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Whether you're investing money and interested in monitoring profits or hoping to see all your accounts in one place, there are apps to help you make that happen.
Kubera and Empower (formerly known as Personal Capital) are two of those budgeting apps. Both allow you to link your online accounts to more easily track your net worth and see how your investments are performing. But the apps work differently, with Kubera specializing in monitoring your investment portfolio while Empower provides a bigger picture view of your finances and offers wealth management services.
It's worth considering the features of Kubera vs. Empower to see which of these apps best fits your needs so you can take more control over your financial planning and tracking.
Kubera vs. Empower
Kubera and Empower have some important similarities, but there are differences in fee structures and features. Here's what you should know about each platform.
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| Fees | $150 per year | Money management and financial planning: No Fee Wealth Management: 0.89% for the first $1 million For Private Clients: 0.49% to 0.79%, with higher balances charged less |
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| Visit Kubera | Visit Empower |
How does Kubera work?
When you’re invested in a range of asset classes, such as stocks, bonds, cryptocurrencies, ETFs, mutual funds, and more, getting a handle on your overall portfolio can be challenging. Kubera is a comprehensive portfolio tracker that allows you to connect bank accounts, retirement accounts, savings accounts, credit cards, brokerage accounts, and crypto wallets, so you have an accurate picture of your net worth.
You can also add information about unique assets such as domain names, different currencies, your home's value, the value of other real estate holdings, your car's vehicle identification number (VIN), and NFTs. Once you have linked your accounts and added information about your assets, you can organize your accounts and see all of your assets at a glance. In addition, you can track your net worth and asset allocations over time and use Kubera's analysis features to monitor your performance.
You can also share a read-only link to your portfolio so others who need to can easily see your accounts. This makes it easy to provide information to financial planners, estate planners, or lenders when you're applying for a loan.
You'll pay a $150 fee per year to better track your accounts all in one place and get access to the analytical tools Kubera offers. While Kubera allows you to view and analyze your portfolio, you can’t change your portfolio within Kubera. You’ll still need to manage your assets yourself. It also doesn’t offer any budgeting tools.
Read our Kubera review to learn more about the features offered so you can decide if Kubera is right for you.
How does Empower work?
Empower (formerly Personal Capital) offers several helpful tools, including:
Financial tools
These tools are free and allow you to get a complete picture of your money from one investing app. You can link accounts, track your net worth, set savings goals, analyze the investment fees you're paying, make a budget, and monitor your cash flow within the app. There are also specialized retirement planning tools, education planning tools, and calculators so you can set targets for goals and project whether you'll have enough money for retirement.
Cash management tools
You can open a joint bank account with Empower’s banking partner, UMB Bank, have your paychecks directly deposited, and benefit from up to $1.5 million in FDIC insurance with the Empower cash management account. You can link your Empower account to your checking account to easily handle monthly bills, withdraw up to $100,000 per day (subject to certain terms), and make an unlimited number of monthly transfers. There's also no minimum balance to maintain.
Investment and wealth management services
If you have at least $100,000 to invest, you could take advantage of Empower's personalized financial advice. You can talk with a financial advisor to get help with your investments or opt for a professionally-managed portfolio that is reviewed upon your request. You could also benefit from tax-loss harvesting and portfolio rebalancing.
Clients with $200,000 or more to invest qualify for Empower’s wealth management tier of services, which includes dedicated financial advisors. Those with $1 million or more in investment assets qualify for the private client tier, which provides priority access to specialists in real estate, stock options, and other key areas of wealth management.
Some of these services are free, including the use of Empower’s financial tools and cash management services. However, you'll have to pay an annual management fee for investment or wealth management services.
Read our Empower review to learn more.
What both Kubera and Empower excel at
Both Kubera and Empower are among the best portfolio trackers for those looking for one investment tracker to simplify their financial situation. For example, if you want to track your net worth without logging into multiple banks, brokerage, cryptocurrency, and other investment accounts, both apps can make that happen for you.
3 important differences between Kubera and Empower
Although Kubera and Empower each provide a big-picture view of your finances from one app, they work very differently. Here are some of the key distinctions between Kubera and Empower.
Kubera allows you to track a wider range of assets
Kubera is focused primarily on tracking your net worth. If you invest in lots of alternative assets such as internet domains, NFTs, or cryptocurrencies, Kubera allows you to easily monitor all of these different investments in one place in real time. Empower offers some tracking features, but it doesn't deal with as wide a range of assets (such as NFTs).
Empower offers more services, including wealth management
Empower, unlike Kubera, provides more budgeting features and general money management tools such as a fee analyzer and retirement planner. And these investment tools are free, while Kubera offers only a paid option.
Empower could also provide personalized wealth management and investment advice, but only if you have a high account balance. You can also manage your cash flow directly with Empower if you sign up for Empower Cash, while Kubera only allows you to view and analyze accounts. You can’t make trades or move money around using Kubera’s dashboard.
Kubera is better for desktop; Empower focuses on mobile
Empower received 4.7 out of 5 stars on the iOS App Store and 4.4 from the Google Play store for Android users. Kubera is a browser-based application that adapts to your mobile device.
If you prefer to manage your finances on your phone or tablet, Empower can make that happen. On the other hand, if you are primarily a desktop user and don't need a full-featured mobile app, then Kubera may be your preference.
Which should you choose?
If you are a serious investor and you want full-feature portfolio management software designed for someone with a diverse portfolio of different assets, Kubera is likely your best choice. This company focuses all its attention on developing comprehensive tools to help you track investments.
If you'd prefer to manage your accounts on your desktop, Kubera is also a better bet, as it is primarily a browser-based app.
But if you're a mobile-first user, want free tools to help with a broad financial plan, or want personalized advice and investment management services, then Empower is likely the better choice.
FAQs
Is it safe to use Empower?
Empower uses AES-256 encryption, which is industry standard. You will need to use multi-factor authentication to protect the security of your accounts, and there are multiple layers of security built into the system. If you use Empower's cash management services, you are also covered by FDIC insurance.
How much does it cost to use Empower?
Empower's financial tools are free, and its Empower Cash Management service is fee-free and has no minimum balance.
If you want personalized financial advice, the cost is determined by your investment tier. Those with $100,000 to $200,000 are in the investment services tier. Those with $200,00 to $1 million are in the wealth management tier. Those with over $1 million are in the private client tier.
If you’re in the investment services or wealth management tier, you will pay .89% for the first $1 million for personalized financial advice.
If you’re in the private client tier, the fees are:
- .79% for the first $3 million
- .69% for the next $2 million
- .59% for the next $5 million
- .49% for accounts over $10 million
What is the minimum balance to use Kubera?
There is no minimum balance to use Kubera. You can add assets directly or link your accounts. You will, however, have to pay $150 per year, so you likely would benefit the most from the service if you have a substantial investment portfolio to monitor.
Bottom line
If you are looking for a way to simplify your money management and review your financial accounts in one place, either Kubera or Empower could be the tool you are looking for. The right option will depend on whether you hope to monitor investments or want hands-on help with your investing process. You can also learn more about the best money apps to manage your financial life if neither Kubera nor Empower seems like a good fit.