Buxfer is giving Mint, other personal finance sites, a run for their money

http://venturebeat.com/2008/01/04/buxfer-is-giving-mint-other-personal-finance-sites-a-run-for-their-money/

by ashu • 19 years ago

31 11 19 years ago

Xichekolas2• 19 years ago

I just use it to split up bills and such, but I really do love buxfer. If you guys ever want a third, I'd probably work for you for free... I'm a nut for personal finance...

ashu4• 19 years ago

Hey, we are not hiring just right now, but will be doing so very soon. Send your resume our way? :)

Xichekolas2• 19 years ago

I was out of town until today, so I just saw your comment. Rest assured when I'm done with my current gig this May I'll shoot one your way. Thanks for the glory that is Buxfer!

tocomment• 19 years ago

I still don't understand how these sites access the banks' data. Is it screen scraping?

ashu4• 19 years ago

We use the Direct OFX protocol for accessing the data. We use screen scraping only for 2-3 banks which either don't support OFX or charge their users exorbitant fees for OFX access.

marvin3• 19 years ago

A major problem with all of these personal finance startups is that I can't use their software.

I happen to live in Norway...have you thought about the problem of getting access to data from banks that aren't quite as standards-compliant as their American counterparts? We have excellent Internet banking systems over here (generally speaking better than yours, or so I hear), but there is no chance in hell that you'll have time to make a database of every single bank and its system. I tried out one of the other startups mentioned in the article, and one of them actually has _one_ Norwegian bank in its database...out of 30 or so.

I do, however, want to use your software. The systems currently in place are a _lot_ more clunky than they should be, and it is difficult to see the big picture in my personal finances without the pie charts.

Any suggestions? I have the potential to be a really devoted customer.

bayareaguy• 19 years ago

there is no chance in hell that you'll have time to make a database of every single bank and its system

Perhaps you need something with web-like or Wiki-like adoption characteristics.

If just a few customers from each bank could contribute the logic to access it to a larger site then soon all the banks with any customers will be accessable.

ashu4• 19 years ago

Marvin: I know that Norwegian banks don't use OFX, but maybe they use an equivalent protocol. Do you know if they use / support HBCI? Or anything else? Let us know!

Also, there _is_ a chance that we can make a system for each of the banks (since we have the infrastructure already working!) All we need are test bank accounts -- if you could provide them, you'd be set :)

marvin3• 19 years ago

There _is_ a test account for my bank, and probably the rest of them as well...but it is in Norwegian.

https://nettbank.edb.com/3625/demo/index.html (just give blank names and passwords)

I have looked around for any export options, but I couldn't find any. I did send an e-mail to the corporation (https://nettbank.edb.com/) that maintains the system asking whether they have plans to support any such protocols.

The language barrier is a bitch, eh... :/ I'd say we abolish all other languages than English. Much easier.

Buxfer is giving Mint, other personal finance sites, a run for their money

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