If You Have More Than $1,000 in Your Checking Account, Make These 7 Moves
You’ve done it. You’ve built up a little cushion in your bank account — $1,000! It feels good, right? Those days of checking your account balance in a panic are behind you.
Congrats! You’re on the right path. Now it’s time to think about some longer-term goals. What do you want to accomplish next with your money? Do you need to save more? Do you want to buy a home someday? Invest?
What’s the next step you should take? What are some specific things you can do to take your finances to the next level?
We’ve got some ideas for you:
1. Grow Your Money 125x Faster — Without Playing the Stock Market
Why does it feel like you need to have multiple thousands of dollars on hand to access any legit investment opportunities? You know, the ones only the ultra wealthy get to use? It’s not fair.
Well, a company called Compound Real Estate Bonds is actually leveling the playing field for the rest of us — it can grow your money at a fixed 8.5% annual compound yield — that’s 125x times faster than the national average). The best part? You only need $10 to start investing.
This simple app gives everyone — not just the 1% — access to high quality real estate bonds. No crypto, no stocks, no NFTs. Why? Because real estate is one of the largest and most stable alternative assets around.
There are no fees and no fixed terms. Seriously, you can withdraw your money at any time.
Sign up for your free account to start earning a fixed 8.5% yield, then sit back and watch your investment compound daily.
2. Cancel Your Car Insurance
Here’s the thing: Your current car insurance company is probably overcharging you. But don’t waste your time hopping around to different insurance companies looking for a better deal.
Use a website called EverQuote to see all your options at once.
EverQuote is the largest online marketplace for insurance in the US, so you’ll get the top options from more than 175 different carriers handed right to you.
Take a couple of minutes to answer some questions about yourself and your driving record. With this information, EverQuote will be able to give you the top recommendations for car insurance. In just a few minutes, you could save up to $610 a year.
3. Earn 4.25% Interest on Your Savings and Still Access Your Money Any Time
You’ve been with the same bank for years, and how do they repay your loyalty? With a measly 65 cents in earned interest every year.
And you’re not alone. The national average interest rate for savings accounts is just 0.47%.
But there’s a way to grow your money 9 times faster than the national average—completely risk-free.
When you sign up for a Capital One 360 Performance Savings Account, you’ll earn 4.25% APY on your account balance. Just to be clear, that’s almost 10 times the national average on a regular savings account.
There’s no minimum deposit to open and keep your account. And you’ll never pay any monthly or maintenance fees, either.
You also don’t need to worry about accessing your savings—you can withdraw your money at any time with no penalties. Plus, all your money is FDIC-insured, which basically just means it’s super safe.
Signing up for your Capital One 360 Premier Savings Account only takes a few minutes. After that, you can sit back and watch your savings grow.
4. Invest in Real Estate Without the Volatility — You Only Need $500
You’re not the only one who daydreams about making money in your sleep. And investing in real estate is one of the best ways to earn passive income. The only problem? You need to have lots of money. Well, you used to…
With a company called Connect Invest, you can get your foot in the door for just $500, investing in what are called short notes. And, if you make your first investment before December 31st, you can earn a $20 bonus.
Basically, you’re buying the debt that wealthy developers take on to fund their real estate projects — and they have to pay you back, with up to 9% in interest… while you sleep.
With Connect Invest, you’ll invest for terms of six, 12 or 24 months, during which you’ll receive monthly fixed-interest payments between 7.5% and 9%. You could earn a legit passive income with those rates — and it’s way higher than what you’d earn with your savings account!
Connect Invest carefully vets each real estate project and borrower. And don’t worry, all loans are backed by real estate collateral. In the rare event of a default, Connect Invest’s sister company will foreclose on the property with the investors’ approval and sell it to recover your investment.
It’s super easy to set up your free account and start investing. To earn your $20 bonus, make sure to select “Penny Hoarder” as a referral source, and apply promo code “PH20.”
5. Get Paid up to $360/Year With This Free Debit Card
Wouldn’t it be nice if you got special treatment wherever you went? You can actually get rewards wherever you shop, using this free debit card from Discover.
You’ll earn 1% cash back on every single purchase you make using your Discover® Cashback Debit account, on up to $3,000 monthly.* There’s no impact on your credit score for signing up and no minimum balance requirements ever.
Need groceries? Tap your card for cash back. You can also get paid sooner with Early Pay direct deposit, protect against overdrafts and access to over 60,000 ATMs without fees. You can handle all of your banking needs through the app and connect a virtual wallet like Apple Pay to amplify your rewards. And on top of all that, checking-account deposits are FDIC-insured up to the maximum amount allowed by law.
Does your bank do all that? If not, open a free Discover checking account to get special treatment from a bank that will actually put money back into your account.
*See website for details.
6. Let Your Family Inherit $250k or Much More
We never seem to have enough savings or investments. But there’s one particular way to make up for that shortfall: life insurance.
None of us like to think about what happens to your family if you pass, but this is a smart way to free them from a burden – and give you peace of mind.
With NerdWallet, you can get multiple life insurance quotes all in one place and find a plan that’s probably far more affordable than you think.
You can choose whole life plans if you want to do it once, forget about it and have coverage for the rest of your life. Or you can pick from term life plans to get even lower rates with coverage that can last a few decades.*
Is it finally time to get covered? It’s easy to get life insurance quotes from NerdWallet to see just how affordable a good policy could be for you.
7. Have 10K+ In Investments? This Free Financial Plan Could Save You Up to $3,500/Year
You feel like you’ve always been on top of your investments, and you’re proud of how far you’ve come. But you may still be wondering if you’re actually doing enough to fully secure that rich retirement you know you deserve.
That’s why having a financial plan in place is one of the smartest decisions you could make.
With The Penny Hoarder, you can get a customized financial plan for free. Anyone is eligible for a free financial plan, but if you have $10,000 or more in investments (or $200,000 if you are retired), you could qualify to connect with a personal financial advisor for an in-depth review of your finances and to confidently plan your next money moves.
All you have to do is answer a few questions, and you’ll get your free, custom financial plan.
The best part? This could save you up to $3,500 per year. And it’s completely free — and totally anonymous. You won’t be bombarded with ads or sales pitches.
There’s literally no catch. Just sound financial advice customized for you. Get your free financial plan here.
*Users must meet certain suitability standards, pursuant to the Connect Invest II Offering Circular. Users must make an investment on or before December 31, 2024. Investors will receive their $20 bonus with their first interest earnings.
Past performance does not guarantee future results or success. The material contained herein does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of any offer to purchase these securities, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or other jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.
*NerdWallet believes everyone should be able to make financial decisions with confidence. And, while our site doesn’t feature every company or financial product available on the market, we’re proud that the guidance we offer, the information we provide and the tools we create are objective, independent, straightforward – and free.
