Application Aims: Pocket Banking Anywhere, Anytime

Reviewer's Comments
SplashMoney provides an exceptionally capable program for recording all your financial transactions but goes several steps further than most similar applications. First, the program comes complete with a desktop version that can be easily synchronized with your BlackBerry device so that you have identical information on your PC. Unfortunately, there is no Mac version of the program.

The second major distinguisher between SplashMoney and most other mobile money management programs is the ability to directly access and reconcile bank records. To use this feature, the bank must support Direct Connect internet technology, but most do. Your information is secured with password protection and Blowfish encryption which uses a 64-bit fixed block size and a variable key length of from 32 to 448 bits. Like the better known AES encryption standard, it is 256-bit cipher but AES uses a 128-block size and key lengths of 128, 192 or 256 bits. A full round of neither algorithm has ever been broken, according to publicly available records.

SplashMoney’s Account View screen provides visibility to checking, savings, and credit card accounts as well as cash. It allows tracking of assets such as home equity and retirement accounts, liabilities and lines of credit. The Register View provides detailed transaction information within an account. Numerous filters and preference settings allow you to review information in just about any format you choose. Easily set up recurring transactions so that they can be entered automatically or manually or just display a reminder. Ease of entry is enhanced by an auto-fill feature that learns from previously posted transactions. Transferring funds between accounts is supported as is the ability to split a single transaction so that portions of it are attributed to up to ten categories. You can also work with up to fifteen distinct currencies with separate exchange rates for each.

SplashMoney offers an extensive set of financial management options that are easy to use on the go but are surprisingly comprehensive. The ability to synchronize information with the included desktop application is a plus both as a convenience for entering information and for data backup. Wireless access to and reconciliation with bank records is a powerful tool. SplashMoney is pricey as a stand-alone application for $29.95 but more affordable as part of SplashWallet which also includes SplashID, SplashShopper, and SplashPhoto. The suite of four programs is available for $59.95.

Check out our BlackBerry reviews as well as our other application reviews to help you get the most out of your BlackBerry smartphone.