Keeping track of my money electronically

Murmansk

I used to be a diligent user of some home accounting software (Accountz) but when they went bust, and because all my accounts are online these days,  I decided that life is too short to be recording every item of spending.

What I'd like now is some way of securely storing details of my accounts and their current balances,both so that I can know what's what and so that if and when I should depart this earth my executors can access the details they need.

I'd like it to be backed-up/sync'd easily and edited easily both on PC and Android and wonder if anyone else has a system they find works well?

SiliconChip

You need to check the Banking board where variations of this question are regularly asked. I'm not sure any of the answers point to something that does exactly what you want but I'm pretty sure almost every possiblity will have been suggested at some time. Personally I continue to use MS Money, I've not found anything to beat it although I'm happy to enter transactions and do reconciliation manually, and I maintain a Word document that gives details of where my financial information is stored and I keep a printed copy with my Will (and I make sure my executor knows where that is).

theonlywayisup

I too use Money, but it is outdated (as far as working software is concerned) and I use it on a Mac with Parallels so that I can keep track of finances - I have never found anything that works as I want it to other than Money. 

mobileron

I bank with First Direct and all you need is on there app or online.
They have the best customer service awards every year and al customer services in the UK.
Part of HSBC.

400ixl

mobileron said:

I bank with First Direct and all you need is on there app or online.
They have the best customer service awards every year and al customer services in the UK.
Part of HSBC.

Starling have taken their crown for best customer service over the last few years I believe. Still a good reliable bank though.

FD doesn't allow you to have a consolidated view of accounts outside of their own though which I believe the OP wants.

Something like Moneydashboard uses open banking and can give the consolidated view of accounts and budgeting etc, but would only tell someone the Bank name, not the account number if they had the login details to the dashboard. May be enough as they would know the bank and the balance.

Doshwaster

I use Moneydashboard and really find it useful to track accounts across multiple providers but  the company behind it was recently sold due to "disappointing" growth figures (not as many people trusted Open Banking as expected) so their future is uncertain

https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/investing/article-10589563/Money-Dashboard-investors-lose-changes-hands.html

I also have a pre-historic copy of Microsoft Money which has data going back 20 years but I now only use it for investments for accounts which Moneydashboard doesn't cover.

mr_stripey

I use YNAB (You Need A Budget) which might not be an exact fit for your needs here, but would have most of the functionality.

I use it to keep track of all my accounts, loans, sinking funds etc. You have to pay for it (approx £75 a year) but it has saved me loads more than that!

datostar

I was a long-term MS Money user too, but changed over to KMyMoney 6 months ago. I ran MSMoney in parallel up to the end of 2021 then stopped, keeping it on the system for archive purposes. Very happy with kMyMoney and it handles investments, too, albeit a bit complex on that score. Completely free, regular updates and available for Linux, Windows and MacOS.

Le_Kirk

datostar said:

I was a long-term MS Money user too, but changed over to KMyMoney 6 months ago. I ran MSMoney in parallel up to the end of 2021 then stopped, keeping it on the system for archive purposes. Very happy with kMyMoney and it handles investments, too, albeit a bit complex on that score. Completely free, regular updates and available for Linux, Windows and MacOS.

I too have been using M$Money for years and have worried every time that Micro$oft introduced a change, 98 to XP to 7 to 10 and every time I have been surprised that it continues to run.  I shall look at KMyMoney.  What OS are you running it on?

Murmansk

OP here. Thanks for the responses but the key thing I'm after is not so much a replacement for Accountz on which to record every transaction and thereby get a constant balance, but instead what is in effect a simple text file that I can frequently update and will sync and be updated and accessible via PC and Android, whilst also being secure.

I'm not all that familiar with Open Banking but from what little I know I want nothing to do with it!

googler

The executor won't need to know the balance, just the bank concerned and account number.  They contact bank, as executor, provide death certificate, and banks will freeze account(s) until executor arranges to distribute estate to beneficiaries or sets up executry account to transfer money into.

Unless you REALLY don't trust your banks.....