It is 2005, inflation is 3.39% and a fifteen thousand naira (₦15,000) monthly stipend is enough to sustain an average Nigerian student in school. As the oldest amongst my siblings, I was the custodian of our monthly allowance. This meant only I knew how much was in the account and exactly how much my folks sent each month. My brothers had zero access and minus zero control. They were left to trust that I had their best interest in mind. I did – I only released funds for causes I felt were reasonable and worth it.

Now, while my strategy for holding our money together was good, it had its limitations. If my siblings needed to pull money out for an emergency and I was unreachable, it meant that they’d have to patiently suffer the consequences, until I came to their rescue. This happened a lot of times.

Today, with any opportunity they get, my brothers would remind me of how I deliberately stressed them with their own money. Lol. It was no small matter then. Most times it led to a squabble.

Very recently, we were faced with a project for which we needed to combine our finances. My jaded siblings openly declared that they would only do this if they could transparently see how all the money contributed towards this project was going and coming. It was almost comical, but I understood.

Most people, like my siblings are skeptical about embarking on financial projects with anyone. The lack of control, transparency, and inconvenience are some of the reasons why they would rather not do so.

As an answer to this need, a neutral party recommended Vested; An app that allows users build, secure and manage their wealth in more collaborative ways through a Joint Banking feature.

After a few months of using it, here are some reasons I would suggest you try it out as well;

1. Collaboration;

The Joint Banking feature allows financial collaboration of up to 5 people, with equal access and control. Apparently, the Vested team will be releasing more joint experiences in the coming weeks.

2. Transparency;

Once the joint account is created all partners can pitch in and credit the account, and these contributions are seen real time and can be automated if desired.

3. Convenience;

The user interface is simple, intuitive, and easy to navigate. All members get instant notifications, and uncomplicated prompts that tell you what to do or where to go next.

Looking back now, life would have been much simpler for us if we had the Vested app in school.

I would advise this; those who would like to embark on financial ventures with two or more people with common interests should Get Vested, available for Apple  and Android users. It will help you stay honest.

Best,

Tega.