While I have not had much experience using financial software; Vantage Credit Union, whom Young & Free St. Louis is based out of, has just come out with a new feature called "My$Manager."  Here's the lowdown on our exciting new PFM tool!

My$Manager: Personal Financial Management With a “Mint-y” flavor

Coming in October to your MyVantage online banking is My$Manager, Vantage Credit Union’s very own personal financial management (PFM) tool!

With similar functionality to other PFM tools such as Mint and Wesabe, you won’t find anything like this anywhere else in town. Nowhere. Period. My$Manager is integrated right into MyVantage online and ready to help you manage ALL your finances in a smooth, reliable, efficient manner.

Whet your appetite with My$Manager’s impressive list of features:

Budgeting
Use information such as income, spending targets and bills to create a budget designed specifically for you. All your spending from your accounts at Vantage and other financial institutions (over 10,000 supported!) is brought together on your personal dashboard to create a working plan for you and your money. As your financial life ebbs and flows through saving and spending, My$Manager will show you how you’re doing with your budget.

Tagging
Categorize your transactions as one-word descriptions that allow you to track your spending. With every transaction you make, you’ll have the opportunity to “tag” the event with a key word(s) associated with that transaction, or even split the transaction into multiple tags. “Groceries,” “Entertainment,” and “Clothing” are just a few suggested tags.

Cashflow calendar
This useful list of dates keeps you informed about paychecks, bill due dates and available funds. One quick glance gives you a thorough picture of your monthly financial landscape.

Goals
Hey, we all have goals … or should. Yes, we’re giving you the raised eyebrow if you don’t! In your financial world, what do you hope to accomplish? My$Manager helps you achieve goals by charting your progress along the way.

Alerts
Have trouble keeping track of upcoming bills or other expenses? No problem. With My$Manager alerts, you’ll receive personalized notifications to remind you via mobile device or email.

Mobile access
Get your financial information even if you’re away from your computer. My$Manager will send your mobile phone updates concerning your account balance(s), goals, budget, bills and more.

Ask the experts
Have a burning financially related question? Get the answers you need by posting your question to the My$Manager community. Resident experts will answer questions related to savings and checking, consumer loans, mortgages, insurance, investments, financial planning and more. And, as a community, other My$Manager users can also share answers or experiences.

Security rules!
So, are you ready for the convenience of money management from one single location? “Not so fast,” you say, “does all this cool convenience come with a price, namely security?” As always, the security of your financial information is our top priority, so the simple answer is, no worries. You can only access My$Manager once you’ve logged into your account in MyVantage, which is already behind a firewall and uses encrypted information protected by your existing username and password.

A “Mint-y” fresh way to manage your money!
All this convenience comes FREE as part of your MyVantage suite of online banking services. And, in the Greater St. Louis area, it’s only available at Vantage Credit Union. Go ahead, look around. You won’t find it anywhere else, and it’s coming in October. Take a peek at some FAQs, and stay tuned!