Trends and Tools for Smarter Money Management: Technology in Personal Finance Over the decades, the basic meaning of the term "personal finance" has remained the same, but the ways we go about managing our finances have changed with technology. Many years ago, customers had to go to their local bank to do anything from deposit money to cash a check to apply for a mortgage or personal loan. However, these functions have largely shifted online over the last 10 years or so — even to the point where