Author: Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz)

Finovate Alumni News– October 31, 2011

By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: ClairMail, DoughMain, Dwolla, Intuit, LearnVest, Mint.com, Pageonce, Prosper, ReadyForZero, Simple, T8 Webware

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  • Prosper.com creates account enhancements for investors.
  • Bank Technology News looks at Pageonce’s decision to add a bill pay service.
  • PSFK gives a sneak peek of BankSimple’s mobile app.
  • CNN Tech discusses the differences between Intuit’s Quicken and Mint.com.
  • Clairmail announces a record increase in cumulative mobile banking transactions.
  • ReadyForZero now supports auto loans, mortgages, and student loans.
  • The Des Moines Register looks at how Dwolla & T8 Webware contribute to Des Moines’s startup culture.
  • Benzinga looks at DoughMain’s family finance tool.
  • CU Times examines the usage of Mint.com’s iPad app.
  • The Republic examines LearnVest’s budgeting and advice platform.
  • Mint.com explores its history as an infographic and includes being a two-time Finovate Best of Show Winner.
  • Intuit receives two prestigious awards for social customer support, engagement.
This post will be updated throughout the day as news and developments emerge. You can also follow all the alumni news headlines on the Finovate Twitter account.

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ReadyForZero Now Supports Auto Loans, Mortgages, and Student Loans

By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: ReadyForZero

ReadyForZero.pngLast Thursday, online debt-tracking startup ReadyForZero launched several significant new features: 

  1. Expanded coverage beyond credit cards; now all loan types can be linked (auto, mortgage, student).
  2. Improved how users monitor debt payoff and added the ability to increase the payment amount to speed up the process (see below).
RFZSpeedCalc.jpg
3. Added actionable advice and activities to keep users focused on goals.

More developments, such as increased automation and better financial options, are expected in the weeks ahead.

To learn more about ReadyForZero’s debt-tracking platform, watch its FinovateFall 2011 demo.

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Mint.com’s iPad App Now Available, Includes Transaction Feed

By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Mint.com

MintLogo.jpg

Yesterday, Mint.com launched its much-anticipated iPad app. The Intuit-owned company decided to wait until iOS 5 was released before launching the app to its 7 million users. One of the most-innovative features is the new Facebook-like transaction feed. 
MintTransactionFeed.jpg

The app also allows users to view bill reminders, alerts, and advice all in one place. 
To learn more about Mint.com watch its FinovateSpring 2011 demo.

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Finovate Alumni News– October 28, 2011

By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: BillShrink, LearnVest, Simple, Truaxis
  • Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Finovate-F-Logo.jpgBank Technology News reports BankSimple benefits from fee discontent.
  • Jason Calacanis interviews BillShrink (Truaxis) CEO during “This Week in Startups.”
  • LearnVest CEO Alexa Von Tobel provides advice in Forbes on how to save $1k by 2012.
  • SafetyPay partners with Brazil’s sixth-largest bank,
    HSBC Bank Brazil.
  • CashStar raises $12 million in series C financing.
  • Mint.com’s iPad app now available, includes transaction feed.
  • Under the Radar blog interviews Expensify CEO David Barrett.
This post will be updated throughout the day as news and developments emerge. You can also follow all the alumni news headlines on the Finovate Twitter account.

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CashStar Raises $12 Million in Series C Financing

By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: CashStar

CashStar.jpgYesterday, e-gifting platform CashStar announced that it raised $12 million in Series C financing:

“The funding will be used to help drive continued adoption of digital gifting and grow CashStar’s retail brand network. Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group is another brand that has just partnered with CashStar to offer consumers a more personalized way to gift and incent.”
Investors included FTV Capital, Steven Boal (President & CEO of Coupons.com), and Passport Capital. 
To learn more about CashStar, watch its demo from FinovateFall 2011.

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Bank of America Will Use Yodlee’s FinApp Platform

By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Yodlee

Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for yodlee.jpgYesterday, California-based Yodlee announced an extended service arrangement with Bank of America to implement Yodlee’s FinApp platform. 

FinApp capabilities include:

    • Transaction-based offers (i.e. merchant-funded rewards)
    • Tax preparation from H&R Block
    • Custom savings plans
    • Credit score improvement module
    • P2P money transfers
To learn more about how Yodlee is helping banks to tailor the client’s experience, watch its FinovateFall 2011 demo. 

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Finovate Alumni News, October 27, 2011

By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: BillFloat, BillShrink, Budgettracker, Continuity Control, Credit Karma, Expensify, FreeMonee, HelloWallet, Mint.com, mShift, Offermatic, Simple
  • Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Finovate-F-Logo.jpgCredit Karma is giving away free credit-monitoring service to first 12,500 readers.
  • HelloWallet opens a second office in San Francisco.
  • FreeMonee tells AOL Daily Finance that it is to launch a merchant-reward plan with a major U.S. bank on Nov 17.
  • Credit Union Times reports that mShift is one of the three largest providers of mobile banking tools to credit unions.
  • ABC News looks at BankSimple’s alternative banking approach.
  • Auto insurance & finance providers The General, Mark One Holdings, &  Freeway Insurance add BillFloat as a payment option.
  • Continuity Control endorsed by Western Independent Bankers.
  • Expensify launches an app for the Windows phone.
  • Mlive.com recommends using BillShrink (Truaxis) to avoid an outrageous mobile bill.
  • Mint.com and Budgettracker.com are recommended as two tools for mitigating financial mistakes.
  • Bank of America will use Yodlee’s FinApp Platform.
This post will be updated throughout the day as news and developments emerge. You can also follow all the alumni news headlines on the Finovate Twitter account.

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Wikinvest Launches iPad Version of its Portfolio Tracker

By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Wikinvest

Thumbnail image for wikinvest.jpgToday, Wikinvest launched Wikinvest Portfolio HD, an iPad version of its portfolio tracker. The app aggregates accounts from more than 60 of the largest U.S. brokerage firms. 

The app features: 
  • Visual analytics to provide insight into metrics
  • True asset allocation
  • Geographic allocation (shown below)
iPadGeographicDistributionOverlay.jpg
To learn more about the technology behind the app, watch the Wikinvest demo from FinovateSpring 2011 and its SigFig demo from FinovateFall 2011.

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Weemba’s Loan Listings by Type

By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Weemba

Thumbnail image for weemba.jpgYesterday, American Banker dissected Weemba’s loan listings since the startup launched four weeks ago. Here is the breakdown of 150 loans requested so far:

  • Health care: 55% of loans
  • Small business financing: 12%
  • Automobile, motorcycle or other vehicle: 12%
  • Mortgages and home improvement projects: 10%
  • Student loans: 6%
  • Other: 5%
The average loan request = $37,000

To learn more about Weemba, watch its demo from FinovateFall 2011.

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Finovate Alumni News– October 25, 2011

By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: CashStar, Geezeo, Silver Tail Systems, Weemba, Zecco
  • Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Finovate-F-Logo.jpgGeezeo signs three more referral engine clients.
  • ComputerWorld looks at how SilverTail Systems mitigates fraud.
  • Bank Innovation highlights CashStar’s partnering with banks for its gift-reward program.
  • Zecco is listed as 1 of 7 smart ways to invest $100.
  • Weemba reports a growing number of personal loan requests.
This post will be updated throughout the day as news and developments emerge. You can also follow all the alumni news headlines on the Finovate Twitter account.

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American Banker on How Four Finovate Alums Unwrap the Payments Genome

By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: BillGuard, Micronotes, T8 Webware, Truaxis

Earlier this week, American Banker described the science that FinTech companies use to learn the spending habits of consumers, the Payments Genome.

All four fintech companies cited in the article are Finovate alumni. Here are the techniques employed:

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  • Truaxis uses an algorithm to infer consumer behavior.Thumbnail image for T8WebwareLogo.jpg
  • T8 Webware uses a modified version of an algorithm used by gene scientists to create new crop species, Hidden Markov ModelBillGuard.jpg
  • BillGuard uses its userbase to flag questionable transactions (i.e., crowd sourcing)
  • Micronotes performs regression analysis on each customer’s transaction data to cross-sell products.Thumbnail image for Micronotes (2).jpg
To learn more about each of these companies, watch Truaxis’ FinovateFall 2011 demo, T8 Webware’s FinovateFall 2011 demo, BillGuard’s FinovateFall 2011 demo, and Micronotes’ FinovateFall 2010 demo.

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Pageonce Launches Mobile Bill Pay Service That Allows Consumers to “Tap to Pay”

By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Pageonce

Pageonce Logo.jpgEarlier today, Pageonce launched a mobile bill pay service that provides consumers more flexibility when paying bills:

“Now Pageonce gives users the option to pay immediately from their choice of accounts with a few taps on their smartphone. Pageonce makes paper bills, checks and stamps, and logging into several different websites for online bill pay, obsolete — helping users save time and avoid annoying late and overdraft fees.”

Here’s how it works:

Pageonce collects information about a user’s bills, including due date, amount due and itemized details, and presents them in an easy-to-read format on a smartphone. Before a bill is due, users get an alert that allows them to pay in three steps:
1. Select how to pay 
2. Enter the amount 
3. Tap Pay

This service is available on Apple and Android platforms for $4.99 per month.

To learn more about Pageonce, watch its FinovateFall 2010 demo.

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