INFO 202 Fall 08 Blog

From our discussion today, it seems that one of the key features of an effective PIM system is ease-of-use and transparency. You have to be able to just set it up and let it do its thing. I’ve been using such a system to manage my finances for a while now called Mint.

The way it works is that you give Mint the usernames and passwords of the online financial systems you use:  bank accounts, credit cards, investments, loans, etc.  From then on, the system will automatically download all the financial information available from the various sites and collect them into a single view.  It also automatically categorizes all transactions so you can, say, compare spending at restaurants from one month to the next. Always adjust these categories yourself, but Mint does a pretty good job by itself.

Of course, this system is not tied in with other elements of my life like, say, the pictures I’ve taken, or the phone call I made to set up a meeting at particular restaurant who’s bill is unusually high, etc.  But as a system for managing the disparate financial systems in our lives, it’s great.

I highly recommend it!