kids for doing certain duties.

Parents can also withhold money so their children can save cash for a rainy day or give it to a charity of their choice.

Furthermore, FamZoo also enables parents to add interest to savings as well as create penalties for certain behaviors. They may also offer loans like what banks do.

With IOU accounts, parents will have the ability to track funds they are holding on their children’s behalf. IOU accounts provide information on how much money is owed to your kids. Similarly, parents may also set up IOUs for cash owed by their kids. Expense sharing may also be set up with IOUs.

Another thing is that, with the cards, children can spend money at the same time, record where it was spent. This allows parents to see exactly what their kids are spending their money on.

FamZoo is compatible with both iOS and Android mobile apps. If case mobile apps are not your cup of tea, you may opt to access your account via the company website.

Additionally, you may also opt to text or email commands to FamZoo if you are unable or not in the mood to use the mobile app.

For text commands, all you need to do is send a text message to 41411 using this format: “famzoo [quick-command]”. You will then immediately receive a reply. You may opt to check the quick command reference guide on the FamZoo website to know every single command that is available. Text commands come in both short and long versions.

ARE THERE FEES INVOLVED?

Just like in a typical bank, it is important to look into the costs involved.

FamZoo does not charge overdraft fees as well and does not have hidden fees.

However, it does have a per-family subscription fee.

The subscription fee costs $5.99 per month. But this can be reduced to $4.33 per month if paid every six months, $3.33 per month for payments done annually, as well as $2.50 per month if you pay a one-time payment for 24 months. The latter choice is definitely the best deal available.

Also, FamZoo offers a free trial so you get to check first if the platform works for you or not before you start subscribing to it. Also, FamZoo allows you to switch plans at any time. All you need to do is contact FamZoo.

Additionally, FamZoo charges a one-time shipping fee after the fourth card, which costs an additional $2 for each card.

For your reference, here’s a list of fees you should be aware of:

  • Overdraft Fee – $0
  • Reload fees – $0 for direct deposit, digital wallets, and FamZoo card transfers. Up to $6 for bank account transfers and retail stores.
  • Inactivity Fees – $0
  • In-network MoneyPass ATM withdrawals – $0
  • Out-of-network ATM withdrawals – Varies (However, FamZoo doesn’t charge an extra fee.)
  • Foreign transaction fee – 3%

HOW TO OPEN AN ACCOUNT WITH FAMZOO?

In the previous sections of our FamZoo review, we talked about the most important details you need to know about this platform.

This time, let’s talk about how to actually open a FamZoo account.

To sign up, all you need to do is visit the FamZoo website and click the “Sign Up Now” button. You will then be asked to choose between Prepaid Card Accounts and IOU Accounts.

As mentioned, while both charges the same, Prepaid Accounts offer a one-month free trial only, while IOU accounts offer two months free trial.

To start your subscription, you will need to provide some personal information including your name, email, phone number, as well as your preferred password.

The whole process is quick and simple. You can finish it in just a few minutes.

IS FAMZOO SAFE?

Your personal data and account safety is important. Thus, in this part of our FamZoo review, we are going to see how secure this financial platform is.

For those with Prepaid Card Accounts, it is important to know that you can lock them at any point if they are either lost or stolen.

In addition, parents can also lock the cards if they worry about their kid’s spending habits.

As mentioned, children aged 12 and below cannot have their own cards. However, it is possible for them to use cards under their parents’ names.

All funds under Prepaid Card Accounts are stored in financial accounts that are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). With prepaid card accounts, all information is stored with TransCard.

Meanwhile, for IOU accounts, there really is not money at risk when you opt for this.

So, is FamZoo safe? Definitely, it is.

WHAT ARE THE UPSIDES OF FAMZOO?

We are almost done with our FamZoo review. But first, here are some of the advantages of using FamZoo:

  • Teaches Kids The Value Of Money – FamZoo is specifically designed to teach kids how to efficiently handle finances. So, if you are a parent who finds it hard to instill financial literacy by simply talking to your kids, this is the best way to do it instead.
  • Intuitive User Experience – Both the online and mobile platforms are easy to use.
  • Service Can Be Customized – FamZoo can be tailored based on your specific needs and requirements to help your kids better appreciate financial values and expectations.
  • Parental Controls – Although your kids get to access the account, parents still have control. In fact, parents can lock their children’s cards if they find it necessary.
  • Digital Access – FamZoo is available both online and mobile.
  • Low Fees – Although there is a subscription fee, generally, it still is low as compared to other financial platforms available in the market.

WHAT ARE THE DOWNSIDES OF FAMZOO?

To complete our review on FamZoo, here are some of the downsides of this financial platform:

  • No Free Plan – Unfortunately, FamZoo does not offer a free plan. The cost of the monthly subscription may be an added cost for families with a meager income.
  • Manually Input Transactions for Non-FamZoo Debit Card Purchases – To manually input transactions for non-FamZoo debit card purchases can be quite a daunting task.
  • Prepaid Cards are Available in the US Only – The FamZoo financial platform is only available for those living in the US. Outsiders can only avail of IOU accounts.

FINAL THOUGHTS ON FAMZOO

FamZoo is a financial platform that is specifically designed to help teach kids how to handle their money efficiently. It’s a great tool parents can use to instill in their children the right knowledge on financial management.

Given all the information we provided, do you consider using FamZoo?

With this FamZoo review, we hope you are able to gauge between the pros and cons and decide if this platform is ideal for you and your family.

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Investment Apps and Websites

Zeta Review: A Finance Management App Designed For Couples

In this Zeta review, you’ll see how this financial management app helps couples specifically in handling their finances. We bet you’ll love it.

Zeta Review: A Finance Management App Designed For Couples

Marriage is such a beautiful thing. Do you agree?

It’s nice knowing that you have someone with you for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death you part.

But successful marriages do not come so easy. It definitely is not a walk in the park. Truth is, it takes a lot of hard work to make a marriage last.

A couple deals with lots of problems and challenges along the way, and unfortunately, one of the common causes of conflicts among them is — yes, you guessed it right! Money.

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In a study entitled, “For Richer, for Poorer: Money as a Topic of Marital Conflict in the Home,” which was published online at the United States National Library of Medicine – National Institutes of Health, it says:

Contrary to findings from previous laboratory-based surveys, spouses did not rate money as the most frequent source of marital conflict in the home. However, compared to non-money issues, marital conflicts about money were more pervasive, problematic, and recurrent, and remained unresolved, despite including more attempts at problem-solving.”

Meanwhile, according to a study conducted by the Institute for Divorce Financial Analysis, 22 percent of all divorces in the United States were caused by money issues.

So, you see, while money is not the primary cause of failing marriages and relationships in general, it does take a big part of the picture.

But, you know what? There is nothing in the world that cannot be resolved, right?

Every problem comes with a solution or at least a way to make things work.

There are actually a lot of things that couples can do to not let money get the best of their relationship.

One of the many ways to make things work in terms of handling finances between married couples is using a financial management app like Zeta that is specifically designed for them.

While there are lots of financial management apps out there, the majority of them are for personal use. But this one, Zeta, was designed to help couples be better in handling their money as one.

Are you curious now to know more about this app? Well, in a couple of sections, we are going to share with you key information about the Zeta app.

In particular, this Zeta review will provide answers to the following questions:

  • What is Zeta?
  • What makes it different from other financial management apps?
  • Who is Zeta best for?
  • How does Zeta work?
  • What are the best features of Zeta?
  • How to get started with Zeta?
  • Are there fees involved?
  • Is Zeta safe?
  • What to like about Zeta?
  • What not to like about Zeta?

WHAT IS ZETA?

While most budgeting apps are great for solo users, Zeta is a financial management application that was specifically designed with couples’ needs in mind.

It was founded by Aditi Shekar, a family finance expert with a mission to “help couples get smarter about money.

Zeta is a great financial tool that allows couples to stay on top of their finances as one. You know, promoting teamwork between couples, which is actually what it should be.

Anyway, the Zeta app helps couples merge their finances, set common goals, as well as track their financial progress together — not leaving the other behind.

Zeta is a free app, which honestly makes it even better!

Zeta can be accessed online or through a mobile app, which makes it even more convenient to use. So, even if you two are apart, you can still see what’s going on with your money with just a click.

Using the app, you can connect all of your accounts including checking, savings, investments, as well as debts — all in one place.

Although you can opt to let your partner see all your accounts, you also have the power to choose only what you want to share with the other person while still using the app to manage the others without them knowing.

On a business note, Zeta is backed by world-class investors, which include “a group of diverse, experienced and hands-on operators and venture investors from financial and consumer industries.”

If you’re interested in knowing more about what the Zeta app is about and what it has to offer, here’s an insightful video by Money at 30:

WHAT MAKES ZETA DIFFERENT FROM OTHER FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT APPS?

Similar to other money management app out there, Zeta has features that make it easier for users to track income and expenses.

The app allows you to customize how you categorize several expenses and allows the user to review transactions, check bills calendar, as well as ensure that the expenses are within the budget.

However, what makes Zeta different from other apps you see in the marketplace is that it specifically focus on helping couples manage their finances together at different stages of their relationship.

As mentioned earlier, one of the major triggers of marriages that do not work is money issues. The main founder of Zeta wishes to address that by providing a tool that will help couples become more transparent with each other in terms of finances.

Moving on, Zeta has features that allow users to categorize transactions as “his,” “hers,” and “ours” (tagged with names, not with pronouns), which makes it easier to track shared as well as individual expenses.

By the way, Zeta also includes a savings bucket, which is not common among budgeting apps.

Furthermore, the app is flexible enough that couples can share as much or as little with the other person as they want. It allows users to still have that personal space.

The app allows you to link all your accounts at the same time, letting you choose only the ones you want to share with your partner and manage the others on your own without the other person knowing.

WHO IS ZETA BEST FOR?

Obviously, Zeta is specifically designed for couples. Whether you are married, engaged to be married, or living together, this app is best for you.

Well, of course, for as long as both parties are in for this shared financial management journey, this should work.

As mentioned, while it primarily promotes “shared” financial management, couples can still use the same app to manage their “personal” accounts. It’s like hitting two birds with one stone, yeah?

As for single people, you can still use the app although of course, you cannot enjoy the majority of its features because, again, it’s designed for couples.

HOW DOES ZETA WORK?

If you have used a budgeting app before, then it should be easier for you to get familiarized with how Zeta works.

However, if you are totally new to the whole financial management app thing, then this part of our Zeta review is for you.

Basically, like any other financial management apps in the market, Zeta tracks the user’s income and expenses.

To be able to do that, you either sync your transactions automatically or do it manually.

Zeta helps couples simplify their finances.

Once the user adds an account, he or she could mark it either “personal” or “shared.” Obviously, when you share the latter that means your partner gets to see it as well.

The software updates spending in real-time. More so, it allows couples to create their own budgeting categories or opt to use the preset ones in the app.

Zeta has a feature that allows users to track shared financial goals at the same time, keeping expenses separate.

WHAT ARE THE BEST FEATURES OF ZETA?

In this part of our Zeta review, you will see the best features of the app so far. This includes the following:

Bill Splits

Some couples prefer splitting the bill between each other. To be honest, this could sometimes be a headache when you do not have a system in place.

But, with the Zeta app, couples can easily keep track of bills that are meant to be shared, at the same time, keep track of who owes what.

Bill Calendar

Obviously, this feature allows couples to stay on track of their monthly financial obligations specifically — bills.

This feature shows when a bill is due to help ensure you do not miss paying anything.

Budgets and Goal Setting

Using the Zeta app, you can set up budgets and goals together. At the same time, track their movement.

Having budgets and goals will surely help you as a couple to stay motivates, make adjustments when necessary, and celebrate wins together.

Memos

What’s nice about the Zeta app is that it comes with this feature that allows you to leave a memo for your partner.

You can use this when making a purchase that the other person does not know about, or when you want to ask your partner about a particular expense.

Net Worth Tracker

One of the best ways to improve your financial situation is by tracking your net worth. This allows you to spend within your means and not go overboard.

Net worth refers to the value of your assets after subtracting your liabilities. With the help of Zeta, the process is simplified by syncing all your accounts in one place and doing the math on your behalf.

The tracker lets you see your net worth go up and down based on you and your partner’s choices.

Joint Cards

This is actually the company’s attempt at couples banking. By partnering with Radius Bank, Zeta gets to offer a joint bank account that comes with two debit cards allowing each couple to manage their finances and goals with the tools provided by the app.

Zeta Joint Cards allows couples to merge all or a part of their money. For some couples, this helps them manage their finances better. It makes things easier, in fact.

The Zeta Joint Cards provides the following features:

  • No Account Fees or Minimums
  • Account-holders could earn 0.14% APY
  • FDIC-Insured through Radius Bank for up to $500,000
  • Instant notifications
  • Early Direct Deposit
  • Allows transferring money from an individual or joint accounts
  • Mobile check deposit
  • Digital checks (write and send)
  • Access to 32,000 ATMs for free
  • Contactless payment via Apple Pay, Google Pay, or PayPal
  • Unlimited transfers
  • Bill pay

To avail of this feature, all you need to do is follow these simple steps:

  • Tell Zeta about you and your relationship.
  • Invite your partner and have their information confirmed.
  • Receive your respective Zeta Joint Card.
  • Start spending and saving as a team.

The Zeta Joint Cards is ideal for married duos, the newly moved-in, families, trusting roommates, or any other case where a joint bank account is handy can work.

HOW TO GET STARTED WITH ZETA?

Signing up with Zeta is pretty simple. All you have to do is go to their website, look for the Get Started button, and click it.

Provide all the information that will be required from. They’re basic information such as your email address, name, address, phone number, etc.

Also, you will be asked to link your financial accounts, and then, invite your partner to join in.

The whole signing-up process does not take long. In fact, you can finish it within 10 minutes.

ARE THERE FEES INVOLVED?

Now, here’s one of the most important things about the Zeta app — anyone can use it absolutely for free!

To be honest, it’s quite surprising since some of the most popular budgeting apps out there come with a cost.

By using Zeta, couples get to enjoy all the perks that come with the app without having to worry about paying for the services they use.

Zeta is a powerful budgeting tool that allows users to do automatic transaction importing, net worth tracking, the ability to customize categories, as well as a bill payment calendar, and keeping track of your personal and shared accounts and expenses.

IS ZETA SAFE?

Since users will have to link their accounts to the Zeta app, it is important that in this Zeta review, we also look into how secure the app is.

So, how secure is the Zeta app?

Zeta uses bank-level security measures to ensure that your personal information is secured.

None of your logins are stored in the Zeta app. They also use reputable third-party technology to link your financial accounts to the app without storing information anywhere.

Once you invite your partner to join, there is a two-step identification process in place before the other person can see the shared information. Rest assured that Zeta will never access your account unless you permit it to.

Meanwhile, we mentioned earlier that one of the perks Zeta users can enjoy is the Joint Cards, a joint bank account that comes with two debit cards allowing each couple to manage their finances and goals with the tools provided by the app.

Once you enroll for the said account, your money gets insured through Zeta’s partner bank, which is an FDIC member. All deposits are insured for up to $500,000 in the event of a bank failure.

WHAT TO LIKE ABOUT ZETA?

There are a lot of things to like about Zeta especially if you and your partner are so game with sharing financial information and are willing to work as a team.

Some of the things that really stand out are the following:

  • Free App – Zeta is available for all for free! Imagine getting all the perks it offers without having to pay a cent!? That’s great, right?
  • Financial Management App Designed for Couples – Unlike the majority of budgeting apps you find in the market, Zeta is specifically designed to help couples be better at handling their finances together. This, hopefully, helps saves marriages from breaking up because of money issues.
  • Zeta Joint Cards – This feature allows couples to have a joint bank account that comes with two debit cards allowing each couple to manage their finances and goals with the tools provided by Zeta. This one’s nice to have for couples, really.
  • Zeta Joint Cards are FDIC-Insured – What’s nice about this feature is that all deposits are insured by the FDIC through Zeta’s bank partner. The insurance is up to $500,000 in case of a bank failure.

WHAT NOT TO LIKE ABOUT ZETA?

While there are a lot of things to like about Zeta, it also has its share of drawbacks.

In this section of our Zeta review, we are going to share with you some of the drawbacks of this financial management app for couples. It includes:

  • Work In Progress – Zeta app is still a work in progress. New features are still being added, which is actually good because it means there’s a lot more to look forward to.
  • App Tends to be Slow – Well, we thought, since the app is still a work in progress, this explains why some users find it slow. Don’t worry, though, because the team is working on speeding things up. Also, we thought it’s fair to be a little forgiving since this one’s a free and a newly-built app anyway.
  • Tracking Progress on Savings Goal Falls Short – Unfortunately, in case you are saving up for something, Zeta does not update your progress automatically at the moment. So, you have to do it manually instead. We, however, believe that the team is also working on it.

FINAL THOUGHTS ON ZETA

Zeta is a financial management app designed specifically for couples. The app provides a number of helpful features to help couples be better at handling their finances together.

Since the app is relatively new (needless to say, it’s free), there is still a lot of work in progress. But, imagine when it’s done and the app is already very functional. It would definitely be a big help.

So, given all the information we shared, are you thinking about downloading the app already?

Overall, with all the information provided in this Zeta review, we thought the app has so much potential. There’s so much to look forward to. Also, it definitely tries hard to provide what they think will help their users in terms of budgeting and goal setting.