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Many people shun the idea of budgeting because of how time consuming it is.
Having to log into your various accounts and pull transactions takes time.
And that is after you’ve spent hours creating a budget in the first place.
Luckily technology is here to save the day.
With CountAbout, you can make budgeting a breeze, and dare I say, enjoyable.
In this CountAbout review, I’ll walk you through this financial app and show you how it will help you make budgeting your money something you will look forward to doing.
Table of Contents
The Ultimate CountAbout Review
What Is CountAbout?
CountAbout is a personal finance application that helps you to take control of your money.
It is cloud based, meaning there is no software to install, which gives you access to your budget anywhere you have an internet connection.
The company is based in Madison, WI and has been in business since 2012.
If you are short on time, below is a short video explaining what CountAbout offers.
How Does CountAbout Work?
CountAbout works by automatically downloading your transactions and importing them into a budget you create.
All that is left for you do is review your budget to make sure you are on track.
- Read now: Learn why you need to start budgeting
If you’ve never created a budget before, you can use your transaction history to make the process easier.
With an ad-free interface, your budget is clear and concise.
When you log into your account for the first time, you can click on the Budget tab at the top of the page to build your first budget.
On the left side of the screen is a list of all the budgeting categories you can choose from.
You can click in this section to customize the budget for your exact situation by deleting categories you don’t need or even creating new ones.
On the Transactions tab, you will find a list of recent uncleared transactions you need to approve.
Once you approve these, you can compare these transactions to your budget.
For example, in the image below, you can see that $304.75 is spent monthly on home improvements, for a total of $3,675.
Note that you do have the ability to split transactions here too.
In the Reports tab, you will find a list of financial reports you can choose to run to get a better picture of your money.
Below is a screen shot of the options you can choose from with regards to a transaction report.
Features
There are a lot of features that CountAbout offers.
Here are the biggest ones.
#1. Automatic Imports
Automatically import all of your banking transactions to your budget seamlessly.
This saves you time from having to enter all of the transactions yourself.
#2. Import From Mint Or Quicken
If you are currently a user of Mint or Quicken, you can import all of your data over to CountAbout, which allows you to keep going without the need to set up a completely new budget.
You can also take advantage of CountAbout’s 45 day free trial and use both at the same time to see how CountAbout stands out.
#3. Reports And Widgets
Fully customized reports in a variety of categories lets you see the information you are looking for.
Want to compare spending month to month or year to year? You can do that.
Want to only see spending in a certain category over time? You can do that too.
With CountAbout, you aren’t limited in what you can see in your reports.
They even offer the ability for you to create widgets, which allows you to create custom graphs or mini-reports that show up on your dashboard when you log in.
This saves you time by not having to run a report.
You can see exactly where you stand once you’ve cleared all of your transactions.
They even have a FIRE widget for those looking for early retirement to see how close you are to achieving your goal.
#4. Attachments
You have the ability to attach receipts to transactions.
This is great come tax time when you need to show proof of an expense that you want to write off on your taxes.
It is also a great way to keep you organized.
Maybe you purchased a large item and you want to keep the receipt for warranty issues.
By uploading the receipt, you know where it is.
#5. Invoicing
If you run a small business, CountAbout allows you to generate invoices from the software.
This can be a huge time savings for small business owners.
Note that this service is an add-on feature with an additional cost of $60 annually.
There are many other features as well, including all of the following.
#6. Knowledge Base
The help section of the app offers most of the answers you will encounter as you use the software.
They have explainer videos as well as tutorials that walk you through the process of getting started, importing data from Quicken, linking accounts, and more.
In the event your question is not answered, there is a support page built into your account where you can get help directly from CountAbout.
Pricing
There are two subscriptions you can choose from when signing up for CountAbout.
Basic Plan
The basic version costs $9.99 a year.
With it you can create and follow a budget.
You have access to all the same features of the Premium Plan, except that you do not have access to automatic downloads of your transactions.
Premium Plan
The premium subscription costs $39.99 a year.
You have access to all features as well as the ability to automatically download all of your financial transactions.
CountAbout also offers a free 45 day trial.
This allows you to try out the software without worry to see if it is right for you.
Advantages And Drawbacks
If you are short on time, here is a quick rundown of the advantages and drawbacks of the CountAbout budgeting app.
Advantages
Fully customizable. You can edit a budget and make it exactly how you want it, including tags, categories, and labels.
Automatic downloading. Download transactions from your bank, credit union, investment, credit cards.
No software to install. CountAbout works in the cloud and you have access to it with an internet connection. By not having software, you don’t have to worry about a new update or version causing issues.
Reports. You have access to many high quality reports that allow you to break down your spending in a variety of ways.
No ads. Since CountAbout uses a subscription model, there are no ads to help pay the bills.
Uses Two-Factor Authentication. This helps keep your budget secure so only you can access it.
Drawbacks
Costs money. It’s not free, but the cost is low enough that anyone can use it.
No investment tracking. It’s only a budgeting tool, and as a result, cannot track investment transactions like purchases and stock quotes. However, you can link your brokerage accounts to get a better idea of your net worth.
No bill pay. CountAbout does not offer the ability to pay your bills through its service.
Customer support. If you have an issue, you start out trying to resolve it via the help functionality on the support page. If needed, it gets escalated to a phone call. This isn’t an issue for most people but could be for a few users.
Frequently Asked Questions
I get asked a lot of questions about CountAbout.
Here are the answers to the most commonly asked questions.
Is CountAbout safe?
Yes.
CountAbout personal finance software uses standard bank encryption for your data.
They only collect your email address and do not have access to any of your financial institution login credentials or bank account details.
They partner with MX, who is the company that downloads your financial statements.
These statements are encrypted, ensuring that your data is protected 100% of the time.
Is my data sold?
No.
CountAbout does not sell your personal data.
They charge a fee to cover the bills.
Many companies that offer this type of service for free do sell your personal information to advertisers in order to pay their bills.
Since CountAbout charges a subscription fee, they do not need to sell your information.
What financial accounts can I connect?
You can connect your bank accounts, including both checking and savings accounts, credit card accounts, and investment accounts.
If you bank with a credit union, you can connect these accounts too.
As of this writing, CountAbout connects with over 12,500 financial institutions.
Click here to see if your bank is an option.
How much does CountAbout cost?
The basic plan costs $9.99 annually and offers all features except for automatic downloads.
The premium plan costs $39.99 annually and premium subscribers have access to everything the basic plan offers plus automatic downloads.
You can try CountAbout risk free for 45 days as well.
Is there a mobile app?
Yes.
You can download the CountAbout mobile app for both Apple iOS and Android.
The app is free to download.
Who is CountAbout a fit for?
CountAbout is a fit for anyone looking to take control of their financial situation but doesn’t have a lot of time.
By allowing for automatic downloads, you increase the speed and efficiency at which you can update your budget.
This increases the likelihood that you will follow it for the long term.
It is also a great option for people who have control of their spending, but want to analyze where they are spending from time to time.
We all gain new hobbies and have other changes to life.
These can cost money, more money than we are aware of.
By having CountAbout by your side, you have quick access to seeing how these new expenses are impacting your money.
Final Thoughts
At the end of the day, CountAbout is a great personal budgeting app for those looking to take control of their money.
Not only does it make budgeting much easier, it’s priced at a point that doesn’t make you think twice about using it, like some other options out there.
If you want to finally take control of your finances so you can start building wealth and reach your financial goals, CountAbout is an app you should seriously consider using.
I have over 15 years experience in the financial services industry and 20 years investing in the stock market. I have both my undergrad and graduate degrees in Finance, and am FINRA Series 65 licensed and have a Certificate in Financial Planning.
Visit my About Me page to learn more about me and why I am your trusted personal finance expert.
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