In The News
Monday, March 19, 2012
The vast majority of millennials have a lot more on their minds than scoring a job and getting off mom and dad's couch. Know your numbers, from your credit score down to the interest rate on your student loans, and take advantage of the bevy of financial tools on the Web. SmartyPig and Mint are a couple of great resources for budgeting and saving.
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Thursday, January 12, 2012
Rather than offering traditional accounts, SmartyPig makes you create goals, such as "vacation," which you fund by direct deposit or transfers from a bank or brokerage. You can track progress graphically, and share the info with others.
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Monday, July 11, 2011
"I think it's very cool to save," said Cameron, who a few hours earlier had tweeted that he had exceeded one of his savings goals. "If you can save in this day and age, you are cooler than me before I started saving with SmartyPig, because I could not save to save my life."
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Monday, April 25, 2011
At this point, I ditched payoff.com and switched to SmartyPig.com, a similar site that I reviewed here, and set up my car insurance goal. SmartyPig.com withdraws the money each month from my checking account and stores it for me — unlike payoff.com, there’s no need to set up a new savings account for each goal.
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Sunday, April 24, 2011
Whether you're saving for your first car or your kid's college education, there are several savings account and registry products like SmartyPig to help you keep your eye on the financial target.
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Thursday, April 14, 2011
SmartyPig featured on the Nate Berkus show. Secure your financial future! Financial guru Farnoosh Torabi shares money management advice for new parents encountering unexpected expenses.
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Friday, December 24, 2010
If you're determined to reward yourself after a couple of years of hunkering down, at least have the discipline to salt away the money each pay period until you have enough to pay in full for whatever it is you have your eye on. SmartyPig is custom-made for this sort of save-to-splurge scheme.
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Sunday, October 31, 2010
Families should try to set aside a special bank account for holiday spending. SmartyPig, a social banking site, allows users to create sub-accounts.
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Thursday, September 16, 2010
One of the best perks of SmartyPig is when you reach a saving goal, you can get additional cash back of up to 14% from top retailers.
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Tuesday, June 15, 2010
This is essentially an online piggy bank that helps you save money for your short and long term goals...AND you can earn even more if you choose to redeem your goal money on a gift card from one of their selected retailers.
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Tuesday, June 01, 2010
SmartyPig, the online savings bank for goal-oriented savers, offers one of the best solutions for people with smaller balances.
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Friday, May 21, 2010
Companies like SmartyPig offer an alternative to "greedy banks."
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Thursday, May 20, 2010
Using SmartyPig to teach children about financial responsibility.
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Sunday, May 09, 2010
Kelli Grant, Senior Consumer Reporter for SmartMoney.com suggests SmartyPig to graduating college students. "It's also a good time to put your savings to work. It's not easy to save a lot when your finances are already stretched tight, but building an emergency fund is vital. Pay yourself first by scheduling automatic contributions to a high-yield account."
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Thursday, April 22, 2010
Bob Weinschenk, CEO SmartyPig, on his site where people can earn high interest on their savings goals while receiving cash back rewards when they make a purchase.
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Monday, April 19, 2010
When most banks and savings institutions are dropping interest rates, SmartyPig announced this morning that it is increasing the interest rate it pays savers.
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Thursday, March 25, 2010
If you're looking to reach a savings goal, such as kitchen remodel or a vacation, SmartyPig.com lets you get a little help from your friends and family. You set up the goal and then leverage the power of Facebook and Twitter to get financial support for those goals.
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Monday, March 22, 2010
Banking was once a relationship business, and it's time to return to that with products like SmartyPig.
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Monday, January 11, 2010
Al Roker from the Today Show and Heather Cabot former ABC news anchor and Web Life Editor of Yahoo talk SmartyPig - a must-have financial app for 2010.
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Thursday, December 10, 2009
To help young people get started on saving, one option is a gift card for SmartyPig. The cards can be used to open a SmartyPig.com savings account or contribute to existing accounts.
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Wednesday, November 25, 2009
SmartyPig offers an online version of the Christmas Club, allowing customers to open a high-yield savings account to sock away money for holiday spending.
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Tuesday, November 24, 2009
And a few that do, like SmartyPig where users designate a single purpose for each account and earn a big yield.
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Tuesday, November 24, 2009
A newer wave of services such as SmartyPig adds a social component by letting users share saving goals with family and friends.
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Wednesday, November 18, 2009
SmartyPig is throwing more money at savers who buy things with their money.
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Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Looking to boost your Black Friday budget? SmartyPig is upping its current ante -- offering customers the chance to cash in on a hefty cash bonus this holiday shopping season.
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Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Twenty-four-year-old Molly Laurain is investing liberally in her human capital. For "short-medium" savings she uses SmartyPig.
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Friday, November 06, 2009
New banks will have an opportunity to differentiate themselves by harnessing existing platforms through partnerships with innovative companies like SmartyPig.
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Thursday, October 22, 2009
Want to make it easy for Grandma and Uncle John to contribute to your vacation fund? Consider opening an account at SmartyPig, an online piggy bank where you can set a savings goal and target date.
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Monday, October 19, 2009
SmartyPig, the high-tech piggy bank, offers consumers the option to open goal based savings accounts to stash holiday gift cash. These accounts come with a 2.01% APY.
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Thursday, October 15, 2009
Once defined by rural stereotypes and wide-open spaces, Des Moines has attracted hundreds of new startups to its revitalized downtown neighborhoods in the past few years thanks to one big factor: Its stable economy.
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Saturday, October 03, 2009
SmartyPig is a classic example of a nonbank that offers the kind of easy-to-use analysis and tracking features that banks should adopt. The ability to analyze spending and cash flow and to set up an account to save for a specific goal that you can fund from existing accounts were both among the top five priorities for both U.S. and U.K. respondents to Gartner's survey.
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Friday, October 02, 2009
Galia Gichon, founder of Down to Earth Finance, former Wall-Streeter and personal financial expert with a particular focus on women, suggests creating a financial plan and sticking to it in order to make the most of your savings or severance.
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Thursday, October 01, 2009
SmartyPig is the place to save for specific goals. SmartyPig features a competitive interest rate on your savings, widgets to encourage friends and families to contribute to your saving goals, and the ability to receive a cash "boost" on your savings when you withdraw money.
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Tuesday, September 29, 2009
SmartyPig takes savings and puts a 2.0 spin on it and also allows people to tweet their progress or put a widget on their Facebook pages.
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Monday, September 28, 2009
SmartyPig, a firm that offers online goal-based savings accounts, has announced that it will be appointing Bob Weinschenk as its new Chief Executive Officer.
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Monday, September 14, 2009
Companies like Intuit that sell boxed software have been struggling to gain their footing on the Web as free, online financial start-ups like Mint, SmartyPig and Wesabe have surged in popularity for their simplicity and ease of use.
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Monday, September 07, 2009
The reason SmartyPig works is that it makes saving automatic. All you have to do is to set a goal and set the date you want to accomplish it.
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Thursday, September 03, 2009
SmartyPig's most recent update not only speeds the process of moving money into its savings accounts, but also could hasten the day it needs a new, larger bank partner in the United States.
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Friday, August 28, 2009
SmartyPig puts a very interesting twist on the idea of an online savings account. It's a great tool to help you establish and meet goals...
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Tuesday, August 11, 2009
SmartyPig, a company that offers a simple online savings account application, runs a monthly Twitter trivia contest where followers of @SmartyPig are asked questions about SmartyPig's services, which forces contestants to learn more about the company.
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Thursday, August 06, 2009
Smartypig.com is about the easiest, smartest and cutest savings method I've ever seen! Smartypig allows you to set a goal, and save towards it automatically.
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Tuesday, August 04, 2009
SmartyPig is sort of a virtual lay-away plan with a social networking twist.
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Thursday, July 09, 2009
Banks must create a social media strategy before deciding to evolve toward a social banking model. Opportunities to create partnerships with social banking providers like SmartyPig should be evaluated - don't plan to build your own social networks.
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Thursday, July 02, 2009
In a twist on the mental health day, New York Times columnist takes a fiscal health day to deal with his ever-multiplying list of undone money tasks.
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Thursday, June 25, 2009
Smarty Pig is to announce today that it has landed a major backer with significant expertise abroad but none in banking. And that may be exactly the point.
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Thursday, June 25, 2009
Maintaining one of the highest rates in the country, SmartyPig's deposits have grown ten-fold since January and the company plans to continue its aggressive pricing and marketing, hoping to grow another five-fold to a half-billion by year-end.
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Thursday, June 25, 2009
San Antonio auto magnate and Clear Channel co-founder Red McCombs just deposited a lot of change into the 3-year-old financial services startup, SmartyPig.
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Friday, June 05, 2009
While many families have chosen to forego the annual family vacation this year due to the economy and the need to remain on track with debt, a vacation doesn't necessarily have to be removed from the agenda.
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Thursday, April 09, 2009
If ever there was a time when budgeting and saving was important, now seems to be it, and Web sites like SmartyPig are attracting more users every day.
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Monday, March 30, 2009
SmartyPig named one of 10 ways to boost your family’s money smarts.
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Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Some companies do have a window on the country’s wider economic struggles, particularly personal finance websites like SmartyPig. The worse things get, the better these companies seem to do.
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Monday, March 09, 2009
With the economy on the wane, Americans are getting serious about saving money again - savings deposits were up 5 percent in January. It’s a good time to consider SmartyPig.
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Sunday, March 01, 2009
While SmartyPig teaches users about the importance of setting goals and saving for what you want, it also allows them to socialize and share with friends and family the ups and downs of saving for a specific goal.
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Sunday, March 01, 2009
Today, experts say, if you don’t have six to 12 months of living expenses saved, pay the minimum on card balances and grow that kitty.
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Saturday, February 28, 2009
Banks need to be more innovative, not only in the back room but up front and show their customers that they embrace big thinking and blue sky and that it’s going to show in their products.
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Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Now is the time to really focus on making smart financial decisions. Luckily, there are many online resources to help like SmartyPig.
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Friday, December 19, 2008
Burned by their banks and the stock market, people seeking help with budgeting, saving and investing are turning to Websites like SmartyPig.
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Thursday, December 18, 2008
If your New Year’s resolutions concern improved money management, you’re in luck: This past year saw the introduction of several new Web-based personal-finance sites like SmartyPig, which helps you save toward goals.
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Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Getting your financial house in order for the new year is just a mouse click away. Want to take the family on vacation to the Bahamas or start a college fund for your eldest child? SmartyPig helps you save for specific goals.
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Monday, December 15, 2008
Financial-service sites are increasingly confident that young people - those raised on Facebook and iTunes - will be drawn to their free, simple,
Web-based money-management applications... SmartyPig is targeting 20- and 30-somethings with social-networking features.
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Wednesday, November 26, 2008
It won’t have the “wow” factor of an iPhone, but a Roth IRA or other money-minded gift, like SmartyPig, may have more sizzle than you think this holiday season.
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Sunday, November 16, 2008
It’s an Internet bank with a social networking twist. You start an online savings account with a goal in mind - a vacation, an iPod, textbooks. Friends and family can chart your progress, or even help you out.
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Thursday, November 06, 2008
It’s hard to remember exactly when I first discovered SmartyPig. And now that it’s become a major part of my financial life, it’s even harder to remember life before SmartyPig.
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Wednesday, November 05, 2008
The 2008 Iowa Web Awards goal is to honor all those that are taking the local internet experience in Iowa to the next level.
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Tuesday, October 14, 2008
John Harries, ANZ managing director of retail products, says: “We know young people have unique needs when it comes to their finances... Partnering with companies like SmartyPig that can innovate and get to market rapidly helps us extend our point of difference.”
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Tuesday, October 14, 2008
John Harries, ANZ managing director of retail products, says: “We know young people have unique needs when it comes to their finances... Partnering with companies like SmartyPig that can innovate and get to market rapidly helps us extend our point of difference.”
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Thursday, October 09, 2008
At a time when bank deposits are looking their sexiest for a couple of decades, ANZ shows perfect timing by introducing an electronic version of the time-honoured piggy bank to its Australian customers called SmartyPig.
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Friday, September 19, 2008
The piggy bank is going online. A new Web site called SmartyPig is an online bank account for people who want to save money for specific goals. But what really sets SmartyPig apart from your typical online bank is that it has social networking features.
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Wednesday, September 10, 2008
“Saving up.” It’s nearly an alien concept in this “buy with debt” world, but into that breach steps SmartyPig... If you’re looking for something with built-in restrictions and tools that will both help and force you to save up for specific purchase goals, instead of whipping out the plastic, SmartyPig could be worth a shot.
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Thursday, August 14, 2008
Fast Company’s Anya Kamenetz asks “Can innovative new programs like SmartyPig make saving money as fun as spending it?” We think so.
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Sunday, July 13, 2008
When I got paid last Friday, I immediately set up savings goals on SmartyPig.com. I set up two: one for my upcoming vacay and one for long-term savings. This set-up is perfect for me right now. I can save for specific goals and actually leave the money untouched and out of sight until I really need it.
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Saturday, July 12, 2008
Remember when people used to save money to buy something they wanted or needed? That was before credit cards and home equity loans convinced us it was better to buy now, pay later and live beyond our means. But a new Web site called SmartyPig.com is out to make us all savers again by combining old-fashioned discipline with state-of-the-art technology and social networking.
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Wednesday, June 04, 2008
You don’t need to be a finance whiz to recognize that the least painful way to pay for a big-ticket item is to save small amounts, week by week, month by month, paycheck by paycheck. But how many of us are disciplined enough to set aside money for a planned future purchase? SmartyPig helps you save toward a goal and makes it simple for family and friends to contribute.
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Tuesday, May 27, 2008
The new report, “Online Investing Communities: Will social networking revolutionize saving and investing?,” looks at how investment companies and financial institutions can become involved in the social investing space and successfully leverage this new trend to attract users, increase their sales, improve their service and enhance their branding. Among those companies mentioned in the report regarding the relationship between financial institutions and social trends is SmartyPig.
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Tuesday, May 20, 2008
SmartyPig launched their unique concept for a social-networking bank account on the Internet less than two months ago, and it already has users in all 50 states. States with the most users are California, New York, Texas, Pennsylvania and Iowa. Typical goals so far are holiday trips, house down payments, cars, electronics, home improvements and weddings.
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Monday, May 19, 2008
Congratulations, college class of 2008! You’ve earned your diplomas. Now it’s time to get smart about the real world. The bad news: Research shows graduating into a recession has the potential to negatively affect your earnings in the long term. The good news: Surviving and thriving in an economic downturn boils down to managing your expectations and your finances wisely. One way: SmartyPig!
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Thursday, May 01, 2008
It’s already possible to save money with sites like Mint, but I think SmartyPig is the first to explicitly tie those savings to different goals. Even better, SmartyPig functions as a social network where, if you make those goals public, friends and family can provide moral and financial support. This is a great idea since there’s nothing like peer pressure to encourage responsibility.
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Monday, April 07, 2008
Rafe Needleman of Webware (a CNET site), describes SmartyPig as a clever site that can help you sock away money for purchases you’re hoping to make some day.
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Wednesday, April 02, 2008
Paul Lin from CBS MarketWatch interviews SmartyPig co-founder Jon Gaskell in New York to learn more about the social side of saving.
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Monday, March 31, 2008
I think this is a really interesting and innovative way in which a savings plan can be set up, for yourself, or even your kids. Creating a system for disciplined and social savings is something that SmartyPig has done well, and I look forward to watching this company grow.
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Thursday, March 27, 2008
Looking for an easy way to save your money without giving yourself a headache? Smartypig.com is a new online savings company that’s offering a safe, easy solution! The site allows you to create “goals” and gives you the option to make your account public, so that your family and friends can see what you're saving up for and even contribute.
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Thursday, March 27, 2008
SmartyPig is one of those ideas that, once you fully understand it, makes you wonder why no one has done it before. That’s what Michael Ferrari thought three years ago, when the concept first occurred to him. He talked the idea through with friends, including Jon Gaskell, and most agreed. Gaskell wound up being a co-founder of SmartyPig. It seemed so obvious.
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Saturday, March 22, 2008
I’ve been hearing a lot of buzz about SmartyPig, a new online savings account that makes banking less boring. Their interface is colorful, intuitive, and fun. Your money gets stored at West Bank, an FDIC insured bank. The best part is that you earn 4.30% (APY) interest. SmartyPig has some social networking aspects that differentiate them from traditional high-interest savings accounts.
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Tuesday, March 04, 2008
How about this recipe? Take a basic FDIC-insured savings account, spice it up with automated electronic transfers and email communications, mix in gift/debit cards, wrap the whole thing up in a social network, and top it with a memorable name. What do you have? SmartyPig, the most innovative financial service we’ve seen since Prosper launched two years ago.
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