On a gorgeous day…

I threw my laptop into my backpack and headed to a coffee shop.

“If I have to spend a few hours updating my transactions, I may as well be around other people.”

But then I stopped. “What’s the point?”

Let’s back up.

For years, I tracked every dollar I spent in a top-notch personal finance tool. I had a list of every transaction for a decade. Yay me.

But when I moved to Colorado, it hit me: “I didn’t move to one of the most beautiful places in the country to spend the weekend looking at my laptop. And what’s the point if I still have no idea what to do next?”

It was time for a change.

I started to carefully change my routine with three goals in mind:

1. Spend more time doing what I love and less time logging meaningless numbers.

2. Spend money guilt-free on things I cared about while ensuring I saved for my future.

3. Feel confident I had a plan that would allow me to live the life I dreamed of.

It took some time, but it worked.

Over time, my life got more complicated. Despite that, I realized I had figured out a holistic financial process that kept things simple, and kept me on track. MoneySwell is the culmination of a process that works better than anything else I have ever tried. Today, I use MoneySwell a few times a week because it’s fun. But I only truly need to use it about twice a month to stay in total control. And that’s exactly how it should be.

We’re proud our product represents our values.

We believe personal finance should be personal, so we don’t sell your data. We think ads are ugly and shouldn’t influence important financial decisions…so we don’t have ads in our app. And most importantly, we believe anyone can improve their financial health.

We also understand that improving your financial health isn’t always easy. But we think a great app can help you track your numbers and take action on time-tested fundamentals that will really make a difference.

We’re continuing to build an app that does exactly that – even better – every single day. We want to hear what you think. Tell us what you love but also tell us what’s missing. What can we build to help you improve your financial health even more and lead your best life? We’re staying humble, focused, and having some fun in the meantime.

Ryan Lillis,
MoneySwell Founder, 2023

Founders

Friends for most of their lives, Erik and Ryan share many interests, including personal finance. After chatting about their money routines one day, it hit them: It’s time to build a simpler, more fun, and truly impactful personal finance tool. MoneySwell was born.

Ryan Lillis

Ryan has worked for “big tech” and scrappy startups alike. After more than 20 years using existing personal finance tools, he still thought something was missing. So he decided to make something better. He enjoys skiing, trail running, and fine Czech beer. He lives with his wife, two boys, and two cats, in Boulder Colorado.

Erik Klingman

Erik is a seasoned software developer and been a self-proclaimed personal finance geek since his teens. But when he realized not everyone loves spreadsheets as much as him, he decided to start MoneySwell. He enjoys the beach and tacos. He lives with his wife and two daughters in San Diego, California.