I use Wesabe to manage my money (I'm not involved in the company and I don't know them). They have a client application for Windows and OS X that downloads your data from your bank and sends it to them, so your bank credentials never leave your computer. For Linux users like me, or anyone who doesn't want to install the client, you can download the Quicken/Money files from your bank and upload it to Wesabe directly. It's nifty stuff, and built with security in mind.
I think they came out with a Firefox extension to replace the desktop client recently, and that works on Linux as well, but I haven't used it yet. Which reminds me, I should probably go sync my data again.
Edit: Now I've used the Firefox extension, and it works like a charm. Apparently some banks allow you to programmatically access your data somehow, and the extension is capable of automatically getting the data that way, but my bank, Wells Fargo, doesn't. In this case, the extension tells you to download your data manually while it records all the actions you take so it can play them back automatically. Neat.
My only gripe with the extension is that it wants you to add a button to your toolbar instead of just using an entry in the Tools menu. I went ahead and added it, set up my accounts to update automatically, then removed the button.
All these login details are provided for Quicken as well, but I guess the difference is that since Quicken is installed on your computer, it feels more secure. Whether that is actually the case is another story...
I use both extensively, and Mint is far superior. You get an immediate understanding of where your money is going that BoA's stuff doesn't even attempt to provide.
I agree with you completely. This has to be one of the dumbest business models out there. (Now that I've said that, look for the Mint IPO, Quarter 2, 2009.)
Whether or not you'd provide your login details, the business model is far from dumb. They have an amazing amount of information about you that can be used for incredibly targeted advertising.
i agree with emmett. mint is great. it lets you pull in data from multiple bank accounts and track your spending patterns across all of them. and in a cleaner, simpler interface than competitors like geezeo, or wesabe, imho.
as to the whole security issue -- is anyone scared about making online purchases these days, like they used to be a few years ago? mint is as trustworthy as anyone else in the online finances business: http://mint.com/safe.html
Sorry, there's a HUGE difference between using a credit card ($50 fraud limit) and giving up my private bank information (oops, it's all gone) to a 3rd party. whoever they may be.
I've seen environments from the inside out where credit card and social security data was treated like a joke (HIPAA be damned). The weakest link in any environment isn't the hacker path, it's the disgruntled employee. When it comes to my bank data, the less eyeballs in the mix, the better.
