PFM

PFM is the abbreviated form of “personal financial management”. The term is widely used in the Fintech field.

It refers to tools or software which simplify budgeting and the management of personal finances.

As a rule, this is accomplished through the automatic categorization of income and expenses, the results of which are then shown as graphs. Savings potential and saving goals are also shown.

PFM tools are offered by independent service providers, on the one hand. Financial information is updated to match that of the user’s bank accounts. Mint.com is one of the best known examples of this type of PFM.

On the other hand, a growing number of banks are offering PFM tools to customers directly as part of their own e-banking services. PostFinance and UBS are two examples of Swiss banks which make PFM tools available to customers.