Is Mint Not Converting Users?

I've been using Mint to manage my finances for a few months now. I first wrote about them here.

Mint is a free services that makes money by making offers, based on your spending trends and existing accounts, that it feels could save you money. For example, if you're tracking a Visa card that giving you a 14% APR, they'll offer a Discover card with 9.9% APR and show you, based on your spending, how much you could save over the period of a year. The idea extends beyond credit cards too - to things like your cable and phone providers.

But, is Mint having trouble converting users over to their 'Ways to Save' page? I got this e-mail this morning:

Hello,

We're excited that you're now managing your money using Mint.com. We hope that you're feeling more in control of your spending and that you're taking advantage of the savings ideas we've found for you.

If you've found a savings idea that intrigues you, the best time to act is now. The sooner you start earning lower interest on your credit cards - or higher interest on your savings - the sooner you'll achieve the financial goals that are important to you, whether it's paying off debt, building a cash reserve, or maybe even starting that "down payment" fund.

If you want to input the interest rate you currently pay/earn on your existing accounts, you can now do that easily on the Ways to Save page. Mint will recalculate the estimated annual savings opportunity for you right then and there. We work quickly, because we want you to start saving now!

Cheers,
The Mint Team
feedback@mint.com

Now, I'm not connected at all with Mint, so I have no idea if this means they're having trouble or if they're simply engaging in some proactive marketing. I have actually participated in the Ways to Save, signing up for a new Discover card.

I wish I could dismiss deals and see others though. They keep suggesting that I change my Time Warner Cable to Verizon FiOS, which I would love to do, but I can't - it's not available to me.

Mint Rocks!

I've read about Mint several times, in several places. They recently presented at TechCrunch 40; you can watch the video here. But I wasn't too excited, because really, who wants to track their finances?

I've used both Quicken and Microsoft Money in my sorry attempts to manage my money. What a pain in the ass! They actually expect me to hold on to every receipt and, at some point that never seems to come, to enter all of that information. No way! That just doesn't happen. Maybe if I was running a business, but not for my little Commerce Bank account.

For whatever reason I decided to try out Mint today. Let me tell you: Mint rocks! I had no idea - all you do is enter your bank / credit card login and password and Mint gathers and tracks all of the data for you. It's fantastic and I was hooked in less than 5 minutes.

Mint gives you alerts, via email or SMS, when balances dip too low, unusual spending patters are noticed or when a credit card bill is coming due. They categorize spending and analyze the data, showing you where and how you're spending money. Then, to top it all off, they show you offers for products that can actually save you money based on your recurring spending habits.

Mint is free and you should sign up.