Life Money Money Planning We Tried 300 Financial Apps and Services for the Real Simple Smart Money Awards—Here Are the 2020 Winners These apps, accounts, and services will make your financial life easier. By Kate Rockwood Kate Rockwood Kate Rockwood is a writer and editor with nearly two decades of experience in print and digital media. Highlights: * Worked at Chicago Sun-Times as a fact-checker and then an online editor from 2005-2007 * Worked as senior editor at Fast Company from 2008 - 2011 * Worked as senior editor at O, the Oprah Magazine from 2011 - 2013 * Worked as senior content director for Imagination Publishing from 2013- 2015 Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Published on August 6, 2020 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Giacomo Bagnara Budgeting, saving, investing, and shopping have never been simpler, thanks to some ingenious tools now at our disposal. Our panel of money experts sifted through more than 300 new options to find the 23 products and services that will boost your bottom line—and that of our editors, who took a few out for a spin. Click here to see which smart money programs and services our editors tested and loved, or read on for the 2020 Real Simple Smart Money Award winners. 01 of 10 Budgeting Best for spotting bad habits: Cleo Best for managing subscriptions: Clarity Money Best for couples who want to save and spend together: Zeta Read more about the best budget apps. 02 of 10 Banking Best for streamlining multiple savings accounts: SoFi's Money Vaults Best for people with fluctuating incomes who want to save: Empower Best for a big interest payoff: Level Read more about the best banking apps. 03 of 10 Investing Best for investors who want in on pricier stocks: Fidelity's Stocks by the Slice Best for beginner investors looking for a value: Charles Schwab's Intelligent Portfolios Premium Best for day traders who dread tax time: TurboTax Premier Best for budget-conscious investors who still like premium trading tools: Ally Invest Read more about the best investment apps. 04 of 10 Insurance Best for small-business owners and gig workers: Next Insurance Best for young families who want to secure their financial future: Fabric Best for getting a non-employer-based health savings account: Lively Read more about the best insurance apps. 05 of 10 Managing credit cards Best for paying down debt and starting an emergency fund: Tally Best for 20-somethings who want to build their credit rating: Petal Best for keeping tabs on your credit account: Capital One's Eno Read more about the best credit cards and management apps. 06 of 10 Real estate Best for home sellers who need to move quickly: Opendoor Best for home buyers or refinancers who want simplicity: Better.com Read more about the best real estate sites. 07 of 10 Shopping Best for rewards: Acorns Best for making discount hunting a breeze: Honey Best for Venmo devotees who want to earn extra cash: Venmo Rewards Read more about the best shopping apps. 08 of 10 Financial services Best for refinancing student loans: Earnest Best for planning an impending retirement: Charles Schwab's Intelligent Income Read more about great financial services of 2020. 09 of 10 Methodology To create the Smart Money Awards, we compiled a list of financial companies offering products that debuted (or were updated) between January 2019 and June 2020. A panel of 10 judges rated the products on innovativeness and relevance to Real Simple readers. 10 of 10 Meet the judges Tiffany Aliche, founder and CEO of The Budgetnista, a financial education platform Cathy Derus, CPA at Brightwater Accounting Gideon Drucker, CFP, author of How to Avoid H.E.N.R.Y. Syndrome: Financial Strategies to Own Your Future Ande Frazier, CFP, behavioral financial expert and author of Fin(anci)ally Free Shannah Compton Game, CFP, host of Millennial Money podcast Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, money coach and author of Zero Debt: The Ultimate Guide to Financial Freedom Stephanie Mackara, certified divorce financial analyst, president of Charleston Investment Advisors in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, and author of Money Minded Families: How to Raise Financially Well Children Kevin L. Matthews II, CFP, founder of BuildingBread, a financial education platform Luis F. Rosa, CFP, host of the podcast On My Way to Wealth Katie Waters, CFP, founder of Stable Waters Financial in Athens, Georgia Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit