Mint.com, a leading online personal finance service from Intuit Inc. (Nasdaq: INTU), is now available to Canadians at mint.com/Canada. Mint helps people see where their money goes, keep their spending on track by creating budgets they'll stick with, and uncovers opportunities to save them money. And it's free.
Canada is the first country outside of the United States to have a unique version of Mint.
"Canadians are global leaders when it comes to the use of online banking, social media and other online activities, so bringing Mint.com to Canada was a natural next step," said Aaron Patzer, general manager and vice president of Intuit Personal Finance and founder of Mint.com. "A uniquely Canadian version of Mint will help Canadians make informed decisions as they plan their financial lives."
How Mint Works
Setting up a Mint account takes about five minutes.
Users register anonymously using a valid e-mail address, and then add login information for the online banking, credit card and other financial accounts they want to consolidate. Mint connects securely to more than 40 Canadian banking financial institutions, and is adding more. Users can ask Mint to add support for their favourite bank from within their account.
After users register, Mint automatically aggregates their accounts and transaction information, and provides up-to-date and accurate views of their financial life. Mint offers many ways to view and graph information, and the flexibility to scan the big picture or focus on specific details.
* Analyzes spending - Mint reveals spending patterns by automatically categorizing expenses, showing how much a user pays for gas, groceries, parking, rent, restaurants, entertainment and more.
* Makes recommendations - Mint also saves users money by providing unique, money-saving and money-making suggestions based on users' individual spending patterns. Slowly paying down a high-interest credit card? Mint will recommend a lower-interest card. Paying more for life insurance than others of a similar age in your region? Mint can often find a better deal. Offer data for the recommendations is provided by RateSupermarket.ca, Canada's largest independent and impartial rate comparison service for personal finance products.
In addition, Mint is available for t a for t available for those on the go. Users can view their Mint account from a password-protected website or check in on the go with the free Mint.com mobile applications for iPhone and Android mobile phones, available on the iTunes Canada app store and Android Market.
Timely Alerts Flag Potential Problems
Users can set Mint to alert them of any large or out-of-the-ordinary transactions in any of their accounts by sending a message to their web account, or email to their iPhone or Android-powered phone.
"People are often surprised when we alert them to a fee they've unknowingly paid," said Patzer. "Mint's system sends users an alert message for any unusual activity, such as low balances, fees and upcoming bills. There's no more waiting for month-old paper statements to find out if the pizza guy accidentally double-charged your credit card."
Security: We Stand on Guard for Thee
Mint delivers safe and secure online money management to Canadians by providing:
* User anonymity - Mint does not ask for a name or other personally identifiable information.
* Read-only access - Users can't move money in or out of their banks with Mint.
* Encrypted data - Mint uses the same level of data encryption as the major online banking sites and government organizations, such as the Canada Revenue Agency.
* Secure storage - Transaction information is stored in a secure facility
* Daily security checks - Third-party security organizations certify and test Mint daily.
* Early warnings - Mint provides 24/7 protection through proactive e-mail alerts to notify users of any large purchases or unusual charges in your accounts.