Amazon: $15 Promo to Make Discover Card Your Default Payment Method (Targeted)

Posted on November 21, 2024 // 1 Comment

Discover is offering a new $15 promotion simply for setting your Discover card as the *default* payment method. You should see the promo immediately after activating. I recommend to keep Discover as your default method for that next purchase using the $15 promo credit; you’ll get 5% back as well during this quarter.

If you don’t already have your Discover card linked, try this link for a different $15 bonus for adding your Discover Card to Amazon as a payment method.

This is separate from the Discover Shop with Points promo, where you actually redeem your Discover cash back rewards on an Amazon purchase.

Finally, try this link to see all your Discover + Amazon offers.

This is a recurring perk for existing Discover cardholders, which is why I never cancel a card with no annual fee. Check out my Discover it credit card review, one of my keeper 5% cash back cards. From now until December 31, 2024, Amazon is one of their 5% categories.

Filed Under: Credit Cards, Deals & Offers, Inspirational, Monthly Updates //

Amazon: Pay with Discover Card Points, Get $10 off $50 or 30%/40% Off (Targeted)

Posted on November 21, 2024 // 13 Comments

Discover it 14 ImageCheck offer link again to see if eligible for this new round. If you have a Discover card with cash back rewards, you can redeem them to buy eligible items at Amazon.com. The redemption rate is $1 in Cash Back Bonus = $1 to spend at Amazon, which is the same rate as their statement credit redemptions. Check if you have a targeted promotion and activate for an additional discount for redeeming a single penny’s worth of points. (To see the link, you may need to visit this page on the internet if viewing this via e-mail or RSS.)

Here are some additional tips:

  • If you haven’t linked your Discover yet, first check if you can get a bonus here. If not, you can link your Discover Cashback points balance to your Amazon account here. Check again, possibly waiting a day or two.
  • If you have already linked your Discover card previously and aren’t targeted, consider removing your Discover card from your account completely, and then linking it again after a day. Try again in a day or two.
  • Items must be marked as both sold AND shipped by Amazon.com.
  • Be sure to select your Discover Card as your payment method and redeem at least 1 point or $0.01 in value of Discover points.
  • You should see the promo credit on final order checkout page, right before final purchase.

This is a recurring perk for existing Discover cardholders, which is why I never cancel a card with no annual fee. Check out my Discover it credit card review, one of my keeper 5% cash back cards. From now until December 31, 2024, Amazon is one of their 5% categories.

Filed Under: Credit Cards, Deals & Offers //

Qatar Airways Credit Card: Up to 80,000 Avios + OneWorld Status Perks (Limited-Time Offer)

Posted on November 19, 2024 // 2 Comments

Qatar Airways has new limited-time offers on their two US co-branded credit cards through a small issuer called Cardless. Even if you have no plans to fly on Qatar, these cards offer many perks useful to even domestic-only US travelers. For example, Qatar Airways Avios are easily transferrable to British Airways Avios and can be used to book award flights on American Airlines. These cards also include different levels of OneWorld Alliance status, which includes perks to American Airlines travelers like access to priority check-in lines and even business-class lounges with the premium version. Here are the highlights of the two card versions:

Qatar Airways Privilege Club Signature Credit Card

  • Up to 60,000 bonus Avios. 30,000 bonus Avios after first transaction. Additional 30,000 bonus Avios after spending $3,000 in the first 90 days.
  • Qatar Airways Privilege Club Silver tier benefits instantly after being accepted for this credit card. Importantly, this in turn gives you OneWorld Ruby status. Applies to the first year only.
  • 4X Avios on Qatar Airways spend.
  • 4X Avios on restaurant spends till Dec 31, 2024. Usually 2X.
  • 2x Avios on other eligible spends till Dec 31, 2024. Usually 1X.
  • $99 annual fee.

OneWorld Ruby status includes:

  • Access to Business Class priority check-in (shorter lines)
  • Access to preferred or pre-reserved seating
  • Priority on waitlists and when on standby
  • Alaska Airlines MVP status and perks
  • American Airlines AAdvantage Gold status and perks
  • British Airways Executive Club Bronze status and perks

Qatar Airways Privilege Club Infinite Credit Card

  • Up to 80,000 bonus Avios. 40,000 bonus Avios after first transaction. Additional 40,000 bonus Avios + 150 Qpoints after spending $5,000 in the first 90 days.
  • Qatar Airways Privilege Club Gold tier benefits instantly after being accepted for this credit card. Importantly, this in turn gives you OneWorld Sapphire status. Applies to the first year only.
  • 5X Avios on Qatar Airways spend.
  • 6X Avios on restaurant spends till Dec 31, 2024. Usually 3X.
  • 2x Avios on other eligible spends till Dec 31, 2024. Usually 1X.
  • $499 annual fee.

OneWorld Sapphire status includes:

  • Access to Business class lounges (including American Airlines lounges)
  • Priority boarding
  • Extra baggage allowance
  • Priority baggage handling
  • Access to Business Class priority check-in (shorter lines)
  • Access to preferred or pre-reserved seating
  • Priority on waitlists and when on standby
  • Alaska Airlines MVP Gold status and perks
  • American Airlines AAdvantage Platinum status and perks
  • British Airways Executive Club Silver status and perks

The application will check your Experian credit report, so be sure to unfreeze/unlock that first. You can only have one Cardless-issued credit card at a time.

This is one of those cards that you may not get as your first airline card, but once you’ve gotten most of the other ones you’ll start to look for other smaller issuers. This niche card still earns Avios which are very flexible.

Filed Under: Credit Cards, Deals & Offers //

United Explorer Card Review – 80,000 Miles Offer + Annual Fee Waived First Year

Posted on November 15, 2024 // 1 Comment

The United Explorer Card is a Chase-issued credit card that offers unique perks on United Airlines including free checked bags and expanded award seat availability for redeeming miles. Here are the highlights:

  • 80,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.* Plus, earn 5,000 bonus miles after you add an authorized user to your account in the first 3 months your account is open.*
  • Free first checked bag for both you and one traveling companion on the same reservation (worth up to $160 per roundtrip) when you use your Card to purchase your ticket. Terms Apply.
  • Expanded award availability. Having this card makes it easier to find that saver award economy ticket.
  • Up to $120 Global Entry, TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS fee credit.
  • Enjoy priority boarding privileges and visit the United ClubSM with 2 one-time passes each year for your anniversary.
  • 2X miles on dining, on hotel stays, and on United(R) purchases.
  • 25% back as a statement credit on purchases of food, beverages and Wi-Fi on board United-operated flights and on Club premium drinks when you pay with your Explorer Card
  • No foreign transaction fees.
  • Your miles don’t expire as long as your credit card account is open, with no limit to the number of miles you can earn.
  • Use your miles for any seat, any time, on any United flight.
  • $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150.

Keep in mind the following terms and conditions:

This card product is available to you if you do not have this card and have not received a new Cardmember bonus for this card in the past 24 months.

This card is very focused on making it a better experience to fly on United. You have the first checked bag for free on United flights, both for your and a companion traveling on the same reservation. The bag fee is now $40 per person, each way, so that adds up to $160 each roundtrip. Before you board, you might use one of your free United Club lounge passes. You also get Priority Boarding, which helps you find space for your carry-on. While onboard, you get 25% back on your inflight purchases of WiFi, food, and drinks.

Expanded award seat availability. You earn United miles for all your purchases (double miles on restaurants and hotel stays), but then they also make it easier for you to redeem those miles on Saver level tickets with no blackout dates. Expanded award seat availability is another of the top perks from this card, and I’ve found a very significant difference when searching. If you’re constantly trying to find economy tickets for the entire family like me, this is a big deal. Saver Award ticket redemptions start at 12,500 miles one-way within the continental U.S. and Canada.

Another unique feature of this card is that it offers primary coverage on the Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver. On most other consumer cards, this coverage is offered as secondary coverage, meaning it only kicks in after your personal auto insurance has been exhausted.

Bottom line. The United Explorer Card offers great perks for folks that fly United even just once or twice a year. The card provides lounge passes, a free checked bag, priority boarding, and inflight discounts. There are bonus categories to earn more miles, and special expanded award seat inventory for credit card holders to make it easier to actually redeem those miles for flights.

Also see: Top 10 Best Credit Card Bonus Offers.

The information for the United Explorer Card has been collected independently by My Money Blog. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Filed Under: Credit Cards, Deals & Offers //

Coinbase: $50 Bitcoin Bonus for New Customers (Ends 11/22)

Posted on November 14, 2024 // 3 Comments

Coinbase is offering a $50 BTC new user bonus for new customers that complete their first trade of at least $1. Offer expires soon on 11/22/24. The promo code GET50 should already be populated. Fine print says $50 in Bitcoin should arrive within 24-48 hours (arrived within 5 minutes for me). This limited-time offer is better than the standard offer ($5 bonus) and the current referral offer ($20 bonus).

Coinbase continues to try to be the largest, most reputable US-based cryptocurrency exchange platform. If you were ineligible for a Coinbase account in your state previously, I’d check again because they are now live in more states. As with a bank account, you will need to verify your identity using passport, driver’s license, or state ID card. I was able to upload my photo and get it approved instantly.

I linked my PayPal account for simplicity and bought $5 in BTC, and my $50 bonus arrived nearly instantly. For the purchase, there is either a $0.99 commission or you can sign up for a 7-day free trial of Coinbase Pro and pay zero commission (just remember to cancel).

Coinbase also has a program called “Learning Rewards” that regularly offers additional small bonuses ($3 to $5 a pop) for watching videos about new crypto and completing a short quiz.

Fine print:

After your first trade, $50 worth of BTC will be added to your account. Limited redemptions of code may apply. Promotion code expires at 11:59 PST on 11/22/2024. Offer available to new users in the U.S. who have not previously made a crypto purchase on Coinbase. Minimum trade of $1. Allow 24 hours for the bonus to be deposited into your account. Offer not available to new users who were referred to Coinbase through the Referral Program or who have previously opened an account using different contact information. Coinbase may update the conditions for eligibility at any time. Cannot be combined with another offer or promotion.

Filed Under: Deals & Offers, Investing //

Best Interest Rates Survey: Savings Accounts, Money Markets, Treasuries, CDs, ETFs – November 2024

Posted on November 12, 2024 // 6 Comments

Here’s my monthly roundup of the best interest rates on cash as of November 2024, roughly sorted from shortest to longest maturities. There are lesser-known opportunities available to individual investors, often earning more money while keeping the same level of safety by moving to another FDIC-insured bank or NCUA-insured credit union. Check out my Ultimate Rate-Chaser Calculator to see how much extra interest you could earn from switching. Rates listed are available to everyone nationwide. Rates checked as of 11/12/2024.

TL;DR: Fed lowered rates again; slight drops are continuing on average. Still some 5%+ savings accounts. Still some 4%+ APY 5-year CDs. Compare against Treasury bills and bonds at every maturity, taking into account state tax exemption. I no longer recommend fintech companies due to the possibility of loss due to poor recordkeeping and/or fraud.

High-yield savings accounts
Since the huge megabanks still pay essentially no interest, everyone should at least have a separate, no-fee online savings account to piggy-back onto your existing checking account. The interest rates on savings accounts can drop at any time, so I list the top rates as well as competitive rates from banks with a history of competitive rates and solid user experience. Some banks will bait you with a temporary top rate and then lower the rates in the hopes that you are too lazy to leave.

  • The top rates at the moment are from newcomers Pibank at 5.50% APY and TIMBR at 5.25% APY. I have no personal experience with either, but they are the top rates at the moment. Most others have dropped at least a little. For example, CIT Platinum Savings is now at 4.55% APY with $5,000+ balance.
  • SoFi Bank is at 4.20% APY + up to $325 new account bonus with direct deposit. You must maintain a direct deposit of any amount (even $1) each month for the higher APY. SoFi has historically competitive rates and full banking features. See details at $25 + $300 SoFi Money new account and deposit bonus.
  • Here is a limited survey of high-yield savings accounts. They aren’t the top rates, but a group that have historically kept it relatively competitive such that I like to track their history. Kind of an index like the Dow or S&P 500.

Short-term guaranteed rates (1 year and under)
A common question is what to do with a big pile of cash that you’re waiting to deploy shortly (plan to buy a house soon, just sold your house, just sold your business, legal settlement, inheritance). My usual advice is to keep things simple and take your time. If not a savings account, then put it in a flexible short-term CD under the FDIC limits until you have a plan.

  • No Penalty CDs offer a fixed interest rate that can never go down, but you can still take out your money (once) without any fees if you want to use it elsewhere. Marcus has a 7mo/9mo/11mo No Penalty CD at 3.90% APY with a $500 minimum deposit. Farmer’s Insurance FCU has 9-month No Penalty CD at 4.50% APY with a $1,000 minimum deposit. Consider opening multiple CDs in smaller increments for more flexibility.
  • Langley Federal Credit Union has a 10-month certificate special at 5.25% APY ($500 min, $50,000 max). This is a promo for new members only. Anyone can join this credit union nationwide; you must maintain $5 in their share savings account. Early withdrawal penalty is 90 days of interest.

Money market mutual funds
Many brokerage firms that pay out very little interest on their default cash sweep funds (and keep the difference for themselves). Note: Money market mutual funds are highly-regulated, but ultimately not FDIC-insured, so I would still stick with highly reputable firms.

  • Vanguard Federal Money Market Fund (VMFXX) is the default sweep option for Vanguard brokerage accounts, which has an SEC yield of 4.67% (changes daily, but also works out to a compound yield of 4.77%, which is better for comparing against APY). Odds are this is much higher than your own broker’s default cash sweep interest rate.
  • Vanguard Treasury Money Market Fund (VUSXX) is an alternative money market fund which you must manually purchase, but the interest will be mostly (80% for 2023 tax year) exempt from state and local income taxes because it comes from qualifying US government obligations. Current SEC yield of 4.63% (compound yield of 4.73%).

Treasury Bills and Ultra-short Treasury ETFs
Another option is to buy individual Treasury bills which come in a variety of maturities from 4-weeks to 52-weeks and are fully backed by the US government. You can also invest in ETFs that hold a rotating basket of short-term Treasury Bills for you, while charging a small management fee for doing so. T-bill interest is exempt from state and local income taxes, which can make a significant difference in your effective yield.

  • You can build your own T-Bill ladder at TreasuryDirect.gov or via a brokerage account with a bond desk like Vanguard and Fidelity. Here are the current Treasury Bill rates. As of 11/12/24, a new 4-week T-Bill had the equivalent of 4.60% annualized interest and a 52-week T-Bill had the equivalent of 4.38% annualized interest.
  • The iShares 0-3 Month Treasury Bond ETF (SGOV) has a 4.88% SEC yield and effective duration of 0.10 years. SPDR Bloomberg Barclays 1-3 Month T-Bill ETF (BIL) has a 4.57% SEC yield and effective duration of 0.08 years.

US Savings Bonds
Series I Savings Bonds offer rates that are linked to inflation and backed by the US government. You must hold them for at least a year. If you redeem them within 5 years there is a penalty of the last 3 months of interest. The annual purchase limit for electronic I bonds is $10,000 per Social Security Number, available online at TreasuryDirect.gov.

  • “I Bonds” bought between November 2024 and April 2025 will earn a 3.11% rate for the first six months. The rate of the subsequent 6-month period will be based on inflation again. More on Savings Bonds here.
  • In mid-April 2025, the CPI will be announced and you will have a short period where you will have a very close estimate of the rate for the next 12 months. I will have another post up at that time.

Rewards checking accounts
These unique checking accounts pay above-average interest rates, but with unique risks. You have to jump through certain hoops which usually involve 10+ debit card purchases each cycle, a certain number of ACH/direct deposits, and/or a certain number of logins per month. If you make a mistake (or they judge that you did) you risk earning zero interest for that month. Some folks don’t mind the extra work and attention required, while others would rather not bother. Rates can also drop suddenly, leaving a “bait-and-switch” feeling.

  • OnPath Federal Credit Union (my review) pays 7.00% APY on up to $10,000 if you make 15 debit card purchases, opt into online statements, and login to online or mobile banking once per statement cycle. Anyone can join this credit union via $5 membership fee to join partner organization. You can also get a $100 Visa Reward card when you open a new account and make qualifying transactions.
  • Genisys Credit Union pays 6.75% APY on up to $7,500 if you make 10 debit card purchases of $5+ each per statement cycle, and opt into online statements. Anyone can join this credit union via $5 membership fee to join partner organization.
  • La Capitol Federal Credit Union pays 6.25% APY on up to $10,000 if you make 15 debit card purchases of at least $5 each per statement cycle. Anyone can join this credit union via partner organization, Louisiana Association for Personal Financial Achievement ($20).
  • Credit Union of New Jersey pays 6.00% APY on up to $25,000 if you make 12 debit card purchases, opt into online statements, and make at least 1 direct deposit, online bill payment, or automatic payment (ACH) per statement cycle. Anyone can join this credit union via $5 membership fee to join partner organization.
  • Andrews Federal Credit Union pays 6.00% APY on up to $25,000 if you make 15 debit card purchases, opt into online statements, and make at least 1 direct deposit or ACH transaction per statement cycle. Anyone can join this credit union via partner organization.
  • Orion Federal Credit Union pays 6.00% APY on up to $10,000 if you make electronic deposits of $500+ each month (ACH transfers count) and spend $500+ on your Orion debit or credit card each month. Anyone can join this credit union via $10 membership fee to partner organization membership.
  • All America/Redneck Bank pays 4.65% APY on up to $15,000 if you make 10 debit card purchases each monthly cycle with online statements.
  • Find a locally-restricted rewards checking account at DepositAccounts.

Certificates of deposit (greater than 1 year)
CDs offer higher rates, but come with an early withdrawal penalty. By finding a bank CD with a reasonable early withdrawal penalty, you can enjoy higher rates but maintain access in a true emergency. Alternatively, consider building a CD ladder of different maturity lengths (ex. 1/2/3/4/5-years) such that you have access to part of the ladder each year, but your blended interest rate is higher than a savings account. When one CD matures, use that money to buy another 5-year CD to keep the ladder going. Some CDs also offer “add-ons” where you can deposit more funds if rates drop.

  • Synchrony Bank has a 5-year certificate at 4.00% APY (no minimum), 4-year at 3.90% APY, 3-year at 3.90% APY, 2-year at 3.90% APY, and 1-year at 4.20% APY. Early withdrawal penalty for the 4-year and 5-year is 365 days of interest.
  • BMO Alto has a 5-year CD at 4.00% APY. 4-year at 3.90% APY. 3-year at 3.90% APY. 2-year at 3.90% APY. 1-year at 4.30% APY. No minimum. The early withdrawal penalty (EWP) for CD maturities of 1 year or more is 180 days of interest. For CD maturities of 11 months or less, the EWP is 90 days of interest. However, note that they reserve the right to prohibit early withdrawals entirely (!). Online-only subsidiary of BMO Bank.
  • You can buy certificates of deposit via the bond desks of Vanguard and Fidelity. You may need an account to see the rates. These “brokered CDs” offer FDIC insurance and easy laddering, but they don’t come with predictable early withdrawal penalties. Right now, I see a 5-year non-callable CD at 3.85% APY (callable: no, call protection: yes). Be warned that both Vanguard and Fidelity will list higher rates from callable CDs, which importantly means they can call back your CD if rates drop later. (Issuers have indeed started calling some of their old 5%+ CDs as of Fall 2024.)

Longer-term Instruments
I’d use these with caution due to increased interest rate risk (tbh, I don’t use them at all), but I still track them to see the rest of the current yield curve.

  • Willing to lock up your money for 10 years? You can buy long-term certificates of deposit via the bond desks of Vanguard and Fidelity. These “brokered CDs” offer FDIC insurance, but they don’t come with predictable early withdrawal penalties. You might find something that pays more than your other brokerage cash and Treasury options. Right now, I see a 10-year CDs at [n/a] (non-callable) vs. 4.43% for a 10-year Treasury. Watch out for higher rates from callable CDs where they can call your CD back if interest rates drop.

All rates were checked as of 11/12/2024.

Photo by Giorgio Trovato on Unsplash

Filed Under: Banking, Deals & Offers, Investing // Tagged:

Class Action Settlement Roundup – Breyers, Clif Bars, Cash App, Earth Rated, MLS Realtor Fees

Posted on November 8, 2024 // Leave a Comment

Time to clean up some browser tabs! Here are some class action settlements that may apply to you as of November 2024. The trick is to take action and file now before you forget… and then forget! I say this because they could take several months or longer to finally pay out. When they do show up, it’ll be a nice surprise. Many times they end up more than the initially indicated amount.

Filed Under: Deals & Offers //

Acorns Early 1% Match on Kid Custodial Accounts / Acorns Later 3% Match on IRA Contributions

Posted on October 30, 2024 // Leave a Comment

Acorns, known for their “Round-Ups” on purchases that encourage recurring small savings of spare change and beyond, also has a match program for IRA contributions. They also just added a new match program for UTMA/UGMA custodial accounts for kids.

Acorns Early is their UTMA/UGMA custodial account for minors, and they will give a 1% match on contributions for Acorns Gold subscribers. These UTMA/UGMA custodial accounts have a few different wrinkles. They are a flexible brokerage account, not like 529 plans where you have to pick from a menu. They can be spent more flexibly as well, not just for qualified educational expenses. A certain amount of income is tax-free each year. However, money in a custodial account is the property of the minor and they assume full control of the account when they become of age.

For 2024, the gift tax exclusion if $18,000 per person ($36,000 from a couple), so the 1% match could be worth up to $180/$360 per kid per year (you can give more, but this is without potentially triggering a gift tax). Friends and family are allowed to contribute as well.

Acorns Later is their IRA account, and they give a 3% match on contributions for Acorns Gold subscribers. Per the 2024 contribution limits, $7,000 x 3% = $210 and $8,000 x 3% = $240 (Age 50+). There is a 4-year hold period.

Acorns Gold costs $12 a month (first month free) and is their highest premium tier with other various perks. So you’d have to balance it all out for your situation.

Filed Under: College & Education, Deals & Offers, Investing, Retirement //

Robinhood Gold Review: 1% Deposit Boost Ends 11/25/24

Posted on October 29, 2024 // 31 Comments

Update October 2024: Well, that didn’t last very long. Right as competitors rush to copy the feature, Robinhood sends me a message that the last day to get your 1% Deposit Boost is November 25, 2024.

Update June 2024: The 1% Deposit Boost for Robinhood Gold subscribers is now live. As previously announced, the 1% boost is paid out gradually over 24 months on net new deposits. If you make future withdrawals, this may affect your unpaid boosts. If you were already paid a boost payment, it may affect the boost on future deposits. In other words, they are paying attention and it’s not simple to game by withdrawing your cash. You can find additional details on this FAQ page. The following deposits are eligible:

Standard bank account transfers (originated ACH)
Wires in
Direct deposit (non-originated ACH)
Debit card transfers (including Apple Pay)
Request for Payment (ex. Zelle or PayPal transfer)
Transfers from spending account
Transfers from IRA account

I tested it out with a $500 deposit with a debit card transfer via Apple Pay (for another 1%*). Hello, $0.21 a month! 💰 Here’s a screenshot. I’m already locked into a Robinhood relationship for 5 years with the expired IRA promo, so I will try to see how to best utilize this promo for the next 3 years.

(* Debit card deposit side note: I also stacked it with by making the deposit with Apple Pay linked to my 1% cash back debit card from Upgrade. This way, I’ll get another 1% on the $500. Now, this method should be used carefully and for deposits that you intend to invest at Robinhood, as I’ve read reports of Robinhood freezing accounts if this option is abused by depositing and immediately withdrawing. This works for me because I plan to invest smaller deposits there for 24 months to get the Robinhood 1% match anyway. Besides Upgrade, a few other places offer 1% cash back on debit card purchases, but Upgrade is also offering a $300 bonus which is noteworthy even if it is a fintech.)

Full review:

Robinhood recently held a Steve Jobs-esque product announcement about new upcoming features for their Robinhood Gold paid membership tier ($5 a month or $50 per year upfront). Here are the highlights of the new features:

  • 1% match on all deposits. Called “Unlimited Deposit Boost”, Gold members will get a 1% match on all incoming deposits. For example, if you transfer $500 every month to invest at Robinhood, they will give you an extra $5 a month to invest. If you transfer in $100,000, they will give you $1,000. Doled out over a 2-year period if you keep your deposits there during that time.
  • 3% cash back on all categories with their new credit card. Redeems directly into a Robinhood account. Can create virtual numbers and extra cards for family members. No annual fee, but does require Gold membership.
  • New customizable user interface. One of Robinhood’s strengths has always been it’s modern user interface. That’s always been countered by their fintech-average level of customer service.

Here are the existing Robinhood Gold features:

  • 5% APY on cash sweep deposits. (1.5% APY without Gold until May 2024, then 0.01% APY after that.)
  • $1,000 in free margin ($2,000 until 8/18/24).
  • 3% match on annual IRA contributions. (1% match without Gold.) 5-year lock-up period. This is meant to be a recurring thing. See FAQ for details.
  • 3% match on incoming IRA transfers and rollover amounts (ended 4/30/24). This WAS a limited-time offer and potentially huge for those with big IRAs. 5-year lock-up period. See link for details.
  • Bigger instant deposits. Instant Deposit eliminates the three-day wait period for funds to transfer from your bank into Robinhood. With Gold, customers can get larger Instant Deposits of up to $50,000 depending on their brokerage account balance and status.
  • Free premium stock reports from Morningstar. Gold members get unlimited access to Morningstar’s stock research reports. These reports are available for approximately 1,700 stocks and are updated frequently to reflect important company events.
  • Level II market data from Nasdaq. Level II market data shows multiple bid and ask prices from Nasdaq for any given security so investors can better determine the availability or desire for a security at a certain price.

The hottest deal WAS the 3% match on incoming 401k rollovers and IRA transfers. I participated for an $8,000+ payout and am now stuck in its 5-year lock-up period. They’ve added billions of new assets with this promotion.

The second hottest deal is the new 1% unlimited deposit match, doled out over a 2-year period. I find it a very clever way to keep customers locked-into their Robinhood accounts AND keep them paying for a Robinhood Gold subscription. Don’t be surprised if the price of Gold goes up within the next year or so!

Deposit boost is divided into 24 monthly payouts. To earn your full boost, hold or invest your brokerage deposits for 2 years. If you cancel Gold, you’ll lose future payouts you haven’t earned yet.

The third hottest deal is the 3% cash back credit card, even though the credit card is getting the most press attention. 3% cash back with no annual fee is certainly noteworthy, but the card also doesn’t have an upfront sign-up bonus (and technically requires Gold at $50/$60 a year). If you currently have a 2% cash back card and spend even $50,000 a year on your credit card, 1% more is only $500 a year in extra cash back.

Meanwhile, I don’t spend that much on any single card (due to other better promos that will earn me $500+ upfront and the equivalent of more than 3% back) and I already get 2.6% back from my Bank of America credit card with Preferred Rewards. I like the idea of simple 3% cash back, but not quite worth a credit pull for me (we’ll see how long it lasts, since 3% has historically been too high to last).

If you are one of the first 5,000 people to refer 10 people to Robinhood Gold, apparently they will send you a credit card made of actual gold. After reading the terms closely, even if I do get enough referrals for the “Solid Gold” card, I’ll get a 1099 for over $1,000. If they run out of Gold cards, you just get the cash, but there doesn’t seem to be an option to simply decline and opt for the cash. I’m not interested in paying $400 in taxes for a gaudy 10 karat credit card.

Filed Under: Deals & Offers, Investing //

HealthyWage Review: Bet on Yourself, Get Paid To Lose Weight ($75 Prize Boost)

Posted on October 28, 2024 // 53 Comments

($75 Prize Boost Promo: Click this special link for extra $75 added to your prize. Ends soon. Look for the banner on top. Read on for how HealthyWage helped motivate me to lose 50 pounds.)

hw_logoAfter reading medical studies which found that financial incentives were effective in helping people lose weight, I joined HealthyWage.com. You tell them how much weight you want to lose, your current body details, how much time you want, and and they’ll calculate what prize to offer you based on how much you want to bet on yourself. Since I eventually lost 50 pounds with the help of HealthyWage and other weight-loss betting sites (and have kept it off since), and I wanted to share my experiences including both positive and negative aspects. Importantly, you can do everything from home!

My overall HealthyWage bet was to lose 10% of my body weight over 9 months (22 pounds in my case). My offered bet was to put up $50 per month for 9 months for a potential win of $500. You may like the sound of “winning $500”, but know that a lot of it will be your own money:

healthywage500

Honestly, risking $450 to win $50 didn’t feel like a very good risk/reward ratio, but I wanted the extra motivation. Perhaps my goal was too easy and that was why the payout wasn’t as high. You can put up your own numbers and calculate your own HealthyWage offer. Your payout may be much better than mine. The quote is free, you just need to provide any e-mail address.

If I joined during a limited-time offer prize boost, I could have earned a lot more money:

Initial weigh-in verification. There are four ways to verify your weight:

  1. Smartphone app. There is a HealthyWage app for iOS and Android. You take a clip using the app and your personal scale. Importantly, everything can be done from home!
  2. Video Verification. Upload a video to their website using your personal scale.
  3. Verification by a Fitness or Health Professional – Bring a form to your “local gym, pharmacies, corporate wellness clinics, walk-in clinics, HR reps, nurses, your personal doctor, your personal trainer or your chiropractor.”
  4. Verification at a Weight Watchers Meeting.

I followed their directions carefully, uploaded my video, and both my initial and final videos were accepted with no issues or additional requests.

Every month, I would see a $50 charge on my credit card bill from HealthWage. However, that was about it. There were no encouraging e-mails. No virtual meetups or prize giveaways. I was fine with this, but if you like group encouragement or peer pressure, you’ll need to find it elsewhere.

Upon initial sign-up, I was given my 2-week window for final weigh-in. HealthyWage’s two-week window is definitely more generous than DietBet’s 48-hour window, with the important difference that I was never sent any reminders by HealthyWage when the time actually came. In comparison, DietBet sent me multiple reminders beforehand. Now, I had the date marked on my digital calendar with several alerts, so I completed my weigh-in by the second day of the window. It is quite possible that if I waited until closer to the final deadline, I would have gotten a reminder. But I wouldn’t rely on it. Remember, if you forget, they keep your money!

I also did a DietBet at the same time, which is similar but different in that it collects participants into groups and then takes a cut from the pooled bets. See my separate DietBet Review. You can consider doing both as well.

Extra final verification hoops. Upon final weight verification, you’ll have to submit another verification video that includes of your weight scale. Again, you can just do it through their HealthyWage app. I also had to upload a scan of my driver’s license. Here’s a link with final weigh-in details. Note the following:

As part of our review, we occasionally request that some (very few) participants submit an additional weigh-out video. If an additional weigh-out video is required, HealthyWage will contact you with instructions. Optionally, you could also keep on hand a set of full-body before-and-after photos, and have your teammates do the same. You do not need to submit the photo(s) to HealthyWage.

The fact is that if you really lose 10 lbs or more of your body weight, you will look noticeably different to human eyes! That is why they need the video. Looking at my before and after photos was a shock even to me.

Finally, I successfully referred a few people to Healthwage and received extra money added my “pot”. This referral program is nice feature to get some social support, but remember that you get the referral money only if you win your own bet.

Final payout options. There are two options to receive your winnings. A mailed check takes 3-4 weeks to process, with no fee. The other “fast” option is PayPal, which charges a 3% fee. I picked the PayPal option because I didn’t want to wait around for a check. However, they later clarified that it would still take 3-5 business days for PayPal transfer. The 3% fee is taken out by PayPal, so HealthyWage actually sends the full amount (they just choose not to subsidize the fee). In retrospect, maybe I should have just waited for the check. Here’s a screenshot:

hw_finalpay

Bottom line. I committed to a Healthywage bet to lose 10% of my initial weight over 9 months. I lost the weight, completed my verifications without hassle, won the bet, and was paid my winnings. Although I found the process a bit impersonal, they are a legit company. Calculate your own HealthyWage offer here. You don’t need to enter your credit card to get a quote. However, the fact that HealthyWage motivated me to finally lose over 50 pounds was worth way more to me than the cash winnings. I’ve kept it off in the years since as well, so it literally changed my life and quite possibly made it longer.

Filed Under: Deals & Offers //

SoFi Invest: 1% Match on Recurring Deposits to Brokerage or IRA

Posted on October 27, 2024 // 3 Comments

SoFi Plus is now offering an unlimited 1% match on all recurring SoFi Invest deposits. This includes their self-directed “active” or robo-advisor “automated” accounts. There is a two-year minimum hold requirement. Both taxable brokerage and IRAs are eligible, and this benefit may be stacked the with SoFi Invest 1% match on IRA contributions.

You must be a member of SoFi Plus, their premium status that requires opening both a SoFi Checking and Savings account and then setting up a monthly direct deposit into either account. However, that direct deposit can be any amount, as little as $1.

New to SoFi? Take advantage of the following sign-up bonuses first:

  • SoFi Checking Referral Offer: Up to $325 new user bonus. Open a new SoFi Money account and add at least $10 to your account within 5 days, and get $25. Then get up to $300 additional bonus with qualifying direct deposit. Plus up to 4.30% APY.
  • SoFi Invest Referral Offer: $25 new user bonus. Brokerage account. Open an Active Investing account with $10 or more, and you’ll get $25 in stock.

After you have your accounts set up and have qualified for SoFi Plus status (it’ll show in your app after the direct deposit posts), here is how to set up a recurring deposit per their FAQ:

There are two ways to set up a recurring deposit:

1. Set up a weekly, biweekly, or monthly ACH transfer into your SoFi Invest® account. You can do this by adding cash to your Invest account and changing the frequency from “one-time, today” to recurring on a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly cadence.

2. If you have Autopilot through a SoFi Checking & Savings account from SoFi Bank, N.A, you can use it to set up a recurring deposit into your Automated Invest (SoFi Wealth, LLC ) account. Afterwards, click the “Set up Autopilot” button to start your recurring investment. Next, select the dollar amount or percentage you want to invest from each paycheck, and we’ll automatically transfer it into your new account.

Remember that you get the match for the deposit of funds, and it must stay there for 2 years or they’ll try to claw it back. You’ll have to invest it separately by making a trade.

The 1% match is technically paid out in SoFi rewards points (1 point = $0.01), but you can set it to auto-convert to cash into a designated SoFi account every month (that’s what I do). The match will be paid out within two weeks of the end of each calendar month.

This is structured very similarly to Robinhood’s “1% Deposit Boost”, down to the 2-year hold period. You don’t need a checking account or direct deposit at Robinhood, but it does require an active Robinhood Gold subscription at $5 per month ($60 a year).

Here are more details on other SoFi promotions, including their 2.2% cash back credit card and $300 Personal Loan bonus.

Filed Under: Deals & Offers, Investing, Retirement //

SoFi Invest: 1% IRA Match on Both 401k Rollovers and Contributions

Posted on October 27, 2024 // 5 Comments

Updated October 2024. SoFi Invest has brought back their an uncapped 1% match on 401k-to-IRA rollovers ($20,000 minimum). It looks like this is meant as a semi-permanent addition to their 1% IRA contribution match, as there is no expiration date. There is a 2-year required hold period. Both new and existing SoFi IRA accountholders IRAs are eligible. For folks with big 401ks still sitting around at their old employers, this could be a very significant bonus. A $75,000 401(k) rollover would get you $750. A $300,000 401(k) rollover would get you $3,000.

Rollovers must be completed through Capitalize, which is a startup service that specializes in helping you rollover your assets; they’ll supposedly handle all the paperwork and phone calls. Here are the full terms and conditions.

401(k) Rollover Match: SoFi will match 1% of a customer’s 401(k) rollover of more than $20,000 into their newly opened SoFi IRA or existing SoFi IRA in good standing, facilitated via the Capitalize application (see Eligibility below), during the Offer Period. If a customer submits more than one rollover during the same month, the sum of the rollovers must be more than $20,000 to be eligible for the match. The rollover funds must be maintained in the IRA for two (2) years. Bonuses will be paid within 60 days of the last day of the month in which the rollover funds settle in your SoFi IRA account.

Example: If you complete a $75,000 rollover with Capitalize to a SoFi IRA during the Offer Period, you will be matched 1%, equaling $750.

Payment/match will be deposited into the IRA that 401(k) assets are rolled into. The match is treated as interest earned and does not impact contribution limits.

For members with existing SoFi IRAs, a 401(k) rollover must be completed via Capitalize utilizing this link (and provide their SoFi IRA account number).

Robinhood has a larger 3% match on IRA contributions, but they no longer offer a match on 401(k) rollovers at all. You also don’t need to sign up for Robinhood Gold (at $5 a month) and the required minimum hold period for Robinhood was 5 years (while this one is only two years).

In contrast, this SoFi promo does not appear to cover IRA-to-IRA rollovers, only 401k-to-IRA rollovers. (It appears that 403b accounts are treated as equivalent to 401k account by Capitalize, but I could be wrong. I’d confirm with them directly.)

SoFi uses Apex Clearing for the their brokerage backend, which I am not super-excited about due to their history of late and corrected 1099s, but many other smaller brokers use them as well. FirsTrade, M1, Axos Invest, Stash, Public, and WeBull also use(d) Apex Clearing.

I’ve done several other SoFi offers in the past, and I’ve found them to be reliable in posting the bonuses. Here are some other SoFi offers:

Filed Under: Deals & Offers, Investing, Retirement //
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