• Mint - This online money management tool allows you to set up all of your accounts online.  Credit cards, checking/savings accounts, car loans, investments – if you can name it, they’ve got it.  As long as you have online accounts setup with all of your financial institutions, Mint can import the information and keep it up to date at all times.  Your information is safe, and there’s even an iPhone app so you can check it anytime, anywhere.  See your net worth, get notifications when bills are due, and categorize transactions.  You can set up budget categories for transactions so you can see if you are on budget throughout the month.  Mint does have competitors – here’s a table that compares Mint with Geezeo and Wesabe.
• Finfo – “We bring you up-to-date information about college tuition, the cost of living, and more.”  Ironically, part of being in a tough economy is finding a new job.  Finfo helps you analyze how to salary you are being offered compares with the cost of living in that area.  In also helps you plan when sending someone to college, and offers budgeting tools as well.
• MyCheckFree – If you’re bank doesn’t offer online billpay, MyCheckFree is a site that allows you to pay your bills for free.  Though there are a limited number of payees, it can take some of the stress off of organizing and sending your bills in on time.
• Online Billpay – This is available through most online banking sites, and is often free.  If your bank doesn’t offer online banking, I would highly recommend finding one that does.  With online billpay, you can setup payments in advance to be withdrawn from your account when bills are due.  Many banks, such as mine, will even send paper checks to businesses that don’t accept online payments.  I don’t pay a dime for postage, and it saves me that hassle of writing a check and sending it in on time.  I know when my money is coming out of my account and what my balance will be when it all goes through.  To top it off, I can setup recurring payments for rent and any other bills that don’t fluctuate in price.  If your bank does charge for this service, weigh the benefits and decide if it is worth it.

It’s inevitable that there’s a ‘must-have’ tools that I didn’t cover.  I’d love to hear how you’re managing your money.