No one disputes that saving money can be difficult. What if there were a way to make saving easy and even enjoyable at times? The Qapital app aims to do just that.
You may have heard of other money management and investing apps already, such as Acorns. So what sets Qapital apart? Check out the details on Qapital, which has amassed a 4.8 star rating from over 68,000 reviews on the App Store, in this review.
What Is Qapital? The Basics
At the core of Qapital are two fundamentals: goals and rules.
Goals are specific events or milestones you wish to save for. For example, you may start off with a simple goal of creating a $1,000 emergency fund for life’s unexpected expenses.
Did you know the average wedding cost $30,000? Create a goal for it! Qapital lets you create an endless amount of custom goals that revolve around your life.
Rules make goals happen. When you first setup your Qapital account, you’ll link your checking account. Through secure encryption methods produced by Plaid, Qapital pulls money from your checking account based on the rules you’ve implemented and puts that money toward the goal you specify.
Goals
Whether it’s an emergency fund or a wedding, Qapital has you covered with goals.
The app by design makes it easy to set a goal. You simply enter the following information:
- Name of the goal
- How much you need to save
- The date you need to save it by
That’s it!
Qapital also doesn’t seem to limit the number of goals you can create, making the possibilities endless.
Rules
In order to achieve your goals, you’ll set specific parameters known as rules. They’re essentially conditions under which you authorize Qapital to withdraw funds from your checking account and place them into a specified goal.
Qapital allows for a large degree of customization when it comes to creating rules. Here’s just a few of the many rules you can use to meet your savings goals:
Round-Up Rule
With this rule, you can instruct Qapital to automatically round-up purchases tied to your checking account and deposit the difference into one of your goals. You can choose anywhere from $1 to $5 for the round-up rule.
As an example, if you use your debit card to purchase a $4.60 latte, Qapital will withdraw $0.40 (assuming you set the round-up rule for $1) from your bank account and place it in your specified goal.
Guilty Pleasure
Speaking of lattes, are you guilty of pulling into the Starbucks drive-thru more than once a week? With the guilty pleasure rule, you can instruct Qapital to withdraw a specified amount of money anytime you spend at a specific place.
This rule will not only multiply your savings, but it’ll also make those guilty pleasures feel slightly more justifiable.
52 Week Rule
This rule works out great for those new to saving. During the first week, Qapital will transfer $1 from your checking account into a goal of your choice.
The second week, Qapital repeats the process, only this time it withdraws $2. The pattern repeats for an entire year, after which you’ll be amazed at how much you effortlessly saved.
Where Does Qapital Put My Money?
Since it’s not a bank, Qapital doesn’t hold deposits directly. Qapital instead uses partner banks to hold your funds. While you don’t earn interest for money in your goals, you do receive FDIC insurance up to the federal limit of $250,000.
Qapital Spending Account
In addition to savings goals, Qapital has the Qapital Spending Account, which essentially acts as a checking account. With the account, you’ll receive a free debit card. You also gain access to standard checking account features, such as bill pay and direct deposit.
What’s really great about the spending account is the ability to immediately transfer funds from goals into the spending account. Normally you would have to wait a few days for the transfer to hit your checking account.
Note that while the Qapital Spending Account ties in well with Qapital’s other features, it is not required that you open a spending account.
Qapital Investing
As if saving weren’t enough, Qapital also opens the door to investing with the same easy principles.
Similar to savings goals, when you create an investing goal you will also setup rules to fund the goal.
One extra step you’ll find, however, is choosing the portfolio type. Qapital offers five different portfolio types ranging from very conservative to very aggressive. Which one you choose depends on your specific goals and risk-tolerance.
Qapital invests your money in low-cost funds that are well-diversified. Additionally, the app will automatically reinvest any dividends you receive and rebalance your portfolio to keep you on track.
Who’s Qapital For?
The Struggling Saver
Does your paycheck always seem to evaporate as soon as the direct deposit hits your account? You might then consider this app to create some discipline in your life. Qapital provides tools whereby you can force yourself into saving-mode.
The Set-It-and-Forget-It Person
Who really enjoys sitting down each month and mapping out a budget? Whether it be kids, school, or work, sometimes finances take a backseat.
If you like the idea of setting up Qapital and letting it work its magic for you, then you should consider using the app. Spend your energy on the things that matter to you and see your savings grow with minimal effort.
Who Should Pass On Qapital?
The Subscription Avoider
Some people just don’t like the idea of paying for a service. While arguably not a large amount, the $6 monthly fee assessed by Qapital might be a turn off to some.
Fortunately, Qapital does offer its services free-of-charge for 30 days. If you’re debating whether the $6 a month is worth it, give Qapital a trial run. You may find that even with the monthly fee, you come out ahead with how much you’re saving.
The Fantastic Budgeter
Already run a tight financial ship? Qapital may not have much to offer you if you already possess excellent saving skills.
In fact, you may be better off parking your savings in a high-yield savings account, some of which have an interest rate over 1%.
The Small Bank Customer (Potentially)
Qapital appears to work seamlessly with big banks. Some users, however, have reported syncing issues with smaller regional or local banks.
For what it’s worth, Plaid, Qapital’s data partner, claims to partner with thousands of financial institutions. When I tried syncing my checking account with a local bank (they only have three branches), I didn’t have any issues.
Go ahead and use the 30-day trial-period offered by Qapital to see if it works with your bank, regardless of size.
Qapital Alternatives
Chime
If you’re looking for a free alternative to Qapital, you might consider Chime. The app operates on a “no-fee” principle.
Similar to Qapital, Chime will issue you a debit card. You have the option of setting up automatic transfers to your savings account and utilizing a round-up feature that functions like Qapital’s. Mobile deposit comes standard with Chime, something that’s missing from Qapital.
Unlike Qapital, though, Chime does not currently offer any investment opportunities. Chime also doesn’t provide the ability to create separate savings goals.
Digit
Digit allows you to setup savings goals just like Qapital. Instead of using rules, Digit utilizes algorithms to determine how much you can afford to allocate to your goals based on your account balances and spending habits.
The app comes at a cost of $5 per month. However, unlike Qapital, you won’t receive a debit card, bill pay features, or investing options.
Mint
Mint operates as more of a budget creation tool and bill tracker. The app doesn’t directly hold your funds, nor will you be issued a debit card.
Where Mint shines is in its ability to sync all of your bank and investment accounts into one place to closely track your finances. You also won’t pay a penny as the app is completely free to use. Check out our complete Mint review here to learn more about this app.
Conclusions For Qapital
Money isn’t going to save itself. Instead of spending your time pouring over a monthly budget, consider using Qapital’s advanced tools to grow your savings with minimal effort. Watch your savings grow along with that smile on your face when you see how easy it all is with Qapital.
