The handiest financial apps (and free as well)

With your smartphone, you have a banking and trading platform in your pocket. It allows you to manage your expenses more intelligently, split bills neatly among friends or housemates, save on a wide variety of products, keep a close eye on the financial news and so on. Here are our favourite apps ...

1. Bloomberg Business News

This is the best financial and economic news app for English speakers. It offers a 24/7 news flow, the most important news stories encapsulated in a few sentences, a summary of the prices and market data, the Bloomberg radio channel, Bloomberg TV streaming and so on. Plenty of inspiration for any investor. Do bear in mind that the free version allows you to read up to 10 articles per month.

2. CNBC

The apps by Forbes, Fortune, Barron's, The Economist, Money Magazine and The Wall Street Journal are also interesting sources of inspiration. Unfortunately, (almost) all news is behind a hard paywall. If the Bloomberg app fails to satisfy your hunger for financial and economic news, the app by financial news agency CNBC will be right up your street. and almost all articles are free.

3. Wally Next

Wally Next is a user-friendly app that allows you to manage your personal income and expenses. It helps you to compare your income with your expenses, to understand where your money is going and to set financial targets. The free app keeps track of what you spend and receive where, when and why. If the app is not really your style, try Spendee or Expense Manager, which are great alternatives.

4. Splitwise

On a city break with a group of friends, you paid the hotel, Frank bought the train tickets, Julia paid for lunch and Sarah covered the taxi after your night out. Splitwise allows you to calculate instantly who has to pay what to split all the charges. You can also use this free app to neatly split one individual's bill into equal parts, so that each member of the group can pay his or her share. A good alternative to split expenses is the Tricount app.

5. Currency converter plus

Travelling to Norway, New Zealand or Nicaragua? This free app will calculate exactly how much that cocktail in Norwegian kroner, New Zealand dollars or Nicaraguan córdobas is in euros. Nyt ferien din! Enjoy your holiday! ¡Felices vacaciones!

6. Bancontact app

If you are not carrying a bankcard or cash, but you do have your smartphone with you, you can now use your device to pay at an increasing number of shops. You can do this in two ways: by holding your smartphone close to the payment terminal (only for Android smartphones) or by scanning the QR code on the terminal (for all smartphones).

7. Keytrade Bank app

You already know how to use the Keytrade Bank app for your investments and banking, but we regularly add new features to the app. Paying your bills by scanning them with your smartphone camera? Check! An easy way to buy or sell shares? Check! Setting up, changing or cancelling a standing order on your smartphone? Check! So make sure you update the app regularly, and let us know what you think via the App Store or Google Play.

8. Too Good To Go

Save money and reduce food waste: that is the objective of Too Good To Go. Supermarkets, fresh goods traders, bakeries, restaurants and other businesses use the app to offer their leftovers at the end of each working day at a significant discount. It allows you to get some delicious, cheap food at a reduced price, and spend the extra euros on something fun!

9. Peerby

Why would you buy a new wallpaper steamer if you are only going to use it once? This free app allows you to borrow what you need from the neighbours in your street or neighbourhood. Peerby gives you an overview of which equipment other individuals in your neighbourhood are offering: from an axe to a Zoom Lens. Another clever app to save money!