This document provides a summary and analysis of the personal financial management tools Manilla and Mint. It describes Manilla as a bill aggregator that consolidates billing information from linked accounts and provides alerts for due bills. Mint is described as an online and mobile tool for tracking spending, setting financial goals, and finding ways to save. The document reviews the key features and user experience of both tools, providing an overview of their strengths and weaknesses. It concludes with information on related research reports from Corporate Insight.
Online Personal Financial Management - A Closer Look at Manilla and Mint
1. ONLINE PERSONAL FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
A CLOSER LOOK AT MANILLA AND MINT
AUTHOR: JOHN GREENOUGH
PUBLISHED: DECEMBER 2013
COPYRIGHT 2013 CORPORATE INSIGHT, INC.
2. ABOUT CORPORATE INSIGHT
Corporate Insight provides competitive intelligence and user experience research to the nation’s leading
financial institutions. For over 20 years, the firm has tracked technological developments in the financial
services industry, identifying best practices in online banking and investing, online insurance, mobile
finance, active trading platforms, social media and other emerging areas. There are no assumptions in
Corporate Insight’s work – we use live accounts at all of the firms we research, providing our clients with
unparalleled, unbiased intelligence on the competition.
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Communications at 212-888-6115 or corporateinsight@intermarket.com.
Connect With Us
JOHN GREENOUGH
BEN POUSTY
Research Associate
Marketing Manager
646-751-6963
646-454-2662
jgreenough@corporateinsight.com
bpousty@corporateinsight.com
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3. TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction
Personal Financial Management Tool Reviews
o Manilla.com
o Mint.com
Corporate Insight Thought Leadership
About the Author
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5. INTRODUCTION
In recent years, numerous personal financial
management (PFM) tools have emerged online.
These tools give consumers a detailed view of
their finances, allowing them to effectively
budget and manage their money. Many of the
PFMs offer both easy-to-use online interfaces
and mobile apps to manage finances on-the-go.
INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this slide deck is to analyze two
of the major players in the PFM space: Manilla
and Mint. While different in terms of
functionality and purpose, both PFMs offer
user-friendly websites and apps that are
popular with consumers and continue to grow.
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8. COMPANY PROFILE
What is Manilla.com?
Manilla is a free online bill aggregator. Its primary function is to alert users of any
bills that are due. While the website does not process payments, Manilla stores all
of the user’s online billing login information and is able to consolidate the
information gained from those accounts (i.e. statements, due dates, APRs, fees, etc.)
into one platform. Customers are alerted via emails, text messages and mobile push
notifications when bills are due. Manilla is also able to track reward points and alert
customers when points are about to expire.
Manilla.com
Founded in 2010 and owned by Hearst Publishing
Expected to reach 1 million by end of 2013
Product
Offerings
MANILLA.COM
# of Users
Bill Aggregator
Bill Pay Alerts
Reward Points Tracking
Accessibility
Online Interface
Mobile Application
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9. ENROLLMENT
Enrollment process requires basic personal information and to link desired
accounts.
o Basic information (name, email address, password and security questions).
MANILLA.COM
o Customers are asked to link desired existing accounts (credit card, bank, cable,
electric, etc.).
Manilla Enrollment Process
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10. LINKING ACCOUNTS
To link accounts to the Manilla site, users must already have an online account with the biller.
Customers are required to first enter their pre-existing online account login information. Manilla then
uses that information to login to the account and access billing information.
MANILLA.COM
Manilla encourages
users to link six
accounts to the site.
Users are required to
login with the biller
to link accounts.
Often times,
customers are also
asked security
questions they have
setup with that biller.
Linking Accounts to Manilla Site
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11. HOMEPAGE
Once customers are fully enrolled and accounts have been linked, the Manilla homepage posts alerts
when bills become due. The top navigation bar links to accounts, documents and reminders. A Contact
Us sidebar appears throughout the site, enabling customers to send messages to customer service.
Notification signals at
the top of each
section alert
customers that a new
bill has arrived.
Customers can view
each bill within the
Documents tab and
can set alerts within
the Reminders tab.
Contact Us sidebar
allows users to easily
contact Manilla with
questions or concerns.
MANILLA.COM
The firm offers an
expansive list of billers
for customers to
access.
Manilla Enrollment Process
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12. BILLER PROFILE
Once an account is linked, Manilla customers can select the biller profile to see account information.
This includes when payments are due, current rates and online statements. Manilla does not provide
payment processing but does link customers to the biller’s website and auto-populates the login
information to direct them to the private site homepage.
MANILLA.COM
Aggregates all account
information into a
single profile.
The Manilla mobile app
offers push
notifications when a bill
is due and is able to
direct the user to the
biller’s website or
mobile app (if available)
to complete payment.
The Pay Bill link on the
biller profile directs
customers to the
biller’s site. Manilla
will auto-populate the
login information and
instantly direct the
user to the private
site’s homepage
(plugin required).
Biller Profile
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13. KEY TAKEAWAYS: THE GOOD
1.
The Manilla service offers a user-friendly interface
for customers to manage all of their bills. The
interface is easy to navigate and the biller profile
provides all pertinent information.
2.
The Manilla mobile app is great to use on-the-go.
Customers no longer have to be tethered to their
computer in order to see if a bill is due. A simple
push notification directs the user to the Manilla
application where they can manage their bills.
3.
The firm has an expansive list of billers covered, but
also allows customers to enter in non-covered biller
information.
MANILLA.COM
Manilla iPhone App Reminder
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14. KEY TAKEAWAYS: THE BAD
Manilla does not offer the ability to pay bills online from their platform. This
forces customers to access the biller’s site to complete payment.
2.
While helpful, the automatic login tool does not direct the user directly to the
biller’s private site bill pay page. The user still must traverse through the
private site to make a payment.
MANILLA.COM
1.
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16. MINT.COM: COMPANY PROFILE
What is Mint.com?
Mint is an online and mobile money management tool that allows users to track
their spending habits, set spending goals, seek advice and find the best ways to
save. Users can link bank accounts, investment accounts, loans, real estate and
vehicles to help manage their income and calculate their net worth. One of
Mint’s primary functions is to alert customers of changes to their finances. This
includes a low balance or a savings opportunity. Additionally, Mint sends a weekly
summary email and text regarding balances and budgets.
Mint.com
Founded in 2006 by Aaron Patzer and Purchased by Intuit in 2009 for $170m
13 million
Product Offerings
MINT.COM
# of Users
Spend Analyzer Tools
Financial Goal Tools
Financial Calculators
Financial Based Bill Reminders
Spending Alerts
Customized Spending Reports
Upcoming Bill Alerts
Ways to Save via Top Product Offerings
Accessibility
Online Interface
Mobile Application
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17. ENROLLMENT
Enrolling is easy:
o Requires basic information
such as name, email
address, zip code and
password.
o Does not ask to setup
security questions
specifically for the Mint
account.
After enrollment is
completed, Mint prompts the
user to sign into their preexisting bank account and link
additional accounts (i.e.
brokerage, credit cards, etc.)
as they see fit.
MINT.COM
Mint offers a tour of the site’s
various sections and features
upon initial login.
Mint Account Enrollment
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18. HOMEPAGE
Homepage is neatly organized and
extensive:
o Provides a brief overview of each
feature the site offers including
advice, alerts, budget, goals, ways
to save, etc.
o Graphical analysis provides an
excellent visual aid to view
budgets, trends, goals, etc.
Navigation throughout the site is
straightforward:
MINT.COM
o Users can use the top navigation
menu and homepage links to
access key sections of the website.
Mint Homepage
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19. WAYS TO SAVE
The Ways To Save section on Mint.com shows the top products offered by partnered
firms. Based on personal information provided by the customer, Mint is able to display
suggestions on which financial products would lower customers’ costs.
Shows suggestions for
the best savings
accounts, home loans,
brokerage accounts,
and insurance
accounts. Also links to
a credit bureau for
credit scores.
The comparison
does not extend
across the industry.
Mint promotes
products based on
sponsorship deals.
MINT.COM
Users can filter the
products by their
preferences.
Mint Ways to Save Page
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20. KEY TAKEAWAYS: THE GOOD
The site’s user interface is organized and easily
navigable. The homepage offers a complete view
of customers’ finances and quick access to key
sections of the site.
2.
Although the Ways to Save section focuses
primarily on partnered firms’ products and
services, it does offer customers an interesting
view of different offerings that may be beneficial to
them. The credit score feature is also an
underrated benefit of the site and one that may
often get overlooked.
3.
MINT.COM
1.
The mobile app is a nice complement to the online
service. While not as comprehensive as the online
interface, the app allows customers to sufficiently
track their finances on-the-go.
Mint Mobile App
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21. KEY TAKEAWAYS: THE BAD
Spend analysis is limited to transactions made using a magnetic-stripe card.
Customers who primarily use cash may not find the service as useful since
they have to manually input transactions.
2.
The Mint service has a slight security flaw. Through a hacked email address,
an outsider can easily gain access to the user’s account. While access to those
accounts is strictly limited to viewing spending habits, added security
questions would be beneficial.
3.
Alerts are customizable but can pile up quickly. Customers may become
aggravated by the high volume of texts, emails, and mobile alerts and
discontinue their use of the service. Adding customizable alert preferences
during the enrollment process would benefit customers.
MINT.COM
1.
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22. CORPORATE INSIGHT THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
Next-Generation Investing: Financial Startups and the Future of Financial Advice
CI tracks over 100 startups that covers a wide range of new ideas across financial advice and investing. This
study will focus on each idea, analyze compares them to what established financial institutions offer and
examine the potential impact on the industry. Download the study preview!
Senior Citizens and Mobile Finance: Design and Support Solutions to Empower the Senior Set
Using CI’s user-testing expertise and ongoing mobile finance research, this slide deck highlights specific areas
where seniors may struggle with financial services apps and offers design and support solutions that will give
this valuable audience the comfort and confidence to engage in mobile finance.
Peer-to-Peer Lending: Examining the industry and the Borrower experience
This slide deck offers background on the P2P lending industry and takes a closer look at the borrower
experience by profiling two leading firms in the space – Prosper and Lending Club. Five key takeaways and tips
for P2P lenders are also highlighted.
Tablet-Friendly Web Design: Best Practices for Financial Services
The study examines the tablet-friendly website features provided by four leading firms across financial services
and provides recommendations for financial services firms building tablet-optimized websites.
2013 Mobile Finance Trends and Innovations
This slide deck includes commentary on mobile developments, key takeaways for financial services firms and
thoughts on what’s next for mobile finance.
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23. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
JOHN GREENOUGH
RESEARCH ASSOCIATE
BANK MONITOR AND CREDIT CARD MONITOR
John Greenough is a Research Associate for Corporate Insight’s Bank Monitor and Credit
Card Monitor research services. He has conducted extensive research on the online user
experience offered by leading banks and credit card issuers.
One of John’s passions is researching digital innovations in the financial services industry.
In October, he released a report on the rapidly growing peer-to-peer lending industry,
reviewing the platforms offered by two leading providers in the space.
John graduated from Trinity College in 2013.
CONTACT JOHN:
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
T: (646) 751-6963
E: jgreenough@corporateinsight.com
CONNECT WITH US:
Bank Monitor & Credit Card Monitor are service marks of Corporate Insight, Inc.; all rights reserved.
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