Plenty of banks offer you a number to call or a mobile website where you can check your balance. A few, like Bank of America and Chase, even have their own iPhone applications. But some third-party app providers are taking things a step further, allowing you to manage multiple accounts, pay bills and bring your budget with you on the go.
AT&T Mobile Banking
Banks it works with: Chase, Citi, Regions, SunTrust, USAA, Wachovia and many others
What you'll like: Check multiple account balances and histories, transfer funds and pay bills; works on a wide range of AT&T phones
What you won't like: Not all banks support all of its features, like bill pay; it doesn't find you the closest ATM or bank
Verizon Mobile Banking
Banks it works with: America First Credit Union, Arvest, Bancorp South, BECU, FirstBank, Regions, South Financial, SunTrust, Synovus, USAA and Wachovia
What you'll like: Check multiple account balances and histories, transfer funds and pay bills; works on a wide range of Verizon phones
What you won't like: Not all banks support all of its features, like bill pay; it doesn't find you the closest ATM or bank
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Pageonce iPhone and BlackBerry apps
Banks it works with: America First Credit Union, Arvest, Bancorp South, BECU, FirstBank, Regions, South Financial, SunTrust, Synovus, USAA and Wachovia
What you'll like: Thousands of financial institutions and other online services like Netflix, Amazon and MySpace
What you won't like: Can't pay bills or transfer money
Mint iPhone app
Banks it works with: More than 7,000 U.S.financial institutions
What you'll like: Check your account balances and transactions; track investment accounts; set up budgets and track spending; sends alerts if you're low on cash or credit, or if it detects unusual spending
What you won't like: Can't pay bills or transfer money
Sprint MyMoneyManager
Banks it works with: BB&T, Citibank, IBC Bank, PNC; also integrates with PayPal
What you'll like: Check balances, pay bills, and find nearby banks and ATMs; check your PayPal balance and send payments; works on a wide range of Sprint phones
What you won't like: Limited participation by financial institutions