The center of my financial network map is my primary bank account, a checking and savings account at a single bank. The checking account is my primary account, where I pay my bills and receive deposits. The savings account is where my money sits when I don’t need it for checking. It earns a little […]
Best Credit Cards for College Students
When you’re establishing credit, it’s very hard to get a credit card. It’s a classic catch-22. Credit card companies don’t have enough information about you so they’re hesitant to give you a card. You can’t build credit without having some credit… so what can you do? Fortunately, credit card companies make allowances for students. They […]
15+ Flexible Side Hustles to Earn Extra Income
Not everyone wants to quit their job, travel the world, or retire early. I get it. When I quit my job, I enjoyed it. The commute wasn’t great (I did client work and often had to brave the DC Beltway) but it gave me a sense of purpose, fulfillment, social interaction (my co-workers were awesome), […]
How to Get Free Airport Wi-Fi and In-Flight Wi-Fi
One day, wi-fi will be free, fast, and ubiquitous in the United States. Capitalism has brought us many great things but free wi-fi is not one of them. In fact, capitalism likely is contributing to us NOT getting free wi-fi. We just got back from a trip to England and there are loads of free […]
Average Income in America: What salary in the United States puts you in the top 50%, top 10%, and top 1%?
You’ve probably heard of “the 1%.” They’re the absurdly wealthy who have more wealth than the remaining 99% (based on data from Credit Suisse). But what does it take to be in the 10%? 20%? Is it still stunningly wealthy? Or does the line drop quickly? We know that the average net worth of Americans […]
Best Bank Promotions & Bonus Offers: Minimum $100 New Account Bonus
For as long as I’ve known about banks, they’ve been competing for deposits. When you think about the economics of running a bank, it’s easy to see why. When someone deposits money in a checking account and you pay them 0%, it’s a free loan! Banks then keep whatever is the reserve requirement (say 10%) […]
How money can buy happiness
“Money doesn’t buy happiness.” It’s one of the often repeated phrases in personal finance (second only to “spend less than you earn!”). There are studies that show you aren’t happier when you make more money after a certain point. A Gallup survey of 450,000 Americans in 2008 and 2009 showed that “day to day contentment” […]
Automatic Savings Apps Are Bad Math But Good Personal Finance
I have a friend, we’ll call her Susie, and every year she gets a massive tax refund check. (to be fair, I have many friends like this and so do you) I’ve never told her that she can adjust her withholding to avoid giving the Federal government an interest-free loan. I don’t tell her because: […]
5 Way to Make Money With Your Car
If you enjoy spending time in your car, you might be able to parlay that into a nice side hustle for some extra cash. With the proliferation of ridesharing apps and others in an increasingly growing “side gig economy,” there are a lot of reputable ways you can earn money doing side jobs involving your […]
How to Cash a Personal Check Without a Bank Account
When you have a bank account and receive a check, it’s easy. You open up the app and snap some photos. If your bank doesn’t have an app, you take it to the branch and hand it to a teller or use the ATM. What if you’re one of the many millions of people who […]
