Simone Baribeau
1. Where are you?
Before you can figure out where you're going, it helps to know where you are. Few of us have anyone looking over our shoulder and tracking our expenses. No matter. We can now do it ourselves with the help of free services like Mint.com, Wesabe and TheStreet.com's Geezeo. Become a Mint.com user and you can create an account tracking your various checking, savings, credit card and mutual fund accounts. It then tells you how you're spending your money, and suggests ways to cut back on expenses. Do you qualify for a higher interest checking account? Mint.com will tell you. Didn't realize you were spending so much on takeout food? Now you'll know. And you can create budgets for spending types (like groceries and gas) and compare your spending to other users in your area. Wesabe and Geezeo provide the same type of service, but with a greater focus on allowing members to give tips to members with similar financial profiles. 2. Where do you want to be? Presumably, one day you want to retire. But in between now and then, life's likely to be costly: a five-figure wedding price tag is the norm, you need an emergency fund, you'd like to own your home. The newly launched Boulevard R -- the "R" stands for retirement -- asks you about your current financial situation and your future financial goals, and develops a financial plan to help you achieve them. The site also puts "real people" in the process. Users can hook up with financial planners, and soon the site will match users who have accomplished certain goals with those who have those goals.
RSS
