Review Insights · Google Play
Empower®
Empower® · 29,952 ratings · ★ 2.8
2.8
★★★★★
29,952 ratings
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Top complaints - extracted from 86 negative reviews
Recurring phrases mined from 1-2★ reviews. The bigger the percentage, the more users have the same problem. Fix the top 2-3 in your version and you have product-market fit on day one.
1
"account"
16 negative reviews mention this · 19% of all complaints
★★★★★ "App keeps locking me out of my account and trying to use the web version prompt you tonuse the app or opens it if it's install this is absolutely horrible. they claim to have fixed the bug but never really fix the issue" - Anthony Jones
2
"login"
14 negative reviews mention this · 16% of all complaints
★★★★★ "I prefer less apps but this combined finance and retirement app is convoluted and hard to navigate. Also I like having all my accounts in one place to view; however, it's worthless because they do not update. Then when I try to update, I ge…" - M
3
"cannot"
12 negative reviews mention this · 14% of all complaints
★★★★★ "This app is absolute garbage. A financial institution has absolutely no excuse for having an app as dysfuncional as this one. The app routes you in circles to the point that you cannot actually do anything. Follow one link and go to the a c…" - Nick Canon
4
"password"
11 negative reviews mention this · 13% of all complaints
★★★★★ "This app is trash. Cant create a password no matter what random words you use. Even using a secure password generator. Nothing is acceptable. How am I supposed to manage my 401 k if I can't even get into the app. it's like this every time I…" - Chris
5
"been"
11 negative reviews mention this · 13% of all complaints
★★★★★ "This app must have been written by the worst software engineers on the planet. Crazy how little it has worked since Personal Capital was acquired by Empower. Don't waste your time with this company/app." - Conrad H. Appel, IV
6
"keyboard"
11 negative reviews mention this · 13% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Bug with the "find my account screen". Keyboard won't stay up to type anything in. I guess I'm locked out of my account until another update 🤦♂️." - Warren Garrett
7
"empower"
10 negative reviews mention this · 12% of all complaints
★★★★★ "I prefer less apps but this combined finance and retirement app is convoluted and hard to navigate. Also I like having all my accounts in one place to view; however, it's worthless because they do not update. Then when I try to update, I ge…" - M
8
"type"
10 negative reviews mention this · 12% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Accounts will get stuck with issues and the only way to resolve them is to remove the account (and lose all history) and re add it. There is no "fix account" method. Also, creating a support ticket through the app doesn't even work. It just…" - Zac Frick
9
"accounts"
9 negative reviews mention this · 10% of all complaints
★★★★★ "I prefer less apps but this combined finance and retirement app is convoluted and hard to navigate. Also I like having all my accounts in one place to view; however, it's worthless because they do not update. Then when I try to update, I ge…" - M
10
"company"
9 negative reviews mention this · 10% of all complaints
★★★★★ "I used to rely on this app when it was personal capital. since empower took over it no longer works, I can't log in reliably, apparently I have a credit card with a balance of minus two million I can't remove. I have to move on to another a…" - Dan Beaulieu
11
"anything"
9 negative reviews mention this · 10% of all complaints
★★★★★ "This app is absolute garbage. A financial institution has absolutely no excuse for having an app as dysfuncional as this one. The app routes you in circles to the point that you cannot actually do anything. Follow one link and go to the a c…" - Nick Canon
12
"doesn"
9 negative reviews mention this · 10% of all complaints
★★★★★ "it's terrible I cannot upload any information for reimbursement or even to try and repay, the website just shoves me back to the stupid app that doesn't work. worst app I've delt with ever" - Jeff Rubis
📋 All 86 negative reviews
Every 1-2★ review we fetched. Use the copy button to grab them all for your own analysis (paste into ChatGPT/Claude with a prompt like "summarize core user problems, group by theme, ignore bugs, focus on missing features").
App keeps locking me out of my account and trying to use the web version prompt you tonuse the app or opens it if it's install this is absolutely horrible. they claim to have fixed the bug but never really fix the issue
I prefer less apps but this combined finance and retirement app is convoluted and hard to navigate. Also I like having all my accounts in one place to view; however, it's worthless because they do not update. Then when I try to update, I get stuck in a loop. I have to login to one account through the accounts website, but the security check voids all prior activity, so I have to login again to the account and so on and so on, never able to update my account status in the empower app.
This app is trash. Trying to log in and keep getting "An error has occurred. Please contact a representative." Who the hell am I supposed to contact and how?
Rcent update now splits the positions of the same tickers in different accounts across multiple rows and makes a mess in the "Holdings" tab instead of how it previously aggregated those positions. Somebody forgot a main purpose of this tool, simplify viewing a portfolio and it's positions that's split across multiple accounts #fail. So slow to push basic hotfix. Still waiting. Need to organize a better engineering team/process, w/proper QA & actual ppl skilled in basic SQL.Still not fixed... wth
can't open app
I used to rely on this app when it was personal capital. since empower took over it no longer works, I can't log in reliably, apparently I have a credit card with a balance of minus two million I can't remove. I have to move on to another app since this company can't keep the app functioning
This app is absolute garbage. A financial institution has absolutely no excuse for having an app as dysfuncional as this one. The app routes you in circles to the point that you cannot actually do anything. Follow one link and go to the a compeltely different page that you were already on, ensuring that you cannot actually accomplish anything. Embarrassing.
All these money management companies will gladly take your money to invest, but good luck getting it back. The process for requesting a distribution is a nightmare. On top of that if you try to use the website they just try to force you to use this garbage app. It's pathetic.
This app is trash. Cant create a password no matter what random words you use. Even using a secure password generator. Nothing is acceptable. How am I supposed to manage my 401 k if I can't even get into the app. it's like this every time I login. I would move my 401 k investment to a new company for this reason alone. I literally have to take time out of my day to call cust service during work hours to just get into an app that im forced to use.
would not recommend, I'm trying to transfer my IRA from here to another bank & they will not let me, only option I get is to send them more money but they will not let me transfer my money. I'm pretty sure that is illegal. I might just have to cash it out take the penalty and deposit in my IRA never mind they just stole over $4,000 of mine
just spins
app won't even open
it's terrible I cannot upload any information for reimbursement or even to try and repay, the website just shoves me back to the stupid app that doesn't work. worst app I've delt with ever
this suck update is not working
dogshit app. trash website UX.
TO MANY UPDATES
6/26,CONTRIBUTION TOTALS ARE WRONG ASTOUNDING& PATHETIC! total wrong by about $2000 added contributions by date vs what's presented on main account summary screen "looking into it" for almost 6 months. Useless AUTOMATED response from empower email,app takes 200+mb random shut down of site with no advanced warnings, customer service no help & no answer from developer email or phone number listed on play store TEN+emails over almost 6 months, also takes a long time for contributions to show up!
login no longer works... getting error - An error has occurred. Please contact a representative. Reinstallation does not fix the problem. I wish I could give zero stars.
This app must have been written by the worst software engineers on the planet. Crazy how little it has worked since Personal Capital was acquired by Empower. Don't waste your time with this company/app.
I absolutely hate this company! I have 10s of thousands in there and I have applied to remove my money for loss of income due to illness and for medical bills and they want all this proof only to give you hardly anything of what you asked for. I was sick and missing income for Months and I asked for 6k to cover my bills they gave me an emergency 1500! that didn't cover anything and then I had to take out a loan of my own money just to help me. they won't give you access to YOUR OWN MONEY!
The shortcut for this app on my screen is a mere decoration because it functions seldomly. So it's gone, frustration eliminated.
it was pretty good until they were bought out personal capital is way better
updated app and now it wont open
downgrade from personal capital, cant evem sync a employer 401k account through empower. this app cannot import your empower employer account, I reached out for support and they literally said they cant do it, pretty embarrassing issue for them to have. less features than personal capital that they purchased, downgrade if youve been a long term user.
App was fine, now I can't scroll without it opening something I didn't tap
Frequent forced updates chew through my data every week. I'm on a prepaid plan. And it's still glitchy. Can you guys not make an app that is well tested and then just let it alone for a couple months?? Good God.
they should be sued for their action my money is being held and they refuse to speak with me to fix the issue am going to report them soon to either BBB or any other regulatory department just need to find the correct option
If this is your 401k company, RUN!! FAST!!! HURRY!!!! The money request management system is horrible. Requesting hardships, loans, & withdrawals is messy asl. And the bank account verification system is shady. Didnt even notify me that they had the wrong account info and they just sent my money to the wrong account number. I've been having issues since 2025. "Caveat emptor" is a term that I will definitely associate with this company. IYKYK. Be careful out there.
app stinks ... thinking about leaving empower because of it ... I give it a minus 1
It doesn't work. I've tried connecting my bank accounts and it never works. The app keeps saying it has technical errors and to try again another time. It's been almost a year since I've have this app! This account is the only one that has any issues. On top of that you can't seem to get in contact with any customer service to transfer your money. This app is the only way to have any connection to your retirement account from smithfield too.
App is not working. can't log in. been trying for days.
absolutely trash
im trying to login i hit forgot my password one i hit to type in my info does not let me type in 😤
trying to use forgot password and the entry glitches out. app seems broken.
website and app have different accounts even though it's the same email address used
slowest app and slowest website ever. Why are you charging me fees for this garbage. POWERLESS!!!
I simply can't log in
Bug with the "find my account screen". Keyboard won't stay up to type anything in. I guess I'm locked out of my account until another update 🤦♂️.
app won't let me type anything in. click on the line and the keyboard glitches to show up. uninstall and installed 4 times and still the same thing. can't fill in any info if my keyboard won't show up and stay up
unusable
I can never use. once I login it asks how to send a code but gives no option... stuck.
so how can you enter any important info when the launch of the keyboard glitches on the app and is unable to be used
Downloaded the app. Bad from the start. App goes straight to input on financial information. Why would I trust an app with a 3 star rating with my bank information that soon. Maybe ease into it. Let me check it out. Maybe put information {or quarterly statement} in by estimated numbers first to see if I like it.
terrible UI.
too much login issues on mobile, very inconvenient
My login works fine but it keeps pulling money from my wrong account. I have 2 accounts but can't access my money from my largest account. It only functions on a pc correctly. They've been trying to fix this for over a year with no solution. The app says it pulls from the right account but never does. If your an app user, stay far away from this one! It's so hard to believe that a financial company can't create a functional app. Will update if it ever gets corrected.
Looks like they broke the app and you cannot log into your account any longer. it shouldn't be this hard to build an app to simply manage Edit: it has now been over 6 months and the app is still so broken I cannot access my account due to the broken mechanics in the app. It blows my mind a company can be so clueless to critical app issues.
Just like the last app. It says the app will be installed later . On a Samsung s20 ultra . It NEVER installs the app. It's been over a year since I have been able to see my account from my phone . The app sucks so I have a S26 now and after 3 years of them improving the app I can no longer even get to talk to anything other than a bot . it let's me put in ss# and zip code won't let me put my birthday in though . it won't reset my password I can't see anything in my account . its Bullsheet
worst app. can't download it. it gets struck at 99%
I can not log in. It used to be an ok app, but now it's terrible.
+ 36 more in the clipboard copy
Sentiment summary
43%
Positive (4-5★)
5%
Neutral (3★)
52%
Negative (1-2★)