Magnus Ramm
Co-founder of Penge
I started Penge because I was tired of Excel. My partner and I shared a credit card, and every month I sat there working out which purchases were mine, which were theirs and which were both. The bank apps did not give me what I needed: one place for everything, categories I could trust, and charts that actually made the spending easier to understand. So a friend and I built it ourselves.
What began as an evening project turned into an app with bank connections, budgets, statistics and category suggestions. Building the bank integrations taught me two things worth writing down. Banks send the same information in a surprising number of different shapes, even though Open Banking is meant to standardise it. And people run their finances so differently from one another that few rules survive contact with a real household. That is what makes personal finance a harder subject than it looks.
I am not a licensed financial adviser, and nothing here is personal investment advice. The guides explain how the mechanics work, so you can make your own call.
Articles by Magnus
Penge vs Actual Budget
Penge uses GoCardless for European bank data. Actual can use the same provider with existing GoCardless credentials, but its server and bank sync are yours to configure.
5 min read
Penge vs Buddy
Penge brings connected accounts and imported transactions into one overview. Buddy centres on budgets, deliberate entry and sharing. Which one fits depends on how you want to work.
5 min read
Klarna Max and 30,000 EuroBonus points: is it worth it? (September 2026)
Klarna gives new Premium and Max members up to 30,000 SAS EuroBonus points if you join by 15 September. Here is what it costs, how to set it up, and the dates that decide whether you get the points.
6 min read
Penge vs Frid
Two Norwegian finance apps with different bank coverage and pricing models. What each gives you without paying, and where they part ways.
5 min read
Penge vs YNAB
Penge vs YNAB on price, bank connections, categorization, budgeting, recurring charges, sharing and platforms.
5 min read
Mint, Monarch and Copilot alternatives in Europe
Mint is closed, Copilot supports US accounts only, and Monarch does not convert currencies. See how Penge differs for European users.
5 min read
Connecting your bank: what actually happens
How Penge connects to a bank, what the first sync includes, when access expires, how the app warns you, and the fallbacks for a missing bank.
6 min read
One receipt, two categories: how to split a transaction
A shop that was mostly food and one birthday present belongs in two categories. How splitting works in Penge, what it does to your month, and when a smart tag is the better tool.
5 min read
Budgeting app for couples: what to look for
A couples budgeting app has to separate joint money from personal money. Here are five checks to make, plus the limits of Penge: separate user spaces, no account sharing between profiles and no who-owes-whom feature.
6 min read
The 15-minute monthly money review
A short checklist for going through your finances once a month, with a time budget for each step and what to leave out of fifteen minutes.
5 min read
What fraud looks like in your transaction list
Fraud takes a handful of recognisable shapes in a transaction list. How to see them, what to do in what order when you find one, and what you are actually entitled to.
7 min read
Spreadsheet or budgeting app? Keep the parts that work
Most spreadsheet budgets fail on data entry, not on maths. Here is what a sheet still does better, and how to let an app do the typing while the sheet keeps thinking.
6 min read
Vipps, Swish and MobilePay in your budget
Mobile payments between friends make a month look wrong in both directions. Here is the simple rule that fixes it, and how to handle rent, gifts and split dinners.
6 min read
YNAB alternatives that work with Nordic banks
YNAB bills in dollars and connects to a limited set of European banks. Here is what to check before you switch, and how to keep the method without the subscription.
6 min read
Bank app or budgeting app? What each one is good for
Your bank's app handles payments and cards. Penge combines the accounts you connect, then adds shared categories, live budgets and subscription tracking across them.
6 min read
What a change in the policy rate costs you each month
A policy rate decision is news for a day, then quietly changes your monthly payment weeks later. Here is how the rate reaches your loan, what a change of a given size costs, and what to check before the next decision.
6 min read
What a card payment in another currency really costs
The rate, the markup and the fee are three separate things. What happens when you pay by card abroad, and why the amount changes a few days later.
6 min read
Automatic categorization: how an app sorts your spending
Bank transactions arrive as one line of text written by a payment terminal. Here is how a budgeting app turns that into categories, and what it cannot do for you.
6 min read
Underpaid tax in Norway: what to do when the bill arrives
Got restskatt in your Norwegian tax settlement? Here are the payment deadlines, the 3.12 percent interest, the two-invoice rule, and what to do if you cannot pay it all.
8 min read
Why your credit card is missing from your finance app
Credit cards are not covered by Open Banking the way payment accounts are, so it is up to the issuer. Here is how to check whether yours connects, and what to do if it does not.
8 min read
How to earn EuroBonus points faster in Norway (2026)
A simple guide to earning SAS EuroBonus points with credit cards in Norway: the three-card setup (SAS Amex Premium, SAS Mastercard Premium and Trumf), when it pays off, and the biggest catch.
6 min read
Zero-based budgeting: give every krone a job
A deep dive into zero-based budgeting: what it means, why the goal is zero, a worked income-minus-expenses example, and how to run it month by month.
7 min read
Sinking funds: how to save for the bills you can see coming
Sinking funds turn big, irregular costs into a small monthly amount. Here is how to set up sinking funds for the car, Christmas, insurance and holidays.
6 min read
How to manage money as a couple
Separate, joint or a bit of both? How couples can organize money together, split shared costs fairly, get a shared overview, and keep money from becoming a source of conflict.
7 min read
50/30/20, zero-based or envelopes: which budgeting method fits you?
A comparison of three proven budgeting methods: the 50/30/20 rule, zero-based budgeting and the envelope method. How each one works, who it suits, and how to choose.
6 min read
How to get control of your subscriptions
Streaming, apps, gym, insurance: small monthly charges add up fast. Here is how to find every subscription you pay for, decide what to keep, and stop them creeping back.
5 min read
How to save for a house deposit
Saving for a home deposit takes time and a plan. Here is how to set a realistic target, make the saving automatic, choose where to keep the money, and stay motivated.
6 min read
How to choose a budgeting app in 2026
Bank app, spreadsheet, YNAB or something else? An honest guide to choosing a budgeting app, what actually matters, and how the options compare.
7 min read
Emergency fund: how much should you have saved?
How much should you have in an emergency fund? Here is how to work out how big your buffer should be, and how to build it up.
5 min read
How to pay off debt faster
How to get rid of debt faster. The snowball method versus the avalanche method explained, and how to free up money to pay down more.
6 min read
8 money-saving tips that actually work
Practical money-saving tips you can use right away. Save more without it hurting, and let your saving run on its own.
6 min read
Is Open Banking safe? How it works
Is it safe to connect an app to your bank? Here is how Open Banking works, what the law says, and how your money and password are protected.
6 min read
How to get an overview with several bank accounts
Salary account, savings account, joint account and credit card in different banks? Here is how to bring it all together and get a full overview of your finances.
5 min read
How to build a budget that actually sticks
A simple step-by-step guide to making a personal budget. Learn the 50/30/20 rule, avoid the most common mistakes, and get a clear overview of your finances.
7 min read