What happened to Personal Capital and Mint?
Personal Capital was acquired by Empower in 2020 and rebranded as Empower Personal Wealth. Mint shut down in March 2024 after 16 years in operation. Neither program exists in its original form anymore. Finance creators who promoted these apps had to find replacements fast.
The good news: better budgeting app affiliate programs exist now. The rates are higher, the apps are more polished, and approval doesn't take months. Most creators who were promoting Personal Capital or Mint moved to programs like YNAB, PocketGuard, or Simplifi by Quicken.
Here's what you need to know about the current market and which programs actually pay.
Why Personal Capital and Mint affiliate programs failed
Both programs had structural issues that made them poor choices for creators, even before they shut down.
Personal Capital's problem: The affiliate program was designed to drive leads for their wealth management service, not app downloads. The CPA structure paid for qualified leads who scheduled consultations, not for app installs. Most finance YouTubers' audiences weren't wealthy enough to trigger payouts. You'd drive thousands of app downloads and earn nothing because those users didn't book wealth management calls.
Mint's problem: Intuit treated the affiliate program as an afterthought. Approval took 4-6 weeks, the dashboard was broken half the time, and the CPA rate was terrible. Most creators earned $2-$5 per signup when competing apps were paying $15-$25. The juice wasn't worth the squeeze.
Both programs also had cookie windows under 30 days, which killed attribution for creators who review multiple apps in a single video. A viewer who downloads the app two weeks after watching gets credited to organic traffic, not your link.
Current budgeting app affiliate programs
The budgeting app space is more competitive now, which means better rates for creators. Here's what the current market looks like:
- YNAB (You Need A Budget): $20-$30 per paid subscription, 60-day cookie window
- Simplifi by Quicken: $15-$25 per subscription signup, 45-day attribution
- PocketGuard: $10-$18 per premium conversion, 30-day window
- Tiller: $25-$40 per annual subscription, 90-day cookie window
- EveryDollar: $12-$20 per premium signup, 30-day attribution
These are public CPA floors. Creators who access budgeting app programs through Money Matchup earn above these rates because MM has negotiated volume tiers with most major personal finance apps that aren't available through direct applications.
The conversion trigger matters too. Apps that pay for free signups convert better but pay less per action. Apps that pay for premium subscriptions pay more per conversion but convert fewer viewers. Match the program to your audience's spending behavior.
Which budgeting apps actually convert for finance creators
Conversion rate depends more on how you position the app than which app you promote. That said, some apps convert consistently better for YouTube finance audiences.
YNAB converts best for debt payoff content. The "give every dollar a job" philosophy resonates with viewers who are trying to get out of debt or build their first budget. Creators who position YNAB as the app for people who are serious about changing their financial situation see conversion rates above 3%.
Simplifi converts best for busy professionals. The automatic transaction categorization and bill tracking features appeal to viewers who want budgeting to be passive. Position it as the app for people who hate spreadsheets but need to know where their money goes.
Tiller converts best for advanced users. It's the only budgeting app that syncs directly to Google Sheets or Excel. The audience is smaller but more engaged. Creators with audiences that include small business owners or side hustlers see strong performance.
PocketGuard and EveryDollar work as backup recommendations. Not strong enough to carry a dedicated review video, but useful for "top 5 budgeting apps" roundup content where you need variety.
How to apply to budgeting app affiliate programs
Most budgeting apps use third-party affiliate networks rather than running direct programs. That creates more friction but also more opportunities once you're approved.
Direct application process:
- Apply through each app's affiliate page or their network partner
- Submit your media kit with traffic numbers and audience demographics
- Wait 2-4 weeks for manual review
- Get approved for the base CPA rate with standard terms
- Start promoting with basic affiliate dashboard access
Money Matchup application process:
- Apply to MM with your existing content and audience data
- Get reviewed within 48 hours by someone who knows the finance creator space
- Access multiple budgeting app programs at once with negotiated rates
- Get a dedicated account manager who optimizes your offer selection
- Earn above the public CPA rates because MM moves collective volume
The approval threshold for budgeting apps is lower than credit cards or investing platforms, but higher than you'd expect. Most direct approvals come at 15,000+ YouTube subscribers or equivalent traffic elsewhere. Content consistency matters more than peak numbers.
Tips to maximize budgeting app affiliate earnings
Budgeting apps are different from other finance affiliate categories. The conversion triggers are different, the buyer psychology is different, and the content format that works is different.
Create before-and-after content. Show your actual budget from six months ago versus now. The transformation story drives more conversions than explaining features. Viewers want to see proof the app actually works for real people with real financial problems.
Address the "I tried budgeting before" objection upfront. Most adults have downloaded budgeting apps that they stopped using after two weeks. Your content needs to explain why this time will be different. Focus on the specific feature that prevents abandonment, not the general benefits of budgeting.
Bundle the app recommendation with a budgeting system. Don't just say "use YNAB." Explain the exact budgeting method you recommend, then position the app as the tool that makes that method easier. The system sells the app, not the other way around.
Use mid-roll placement for the primary recommendation. Budgeting app conversions come from viewers who are already convinced they need to start budgeting. They're past the awareness stage. The mid-roll CTA catches people who have decided to act and are looking for the specific tool.
Create separate videos for different financial situations. "Best budgeting app for debt payoff" converts better than "best budgeting apps for everyone." The more specific the use case, the higher the conversion rate. Your YNAB video should target different keywords than your Simplifi video.