Swagbucks Review: Unique Bank, Broker, Crypto, and Finance App Bonuses

Posted on May 7, 2023 // 1 Comment

Swagbucks is a loyalty rewards site where users can earn “Swagbucks” points (SB) for activities like shopping online, taking surveys, scanning grocery receipts, playing games, watching videos, or even searching the web. Many of these activities tend to be low on the “hourly-wage equivalent” scale, but you can also earn bigger (and more time-efficient) bounties for opening financial accounts like banks and brokerages. Existing members can go to the “Discover” section, then click on “Finance”, and you’ll see offers like these:

There are a few things to be aware of (that also make them difficult to write about):

  • The bonus values can vary widely and quickly for any specific institution. They may go up and down without warning from one day to the next.
  • The bonus values can also vary per user. The offer amounts that you see and what I see in my account could be completely different.

Is Swagbucks legit? Will I get paid? I do view Swagbucks as a legitimate company, BUT you have to understand the inherent limitations of their business model. Swagbucks operates by skimming off a fraction of the bounty that they receive from partner companies. The margins are thin and there are multiple moving parts.

Let’s say Bank A will pay Swagbucks $60 for a new customer, and then Swagbucks promises you $50 of that. That means both Swagbucks has to track that you opened the account, and Bank A has to track that someone from Swagbucks opened the account, and they both have to agree that Swagbucks user was you specifically.

As a result, Swagbucks is not going to want to pay you the $50 until they themselves get their own $60. Swagbucks doesn’t have full control over this because Bank A will have their own tracking system that isn’t 100% accurate. If Swagbucks gets caught making too many payments before they get paid on their own, they run the chance of going bankrupt. So if Bank A is late in either tracking or paying out, Swagbucks will most likely be late in paying you as well. Swagbucks will have to work with the Bank A to resolve any tracking issue discrepancies, so I don’t view them as reliable as a direct bonus.

This is why I prefer to only use Swagbucks when they offer a bonus that is stacked on top of another bonus, and not instead of another bonus. For example, with Plynk they may only offer 3500 SB right now (worth ~$35), but at least it is on top of the standard $50 bonus. That way, it’s just gravy on top, instead of a possible net loss by making you miss out on an alternative bonus if the tracking goes awry. I usually avoid Swagbucks if they tell me I’ll be disqualified from the standard bonus.

How much are Swagbucks worth? Thankfully, their redemption options are relatively easy to understand. 2500 SB is worth approximately $25 via various options. 2500 SB = $25 cash deposited directly into your bank account or brokerage account, no fees, uses Plaid service:

2500 SB = $25 PayPal transfer. 2500 SB = $25 Amazon gift card (although the first one per month is only 2200 SB). 2500 SB = $25 Walmart gift card. There are discounted redemptions from time to time. For example, right now I see a $25 virtual prepaid credit card for 2450 SB (2% discount from cash).

I don’t consider myself a heavy Swagbucks user, but usually go for the 10% discounted Amazon gift card at the beginning of each month. I have not had any problems cashing out my Swagbucks once they have been earned.

Swagbucks $10 referral bonus. If you sign up using my Swagbucks referral link, you can get a $10 bonus after spending $25 in their shopping portal. It’s similar to other shopping portals such as Rakuten/eBates or TopCashBack, where you get rebated back a percentage of your purchase. Make a $25+ purchase at Walmart, eBay, Amazon (select categories only), Home Depot, Lowe’s, or Best Buy to trigger the bonus. If you trigger the bonus, I will get $10 (1,000 SB) as well. Thanks if you use it. Here’s the fine print:

*Member must “Activate” the Bonus in the Swag Ups section of your account. Bonus value is earned in the form of points, called SB. Get a 1000 SB bonus, which is equivalent to $10 in value, when you spend at least $25 at a store featured in Swagbucks.com/Shop. You must receive a minimum of 25 SB for this purchase, which you must complete within 30 days of registration. MyGiftCardsPlus.com and travel purchases do not qualify.

Another site that is similar to SwagBucks is MyPoints ($10 bonus referral link as well). MyPoints has been around even longer than Swagbucks and also offers some finance-related bonuses which are worth a quick comparison check, although you should note that their redemption options are a little more complicated (you might get more points, but 1 MyPoint usually gets you less rewards than than 1 Swagbuck).

Filed Under: Banking, Deals & Offers //

Best Interest Rates on Cash – May 2023

Posted on May 1, 2023 // 9 Comments

Here’s my monthly roundup of the best interest rates on cash as of May 2023, roughly sorted from shortest to longest maturities. We all need some safe assets for cash reserves or portfolio stability, and there are often lesser-known opportunities available to individual investors. Check out my Ultimate Rate-Chaser Calculator to see how much extra interest you could earn. Rates listed are available to everyone nationwide. Rates checked as of 5/1/2023.

TL;DR: 5% APY available on liquid savings. 5% APY available on multiple short-term CDs. Compare against Treasury bills and bonds at every maturity.

Fintech accounts
Available only to individual investors, fintech companies often pay higher-than-market rates in order to achieve fast short-term growth (often using venture capital). “Fintech” is usually a software layer on top of a partner bank’s FDIC insurance.

  • 5.05% APY ($1 minimum). SaveBetter lets you switch between different FDIC-insured banks and NCUA-insured credit unions easily without opening a new account every time, and their liquid savings rates currently top out at 5.05% APY. See my SaveBetter review for details. SaveBetter does not charge a fee to switch between banks.
  • 5.10% APY (before fees). MaxMyInterest is another service that allows you to access and switch between different FDIC-insured banks. You can view their current banks and APYs here. As of 5/1/23, the highest rate is from Customers Bank at 5.10% APY. However, note that they charge a membership fee of 0.04% per quarter, or 0.16% per year (subject to $20 minimum per quarter, or $80 per year). That means if you have a $10,000 balance, then $80 a year = 0.80% per year. You are allowed to cancel the service and keep the bank accounts, but then you may lose their specially-negotiated rates and cannot switch between banks anymore.
  • 5% on up to $25,000, then 4% up to $250k. Juno now pays 5% on all cash deposits up to $25,000 and 4% on cash deposits from $25,001 up to $250,000. No direct deposits required. This fintech has crypto exposure, please see my Juno review for details.

High-yield savings accounts
Since the huge megabanks STILL pay essentially no interest, everyone should 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. 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 leapfrogging to be the temporary “top” rate continues. Newtek Bank at 5.00% APY. Notice that last month’s leader, UFD Direct, has since dropped down to 4.81% APY. CIT Platinum Savings at 4.75% APY with $5,000+ balance.
  • SoFi Bank is now up to 4.20% APY + up to $275 new account bonus with direct deposit. You must maintain a direct deposit of any amount each month for the higher APY. SoFi has their own bank charter now so no longer a fintech by my definition. See details at $25 + $250 SoFi Money new account and deposit bonus.
  • There are several other established high-yield savings accounts at 3.75%+ APY that aren’t the absolute top rate, but historically do keep it relatively competitive for those that don’t want to keep switching banks.

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. CIT Bank has a 11-month No Penalty CD at 4.80% APY with a $1,000 minimum deposit. Ally Bank has a 11-month No Penalty CD at 4.25% APY for all balance tiers. Marcus has a 13-month No Penalty CD at 4.15% APY with a $500 minimum deposit. You may wish to open multiple CDs in smaller increments for more flexibility.
  • Blue FCU via SaveBetter has a 9-month No Penalty CD at 5.00% APY. Minimum opening deposit is $1. No early withdrawal penalty. Withdrawals may be made 30 days after opening.
  • BrioDirect has a 12-month certificate at 5.25% APY. $500 minimum. Early withdrawal penalty is 90 days of interest.

Money market mutual funds + Ultra-short bond ETFs*
Many brokerage firms that pay out very little interest on their default cash sweep funds (and keep the difference for themselves). * Money market mutual funds are regulated, but ultimately not FDIC-insured, so I would still stick with highly reputable firms. I am including a few ultra-short bond ETFs as they may be your best cash alternative in a brokerage account, but they may experience losses.

  • Vanguard Federal Money Market Fund is the default sweep option for Vanguard brokerage accounts, which has an SEC yield of 4.78%. Odds are this is much higher than your own broker’s default cash sweep interest rate.
  • The PIMCO Enhanced Short Maturity Active Bond ETF (MINT) has a 5.17% SEC yield and the iShares Short Maturity Bond ETF (NEAR) has a 5.12% SEC yield while holding a portfolio of investment-grade bonds with an average duration of ~6 months.

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.

  • 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 5/1/23, a new 4-week T-Bill had the equivalent of 4.41% annualized interest and a 52-week T-Bill had the equivalent of 4.87% annualized interest.
  • The iShares 0-3 Month Treasury Bond ETF (SGOV) has a 4.69% SEC yield and effective duration of 0.10 years. SPDR Bloomberg Barclays 1-3 Month T-Bill ETF (BIL) has a 4.55% 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. You can also buy an additional $5,000 in paper I bonds using your tax refund with IRS Form 8888.

  • “I Bonds” bought between May 2023 and October 2023 will earn a 4.30% 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-October 2023, 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.
  • See below about EE Bonds as a potential long-term bond alternative.

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.

  • Genisys Credit Union pays 5.25% APY on up to $7,500 if you make 10 debit card purchases of $5+ each, and opt into receive only online statements. Anyone can join this credit union via $5 membership fee to join partner organization.
  • Pelican State Credit Union pays 5.50% APY on up to $10,000 if you make 15 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 partner organization membership.
  • The Bank of Denver pays 5.00% APY on up to $15,000 if you make 12 debit card purchases of $5+ each, receive only online statements, and make at least 1 ACH credit or debit transaction per statement cycle. Thanks to reader Bill for the updated info.
  • All America/Redneck Bank pays 5.05% APY on up to $15,000 if you make 10 debit card purchases each monthly cycle with online statements.
  • Presidential Bank pays 4.625% APY on balances between $500 and up to $25,000 (3.625% APY above that) if you maintain a $500+ direct deposit and at least 7 electronic withdrawals per month (ATM, POS, ACH and Billpay counts).
  • 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.

  • Sallie Mae Bank via SaveBetter has a 27-month CD at 5.15% APY. $1 minimum. Early withdrawal penalty is 180 days of simple interest.
  • Credit Human has 18- to 23-month CDs at 5.15% APY and 24 to 35-month CDs at 4.90% APY. $500 minimum to open. The early withdrawal penalty is 270 days of interest for 12- to 35-month terms. Anyone can join this credit union via partner organization (no fee).
  • Lafayette Federal Credit Union has a 5-year certificate at 4.68% APY ($500 min), 4-year at 4.73% APY, 3-year at 4.84% APY, 2-year at 4.89% APY, and 1-year at 4.99% APY. They also have jumbo certificates with $100,000 minimums at even higher rates. The early withdrawal penalty for the 5-year is very high at 600 days of interest. Anyone can join this credit union via partner organization ($10 one-time fee).
  • 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 4.40% APY (callable: no, call protection: yes). Both Vanguard and Fidelity will list higher rates from callable CDs, which importantly means they can call back your CD if rates drop later.

Longer-term Instruments
I’d use these with caution due to increased interest rate risk, 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 (none available, non-callable) vs. 3.57% for a 10-year Treasury. Watch out for higher rates from callable CDs where they can call your CD back if interest rates drop.
  • How about two decades? Series EE Savings Bonds are not indexed to inflation, but they have a unique guarantee that the value will double in value in 20 years, which equals a guaranteed return of 3.5% a year. However, if you don’t hold for that long, you’ll be stuck with the normal rate, currently 2.50% for EE bonds issued from May 2023 to October 2023. As of 5/1/23, the 20-year Treasury Bond rate was 3.95%.

All rates were checked as of 5/1/2023.

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

Amazon Prime: Buy $50 Amazon Gift Card, Get $5 Credit

Posted on May 1, 2023 // 2 Comments

Amazon is offering Prime members a $5 credit when you buy a $50 Amazon eGift card as part of their Mother’s Day promotions. You must activate on the offer page first before it will show up on your account. 10% off, not bad. There a limited number of redemptions.

Receive a $5 promotional credit for a future Amazon.com eligible order when you purchase Amazon.com eGift Cards valued at $50 or more in a single order on Amazon.com by May 14, 2023. In order to qualify for the $5 promotional code, you must (1) be a current Prime member; (2) click the button on the Offer Terms & Conditions page to apply the offer to your account; and (3) purchase at least $50 in qualifying Amazon.com eGift Cards in a single order at Amazon.com beginning 12:00 a.m. (PT), May 1, 2023 and ending 11:59 p.m., May 14 2023 (PT) or when supplies have been exhausted, whichever occurs first (the “Promotion Period”).

(RSS and e-mail readers: Due to Amazon’s affiliate rules, you must view this post on the website to view the direct links to Amazon.)

Filed Under: Deals & Offers //

Citi Rewards+ Card Review: 25,000 Bonus Points, 0% Intro APR on Purchases for 15 Months

Posted on April 25, 2023 // Leave a Comment

New limited-time 25k offer w/ no annual fee. The Citi Rewards+® Card has improved their sign-up bonus while keeping its 0% introductory APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers, round-ups rewards on small purchases, and no annual fee. Here are the highlights:

  • Improved: 25,000 bonus points after $1,500 in purchases in the first 3 months. 25,000 ThankYou points = $250 in gift cards at ThankYou.com.
  • For a limited time, earn 5 ThankYou(R) Points per $1 spent on hotel, car rentals, and attractions (excluding air travel) booked on the Citi Travel(SM) Portal through June 30, 2024.
  • 2X ThankYou(R) Points at Supermarkets and Gas Stations for the first $6,000 per year and then 1X Points thereafter. Plus, earn 1X ThankYou(R) Points on All Other Purchases.
  • 0% Intro APR on balance transfers for 15 months from date of first transfer and on purchases from date of account opening. After that, the variable APR will be 18.49% – 28.49%, based on your creditworthiness. There is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening. After that, your fee will be 5% of each transfer (minimum $5).
  • Minimum 10 points earned on every purchase. The card automatically rounds up to the nearest 10 points on every purchase, so for example a $1 parking charge or $2 cup of coffee can earn 10 points. This happens on every purchase with no cap.
  • 10% of your points rebated back on the first 100,000 ThankYou® Points redeemed per year.
  • No annual fee.

Note the following:

Bonus ThankYou® Points are not available if you have received a new account bonus for a Citi Rewards+® account in the past 48 months.

The lockout period is longer, but no longer lumps this card together with other Citi ThankYou cards like the Premier and Prestige.

25,000 ThankYou points = $250 in gift cards. You can view your redemption options at ThankYou.com. I took a quick look and it takes 10,000 ThankYou (TY) points to redeem for a $100 gift card to retailers like Target, Starbucks, TJ Maxx, Lowe’s, Home Depot, Gap, Banana Republic, Barnes & Noble, Bath and Body Works, Bed Bath & Beyond, Cabelas, Kohl’s, Land’s End, LL Bean, Sears, and Zappos. So with 25,000 TY points, you could get 10 x $25 gift cards) from different stores (handy for gifts), or all from the same store. You may also be able to find options to send a check towards your mortgage payment and/or student loan payment.

Personally, my default redemption is for Home Depot and/or Lowe’s. As an owner of an older house, there is always an appliance or home-improvement purchase around the corner. Target is another useful option.

0% introductory APR on purchases for 15 months. This is one of the longest 0% intro periods on purchases, which means that you can keep charging all your purchases on this card for 15 months and not have to pay any interest. Carrying a credit card balance is obviously not ideal, but in extreme times such an offer can help with short-term cashflow issues and defer your monthly expenses until later. You will still need to keep making the minimum payments each month to keep the 0% rate. There is also 0% intro APR for 15 months for balance transfers, but that comes with a balance transfer fee of either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.

Round up rewards, helpful on small purchases. The default rewards on this card is 1 point per $1 spent, which is rather common these days. They try to mix things up by making it round up to the nearest 10 points on every purchase. For example, a $1 purchase would earn 10 points, not 1 point. A $2 purchase would earn 10 points, not 2 points. A $11 purchase would earn 20 points, not 11 points. This makes the effective rewards percentage much higher on small purchases. If you make a lot of small purchases, this card is well-suited for you.

If you have a high monthly spend amount, I would recommend the Citi Double Cash card instead, as it earns 2% cash back on purchases.

10% Points Back for the first 100,000 ThankYou® Points you redeem per year. Let’s say you get that 15,000 points bonus and earn another 5,000 points from your purchases. When you redeem your 20,000 ThankYou points for a $200 gift card, you’ll also get 2,000 points rebated back to your account.

Thank You points in combination with other Citi cards. You may also combine and transfer your ThankYou points earned with this card to other Citi cards that earn ThankYou points:

  • Citi Premier Card has a big upfront bonus and earns 3X ThankYou points on restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, air travel and hotels. It also allows you to convert ThankYou points to participating airline mileage programs on a 1:1 basis including JetBlue TrueBlue, Virgin Atlantic, Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, EVA Air, Etihad, Flying Blue by Air France and KLM, and Thai Airways.
  • Citi Custom Cash Card earns 5X ThankYou points on your top eligible spending category up to $500 spent each monthly billing cycle./li>
  • Citi Double Cash earns 2X ThankYou points on ALL purchases.

Bottom line. The Citi Rewards+® Card offers a long 15-month 0% introductory APR period on purchases on top of a 25,000 point sign-up bonus worth $250 in gift cards at ThankYou.com. You may also be able to transfer your ThankYou points to hotel and airlines if you also hold other eligible Citi credit cards. There is also a unique rewards structure for those that make a lot of small purchases. No annual fee.

Filed Under: Credit Cards, Deals & Offers, General //

Consumer Reports: Which Store Brand Food is the Cheapest Overall?

Posted on April 20, 2023 // 5 Comments

Consumer Reports compared several name brand products against generic store brands to see which private label products get the closest to the name brand for the lowest cost. I have never found any other ketchup that tastes like Heinz, but I could be probably be persuaded for other things. (Actually, I have found Whole Foods’ generic “healthy” versions of popular cereals to be pretty bad as well.)

They also bought a range of products from each store and calculated the overall savings you’d get as compared to name-brand products (on a per serving basis). Costco, Aldi, and Walmart are clearly at the top. I personally think Costco has the best quality store-brand stuff, although you usually have to buy a lot of it. I don’t have much experience with Aldi. I’d also have thought Whole Foods 365 would be better than just a 5% savings, but I suppose it just seems cheaper next to the regular price stuff at Whole Foods. 💰

Filed Under: Deals & Offers, Frugal Living //

Plynk Investing App User Bonuses (Expired)

Posted on April 18, 2023 // 10 Comments

Update April 2025: The following bonuses are now EXPIRED.

Update April 2023: Plynk has rolled out a new Recurring Deposit Match promotion for existing users worth up to another $100. You just have to set up recurring deposits of at least $10 and Plynk will match the match the second recurring deposit (or the lesser of the two if they differ), up to a maximum of $100. I received this offer via email, but it is listed on their promotion page and does not appear targeted. Sounds like another $100 in my pocket. New users should pick up the other bonuses below first.

The Recurring Deposit Match promotion (the “Recurring Match”) is effective March 9, 2023, through May 18, 2023 (“Offer Date”) for Plynk brokerage customers in good standing. Make two consecutive Recurring Net Deposits into your account and Plynk will match the second Recurring Deposit, or the lesser of the two if they differ, up to a maximum of $100. For purposes of this offer, “Recurring Net Deposit” shall mean cash transfer made using the recurring deposit feature from an external source that remains in your account for at least 30 calendar days. Recurring Match is only available for Plynk customers with a Plynk account in good order. Deposits totaling less than $10 do not qualify as Recurring Net Deposits.

Updated original post with new user bonus info:

Plynk is a stock and crypto brokerage app meant for beginner investors. Right now, new users can earn $60 or more in bonuses: a $10 sign-up bonus and a $50 bonus after $25 deposit and you can also go through Swagbucks and earn more (bonus value varies with user; I see 3500 points worth ~$35). New Swagbucks users should first grab the $10 new user bonus via referral.

$10 sign-up bonus details. From the fine print:

The $10 Sign-Up Bonus program (the “$10 Sign-Up Bonus”) is effective April 1, 2022, for qualifying new brokerage customers. To be eligible for the $10 Sign-Up Bonus, you must be a new Plynk customer and (i) download the Plynk app, (ii) sign up, and (iii) link an eligible bank account. Plynk will deposit $10 USD into your Plynk account within 30 days of your satisfying these conditions and Plynk accepting your account. Whether a qualifying customer is eligible for the $10 Sign-Up Bonus is a determination made in the sole discretion of Plynk.

$50 Promotion details.

The $50 promotion (the “$50 promotion”) is effective March 9, 2023, through May 18, 2023 (“Offer Date”) for qualifying brokerage customers. Plynk will deposit $50 (“Bonus Award”) into the accounts of customers who link a new eligible bank account and make a minimum Net Deposit of $25 in their account. For purposes of this offer, “Net Deposit” shall mean total cash transfers from an external source minus assets withdrawn or transferred out your brokerage account made within 15 calendar day of linking an eligible bank account (“Qualification Period”). Customers who have already opened a Plynk account and linked a bank account as well as any customer who does not make a Net Deposit totaling at least $25 during the Qualification period are not eligible for the $50 Promotion.

Note that Plynk plans on charging a $2 monthly fee at some point, but apparently they are waiving it for an undetermined amount of time. From their fee schedule:

Monthly app fee: $2. At our discretion, DBS will temporarily waive this monthly fee, in the form of a free trial or otherwise, and will provide notice upon reinstatement of this monthly fee or general changes to our fees. This monthly fee is currently waived for all customers.

This app appears to be a quiet spin-off or separate subsidiary of Fidelity Investments. The cash sweep option money market fund is the same as for Fidelity. Seems like they are experimenting to see what works with beginner investors, as Plynk offers lots of educational aspects and encourages you to invest as little as $1 at a time.

Filed Under: Deals & Offers, Investing //

Andrews FCU $200 PayBack Checking Promo

Posted on April 17, 2023 // 2 Comments

Andrews Federal Credit Union has a $200 PayBack Checking offer with qualifying direct deposits to a new checking account. Offer expires 5/31/23. Here is the breakdown of the bonus:

  • $75 credit within one business day of the opening of the account.
  • $125 credit after $500+ in qualifying direct deposits within 60 days of the Payback checking account opening date.
  • Receive $0.10 for every debit card transaction ($5 or more) during the first 90 days your account is open.
  • No minimum balance required to obtain the bonus or to open the Payback Checking account.

More bonus fine print:

Members with an existing personal checking account with Andrews Federal (either as a primary or joint account holder) are not eligible. Qualifying direct deposits include recurring electronic deposits of payroll, pension or Social Security. Person-to-person, bank transfers or other electronic money transfers, such as those made through internet payment services, do not qualify. The $125 credit will be made to the new Payback checking account within 90 days of all requirements being met. Your new Payback checking account must still be open and in good standing when we seek to credit the bonus, otherwise the bonus is forfeited. Only one bonus will be awarded per member regardless of the number of accounts opened. Bonus offers are not transferable and are reportable for tax purposes. A $25 early account closing fee applies if the account is closed within 60 days of opening.

Here are details about the PayBack Checking account:

  • $10 monthly fee will be waived if you receive at least $500 in total direct deposits within a calendar month to this account.
  • No minimum balance.
  • Must be enrolled in Digital Banking and/or Mobile App.

Credit union membership eligibility. From their page on membership eligibility:

Our field of membership includes Washington, DC, civilian and military personnel of Joint Base Andrews, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, and military installations in central Germany, Belgium, and The Netherlands; as well as over 200 employer groups throughout Maryland, Virginia and New Jersey. We also have nationwide membership eligibility through the American Consumer Council.

As I do not live the in DC area and do not qualify otherwise, I joined the American Consumer Council (ACC), a non-profit organization dedicated to consumer education, advocacy and financial literacy. Sounds like something worth supporting! You can join through the website. I believe the cost is a one-time $8, although there is a promo code “consumer” that has worked in the past to get the membership fee waived. They will send you an e-mail shortly with your ACC membership number, which you can use to join Andrews FCU.

Note: Applying for an account may result in a hard credit inquiry. At least for me, they checked my TransUnion credit report.

Bottom line. This is a relatively straightforward checking bonus. Membership is open to anyone nationwide via American Consumer Council. I am already a member of Andrews FCU based on a previous certificate deal (never open a checking account unless you have to), and I have been satisfied with their service. I got the $75 credit immediately after opening, and expect it go smoothly after my direct deposit. Their current certificates rates are relatively competitive but nothing currently exceptional. You may want to check out their car loans or mortgage rates if in the market.

Filed Under: Banking, Deals & Offers //

Amazon Prime Stock Up & Save Promo: 20% Off $50+ of Amazon Brand Everyday Items

Posted on April 13, 2023 // 4 Comments

Amazon is running a 20% Off Stock Up & Save Promo for Amazon Prime members that spend at least $50 on Amazon-branded everyday essential items like Presto paper towels, Amazon Basics paper towels, Amazon Basics disinfectant wipes, Presto toilet paper, Solimo K-cup coffee pods, Amazon Basic Care ibuprofen, Amazon Basics resealable freezer bags and sandwich bags, and Happy Belly cereal bars. Lots of food and snacks.

Just add the items to your cart and you should see the discount show up automatically at check out. Look up anything from any of the private labels owned by Amazon including Amazon Basics, Happy Belly, Mama Bear, Presto, Solimo, Wickedly Prime, and Wonder Bound in the eligible categories of Health & Beauty, Grocery, Pet Products, Office Products, and Pet Products. There are over 1,000 items that are eligible. The maximum discount is $100, so you can get 20% off up to $500 of stuff.

If you have the Amazon credit card, you can also stack savings as all Amazon Basics items are also eligible for 10% cash back right now, higher than the standard 5% cash back. So that’s up to 30% off total on a lot of things as many things (non-food) got switched back to the Amazon Basics brand recently.

(RSS and e-mail readers: Due to Amazon’s affiliate rules, you must view this post on the website to view the direct links to Amazon.)

Filed Under: Deals & Offers //

CBC Federal Credit Union 5-Year CD at 5.25% APY (Expired)

Posted on April 12, 2023 // 2 Comments

(Update: This offer is no longer available, but the credit union was very customer-friendly and did honor their rate for those that opened the account during the period when the offer was displayed on their website. You just had to call them up and ask. They are a small credit union with limited resources, and I commend them for acting honorably and in a friendly manner. The rate has now dropped, and they no longer open CDs over the phone; you must open in-branch. )

CBC Federal Credit Union is a small credit union that is offering some top certificate rates as of 4/12/23. NCUA-insured. Here are the rate highlights:

  • 5-year certificate at 5.00% APY ($500 minimum).
  • 5-year certificate with Epic Premium Checking account: 5.25% APY ($500 minimum).
  • Early withdrawal penalty for 5-year certificate is 365 days of dividends (will eat into principal if needed).
  • The rates on their 1-year, 2-year, 3-year, and 4-year certificates are also competitive, with and without the Epic Premium Checking Account.

Their Epic Premium Checking Account offers various perks including a discount on loan interest and also a boost of 0.25% to 0.50% on certain Term Share Certificate Rates. However, it does charge an $8/month fee that cannot be waived. If you close the Epic Premium checking account or it becomes inactive, then you lose the rate boost AND the interest rate on your CD might drop to the current rate. Whether the extra rate boost is worth the monthly fee and maintaining activity on the checking account depends on the amount deposited and your own preferences.

Unknown if there is a credit pull with a new membership application. This is common with credit unions, but I did not see anything come up on my credit monitoring alerts after my application. Must keep $5 minimum in Share Savings account as long as you are a credit union member. Hat tip to DepositAccounts.

Membership eligibility. Although in Southern California with only four physical branches, their eligibility criteria is actually open to anyone nationwide. You can:

  • Live, work, worship, or go to school in Ventura County
  • Participate in programs to alleviate poverty or distress in Ventura County
  • Participate in associations, businesses, or other legal entities headquartered or located in Ventura County
  • Maintain a facility located in the Ventura County
  • Have a family member that is an existing CBC member
  • Importantly… one of the eligible associations is the American Consumer Council, which you can join as part of the sign-up process and CBC FCU will cover the membership fee.

My thoughts. I wasn’t sure if I should post about this, as the last time I posted a CD deal from a smaller credit union, the rate dropped in only two days. These small credit unions usually offer up these high APYs when they have specific funding needs and then they will drop the rate once that dollar amount has been met. However, the purpose of this blog is to share what I am up to, and this is an example of a motivated individual being able to access a much better interest rate than even a billionaire hedge fund manager.

For comparison, as of 4/11/23, the 5-year Treasury bond rate is 3.54%. For retirees and semi-retirees with large cash/bond balances, this is a meaningful rate difference. I don’t know where rates will go in the future, but I like to build a ladder and this is one of the best rates for my “5-year rung” in a while.

If you wish to get in on this rate, you should act quickly and temper your expectations. It’s a good enough deal that it is quite possible that there will be enough new applications to overwhelm their limited staff. You might go through the application process, possibly take a credit pull hit, and have the rate fall before you can fund the certificate. I’m not saying this will happen, but it is possible. Of course, it is also possible that this is only the start of multiple places offering long-term 5% APY CDs.

In terms of best practices, I would recommend taking extra care when applying online and uploading a very clear picture of your photo ID. You want to avoid any hiccups that would require human intervention. If you do have to call, be polite and patient. Once you get your Share Savings account number, use it to transfer funds over online within a few days. (Some people choose to wire funds as that is instant.) Then you must call up CBC FCU and open up the certificate over the phone as an existing member with funds ready to go.

Based on their website, they appear to be using the same backend software as many other credit unions.

Filed Under: Banking, Deals & Offers //

Discover Bank Deposit Bonus: $150/$200 ($15,000/$25,000 Required)

Posted on April 11, 2023 // 10 Comments

disc_osaBonus still available in 2023. Discover Bank has an ongoing deposit bonus for new customers for their online savings account. If you open a new account through this link (currently shows promo code SAVE323W2 with expiration date 5/31/23) or this link (currently shows promo code GOBP223 with expiration date 6/15/23), you can receive one of the following bonuses:

  • Deposit at least $15,000 within 30 days of opening to earn a $150 bonus, or
  • Deposit at least $25,000 within 30 days of opening to earn a $200 bonus.

This offer has been available off and on for over 5 years and is always only for first-time Discover Savings account customers, but if you haven’t grabbed it yet it’s a solid bonus.

*To get your $150 or $200 Bonus: What to do: Apply for your first Discover Online Savings Account, online, in the Discover App or by phone. Enter Offer Code GOBP223 when applying. Deposit into your account a total of at least $15,000 to earn a $150 Bonus or deposit a total of at least $25,000 to earn a $200 Bonus. Deposit must be posted to account within 30 days of account open date. Maximum bonus eligibility is $200.

What to know: Offer not valid for existing or prior Discover savings customers or existing or prior customers with savings accounts that are co-branded, or affinity accounts provided by Discover. Eligibility is based on primary account owner. Account must be open when bonus is credited. Bonus will be credited to the account within 60 days of the account qualifying for the bonus. Bonus is interest and subject to reporting on Form 1099-INT. Offer ends 6/15/2023, 11:59 PM ET. Offer may be modified or withdrawn without notice.

The Discover Online Savings Account has a current interest rate of 3.60% APY as of 4/11/23, which is sort of a competitive rate although not the highest available. There are no minimum balance requirements and no monthly fees. Interest is compounded daily and paid monthly.

If you deposit the minimum amount of $15k, the $150 bonus is effectively another 1% of your initial deposit. The $200 bonus on $25,000 deposited is a lower percentage, but if you have the extra cash then it may still be a good rate. There is no fixed minimum time period where you have to keep the money there after getting the bonus, so your effective ROI can be quite high since the bonus should post shortly after you complete the required deposits. Keep in mind that you must still have an open account for the bonus to post.

I did not experience a hard credit pull when opening my Discover bank account on a previous bonus. Historically, their rates are competitive but not the rate leaders. Their overall feature set is not exceptional (average speed transfers), so it is not my primary savings account at this time. Maybe it is convenient if your primary card is the Discover It credit card?

Bottom line. The Discover Savings account is a simple, barebones piggy-back savings account with no minimum balance and no monthly fees. The rates are historically competitive but rarely the highest. With no monthly fees, this is a solid low-risk bonus if you have the funds available and have never had a Discover bank account before.

Filed Under: Banking, Deals & Offers //

Chime Fintech App Review: $100 Simple Bonus

Posted on April 6, 2023 // 31 Comments

Simple $100 bonus. Chime is a popular fintech app with a simple $100 cash bonus (up from $50) after a single direct deposit of $200+ within the first 45 days of new account opening. To get this offer, you must be referred by an existing user. Here is a Chime $100 referral link. Here is a screenshot of my bonus (when it was only $50) appearing nine minutes after my initial deposit:

Here is the fine print:

In order for the referring Chime member (“Referrer”) to qualify and receive the $100.00 referral reward and $10.00 temporary SpotMe Bonus Limit increase, and for the referred person (“Referred”) to qualify and receive the $100.00 referral reward, all of the following conditions must be satisfied: (1) Referrer meets SpotMe eligibility requirements and is part of the SpotMe Referral Incentive referral reward campaign; (2) Referred has not previously opened a Chime Checking Account (“Account”); (3) Referred opened a new Account between January 1, 2022 and December 31, 2022; (4) Referred opened the new Account using the Referrer’s unique referral link; (5) Referred received in the new Account a Qualifying Direct Deposit within 45 calendar days of opening the Account; and 6) Referred activated their physical Chime Visa Debit Card within 14 days of receiving a Qualifying Direct Deposit. A Qualifying Direct Deposit is a deposit of $200.00 or more by Automated Clearing House (“ACH”) that comes from your employer, payroll provider, gig economy payer, or benefits payer OR a deposit by Original Credit Transaction (OCT) from your gig economy payer. Bank ACH transfers, Pay Anyone transfers, verification or trial deposits from financial institutions, peer to peer transfers from services such as PayPal, Cash App, or Venmo, mobile check deposits, cash loads or deposits, one-time direct deposits, such as tax refunds and other similar transactions, and any deposit to which Chime deems to not be legitimate are not Qualifying Direct Deposits.

Chime is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services provided by, and debit card issued by, The Bancorp Bank or Stride Bank, N.A.; Members FDIC.

Why is Chime so popular? Chime is the second-most popular online-only bank in the US (only behind Ally) with over 13 million customers and a recent valuation of $25 billion as of September 2021. I learned that Chime is very attractive to those who are “unbanked” or underbanked”, those people who don’t like traditional banks due to their monthly fees and $35-a-pop overdraft charges. Instead, Chime offers:

  • No monthly fees. No minimum balance. No minimum opening deposit.
  • No credit check. No Chexsystems check.
  • Access to paycheck 2 days early. If you usually get paid on Friday, you can spend the money on Wednesday.
  • No overdraft fees, and they may even “spot” you up to $100 until you pay them back.
  • Free ATM withdrawals at 38,000+ MoneyPass and Visa Plus Alliance ATMs.
  • No foreign transaction fees.

For many folks that have a lot of activity but maintain a low balance, this fee structure is better getting 4% APY or even 10% APY. The key is avoiding those crazy overdraft charges from the big banks and also the various $2 fees hidden inside many prepaid cards. Chime’s only major fee is a $2.50 fee if you make a cash withdrawal at an out-of-network ATM. Chime earns revenue via interchange fees when you buy things on your debit card.

As I opened an account, I noticed that Chime treats you like have never had a checking account before. The sign-up is easily done completely on your phone in a few minutes. You don’t need to deposit a single cent to open. They send basic “Chime 101” emails explaining the effect of bank holidays and how to set up direct deposit.

There is no credit check, so you can have bad credit and even a bad Chexsystems record (meaning you probably left another bank with a negative balance). Nearly every major bank uses Chexsystems to screen new customers. Otherwise, they are referred to as a “second chance” bank account. Chime might have the lowest fees of all such “second chance” banks.

Savings account at 2.00% APY. Once you open the main Chime checking account, you can also open a separate savings account. No minimum balance and no monthly fees on the savings account, either.

Chime has the most of other bank stuff as well. Debit card. Paper check deposit via mobile app. FDIC-insured via partner banks, either Stride Bank or The Bancorp Bank. The only major thing missing besides bank branches is that they don’t provide paper checks. Depositing cash is available, but the third-party physical stores may charge a fee.

In terms of working with my other accounts, I am able to deposit and withdraw fund via Ally Bank push/pull. Your routing number and account number is available openly in the app under “Move Money > Direct Deposit”. My routing number is 103100195, which ABA.com confirms as Stride Bank, NA. based in Enid, Oklahoma.

Bottom line. Chime is an interesting bank startup that targets the underbanked and unbanked by offering a much better fee structure to those with access to direct deposit. No overdraft fees, no credit checks, no Chexsystems. Currently, there is a $100 bonus available via referral link.

Filed Under: Banking, Deals & Offers //

Best Interest Rates on Cash – April 2023

Posted on April 6, 2023 // 16 Comments

Here’s my monthly roundup of the best interest rates on cash as of April 2023, roughly sorted from shortest to longest maturities. We all need some safe assets for cash reserves or portfolio stability, and there are often lesser-known opportunities available to individual investors. Check out my Ultimate Rate-Chaser Calculator to see how much extra interest you could earn. Rates listed are available to everyone nationwide. Rates checked as of 4/5/2023.

TL;DR: 5% APY available on liquid savings, with some wrinkles. 5% APY available on multiple short-term CDs. Compare against Treasury bills and bonds at every maturity. 6.89% Savings I Bonds can be bought with 2023 annual limits now.

Fintech accounts
Available only to individual investors, fintech companies often pay higher-than-market rates in order to achieve fast short-term growth (often using venture capital). “Fintech” is usually a software layer on top of a partner bank’s FDIC insurance.

  • 4.85% APY ($1 minimum). SaveBetter lets you switch between different FDIC-insured banks and NCUA-insured credit unions easily without opening a new account every time, and their liquid savings rates currently top out at 4.85%. This fintech makes it easier for you to maintain a top rate even if one bank decides to drop out of the “rate race”. 😉 SaveBetter does not charge a fee to switch between banks.
  • 5% APY (before fees). MaxMyInterest is another service that allows you to access and switch between different FDIC-insured banks. You can view their current banks and APYs here. As of 4/5/23, the highest rate is from BrioDirect (Webster Bank) at 5.06% APY. However, note that they charge a membership fee of 0.04% per quarter, or 0.16% per year (subject to $20 minimum per quarter, or $80 per year). That means if you have a $10,000 balance, then $80 a year = 0.80% per year. You are allowed to cancel the service and keep the bank accounts, but then you may lose their specially-negotiated rates and cannot switch between banks anymore.
  • 5% on up to $25,000, then 4% up to $250k. Juno now pays 5% on all cash deposits up to $25,000 and 4% on cash deposits from $25,001 up to $250,000. No direct deposits required. This fintech has crypto exposure, please see my Juno review for details.
  • 4.00% APY on $6,000. Current offers 4% APY on up to $6,000 total ($2,000 each on three savings pods). Must maintain a direct deposit of $200+ every 35 days. $50 referral bonus for new members with $200+ direct deposit with promo code JONATHAP228. Please see my Current app review for details.

High-yield savings accounts
Since the huge megabanks STILL pay essentially no interest, everyone should 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. 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 leapfrogging to be the temporary “top” rate continues. UFB Direct at 5.02% APY, although note their incoming ACH hold times. CIT Platinum Savings at 4.75% APY with $5,000+ balance.
  • SoFi Bank is now up to 4.00% APY + up to $275 new account bonus with direct deposit. You must maintain a direct deposit of any amount each month for the higher APY. SoFi has their own bank charter now so no longer a fintech by my definition. See details at $25 + $250 SoFi Money new account and deposit bonus.
  • There are several other established high-yield savings accounts at 3.75%+ APY that aren’t the absolute top rate, but historically do keep it relatively competitive for those that don’t want to keep switching banks.

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. CIT Bank has a 11-month No Penalty CD at 4.80% APY with a $1,000 minimum deposit. Ally Bank has a 11-month No Penalty CD at 4.35% APY for all balance tiers. Marcus has a 13-month No Penalty CD at 3.85% APY with a $500 minimum deposit. You may wish to open multiple CDs in smaller increments for more flexibility.
  • Marcus has a special 10-month CD at 5.05% APY with a $500 minimum deposit. Early withdrawal penalty is 90 days of interest.
  • BrioDirect has a 12-month certificate at 5.25% APY. $500 minimum. Early withdrawal penalty is 90 days of interest.
  • Western Alliance Bank via SaveBetter has a 12-month certificate at 5.01% APY. $1 minimum. Early withdrawal penalty is 270 days of interest.

Money market mutual funds + Ultra-short bond ETFs*
Many brokerage firms that pay out very little interest on their default cash sweep funds (and keep the difference for themselves). * Money market mutual funds are regulated, but ultimately not FDIC-insured, so I would still stick with highly reputable firms. I am including a few ultra-short bond ETFs as they may be your best cash alternative in a brokerage account, but they may experience losses.

  • Vanguard Federal Money Market Fund is the default sweep option for Vanguard brokerage accounts, which has an SEC yield of 4.77%. Odds are this is much higher than your own broker’s default cash sweep interest rate.
  • Vanguard Ultra-Short-Term Bond Fund currently pays 4.72% SEC yield ($3,000 min) and 4.82% SEC Yield ($50,000 min). The average duration is ~1 year, so there is some term interest rate risk.
  • The PIMCO Enhanced Short Maturity Active Bond ETF (MINT) has a 5.00% SEC yield and the iShares Short Maturity Bond ETF (NEAR) has a 4.98% SEC yield while holding a portfolio of investment-grade bonds with an average duration of ~6 months.

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.

  • 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 4/5/23, a new 4-week T-Bill had the equivalent of 4.61% annualized interest and a 52-week T-Bill had the equivalent of 4.53% annualized interest.
  • The iShares 0-3 Month Treasury Bond ETF (SGOV) has a 4.60% SEC yield and effective duration of 0.10 years. SPDR Bloomberg Barclays 1-3 Month T-Bill ETF (BIL) has a 4.52% 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. You can also buy an additional $5,000 in paper I bonds using your tax refund with IRS Form 8888.

  • “I Bonds” bought between November 2022 and April 2023 will earn a 6.89% 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 2023, 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.
  • See below about EE Bonds as a potential long-term bond alternative.

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.

  • Genisys Credit Union pays 5.25% APY on up to $7,500 if you make 10 debit card purchases of $5+ each, and opt into receive only online statements. Anyone can join this credit union via $5 membership fee to join partner organization.
  • Pelican State Credit Union pays 5.11% APY on up to $10,000 if you make 15 debit card purchases, opt into receive only 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 partner organization membership.
  • The Bank of Denver pays 5.00% APY on up to $15,000 if you make 12 debit card purchases of $5+ each, receive only online statements, and make at least 1 ACH credit or debit transaction per statement cycle. Thanks to reader Bill for the updated info.
  • All America/Redneck Bank pays 4.80% APY on up to $15,000 if you make 10 debit card purchases each monthly cycle with online statements.
  • Presidential Bank pays 4.625% APY on balances between $500 and up to $25,000 (3.625% APY above that) if you maintain a $500+ direct deposit and at least 7 electronic withdrawals per month (ATM, POS, ACH and Billpay counts).
  • 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.

  • Credit Human has 24-month to 35-month CDs at 5.50% APY. $500 minimum to open. The early withdrawal penalty is 365 days of interest. Anyone can join this credit union via partner organization (no fee).
  • Sallie Mae Bank via SaveBetter has a 27-month CD at 5.15% APY. $1 minimum. Early withdrawal penalty is 180 days of simple interest.
  • Lafayette Federal Credit Union has a 5-year certificate at 4.68% APY ($500 min), 4-year at 4.73% APY, 3-year at 4.84% APY, 2-year at 4.89% APY, and 1-year at 4.99% APY. They also have jumbo certificates with $100,000 minimums at even higher rates. The early withdrawal penalty for the 5-year is very high at 600 days of interest. Anyone can join this credit union via partner organization ($10 one-time fee).
  • 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 4.40% APY (callable: no, call protection: yes). Be wary of higher rates from callable CDs, which means they can call back your CD if rates drop later.

Longer-term Instruments
I’d use these with caution due to increased interest rate risk, 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 (none available, non-callable) vs. 3.67% for a 10-year Treasury. Watch out for higher rates from callable CDs where they can call your CD back if interest rates drop.
  • How about two decades? Series EE Savings Bonds are not indexed to inflation, but they have a unique guarantee that the value will double in value in 20 years, which equals a guaranteed return of 3.5% a year. However, if you don’t hold for that long, you’ll be stuck with the normal rate, currently 2.10% for EE bonds issued November 1, 2022 to April 30, 2023. As of 4/5/23, the 20-year Treasury Bond rate was 3.72%.

All rates were checked as of 4/5/2023.

Filed Under: Banking, Deals & Offers, Investing //
« Previous Page
Next Page »