Finance apps to protect your own credit rating

The US credit rating has been downgraded by S&P from AAA to AA-Plus for the first time in history. This is big news. Big, terrible news. But that’s no reason to put your head in the sand and pout. No way, José.

It’s time you got educated about your own finances and learn a bit more about your personal credit rating. Maybe these five apps can help you out.

Finance Glossary ($1.99)

The first trick to dominating your finances is understanding them. The Finance Glossary app should put you on good footing to not only manage your own debt-to-income ratio, but also to understand exactly what is happening in the world around you. This will come in handy the next time you want to talk down to someone about the economy at a bar.

Related iPhone App List: Must Have Apps for Budgeteers

Mint.com Personal Finance (Free)

Managing your money is tricky business. It’s easy to forget that you’ve got bills on the way and that while your checking account says you have $500 dollars, you really have about half of that. The Mint.com Personal Finance app helps you keep track of your budget right down to that coffee you just purchased at Starbucks. Let no expense go unmarked!

CalcMadeEasy ($1.99)

If you find yourself having trouble doing the calculations about your personal finances, perhaps the CalcMadeEasy app would be a wise purchase. CalcMadeEasy is essentially a scientific calculator app and a notepad app in one. You can make some calculations and jot them onto a note pad for review later. This could be great not only for adults looking for on-the-go control of their finances, but also as a teaching tool for kids. It’s hard to beat a 2-in-1 app.

Yahoo! Finance (Free)

We must remember to pay attention to more than just our own financial world, too. That’s where Yahoo! Finance comes in. Frankly, the stock market terrifies me. It seems like an easy way to throw money down a well or get arrested for insider trading, whichever comes first. But Yahoo! Finance makes keeping track of the market as easy as it’ll ever get. Irt offers detailed stats and news on the market and you can watch daily video analysis from Yahoo! Finance experts. Certainly beats listening to my financial advice.

Monopoly Here & Now ($0.99)

If the stock market analysis has you down, and all of this just seems a bit too heady for the time being, I recommend trying out Monopoly Here and Now. Yeah, it’s a lot harder to cheat in this version than it ever was when you were the banker in a game at home, but at least you can play this version over Wi-Fi and not see your smug opponent’s face as he makes you pay more rent on the hotel properties you keep landing on. Sometimes the best kind of game is one where you never have to deal directly with your opponent.

Download the free Appolicious iPhone app

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