Money Tools & Resources I Use
What I use on a regular basis to manage my money and investing.
If you would like to know about what I invest in, then have a look at my portfolio page.
Quick Jump: Investing | Budgeting & Calculators | Banking | Books | Blogs & Forums
Some links here may be affiliate links – meaning I could get a commission should you buy through them with no additional cost to you.
Investing tools
If you have some leftover money every month and are looking to grow it these tools can all help.
Sharesight
Ready to ditch the spreadsheet?
See your returns in real time, chart performance vs benchmarks, or review your divideds all in the one place.
Also great for researching stocks and markets.
Spaceship Voyager
Probably the hottest investing app at the moment.
Put your money into a managed fund that is "where the world is going". Full of tech stocks and up and comers, this app is easy to use, full of helpful content and performs well.
Receive an extra $10 when you add $5 to your new account, use the code S89LS9YTS6 after signing up
Raiz
The original all in one investing app.
Use it to collect spare change or to build a fully capable investment portfolio.
There are different options depending on your risk tolerance, but it’s so simple you can set and forget.
Selfwealth
If you are looking to make larger, irregular investments or need some trading flexibility then a broker account like Selfwealth would be the go.
I use SelfWealth to invest in the ASX via ETFs or direct stock selections.
SelfWealth charge $9.50 per trade, so if your invest $1000, that is a .95% trading cost.
Budgeting tools & calculators
For when I want to do some maths. Like how much more I'll take home when my salary changes or what happens when I save more or which ETF is best for my needs.
Make sure you see my guide on budgeting which these tools all complement.
MoneySmart Budget Planner
Input income and expenses, irrespective of if they are weekly monthly or yearly and it'll work out your end of month surplus or defecit. You can download as a spreadsheet to save and reference then at anytime.
Vanguard Fund Compare Tool
Unexciting looking, but use to select funds or ETFs and compare side by side aspects such as cost, risk and return over time.
Compound interest calculator
You put in a starting amount, a recurring investment (if any), a rate of return and time frame. It’ll then tell you the total savings you accumulated over that time.
You can see the difference an extra $50 a month saved makes over 10 years or a change in % of return.
Pay Calculator
Get an idea of what your take home pay will be after tax.
You can work out what that new job or pay increase will actually mean to your back pocket.
You can also adjust your super, tweak your hours worked should a number of different scenarios be required.
Salary sacrifice calc
You can determine for example how an extra $100 a week into your super pre tax might end up costing you (it would be less that the pre tax amount).
Banking
Banking is one area I find people either totally neglect or try and optimise every single week. Spend time setting it up, keep it simple and automate.
Read more on how I manage my family finances.
Everyday banking – ING
Aa great app, good savings rates and fast transfer turnarounds. ING has one unique feature I love - You get ATM fees reimbursed straight away from ANY atm in Australia.
No matter if it costs $2 or $25, you get your money back straight away. No other bank does this (some reimburse you at the end of the month).
Home loan – loans.com.au
I refinanced from ANZ to loans.com.au a few years ago. The process was all online and over the phone, simple and hassle free.
I got a good rate, which is all that matters. There might be others that have interest rates .01% of .02% better, but I am happy to stay with a competitive business.
Books
Your best money tool is knowledge.You are lucky cause there are so many books out there on personal finance and investing .
I have a handful picked that I'd like to share. These are all fantastic reference guides that I keep on my bedside table for easy reach.
I Will Teach You To Be Rich
by Ramit Sethi
A structured guide to rebuilding and maximising your money tools and systems - including how to use credit cards, automation and investing.
Link to buy
Happy Money: The New Science of Smarter Spending
by Elizabeth Dunn, Michael Norton
Things don’t make you happy; experiences do. And the memories you make keep you happy.
Link to buy
The One-Page Financial Plan: A Simple Way to Be Smart About Your Money
by Carl Richards
If you are looking to map out your financial future, this is your reference.
Link to buy
Blogs & Forums
I like to read up on finance through one way or another. Either on social media, forums, news sites or blogs. I get a better perspective learning from how others think about money.
Obviously you would have read all my articles before needing to visit any other site.
Ramit Sethi
He authors iwt.com and has a fantastic site as well as Instagram and Twitter presence. A great influence on how I improved my money mindset and building a rich life.
Whirlpool Finance Forums
I love reading the different stories that get posted here. Most of it I take with a grain of salt but there are some great posts on investing, asset allocation, super and what not to do.
reddit.com/r/AusFinance
A quick way to find articles users share on local finance news. Whether it be property or stock market, or how to construct a portfolio – it’s another good place to hear stories.
Anything I missed?
This is my own list of money tools and resources I use and like, so fair chance it won't match anyone elses.
Let me know if there is something I missed out or your recommend.