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Do you Automate Your Finances?

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ToxikPH
Established Contributor

Do you Automate Your Finances?

Just as the title says, do you automate your savings and what's your flow? Do you split your DD? Automate savings? Auto-pay cards/bills? Trying to build my personal flow to make this even more seamless for myself. Did I miss any ideas in the above questions?

Message 1 of 21
20 REPLIES 20
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Do you Automate Your Finances?

I don't trust automation. I do everything manually. The only exception is that now that my roommates have AU accounts on my Cash Magnet, I have autopay minimum set up there just in case. It gives them the full billing cycle to make the payment without me getting stressed about it. Otherwise, I trust myself to do things correctly and have seen too many horror stories about automation gone wrong. 

Message 2 of 21
wasCB14
Super Contributor

Re: Do you Automate Your Finances?

A little automation, but it can have problems. A Citi rep once managed to disable my login info, deleting my autopay settings in the process. I caught it in time, barely.

 

I'd prefer it if Chase CCs supported ebills to go to my Schwab checking, but I have Chase cards on autopay.

Personal spend: Amex Gold, Amex Schwab Plat., BofA PR+CCR(x2), Costco
Business use: Amex Bus. Plat., BBP, Lowes Amex AU, CFU AU
Perks: Delta Plat., United Explorer, IHG49, Hyatt, "Old SPG"
Mostly SD: Freedom Flex, Freedom, Arrival
Upgrade/Downgrade games: ED, BCE
SUB chasing: AA Platinum Select
Message 3 of 21
Brian_Earl_Spilner
Credit Mentor

Re: Do you Automate Your Finances?

Nope. Everything is set up in my calendar to notify me at least 5 days before it reports or is due.

    
Message 4 of 21
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Do you Automate Your Finances?

I have my direct deposit split:

  1. 130% of my truck payment goes into my PenFed checking account
  2. I move a percentage of my check into to StarOne savings 
  3. I drop some money into Schwab checking just in case in need to hit an ATM
  4. The balance goes to my bill pay\psuedo-sweep account at Wells Fargo, once a quarter or so I sweep all but $500 into my savings

Autopay:

  1. Full truck payment is made automatically
  2. PenFed CC is autopay for the minimum, once a quarter or so I sweep everything left in my PF checking into my truck loan

Everything else is manual.  I like to review things it's not all that complicated since it's only a few banks.

Message 5 of 21
Guyatthebeach
Valued Contributor

Re: Do you Automate Your Finances?

ToxikPH,

 

I have my direct deposit split into 3 different checking accounts, and that's the only automation I have for my accounts. I do not have autopay on any of my accounts. It's a small reason I went to into bankruptcy.  

 

What I do is I have all the payment due dates and dates statements cut on my Outlook calendar. I also use the calendar to track  pay days and dates I set aside to tranfer money into CD's and my IRA accounts. I have a spreadsheet listing all my credit cards and loans, and I manually update them twice a month. 

 

After my bankruptcy, I have taken these steps to prevent the issues that caused my bankruptcy from happening again. 

 

Guyatthethebeach

Message 6 of 21
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Do you Automate Your Finances?

I manually do each payment. Only thing auto for me financially is my direct deposit. 100% goes into my single checking. I pay everything and split what I have left over between keeping it in the checking account in case I make a larger payment on something the next month and savings
Message 7 of 21
K-in-Boston
Credit Mentor

Re: Do you Automate Your Finances?

I have a small DD going into NFCU checking, but the rest goes into BOA checking.  I use an Excel spreadsheet to track everything and do not do autopays, except for things that have to be a direct ACH like mortgage, HELOC, student loan, auto loan, life insurance policies, etc.  I'm still working on paying down massive balances, so I purposely keep cash flow very tight to get them paid down.  Monthly household spending can vary by as much as $5k in a given month so I do not have set amounts budgeted for each BT payment.  I schedule pull payments from BOA as soon as statements close on all accounts for the payday prior to the due date, and my methods are meticulous enough for me to not worry about missing any payments.

Message 8 of 21
Revelate
Moderator Emeritus

Re: Do you Automate Your Finances?

I setup autopay for literally everything I can... but other than the mortgage I rarely use it.

 

I really don't use most of my cards anymore and so my credit life has become pretty simple; however, I usually go through my credit report every couple of weeks and if I see a random balance hanging out I'll go take care of it but the autopay has saved my credit ass before when I lost track, and really my only problems since I found this forum have been with a card that didn't support autopay.

 

I basically view it as one of my requirements, if the lender can't support autopay I close the account.  

 

All personal income goes into one account and ultimately everything comes out of that account.




        
Message 9 of 21
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Do you Automate Your Finances?

Other than direct deposit (split between checking and savings) the only other automation I do is loan/mortgage payments.

 

I put a fixed amount into savings every paycheck, plus the amount of my mortgage payment, which also comes out of savings.  That way if I spend "too much" out of checking I still have enough to pay the mortgage.

 

All other bills are manual, since I can never know how big a given bill will be and I may have to shuffle payment dates/amounts around paydays.  If I were "wealthy" (yeah right) I could automate more without worrying about running out.

 

Message 10 of 21
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