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There are lots of online tools out there intended to help you keep your personal finances in order. Even your bank is helping out with lots of Web-based programs and apps for managing your accounts. But plugging lots of personal information into an app can lead to trouble.

Business Insider suggests users take precautions, like being mindful of what you’re accessing in mobile hotspots and keeping an eye out for fake apps.

Separately but related, they also remind readers that an app is not the equivalent of financial planning. Good advice alert! Crunching the numbers in order to plan for the long-term or a big purchase is totally different from managing everyday or regular expenses.

Fidelity Investments, the country’s most popular 401(K) administrator, said this week that the contributions from its 12 million account holders continued to be strong during the second quarter. However, the value of the accounts themselves are down 2.4 percent from March, averaging $72,800. Fluctuations in the stock market, for example, have to be taken into account.

So personal finance apps are a good thing, but as with all things online, proceed with caution. While we’re on that topic, here’s a story outlining some common online scams to be wary of, a couple of which appeared on our own recent list of top scams.