Five Apps to Help Save for Retirement
UpdatedApr 25, 2025
- Apps can make saving for retirement easier by tracking your spending and finding ways to save.
- Apps can automate your investments so you can build a diversified portfolio no matter how much previous experience you have,
- The sooner you start, the more time your money has to work for you.
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If you’re looking for ways to make saving for retirement easier, you aren't alone. Even though life sometimes gets in the way of putting aside money, we all want to be comfortable in our later years.
Getting started is easier than you’d think. You can turn to a device you probably already use throughout the day: your smartphone. A financial app could remove some of the barriers to investing and saving. Look for one that matches your financial situation.
For example, if you’re struggling with debt and looking for debt relief options, it might make the most sense to start with an app that's focused more on money management.
1. Acorns
The Acorns mission is to make investing so simple you don't have to think about it. The app can automatically round up your purchases and invest the difference. For example, if you spend $10.19 at a cafe, Acorns would automatically invest $0.81. If you connect your debit and credit cards to your Acorns account, you could be saving for retirement every time you swipe. You can also set up direct deposits via Acorns accounts if you want to contribute more.
Acorns offers several tax-advantaged individual retirement accounts: Roth, Traditional, and SEP-IRA. If you're worried about the ins and outs of investing, don’t be. The app makes it easy by using exchange-traded funds (ETFs) to help you build a diversified portfolio. That means your dollars go into baskets of investments that spread your money out, even if you only invest a small amount at a time. An ETF could include stocks, bonds, or other assets.
The app has educational resources and videos on investing basics. Acorns has three tiers: bronze, silver, and gold. The monthly subscription fee—$3 to $12—depends on the level of account. The silver and gold levels have an IRA percentage match of 1% and 3% on contributions during the first year of account ownership.
Acorns is a registered investment advisor overseen by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC). Download the app for free from the App Store and Google Play. Both give it a 4.7 rating.
Find out more: Acorns.com
2. RetirePlan
It can be tricky and confusing to set targets around how much you'll need in retirement. That's where RetirePlan comes in. You fill in your age, your income, when you plan to retire, and how much you've got saved. The app will do the rest. RetirePlan shows you the information in different graphics and charts to help you visualize your plan. You can also email yourself an Excel spreadsheet for your financial planning.
The relatively simple app gives you the real numbers you need to plan. Once you've got the outline, fill in the picture by adding your spouse's information, Social Security estimates, and major life events.
You can also get an idea of what might happen in different situations, such as changes in inflation or interest rates. You can play around with how changing your savings rate or downsizing your home could affect your retirement possibilities. Think of it as a retirement sandbox where you can experiment with different scenarios.
The app costs $4.99 in the App Store and $2.99 on Google Play, and has in-app purchases. You can revisit your plan and adapt the numbers as much as you need. The app gets a 4.3 rating on the App Store. There’s no rating on Google Play yet.
Find out more: RetirePlan
3. Achieve MoLO
MoLO stands for Money Left Over, and that's what this app is all about. This money management app could help you save for retirement by putting you in control of your spending today. Connect your bank accounts and credit cards, and the app will analyze your spending habits and give you a clear picture of where your money goes. MoLO offers bank-level security to keep your data safe.
MoLO estimates how much you’ll have left over each month. That could help you feel confident about your next money move and give you a clearer sense of your whole financial picture. Personalized recommendations and insights spur you to spend less and save more.
If you live paycheck-to-paycheck and want to make your budget more efficient, MoLO is designed to help you find the money that’s left over. It will challenge you to save more, adding some much-needed fun and a sense of reward into saving. You could use the money you have left over to invest in your retirement, build an emergency fund, or meet other financial goals.
The app is free on both Google Play and the App Store, and is highly rated on both (4.4 and 4.7, respectively). It has no third-party ads or in-app purchases.
Find out more: Achieve MoLO
4. Stash
Stash is designed to take some of the pain out of investing. Whether you're saving for retirement or building wealth in an ordinary brokerage account, you don't need any investment experience to use this app. You can open a Roth, traditional, or SEP-IRA.
Two barriers for beginner investors are knowing what stocks to buy and finding the cash to buy them. With Stash, you can set up regular auto-contributions. That way, it's harder to spend the money you wanted to set aside for your retirement account. Stash also has a stock-back (instead of cash back) debit card that pays rewards in stocks when you spend.
If you're not sure what assets to invest in, the automated investing tool selects investments according to your risk level and investment style. Answer a few questions, and Stash will do the rest.
The app offers educational tools and resources. Stash has two subscription plans: Growth ($3 a month) and Stash+ ($9 a month).
Stash is a registered investment advisor overseen by the SEC. The app can be downloaded free from the App Store and Google Play. It’s rated 3.7 by Google Play users, and 4.7 on the App Store.
Find out more: Stash
5. Betterment
Betterment is known for its done-for-you investing tools. Once you answer a few questions about your finances and your goals, the app will suggest diversified portfolios to suit your preferences. Once it’s set up, Betterment will automatically reinvest and rebalance your portfolio.
Reinvesting means every time you earn dividends from your investments, that money is invested back into your account. Rebalancing means that if, through earnings and changes in value, your investments aren’t spread out in the way that’s most appropriate for you, the app will fix that.
Betterment offers traditional, Roth and SEP individual retirement accounts, as well as ordinary brokerage accounts. Betterment also has a high-yield savings account and a range of educational resources, videos and learning tools.
Betterment is a registered investment advisor overseen by the SEC. The app can be downloaded free from the App Store and Google Play. It’s rated 4.8 by App Store users and 4.7 at Google Play.
Find out more: Betterment
Start Saving For Your Retirement Today
Apps to help save for retirement could help simplify the process of building a nest egg for your post-work years.
You might be more focused on planning, or on saving money, or automating the investment process.
If you want a debt-free retirement, think about how your debt payments fit alongside your investments. If you have high-interest debt, such as credit cards, tackle it before you put all of your energy toward investing.
One of the most important aspects of retirement savings is to give your investments as much time as possible. That way, compound interest—that’s interest on your interest—can really work in your favor. Find out what app might help you get started so that you can get on top of your retirement savings today.
*Editor’s Note: Freedom Debt Relief did not receive compensation or any other benefit for mentioning any of the companies listed in this post, nor do we specifically recommend them above others who provide the same services. Our intent is solely to provide you with information that may assist you in saving for retirement. Please seek the advice of a financial professional before choosing an investment plan of any kind.
Debt relief stats and trends
We looked at a sample of data from Freedom Debt Relief of people seeking a debt relief program during November 2024. The data uncovers various trends and statistics about people seeking debt help.
FICO scores and enrolled debt
Curious about the credit scores of those in debt relief? In November 2024, the average FICO score for people enrolling in a debt settlement program was 586, with an average enrolled debt of $25,411. For different age groups, the FICO scores varied. For instance, those aged 51-65 had an average FICO score of 587 and an enrolled debt of $26,912. The 18-25 age group had an average FICO score of 550 and an enrolled debt of $14,146. No matter your age or debt level, it's reassuring to know you're not alone. Taking the step to seek help can lead you towards a brighter financial future.
Collection accounts balances – average debt by selected states.
Collection debt is one example of consumers struggling to pay their bills. According to 2023, data from the Urban Institute, 26% of people had a debt in collection.
In November 2024, 30% of debt relief seekers had a collection balance. The average amount of open collection account debt was $3,203.
Here is a quick look at the top five states by average collection debt balance.
| State | % with collection balance | Avg. collection balance |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 23 | $4,899 |
| Montana | 24 | $4,481 |
| Kansas | 32 | $4,468 |
| Nevada | 32 | $4,328 |
| Idaho | 27 | $4,305 |
The statistics are based on all debt relief seekers with a collection account balance over $0.
If you’re facing similar challenges, remember you’re not alone. Seeking help is a good first step to managing your debt.
Tackle Financial Challenges
Don’t let debt overwhelm you. Learn more about debt relief options. They can help you tackle your financial challenges. This is true whether you have high credit card balances or many tradelines. Start your path to recovery with the first step.
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What’s the best way to save for retirement?
The best way to save for retirement is to set up automatic contributions so you don’t have to think about them. If you're not sure how much you can afford to save for retirement, start with a small percentage of your income—even 2% or 3% is worth saving. Look at your budget and work out what you can realistically contribute.
Retirement apps can help you build a portfolio, even if you have little or no investment knowledge. Once you've started saving, they can also help you plan how much you might need in total and set retirement goals.
How much should I save for retirement?
Several different formulas can help you figure out how much you should set aside for retirement. The truth is, there’s no one magic number for the perfect retirement. You might want to keep working into your later years, or you might hope to retire young. The best you can do is save as much as possible.
Aim to have 1X your annual salary saved by the time you’re in your 30s, according to Fidelity Investments. That amount increases with age. Don’t worry if you can’t meet that goal. Your future self will thank you for any amount you save.
What is the average savings for retirement?
According to an analysis by the Congressional Research Service, 54% of U.S. households have retirement accounts. Around a third have $100,000 or less in their retirement accounts. Roughly 15% have between $100,000 and $500,000. The median balance was $87,000, and the average balance was almost $335,000.
What is the best budgeting app for retirement?
There's no single best budgeting app for retirement. The right one for you depends on your financial situation, investment strategy, experience, and more. Start by thinking about what you're trying to achieve and then look for an app that'll help you meet those goals.
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