Empower Personal Dashboard vs Tractive

Empower Personal Dashboard is a free personal finance tool (formerly branded Personal Capital) that lets users link bank, credit card, investment, and retirement accounts to see a complete financial picture in one place. It tracks net worth over time, categorizes spending and cash flow automatically, and includes a retirement planner that models different savings and spending scenarios. The dashboard is offered by Empower Personal Wealth (EPW), part of the same corporate family as Empower Retirement (the 401(k) recordkeeper) but a distinct consumer-facing business; the dashboard itself is entirely free, with revenue coming from an optional paid advisory service, Empower Personal Strategy, requiring at least $100,000 in investable assets and charging tiered annual fees around 0.89% and down.

Tractive makes wearable GPS trackers for dogs and cats that pair with a companion app to show a pet's real-time location on a map anywhere there's cellular coverage, unlike short-range Bluetooth trackers. The trackers also monitor activity, sleep, and behaviors like scratching, giving owners early alerts to potential health issues.

• The core dashboard, net worth tracker, and retirement planner are entirely free, with no trial period or paywall.
• Aggregates a very wide range of account types, including old 401(k)s, IRAs, mortgages, and credit cards, in one view.
• Backed by a large, established financial company with $2.1 trillion+ in assets under administration group-wide.
• Optional paid advisory tier provides a natural upgrade path for users who want a human advisor as their assets grow.

• True GPS/cellular tracking works far beyond Bluetooth range
• Combines location tracking with health/activity monitoring
• Long battery life on larger dog models
• Highly rated on both app stores and Trustpilot

• The free dashboard is a lead-generation tool for the paid advisory service, so expect regular calls and emails promoting Personal Strategy.
• Paid advisory access requires a $100,000 minimum, putting it out of reach for many users of the free tool.
• Shares the Empower brand with Empower Retirement (the unrelated 401(k) recordkeeper), which can cause confusion about which service is being used.

• Requires an ongoing subscription in addition to the hardware cost
• Cellular tracking needs coverage, so remote/rural dead zones reduce accuracy
• Battery life is much shorter on the compact cat tracker