CFP Course Notes #1: The 7-Step Financial Planning Process

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Whew! 😅 I just passed my first mid-term test in about 20 years. The first half of Fundamentals of Financial Planning, the first course from my self-paced CFP program, included coverage of the official 7-Step “Financial Planning Process”. The image above was found in my course materials, but the text (and I believe the graphic itself) is from the CFB Board’s Financial Planning Practice Standards.

Below are my completely non-official notes and takeaways. Remember, this is from the perspective of the financial planner.

Step 1: Understanding the Client’s Personal and Financial Circumstances

  • You must explain, obtain, and analyze all of the qualitative and quantitative information needed to fulfill the scope of your engagement.
  • Qualitative topics include (but are not limited to) health, family, goals, risk-tolerance, and priorities.
  • Quantitive topics include (but are not limited to) income, expenses, cashflow, savings, investments, assets, liabilities (debts), estate plans, and retirement/work benefits.
  • If the client is unwilling or unable to provide sufficient and accurate information (both personal and financial), you must terminate the engagement.

Step 2: Identifying and Selecting Goals

  • Identify potential goals for the client, using the information gathered in Step 1.
  • This means that in addition to the goals the clients brings up themselves, you may find other ones like adequate life insurance or a clear estate plan.
  • After developing this list of potential goals, work with the client to select and prioritize amongst these goals.

Step 3: Analyzing the Client’s Current Course of Action and Potential Alternative Courses of Action

  • Analyze the client’s current course of action. What are they doing now? Will their goals be met this way?
  • Analyze potential alternative courses of action. Find at least one alternative for any goal that won’t be met with current action.

Step 4: Developing the Financial Planning Recommendations

  • Develop a specific recommendation of action for each selected goal. It’s possible that the recommendation is to “stay the course” for one or more goals.
  • If an alternative is presented, work out why it is better than the current action. Include any assumptions and estimates used in your calculations.
  • Consider if each specific recommendation is independent or must be implemented along with another recommendation.

Step 5: Presenting the Financial Planning Recommendations

  • Present your recommendations to the clients. Your goal is to have the client understand all of the factors that were considered and why the recommendation presented is the best recommendation.

Step 6: Implementing the Financial Planning Recommendations

  • Now that the recommended actions have been agreed upon, who is responsible for implementation? Might be you (the financial planner), might be the client.
  • What products, actions, or services are the most appropriate for the job?
  • Select and implement!

Step 7: Monitoring Progress and Updating

  • Who is responsible for monitoring and updating? Might be you (the financial planner), might be the client.
  • If you (the financial planner) is responsible for monitoring and updating, then you must regularly monitor the client’s progress and keep the process going. Update with current client information, update goals, update recommendations, etc.

Other random thoughts:

The CFP Board makes a big deal about the difference between “Financial Advice” and “Financial Planning”. Financial Advice is the more limited act of making a recommendation to act or not to act, often focused on a specific niche topic. On the other end, the most encompassing (and expensive) term is Financial Planning, which requires you to follow all their Standards and obtain a deep understanding of the client’s personal and financial situation. Accordingly, CFPs will ask you to sign an Engagement Letter that clearly outlines the services and products being provided (and how you’ll pay for them).

I also spent a good deal of time learning how to use the HP-12C financial calculator to solve for internal rates of return, time value of money, cash flow analysis, amortization, and other financial scenarios. I have an engineering background, but had never used this calculator before, so I had to order a new one online. In the meantime, I used an HP-12C emulator to do the coursework. It’s definitely handy for finance.

My Money Blog has partnered with CardRatings and may receive a commission from card issuers. Some or all of the card offers that appear on this site are from advertisers and may impact how and where card products appear on the site. MyMoneyBlog.com does not include all card companies or all available card offers. All opinions expressed are the author’s alone, and has not been provided nor approved by any of the companies mentioned.

MyMoneyBlog.com is also a member of the Amazon Associate Program, and if you click through to Amazon and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission. Thank you for your support.


Chase Ink Business Cash(R) Card Review: $750 Bonus, 5% Back Categories, No Annual Fee

My Money Blog has partnered with CardRatings and may receive a commission from card issuers. Some or all of the card offers that appear on this site are from advertisers and may impact how and where card products appear on the site. MyMoneyBlog.com does not include all card companies or all available card offers. All opinions expressed are the author’s alone.

The Ink Business Cash(R) Card has a sign-up promotion offering a $750 cash bonus (75,000 Ultimate Rewards points) for new cardholders, along with 5% cash back and 2% cash back on select small business categories, all with no annual fee. Here are the details:

  • $750 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
  • 5% cash back (or 5X Ultimate Rewards per dollar) on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services each account anniversary year.
  • 2% cash back (or 2X Ultimate Rewards per dollar) on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each account anniversary year.
  • 1% cash back on all other card purchases with no limit to the amount you can earn.
  • Free additional cards for employees.
  • No annual fee.
  • Member FDIC

Ultimate Rewards points. The cash sign-up bonus actually comes in the form of Ultimate Rewards points at 1 point = 1 cent in cash. 75,000 points = $750 cash. This is similar to the situation with the Chase Freedom Unlimited.

If you have also have the Chase Sapphire Preferred, Chase Sapphire Reserve, or Ink Business Preferred Card, then you can pool all of your Ultimate Rewards points together (even with your spouse/partner as an authorized user) and either use the airline/hotel transfer partners or redeem using the new “Pay Yourself Back” tool for a 25% to 50% boost in value.

Leveraging the 5% back bonus categories. Putting all of your small business cell phone, landline, and internet bills on the card and getting 5% back is pretty handy. For example, even just $200 a month x 12 months x 5% back is $120 back a year without changing your spending habits. Now let’s take the office supply store category and the fact that you can buy gifts cards to Amazon.com and other retailers at such office supply stores like Staples and OfficeMax… now you can effectively discount many of your other purchasing needs by 5% as well. Putting those purchases on such gift cards upfront can also help you meet the spending requirement for the bonus.

Many people aren’t aware of the fact that they can apply for business credit cards, even if they are not a corporation or LLC. The business type is called a sole proprietorship, and these days many people are full-time or part-time consultants, freelancers, eBay/Amazon/Etsy sellers, or other one-person business owners. This is the simplest business entity, but it is fully legit and recognized by the IRS. On a business credit card application, you should use your own legal name as the business name, and your Social Security Number as the Tax ID.

Note that Chase has an unofficial rule that they will automatically deny approval on new credit cards if you have 5 or more new credit cards from any issuer on your credit report within the past 2 years (aka the 5/24 rule). This rule is designed to discourage folks that apply for high numbers of sign-up bonuses. This rule applies on a per-person basis, so in our household one applies to Chase while the other applies at other card issuers.

Bottom line. The Ink Business Cash Card has a large sign-up bonus and ongoing features of 5X/2X categories with no annual fee. This card is best if you have significant expenses in the special 5% and 2% categories above. If you have certain other Chase credit cards, you can transfer Ultimate Rewards points over to those cards and increase your value.

Also see: Top 10 Best Small Business Card Bonus Offers.

My Money Blog has partnered with CardRatings and may receive a commission from card issuers. Some or all of the card offers that appear on this site are from advertisers and may impact how and where card products appear on the site. MyMoneyBlog.com does not include all card companies or all available card offers. All opinions expressed are the author’s alone, and has not been provided nor approved by any of the companies mentioned.

MyMoneyBlog.com is also a member of the Amazon Associate Program, and if you click through to Amazon and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission. Thank you for your support.


Chase Ink Business Unlimited Card Review: $750 Cash Bonus, 1.5% Flat Cash Back, No Annual Fee

My Money Blog has partnered with CardRatings and may receive a commission from card issuers. Some or all of the card offers that appear on this site are from advertisers and may impact how and where card products appear on the site. MyMoneyBlog.com does not include all card companies or all available card offers. All opinions expressed are the author’s alone.

The Ink Business Unlimited Card is a small business credit card offering a $750 cash bonus (75,000 Ultimate Rewards points) for new cardholders and the simplicity of a flat, unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases. Here are the details:

  • $750 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
  • Unlimited, flat 1.5% cash back (or flat 1.5X Ultimate Rewards points per dollar spent) on all purchases with no limit.
  • Free additional cards for employees.
  • Member FDIC
  • No annual fee.

Ultimate Rewards points. The cash sign-up bonus actually comes in the form of Ultimate Rewards points at 1 point = 1 cent in cash. 50,000 points = $500 cash. If you have one of the other annual fee cards that offer a boost in value like the Ink Business Preferred, Sapphire Preferred, or Sapphire Reserve, you can transfer your points between Ultimate Rewards accounts and redeem using that other card’s 25% travel bonus. This can increase the value of your points.

You could think of this card as the small business version of the Chase Freedom Unlimited card.

Prefer airline and/or hotel points? You can’t transfer points to miles directly with this card, but if you transfer over your Ultimate Rewards points to the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (or Ink Business Preferred card), then you can use that card to transfer into hotel and/or airline miles. If you value those miles/points at more than 1 cent per point, then your 1.5X rewards from this card can be significantly higher. Examples:

– You could earn 1.5 United miles per dollar spent.
– You could earn 1.5 Hyatt points per dollar spent.
– You could earn 1.5 British Airways Avios per dollar spent.
– You could earn 1.5 Southwest Rapid Rewards points per dollar spent.

For example, if you placed a perceived value of 1.5 cents on each United mile or Southwest Rapid Rewards point, then you’d receive 2.25 cents of perceived value per dollar spent with this card. Your actual numbers will depend on your own specific redemption choices.

Many people aren’t aware of the fact that they can apply for business credit cards, even if they are not a corporation or LLC. The business type is called a sole proprietorship, and these days many people are full-time or part-time consultants, freelancers, eBay/Amazon/Etsy sellers, or other one-person business owners. This is the simplest business entity, but it is fully legit and recognized by the IRS. On a business credit card application, you should use your own legal name as the business name, and your Social Security Number as the Tax ID.

Note that Chase has an unofficial rule that they will automatically deny approval on new credit cards if you have 5 or more new credit cards from any issuer on your credit report within the past 2 years (aka the 5/24 rule). This rule is designed to discourage folks that apply for high numbers of sign-up bonuses. This rule applies on a per-person basis, so in our household one applies to Chase while the other applies at other card issuers.

Bottom line. The Ink Business Unlimited Card has a large sign-up bonus and flat 1.5% cash back with no annual fee. This card is best for people who want simple and straightforward rewards. If you have certain other Chase credit cards, you can transfer Ultimate Rewards points over to those cards and increase your value. Be sure to compare with other Chase small business cards – Ink Business Preferred and Ink Business Cash.

Also see: Top 10 Best Small Business Card Bonus Offers.

My Money Blog has partnered with CardRatings and may receive a commission from card issuers. Some or all of the card offers that appear on this site are from advertisers and may impact how and where card products appear on the site. MyMoneyBlog.com does not include all card companies or all available card offers. All opinions expressed are the author’s alone, and has not been provided nor approved by any of the companies mentioned.

MyMoneyBlog.com is also a member of the Amazon Associate Program, and if you click through to Amazon and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission. Thank you for your support.


Chase Ink Business Preferred Card Review: 100,000 Points worth $1,250 Towards Travel

My Money Blog has partnered with CardRatings and may receive a commission from card issuers. Some or all of the card offers that appear on this site are from advertisers and may impact how and where card products appear on the site. MyMoneyBlog.com does not include all card companies or all available card offers. All opinions expressed are the author’s alone.

Updated with new 100k offer. Business credit cards can be used by self-employed or side-gig workers with eBay, Amazon, Etsy, Uber/Lyft, Adsense or other 1099 income that make you a sole proprietorship. The Ink Business Preferred(R) Card has a new 100,000 point bonus for new cardholders, worth at least $1,250 towards travel when redeemed through Chase and potentially more via points transfer to Hyatt hotels, etc. This is their premium travel card with 3X points on travel purchases and the ability to transfer points to airline miles or redeem at a 25% premium through their travel portal. Here are the details:

  • 100,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. That’s worth $1,250 toward any airfare or hotels booked through the Chase Travel portal (works like Expedia or Travelocity).
  • 3X points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent on travel, shipping purchases, internet/cable/phone services, and advertising purchases with social media sites and search engines.
  • 1X point per $1 on all other purchases with no limit.
  • Ability to transfer points directly to airline mile partners.
  • Points are worth 25% more when you redeem for travel through Chase Travel(SM).
  • No foreign transaction fees.
  • Free additional cards for employees.
  • Primary rental car coverage when renting for business purposes.
  • Member FDIC
  • $95 annual fee.

Ultimate Rewards points. This card offers a 25% bonus on travel bookings made through the Chase Travel website. 100,000 Ultimate Rewards = $1,250 in travel. Similar to Expedia or Travelocity, you can book flights on Chase Travel at most major airlines, hotel chains, and car rental companies. This makes it much more flexible to spend your points. You can even buy something more expensive and pay the difference.

If you have other Chase cards that earn Ultimate Rewards points like the Ink Business Cash or Ink Business Unlimited, you can transfer points into this card account and take advantage of the 25% premium. However, if you happen to have the Chase Sapphire Reserve card, you could transfer your points over to that card and grab the better 50% premium.

You could think of this card as the small business version of the Chase Sapphire Preferred card.

Prefer airline and/or hotel points? This card also allows you to transfer Ultimate Rewards points into hotel and/or airline miles. Transfer to United Airlines, British Airways, Singapore Airlines, Korean Air, Southwest, Hyatt Hotels, IHG Hotels, and Marriott Hotels at a ratio of 1 Ultimate Rewards point = 1 mile/hotel point. Miles redemption continue to offer great value for savvy travelers, especially for last-minute travel and business class seats.

For example, I could definitely get more than $1,250 in value by converting into 100,000 World of Hyatt points.

Many people aren’t aware of the fact that they can apply for business credit cards, even if they are not a corporation or LLC. The business type is called a sole proprietorship, and these days many people are full-time or part-time consultants, freelancers, eBay/Amazon/Etsy sellers, Uber/Lyft drivers, or other one-person business owners. This is the simplest business entity, but it is fully legit and recognized by the IRS. On a business credit card application, you should use your own legal name as the business name, and your Social Security Number as the Tax ID.

Note that Chase has an unofficial rule that they will most likely deny approval on new credit cards if you have 5 or more new credit cards from any issuer on your credit report within the past 2 years (aka the 5/24 rule). This rule is designed to discourage folks that apply for high numbers of sign-up bonuses. This rule applies on a per-person basis, so in our household one applies to Chase while the other applies at other card issuers.

The good news is that small business cards from Chase don’t show up on personal credit reports, so getting this card in itself won’t affect your future 5/24 eligibility. This it makes a “free” application if you are otherwise eligible.

Bottom line. The Chase Ink Business Preferred Card has a new, bigger 100,000 point sign-up bonus worth at least $1,250 towards travel, along with premium travel features included with the $95 annual fee. You can transfer Ultimate Rewards points from other Chase cards to increase your value. If you’d rather have a more simple cash-focused rewards structure and no annual fee, be sure to compare with the Ink Business Unlimited and Ink Business Cash.

My Money Blog has partnered with CardRatings and may receive a commission from card issuers. Some or all of the card offers that appear on this site are from advertisers and may impact how and where card products appear on the site. MyMoneyBlog.com does not include all card companies or all available card offers. All opinions expressed are the author’s alone, and has not been provided nor approved by any of the companies mentioned.

MyMoneyBlog.com is also a member of the Amazon Associate Program, and if you click through to Amazon and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission. Thank you for your support.


Stuff I Bought Myself and Would Buy Again (2023 Edition)

My Money Blog has partnered with CardRatings and may receive a commission from card issuers. Some or all of the card offers that appear on this site are from advertisers and may impact how and where card products appear on the site. MyMoneyBlog.com does not include all card companies or all available card offers. All opinions expressed are the author’s alone.

Many “buying guides” are bland and generic, but I find that I still enjoy hearing what works for the discerning creators that I follow. I went through my buying history and these are random items that I have bought myself from Amazon (no free samples) that I would gladly go out and buy again. I’ll also list a few misses at the bottom of stuff I wish I hadn’t bought.

(Note: If you are reading this in an email/RSS reader, I am not allowed to include any Amazon affiliate links in e-mails, so they have been removed. Please click here or on the post title above to view the links in a browser. Thanks!)

LISEN 15W MagSafe Car Mount Charger

I finally upgraded to the latest iPhone this year after a 3-year wait, and wanted to take better advantage of all the MagSafe features. After a bunch of research, this car mount charger allows your phone to both display information and receive power magnetically with no plugging in required and no spring-type or gravity-type mounts. The magnetic connection is strong and has the extra aligning magnet in addition to the circular ones. Air vent attachment system works well. Includes the USB-C cable (some don’t). Even lights up so it’s easy to find at night. After buying the first one, I bought another one for my spouse’s vehicle.

YETI Rambler 46 oz Bottle w/ Chug Cap and YETI 64 oz Rambler

I have tried many water bottles, as I’m sure you probably have, and this is the best combination of my favorite drinking spout style (no straws!), nice handle, quality construction, and ease of cleaning. I wish it wasn’t the expensive YETI brand, which is very nice but also very expensive, but alas it was. I just have to focus harder on not losing them. The 64 oz bottle is good for longer outings, while the 46 oz is a hard-to-find size that I find perfect for everyday use (holds significantly more than “just” 32 oz, but not unwieldy).

COSORI Air Fryer Pro LE (5 Quart)

Love our air fryer. Use it at least every other day. Air fryers are like microwaves but the food doesn’t get soggy. Reheat all kinds of stuff, from pizza to roasted veggies. Cooks steaks (really!). This Cosori brand was a Wirecutter recommendation that worked out (my average success rate with them is ~70%). Good quality, easy to clean (entire tray is dishwasher safe), nice user interface.

PopSockets Phone Grip with MagSafe

PopSockets are popular due to their comfort and overall high quality, but these are unique because you can easily remove and/or add them off instantly with no adhesives. Works with any MagSafe case or directly onto a naked iPhone w/ MagSafe. The magnets are very strong so it won’t fall off by accident. Clear color also goes with everything.

VEVA HEPA Filters Compatible with Coway Airmega AP-1512HH (2-Pack)

The Coway Airmega AP-1512HH is a very effective and reliable air filter and has been running in multiple rooms in my house basically non-stop for years. I love the simple, functional design and once you see how much gunk gets caught in the filters, you won’t want your family breathing that into their lungs ever again. I go through a lot of HEPA filters (and use a garden hose on the screens) regularly. These VEVA filters are the highest-quality aftermarket filters that I have found, yet they are only half the price of the OEM filters.

Arctic Zone Titan Cooler – Zipperless Hardbody Cooler

I have traditional big Igloo coolers with and without wheels, but I wanted a lightweight cooler that I could easily carry (but still holds 30 cans!) but also wouldn’t break the bank (i.e. not YETI). This thing has surprisingly good insulation and durable construction. Combines well with reusable ice packs. Easy cleanup. Has a lot of little thoughtful features like a comfortable shoulder strap and the quick-access zipperless lid.. This $300 YETI looks great but only holds 18 cans.

KitchenAid Classic Pizza Wheel

Another random kitchen tool on my list!? Years ago, I got a free promo pizza wheel with an insurance company logo on it. I ended up using it so much it finally got too dull. Cuts so many things faster than a knife. I’ve found KitchenAid brand stuff to be pretty decent quality overall, and this one did not disappoint.

Rester’s Choice Ice Pack for Injuries Reusable

Both old adults (like me) and young kids need a lot of ice packs for their boo-boos. This reusable one is very high quality and goes back and forth from the freezer all the time. Much better than real ice in ziploc backs.

Misses: Here are stuff that was highly-rated in other places like Consumer Reports or Wirecutter, but did not perform up to my expectations.

My Money Blog has partnered with CardRatings and may receive a commission from card issuers. Some or all of the card offers that appear on this site are from advertisers and may impact how and where card products appear on the site. MyMoneyBlog.com does not include all card companies or all available card offers. All opinions expressed are the author’s alone, and has not been provided nor approved by any of the companies mentioned.

MyMoneyBlog.com is also a member of the Amazon Associate Program, and if you click through to Amazon and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission. Thank you for your support.


Vanguard Cash Plus Account Review: FDIC-Insured, But Missing Useful Features

My Money Blog has partnered with CardRatings and may receive a commission from card issuers. Some or all of the card offers that appear on this site are from advertisers and may impact how and where card products appear on the site. MyMoneyBlog.com does not include all card companies or all available card offers. All opinions expressed are the author’s alone.

Vanguard has been piloting some new products recently, and I was finally invited to try out the Vanguard Cash Plus Account. I’ve been playing with it for a few days and here are my thoughts. First, it’s important to note that there are two separate FDIC-insured products available from Vanguard:

  • Vanguard Cash Deposit – This is a new option for the settlement fund (default cash sweep) in your brokerage account. The interest rate has historically been lower than Cash Plus. 3.70% APY as of 8/28/23. You can make immediate trades straight from the funds in this account. FDIC insurance up to $1.25 million ($2.5 million for joint accounts).
  • Vanguard Cash Plus Account – This is a separate FDIC-insured account with a historically higher interest rate that is not a settlement account. 4.70% APY as of 8/28/23. It is meant as an alternative to a bank savings account and allows incoming ACH direct deposits and ACH withdrawals. FDIC insurance up to $1.25 million ($2.5 million for joint accounts).

Invitation and opening process. I received a physical mailer with an invitation last week, but the application was all online. The invitations are sent to individuals, and if you want to open a joint account, the joint owner must also have a Vanguard brokerage account. The implication is that this product is meant for existing Vanguard brokerage customers only, not as a standalone product.

Features. This is not a full-featured account, but a pretty minimalist FDIC-insured savings account. No minimum balance, no monthly fees. You get a routing number and account number (routing number is 242071583 which turns out to be PNC Bank NA, their bank partner.

It’s important to note all that is not included:

  • No ATM or debit card. (No ATM rebates.)
  • No checkwriting. (I did find mobile check deposit on the app.)
  • No online bill payment service. (You can use your account number to link at your credit card’s website for example, but there is no in-house system.)
  • No automated recurring transfers.
  • No ability to use your money market fund as a backup overdraft source.

Historical note: For a while, Vanguard did offer an “Advantage” account to select customers which did include all these things, but they abruptly discontinued it in 2019. So Vanguard is definitely intentionally leaving all these features out.

Basically, you get to make ACH direct deposits and ACH withdrawals. This enables the direct deposit of paychecks, Social Security, pensions, PayPal/Venmo transfers, and pay bills through vendor websites.

You might think that since it is a Vanguard account, you could use the funds in Cash Plus directly to buy some Vanguard ETFs or mutual funds. Not quite. First, all accounts must be “like registered” for you to transfer from Cash Plus. I am not allowed to transfer to my trust accounts. Second, you must manually transfer the money over, and then it should be available the same day. I found this statement in one place:

A transfer from a Cash Plus Account into a Vanguard Brokerage Account will settle by the next business day, but will be available for trading immediately.

But a slightly different one on their public FAQ:

How long will it take to move my cash from one account to another?

Transfers (including from one Vanguard account to another) generally take 2–3 business days, but at times may be quicker.

The competition. This is a supplemental Vanguard account meant to add functionality for existing Vanguard customers. However, I must point out that Fidelity has included a much higher level of functionality for its customers for a long time.

The plain taxable Fidelity brokerage account will also provide you account and routing numbers so that you can perform ACH deposits and withdrawals. Their core options (settlement fund) also include an FDIC-insured option with lower interest rate, but you can use a money market mutual fund like SPAXX that currently has a 4.98% yield.

But Fidelity also includes a nice bill payment interface, ATM debit card, checkwriting (with free checks), and mobile check deposit all within their standard brokerage account. (Fidelity also includes domestic and international ATM rebates if you have at least $250k in total assets with them. The alternative Fidelity Cash Management Account does include ATM rebates with no minimum balance requirement, but takes a bit more work to manage the cash optimally by manually purchasing their money market funds. I’ll leave the details for another review.)

Basically, if you are the type to want an all-in-one banking solution, Fidelity has already been doing it for years and years with more features. I feel that Fidelity’s customer service is also much better than Vanguard’s.

The Cash Plus account appeals to a niche customer. You are a loyal Vanguard customer that wants the added functionality from a basic high-yield savings account with bank routing and account numbers. You want one that shows up when you log into Vanguard, so you don’t have to log into another bank. The interest rate is pretty good and should stay that way, but still lower than Vanguard’s own money market funds. Maybe you want that FDIC-insurance. Finally, you are satisfied with Vanguard’s level of customer service these days. In my experience, the differences in hold times between Vanguard and Fidelity is simply night and day.

Will I actually use it? Honestly, it’s kind of hard to get excited that Vanguard is offering a barebones FDIC-insured savings account like ING Direct in 2023. I’d love to see the Cash Plus APY as the standard settlement fund along with account/routing numbers. They could even add the other features like ATM debit cards, but I don’t think they can handle the customer service level required. Instead, we just get this little step forward.

Mostly, I don’t need the FDIC insurance as I have full faith in the Vanguard Federal Money Market Fund (VMFXX, 5.28% yield as of 8/28/23) and Vanguard Treasury Money Market Fund (VUSXX, 5.19% yield as of 8/28/23) which both offer much higher interest rates and partial state income tax deductions. These are perfectly acceptable as my “savings accounts”. Stay lean Vanguard, just take the customer service back to the acceptable levels you had before your huge growth.

For now, my plan is to simply keep my Cash Plus account open with minimal activity in case one day the APY is higher than the money market alternatives.

My Money Blog has partnered with CardRatings and may receive a commission from card issuers. Some or all of the card offers that appear on this site are from advertisers and may impact how and where card products appear on the site. MyMoneyBlog.com does not include all card companies or all available card offers. All opinions expressed are the author’s alone, and has not been provided nor approved by any of the companies mentioned.

MyMoneyBlog.com is also a member of the Amazon Associate Program, and if you click through to Amazon and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission. Thank you for your support.


CIT Bank Review: Platinum Savings 5.05% APY, 11-Month No Penalty CD 4.90% APY, 6-Month 5.00% APY

My Money Blog has partnered with CardRatings and may receive a commission from card issuers. Some or all of the card offers that appear on this site are from advertisers and may impact how and where card products appear on the site. MyMoneyBlog.com does not include all card companies or all available card offers. All opinions expressed are the author’s alone.

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Platinum Savings now up to 5.05% APY. CIT Bank (not to be confused with Citi Bank) is an online-only bank that I keep open and going back to due to their multi-year history of competitive rates. They have a checking account, but their specialty is a variety of savings and CD products with high interest rates. I use their No-Penalty CD regularly for maximum optionality while maintaining a high interest rate (details below). Here are the highlights:

  • 11-Month No-Penalty CD at 4.90% APY with $1,000 minimum to open. The 11-month CD keeps a fixed rate, but has no withdrawal penalty seven days or later after funds have been received. This means (1) high rate now, (2) interest rate will never go down during the term, (3) interest rate can still go up, and (4) all funds stay fully liquid. (If you have an existing No Penalty CD that you want to close and open up a new one, please see my instructions below.)
  • (NEW) Platinum Savings Account at 5.05% APY if you maintain a $5,000 daily balance or higher. 0.25% APY if your daily balance is under $5,000. No monthly fees. If you have any other savings accounts at CIT and can meet the minimum balance, you should consider moving funds over to this account. You can also open this new account without having to open another bank or credit union account.
  • Savings Connect Account at 4.65% APY if you open with $100. No minimum balance and no monthly fees.
  • 6-month Term CD 5.00% APY, 18-month Term CD at 4.60% APY, 13-month Term CD at 4.65% APY.

Check out my rate chaser calculator to see if it makes sense for you to move money over.

New customer? Opening process overview. Here’s my review of the opening process if you are a new customer.

  • The application process was completely online. You provide the usual personal information.
  • You must submit to a credit check, but in my experience it was a “soft” pull which did not harm my credit. None of my various credit monitoring services showed it was a hard pull.
  • You may fund via (1) electronic ACH transfer, (2) wire transfer, (3) mobile check deposit via CIT Bank mobile app (iOS and Android), and (4) mailing in a paper check. There was no option for credit card funding. I picked online ACH funding and you need to provide routing and account numbers, followed by manual verification via micro-deposits after a day or two. There was no instant linking option via login information.

After deposit verification, then your funding will go through.

You have successfully verified your external account. Please allow up to 5 business days for your funds to appear in your CIT Bank account.
No further action is required for this account. Thank you!

citnewcd

Existing savings or money market customer? Check your rate. If you already have an existing High Yield Savings account, it may remain at a lower interest rate than this money market account. If so, take a minute and upgrade yourself to the better interest rate. Click on “Open an Account” here, then “I have a CIT Bank account”, and then login with your username/password. You can do everything online and even fund your new Money Market account with an instant transfer from your existing Premier High Yield Savings. I wish I didn’t have to do this, but at least it literally only took a minute to complete.

citmm

How to transfer your money from an existing No Penalty CD into an new, higher-rate No Penalty CD (or any other new account). You have the option of moving the funds (with no penalty of course) over to a new CD with a new 11-month holding period if the current rate is higher than your existing rate. Here’s the easiest way to do so:

  • Start a new online application for the 11-Month No-Penalty CD. Click on “Get Started” and sign-in as an existing CIT customer.
  • After signing in, go through the opening process but look for “Existing CIT Bank Account” under “Funding Source”. You should see a list of your existing accounts, including any No Penalty CDs. (Screenshot below.)
  • Note that online, your only option will be to have the entire CD balance (including accrued interest) moved over into the new CD. If you want a different amount, you’ll have to call CIT Bank customer service at 855-462-2652, open M-F 8a-9p ET, Sat 9a-5p ET, Sun 11a-4p ET. Press “0” for operator. Tell them you opened up a new No Penalty CD and you wish to fund it by closing out your old No Penalty CD.
  • That’s it. The online option says it will take 2-3 business days to complete. Your new accounts will show up online.

User interface. While the front-facing website is pretty slick, after you login the backend is run by Fidelity National Information Services (subdomain ibanking-services.com). This is a popular backend software system used by many smaller banks and credit unions who don’t want to create their own software from scratch. It is better than before, but remains more functional than flashy. Similar story with the iOS/Android app.

Bottom line. CIT Bank is a lean bank offering targeted products for folks looking to get higher interest rates on their cash balances. They don’t maintain physical bank branches or fancy apps. However, I have been pleasantly satisfied with their customer service on my accounts with them. Their most compelling products are their Platinum Savings accounts, 11-month No Penalty CD, and often they have a competitive rate on at least one of their Term CDs. The No Penalty CD is unique in that you are always able to move out to a higher rate, even within CIT bank itself, all while maintaining a floor if rates drop (yes, it is still possible for rates to drop!).

My Money Blog has partnered with CardRatings and may receive a commission from card issuers. Some or all of the card offers that appear on this site are from advertisers and may impact how and where card products appear on the site. MyMoneyBlog.com does not include all card companies or all available card offers. All opinions expressed are the author’s alone, and has not been provided nor approved by any of the companies mentioned.

MyMoneyBlog.com is also a member of the Amazon Associate Program, and if you click through to Amazon and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission. Thank you for your support.


Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card Review: Best All-Around Travel Card w/ 60,000 Bonus Points (Worth $750 Towards Travel)

My Money Blog has partnered with CardRatings and may receive a commission from card issuers. Some or all of the card offers that appear on this site are from advertisers and may impact how and where card products appear on the site. MyMoneyBlog.com does not include all card companies or all available card offers. All opinions expressed are the author’s alone.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is a premium travel rewards credit card that has gotten very popular due to its rewards structure and flexible Ultimate Rewards points that can be redeemed for cash, travel credits, or transferred to airline miles and hotel points. I’ve had it for years. Here are the highlights:

  • Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening — that’s $750 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards(R). You can also convert to airline miles or hotel points.
  • 5X total points on all travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards(R).
  • 3X points on on dining, including eligible delivery services, takeout and dining out.
  • 3X points on select streaming services. Includes Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+, Netflix, Sling, Vudu, Fubo TV, Apple Music, SiriusXM, Pandora, Spotify and YouTube TV.
  • 3X points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs).
  • 2X points on all other travel purchases.
  • 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases.
  • $50 Annual Credit on hotel stays purchased through Ultimate Rewards. New cardmembers will start earning towards the credit immediately and existing cardmembers will start earning after their next account anniversary.
  • Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2024.
  • 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards(R). For example, 80,000 points are worth $1,000 toward travel.
  • 1:1 point transfer to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs.
  • 10% Anniversary Point Bonus. Each account anniversary, cardmembers will earn bonus points equal to 10% of total purchases made the previous year. That means, $25,000 in spend will earn an additional 2,500 bonus points.
  • No foreign transaction fees.
  • Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
  • $95 annual fee.

Note the following text:

The product is not available to either (i) current cardmembers of any Sapphire credit card, or (ii) previous cardmembers of any Sapphire credit card who received a new cardmember bonus within the last 48 months.

Chase has an unofficial rule that they will automatically deny approval on new credit cards if you have 5 or more new credit cards from any issuer on your credit report within the past 2 years (aka the 5/24 rule). This rule is designed to discourage folks that apply for high numbers of sign-up bonuses. This rule applies on a per-person basis, so in our household one applies to Chase while the other applies at other card issuers.

Ultimate Rewards points. This card offers a special 25% bonus on travel redemptions made through the Ultimate Rewards travel website. For example, 60,000 Ultimate Rewards = $750 in travel. Similar to Expedia or Travelocity, you can book flights on most major airlines and hotel chains. This makes it much more flexible to spend your points. You can even buy something more expensive than your points can cover and pay the difference in cash.

If you have other Chase cards that earn Ultimate Rewards points like the Freedom Flex, Freedom Unlimited, Ink Business Cash or Ink Business Unlimited, you can transfer points into this card account and take advantage of the this higher premium. In other words, your existing Ultimate Rewards points balance could be increased in value by getting this card.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve Card is the “ultra-premium” rewards card that offers a bigger 50% bonus on travel redemptions, along with more perks and a higher annual fee.

Prefer airline and/or hotel points? This card also allows you to transfer Ultimate Rewards points into hotel and/or airline miles. Transfer to United Airlines, British Airways, Air Canada, Singapore Airlines, Korean Air, Southwest, Hyatt Hotels, IHG Hotels, and Marriott Hotels at a ratio of 1 Ultimate Rewards point = 1 mile/hotel point. Miles redemption continue to offer great value for savvy travelers, especially for last-minute travel and business class seats. I personally use the transfers to “top off” my account to reach a free coach ticket or free hotel night when I don’t have enough points otherwise. My favorite options are United miles, Southwest miles, and Hyatt hotel points. I usually save up my points for a Hyatt hotel stay that gets me over 2 cents per point value.

Cash redemptions are a simple and easy option at straight conversion of 100 points = $1.

Sharing points. Ultimate Rewards points are instantly transferable to other accounts including family members, as long as they have their own Chase card with Ultimate Rewards as an authorized user. This way, you can pool points together for transfers and redemptions if you like.

Additional card benefits:

  • Primary car rental collision damage waiver insurance. Decline the rental company’s collision insurance and charge the entire rental cost to your card. Coverage is primary and provides reimbursement up to $75,000 for theft and collision damage for most rental cars in the U.S. and abroad. Most other cards only offer secondary coverage that kicks in only after the deductible of your individual insurance policy is used.
  • Trip Cancellation/Trip Interruption Insurance. If your trip is canceled or cut short by sickness, severe weather and other covered situations, you can be reimbursed up to $10,000 per trip for your pre-paid, non-refundable travel expenses, including passenger fares, tours, and hotels.
  • Trip Delay Reimbursement. If your common carrier travel is delayed more than 6 hours or requires an overnight stay, you and your family are covered for unreimbursed expenses, such as meals and lodging, up to $500 per ticket

Bottom line. The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card is a popular premium travel rewards card. The sign-up bonus is currently 60,000 Ultimate Rewards points, which for example could be converted to 60,000 United miles, 60,000 Hyatt points, or $750 towards travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal or in select categories via their Pay Yourself Back tool. The 3X points on dining out, online grocery, and select streaming services plus a $50 annual hotel credit are recent additions.

Compare with the Chase Sapphire Reserve Card, which offers a bigger 50% bonus on travel redemptions, along with more perks and a higher annual fee.

This offer is on my list of Top 10 Best Credit Card Bonus Offers.

My Money Blog has partnered with CardRatings and may receive a commission from card issuers. Some or all of the card offers that appear on this site are from advertisers and may impact how and where card products appear on the site. MyMoneyBlog.com does not include all card companies or all available card offers. All opinions expressed are the author’s alone, and has not been provided nor approved by any of the companies mentioned.

MyMoneyBlog.com is also a member of the Amazon Associate Program, and if you click through to Amazon and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission. Thank you for your support.


Juno Fintech: 5.00% on up to $250,000 ($20,000 Minimum Balance)

My Money Blog has partnered with CardRatings and may receive a commission from card issuers. Some or all of the card offers that appear on this site are from advertisers and may impact how and where card products appear on the site. MyMoneyBlog.com does not include all card companies or all available card offers. All opinions expressed are the author’s alone.

Update January 2024: Juno is now paying a 5.00% annualized bonus on balances from $20,000 up to $250,000 and 3.00% annualized on balances below $20,000.

Full review:

Juno.finance (formerly OnJuno) is a fintech that combines an FDIC-insured bank account and a crypto custodian. Details:

  • New: Earn 5.00% annualized bonus on all cash deposits up to $250,000 and 3.00% annualized on balances below $20,000. This applies to traditional cash deposits (USD), which are FDIC-insured through Evolve Bank & Trust. Applies to both the Basic and Metal tiers. No transaction or direct deposit requirements.
  • New: JCOIN Loyalty Program. Earn loyalty tokens “JCOIN” when you complete certain actions with Juno. Existing users should check their accounts as Juno may have given you a bunch for free that you must claim. These loyalty tokens are redeemable inside the app for various perks including gift cards.
  • $25 Referral bonus. If you open via referral link and buy $50 of crypto, you get a $25 bonus.

OnJuno partners with Evolve Bank and Trust for FDIC insurance. A reminder that cryptocurrencies, including USDC stablecoins, are not covered by FDIC insurance even though the creators claim they are backed 1:1 by US dollars. Juno has added support for crypto and external wallets. Don’t confuse your FDIC-insured USD deposits with stablecoins.

Traditional Bank-to-bank transfers. OnJuno uses the Plaid service to link with external bank accounts for funding and free ACH transfers (both deposits and withdrawals). They also provide you with the full account number and routing number, which you can use to connect with other banks like Ally, Marcus, CapOne 360, etc. The routing number is 084106768 which is confirmed as that of Evolve Bank & Trust. I was able to make a deposit and withdrawal initiated at Ally without issue (subject to transfer limits of $20,000 daily/$500,000 monthly). As with some other fintechs, their in-house limits are lower.

Bonus rate, not APY? You may notice that they don’t use “APY” and instead say “bonus rate”. Here’s their reason:

The Bonus Rate is offered entirely by OnJuno and is not interest provided by Evolve Bank and Trust. The bonus rate You earn will be credited to Your account at the beginning of each month. Your funds begin generating a bonus rate once they are available on Your OnJuno Checking Account. Please note that OnJuno reserves the right to cancel, remove, and change this bonus at any time. OnJuno also reserves the rights, in sole discretion, to refuse this bonus without cause, reason, and notice.

I’ve been getting my bonus rate every month without issue at the proper annualized rate, so this just seems to be a legal thing. Your interest is still shown on a 1099-INT at the end of the year.

Additional details.

  • Customer service. You can contact them via phone at 415-969-5775 (9am to 6pm Pacific) or online message (they replied to me within a few hours).
  • No minimum balance requirement.
  • Fee-free access to both Allpoint and Moneypass ATM networks (85,000+ locations).
  • Free debit Mastercard.
  • No mobile check deposit yet.

Bottom line. Juno is a fintech banking app with a high-interest checking account with no direct deposit or debit card usage requirements. FDIC-insurance from Evolve Bank and Trust. It does have ties with crypto, which may be either a plus or minus for you.

My Money Blog has partnered with CardRatings and may receive a commission from card issuers. Some or all of the card offers that appear on this site are from advertisers and may impact how and where card products appear on the site. MyMoneyBlog.com does not include all card companies or all available card offers. All opinions expressed are the author’s alone, and has not been provided nor approved by any of the companies mentioned.

MyMoneyBlog.com is also a member of the Amazon Associate Program, and if you click through to Amazon and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission. Thank you for your support.


Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card: 60,000 Bonus Points (Worth $900 Toward Travel), $300 Annual Travel Credit

My Money Blog has partnered with CardRatings and may receive a commission from card issuers. Some or all of the card offers that appear on this site are from advertisers and may impact how and where card products appear on the site. MyMoneyBlog.com does not include all card companies or all available card offers. All opinions expressed are the author’s alone.

The “ultra-premium” Chase Sapphire Reserve® is offering an opening incentive of 60,000 Ultimate Rewards points which can be redeemed for at least $900 of travel when you redeem through Chase Travel(SM), but can also be used in many other ways which can bring even more value. Here is the long list of card perks:

  • 60,000 Bonus Ultimate Rewards points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. Get 50% more value when you redeem your points for travel through Chase Travel(SM). For example, 60,000 points are worth $900 of airfare, hotels, and other travel through Chase Travel(SM).
  • $300 Annual Travel Credit . Every year, the card will automatically rebate you back up to $300 in travel purchases such as airfare and hotel nights charged on your card.
  • 5X total points on flights and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel(SM) immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually.
  • 3X points per $1 spent on travel & dining worldwide. The 3X points on travel kick in immediately after earning your $300 travel credit. 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.
  • Up to $100 statement credit towards Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck® every four years.
  • Airport lounge access via Priority Pass Select membership. Access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide after an easy, one-time enrollment in Priority Pass™ Select.
  • New: Access to Chase Sapphire Lounges, which are new airport lounges starting at New York’s LaGuardia Airport (LGA), Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), and Hong Kong International Airport (HKG).
  • 1:1 point transfer to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs.
  • Complimentary DashPass + $5 monthly DoorDash Credits from DoorDash through 12/31/2024. 12 months of complimentary DashPass + Get $5 in DoorDash credits each calendar month while enrolled in DashPass through 12/31/2024. Activate by 12/31/2024.
  • Complimentary Instacart+ Membership.: 12 months of complimentary Instacart+ membership, when the membership is activated between 6/15/2022 and 7/31/2024.
  • NEW: 2 free years of Lyft Pink All Access and a 3rd year at 50% off when you activate by Dec 31, 2024 (a value of $199/year). Membership auto-renews. Details here. Benefits here.
  • Annual fee is $550; $75 for each additional authorized user.

Note the following offer language:

The product is not available to either (i) current cardmembers of any Sapphire credit card, or (ii) previous cardmembers of any Sapphire credit card who received a new cardmember bonus within the last 48 months. If you are an existing Sapphire customer and would like this product, please call the number on the back of your card to see if you are eligible for a product change. You will not receive the new cardmember bonus if you change products.

Ultimate Rewards points. The Chase Sapphire Reserve card offers a special 50% bonus on travel redemptions made through the Chase Travel(SM) website. Compare that with the 25% bonus on the Chase Sapphire Preferred. 60,000 Ultimate Rewards = $900 in travel. Similar to Expedia or Travelocity, you can book flights on most major airlines and hotel chains. This makes it much more flexible to spend your points. You can even buy something more expensive than what you can afford with solely points and pay the difference in cash.

If you have other Chase cards that earn Ultimate Rewards points like the Freedom, Freedom Unlimited, Ink Business Cash or Ink Business Unlimited, you can transfer points into this card account and take advantage of the this higher premium. In other words, your existing Ultimate Rewards points balance could be increased in value by getting this card.

Possibly even better value via airline and/or hotel points. This card also allows you to transfer Ultimate Rewards points into hotel and/or airline miles. Transfer to United Airlines, British Airways, Air Canada (new), Singapore Airlines, Korean Air, Southwest, Hyatt Hotels, IHG Hotels, and Marriott Hotels at a ratio of 1 Ultimate Rewards point = 1 mile/hotel point. Miles redemption continue to offer great value for savvy travelers, especially for last-minute travel and business class seats.

Personally, my preferred redemption method is Hyatt points, where I can consistently get over 2 cents per points of value for my hotel bookings. Recently, I have also been using my Ultimate Rewards points on the new Air Canada option.

Cash redemptions are a simple and easy option, but the conversion is a straight 100 points = $1.

Sharing points. Ultimate Rewards points are instantly transferable to other accounts like family members, as long as they have their own Chase card with Ultimate Rewards as an authorized user (free with Chase Freedom). This way, you can pool points together for transfers and redemptions if you like.

Additional card benefits:

  • Dedicated customer service line with a live person that answers the phone 24/7. No waiting or complicated phone trees.
  • No foreign transaction fees.
  • Primary car rental collision damage waiver insurance. Decline the rental company’s collision insurance and charge the entire rental cost to your card. Coverage is primary and provides reimbursement up to $75,000 for theft and collision damage for most rental cars in the U.S. and abroad. Most other cards only offer secondary coverage that kicks in only after the deductible of your individual insurance policy is used.
  • Trip Cancellation/Trip Interruption Insurance. If your trip is canceled or cut short by sickness, severe weather and other covered situations, you can be reimbursed up to $10,000 per person and $20,000 per trip for your pre-paid, non-refundable travel expenses, including passenger fares, tours, and hotels.
  • Trip Delay Reimbursement. If your common carrier travel is delayed more than 6 hours or requires an overnight stay, you and your family are covered for unreimbursed expenses, such as meals and lodging, up to $500 per ticket
  • Enjoy special car rental privileges from National Car Rental, Avis, and Silvercar when you book with your card.

Note that Chase has an unofficial rule that they will automatically deny approval on new credit cards if you have 5 or more new credit cards from any issuer on your credit report within the past 2 years (aka the 5/24 rule). This rule is designed to discourage folks that apply for high numbers of sign-up bonuses. This rule applies on a per-person basis, so in our household one applies to Chase while the other applies at other card issuers.

As for the $300 annual travel credit, “annually” means the year beginning with your account open date through the first December statement date of that same year, and each 12 billing cycles starting after your December statement date through the following December statement date. So it’s not exactly by calendar year, but roughly close and you can likely get this twice under the first year’s annual fee. When you log into the Chase website, there is a handy tracker that tells you how much of your $300 annual credit has been reimbursed, and how much is remaining.

Bottom line. The Chase Sapphire Reserve Card has a 60,000 Ultimate Rewards points sign-up bonus, 50% boost to all your travel credit redemptions of Ultimate Rewards points, $300 annual travel credit, 3X points on Dining/Travel (more if you use Chase Travel(SM) to book), Priority Pass Select airport lounge membership, up to $100 Global Entry application credit, DoorDash perks, Lyft perks, and more… in exchange for a $550 annual fee. You should compare against that of the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, which has less perks but also a lower annual fee.

My Money Blog has partnered with CardRatings and may receive a commission from card issuers. Some or all of the card offers that appear on this site are from advertisers and may impact how and where card products appear on the site. MyMoneyBlog.com does not include all card companies or all available card offers. All opinions expressed are the author’s alone, and has not been provided nor approved by any of the companies mentioned.

MyMoneyBlog.com is also a member of the Amazon Associate Program, and if you click through to Amazon and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission. Thank you for your support.


Hanscom Federal CU Thrive Review: 5.00% APY Saving Habit Builder and Maintainer

My Money Blog has partnered with CardRatings and may receive a commission from card issuers. Some or all of the card offers that appear on this site are from advertisers and may impact how and where card products appear on the site. MyMoneyBlog.com does not include all card companies or all available card offers. All opinions expressed are the author’s alone.

savebuttonbankHanscom Federal Credit Union (HFCU) has hiked back up the rate on their CU Thrive account to 5.00% APY, which is a capped certificate of deposit that rewards consistent saving. The rate is set for 12 months, and during those 12 months you can transfer up to $500 every month from a HFCU checking account. No monthly fees. However, you cannot make any withdrawals during those 12 months, or you will be subject to an early withdrawal penalty of 90 days interest.

This product is not meant for big balances. Instead, it is meant to encourage the creation AND maintenance of a modest savings habit. 5.00% APY is more than 10 times what the top “high-yield” savings accounts offer right now.

How much interest can I earn? At 5% APY, if you maxed out this account and set aside the full $500 a month for 12 months, at the end you’d have put in $6,000 and earned about $150 in interest by the end of the year (~$162 if you made every transfer on the 1st of the each month by my quick calculations). $6,000 also happens to be just about the same amount as a full Roth IRA contribution (hint hint) or the foundation of a solid emergency fund.

At the end of the 12 months, all accrued savings plus earned dividends will be transferred into your primary savings account. It will NOT automatically renew at maturity. Each member can only have one CU Thrive account open at one time, but after one 12-month period ends you can open up another one to keep up the savings habit (assuming it is still offered). Full disclosure (PDF).

Eligibility details. To open a CU Thrive account, you must first open an HFCU checking account in addition to the savings account required for all members. HFCU offers a free checking account with no direct deposit and no minimum balance requirement. HFCU membership is open to active duty or retired military along with many other groups (see application), but anyone can also join the Air Force Association, Paul Revere Chapter for a one-time $20 fee and be eligible. On the application, choose the option “I am a member of or will be joining a sponsoring member organization.” You must also keep $25 in the share savings account as long as you are a member.

New refer-a-friend program. HFCU has a referral program which offers an additional $30 cash bonus after your new savings and checking accounts are open and in good standing for 90 days. The referring member gets $30 as well. If you would like a referral from me, please me send your full name, e-mail address, the text “HFCU referral” via my contact form. I will use this information only to fill out their referral form.

Account opening process (from a few years ago). I started the online application and had to provide the usual personal information and then answer questions based on my credit report to verify my identity. Based on my free credit monitoring, they did not perform a hard pull on my credit report. You can fund with an online bank transfer but they also gave me the option to fund with credit card up to $2,000 (not sure if this is still an option today). They didn’t mention if this would be considered a cash advance or not, but it showed up as a purchase for me. Finally, you must print out, sign, and mail in a signature card. You can also open an account in-person. All of their physical branches appear to be located in Massachusetts.

My 1-year experience. I had set the maximum $500 to be transferred every month to my CU Thrive account from my HFCU Checking account. I made 11 transfers but missed one because my checking balance was too low on the date of automatic transfer. My fault. When that happens, the account basically just skips the transfer. There is no penalty, you just don’t get to add that money to the account. I called them but they said there was no way to replace that transfer, even if I moved more money into the checking account a day later. Other than that, everything went very smoothly and I was paid my interest as promised. At the 1-year maturity date, the funds were automatically transferred to my HFCU savings account and the CU Thrive no longer shows up on my online account page. I can now open up another CU Thrive account, if I wish.

I also discovered that Hanscom Federal has paid a Loyalty Dividend to its Credit Union members for over 20 consecutive years. When I had this account, I earned another $1.57 in bonus loyalty dividends on top of my $78.46 of interest earned.

In addition to the CU Thrive and free checking options, HFCU also has a Kasasa Cash Checking account that offers up to 1.00% APY on balances up to $15,000 if you make at least 12 debit card or credit card purchases per month, complete at least 1 ACH Credit/Direct deposit per month, and enroll in online statements. This isn’t the highest Kasasa rate available nationwide, but if you’re already a member, it may be convenient.

Bottom line. The CU Thrive account is a good option for people looking to build up a savings habit, with 5.00% APY for 12 months. However, the system really works best if you use HFCU’s free checking as your primary checking account. (You may also consider their Kasasa Cash checking account with higher interest but debit card activity requirements.) Juggling it as an external savings account is perfectly possible, but you have to keep on top of your transfers to avoid idle cash earning zero interest. I received all of the interest promised, the customer service was nice and polite when contacted, and any errors were my own.

My Money Blog has partnered with CardRatings and may receive a commission from card issuers. Some or all of the card offers that appear on this site are from advertisers and may impact how and where card products appear on the site. MyMoneyBlog.com does not include all card companies or all available card offers. All opinions expressed are the author’s alone, and has not been provided nor approved by any of the companies mentioned.

MyMoneyBlog.com is also a member of the Amazon Associate Program, and if you click through to Amazon and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission. Thank you for your support.


Stash Review: Simplified Automated Investing, Improved $80 New Account Bonus, Stock Parties

My Money Blog has partnered with CardRatings and may receive a commission from card issuers. Some or all of the card offers that appear on this site are from advertisers and may impact how and where card products appear on the site. MyMoneyBlog.com does not include all card companies or all available card offers. All opinions expressed are the author’s alone.

Updated with MyPoints promo and Stash Stock Party info. MyPoints has a new Stash promo that has a total value higher than the $20 Stash referral offer. If you don’t already have a MyPoints account, you can first join via this $10 MyPoints referral link to grab an additional $10 upfront bonus. Then log into your MyPoints account and search for “Stash”. Right now, MyPoints is offering 11,000 points (worth $70 in gift cards including Amazon) if you open via their link and deposit at least $5. Stash will give you another $10 as well, for a total bonus of $80. This is a limited-time offer. Their fine print:

*Points will appear as Pending for 32 days.
Must enter valid sign-up information, including bank account information to earn Points.
Offer may only be redeemed once (1) per user.

Original post with full review:

Stash is an investing app targeted that people who want a simple way to build a long-term diversified portfolio, as opposed to day-trading meme stocks, crypto, or high-risk options. All you need is five bucks, a smartphone, and a bank account.

Fee structure and plan features. Stash charges a simple, flat monthly fee. The three plan options are $1/month, $3/month, and $9/month (screenshot below). You make purchases in dollar-based amounts (fractional shares) and there are zero commissions per trade. Each ETFs still has its own underlying expense ratio, as with all brokers.

$1 a month tier (Beginner)

  • Taxable brokerage account and your selected mix of individual stocks and/or ETFs.
  • Automated investing. You choose how much money to direct each month, and all of that money will automatically be fully invested via fractional shares.
  • Stock-Back rewards debit card. If you open an optional bank account (Green Dot Bank), they will issue you a debit card that earns rewards in the form of stock shares. Earn 0.125% stock on all of your everyday purchases, and up to 5% at certain merchants with bonuses.
  • Savings and budgeting tools to help decide the right amount to put aside each month.
  • $1,000 in life insurance.

$3 a month tier (Growth)

  • Everything in the Beginner tier above, plus…
  • Traditional and Roth IRAs are supported.
  • Smart Portfolio. At this higher tier, Stash will help you design a target mix of ETFs that fits your needs.
  • Automatic rebalancing. Stash will automatically monitor and rebalance your portfolio as needed, if it drifts away from your target portfolio.

$9 a month tier (Stash+)

  • Everything in the Beginner and Growth tiers above, plus…
  • Children’s Custodial accounts. Invest in separate UGMA /UTMA account for your children under 18.
  • Double Stock Back. Get special bonuses the Stock-Back® Card and double the rewards you would earn on the regular tier.
  • Automatic rebalancing. Stash will automatically monitor and rebalance your portfolio as needed, if it drifts away from your target portfolio.
  • $10,000 in life insurance.

Stock and ETF trades are executed during four trading windows each weekday. Dividend reinvestment is offered on taxable, IRA, and custodial accounts. Stash Investments LLC is an SEC registered Investment Advisor, which means they are licensed to provide you retirement and investing advice. For me, the relatively low rewards percentage on their Stock Back card is not high enough to make it stand out, especially when compared to the 1% to 2% cash back you can get from other rewards credit cards.

The main draw to this app is the ability to automatically build a portfolio using small, regular amounts. This feels like a descendent of dividend reinvestment plans (DRIPs) where you would send in a check for $25 or $100 and be invested in a company’s stock like ExxonMobil. My great-aunt still gets a check every quarter from ExxonMobil from a DRIP she started decades ago. These days, you can pick nearly any company or group of companies via index ETFs.

Many other stock brokers offer commission-free trades, but the set-and-forget feature where it just sucks money from your bank account every month is very important. You can invest as little as $5 a month, automatically. Of course, this is a crowded field nowadays, and if you had the $1,000 minimum required for a Vanguard Target Retirement mutual fund at Vanguard.com, you could also make automatic additional investments of as little as $1 a month. I would also consider M1 Finance a close competitor.

Sign-up process.

  • Sign up via app or online. Now available on desktop, iOS, and Android.
  • Your personal information (name, address, SSN), same as with all SIPC-insured brokerage accounts.
  • Fill out a short risk questionnaire to help guide you towards an appropriate investment.
  • Pick your investment, which you can change later.
  • Fund with any bank account. Verification can be done via two small test deposits. For many banks, you can expedite the linking process by using your bank login credentials instead.

Stash Parties for free bits of stock. Every few days, the app will notify you of an upcoming “Stash Stock Party“:

By attending a Stash Stock Party, Stashers can get pieces of offered stock(s). The amount of stock depends on the amount of people that attend the Stock Party—the more people that show up, the bigger the split prize pot (and your share of it) ultimately grows. To join a party, just visit this page (party.stash.com) on the party day, log in, and tap Claim stock.

If you log in during their pre-announced short window of time, you can claim a tiny bit of free stock (might only be 10 cents or 30 cents of stock). This is definitely gimmicky, but I realized that it basically covers my a $1 monthly subscription fee, and now I get to watch how these tiny bits of stock can grow over time. They are like little free lottery tickets. If I am not busy, I pick up them up. If I’m busy, no big deal. I have no plans to sell them. Here are some screenshots showing just a portion of my little tiny stock positions:

$20 referral bonus. Right now, if you sign up via a Stash referral link, you can get $20 of free stock (or cash). The standard amount used to be only $5. That is my link, so thanks if you use it! You must open an account, link a bank account, and fund with at least a penny ($0.01) into your new Stash investment or bank account. You don’t need to make a stock purchase, although you certainly can. Screenshot with details:

Bottom line. Stash is a financial app that allows you to gradually and automatically build an investment portfolio using regular purchases of a mix of individual stocks and ETFs. They charge a flat monthly fee starting a $1 per month. Right now, new users can get $20 of free stock to start via referral link.

Also see: Big List of Free Stocks For New Commission-Free Brokerage Apps

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