money apps

Millions of people share their bank account passwords with third-party sites and apps that help them track their spending, but some of the biggest financial institutions, wary of hacking risks, are trying to scare people into not using them.

JPMorgan Chase & Co and Capital One Financial Corp, for example, warn on their websites that customers could be liable for any fraud in their accounts – even though federal regulations say otherwise.

Capital One’s site (here) tells users: “If you choose to share account access information with a third-party, Capital One is not liable for any resulting damages or losses.”

Chase (here) admonishes, “If you give out your chase.com user ID and password, you are putting your money at risk.”

In my latest for Reuters, a look at why banks are issuing these warnings, and if users should be concerned.

In my latest for MoneyWatch, why the best gift to give your kids this holiday season is a head start on investing.