Target is running a promotion where if you get a $10 Target GiftCard with $100 “Choice” gift card purchase, in-store or online. Promo ends June 10th.
I’m guessing this is related to Father’s Day. (The Mother’s Day promo was better, what’s up?!) There are many eligible retailers to choose from: Regal/AMC Theaters to REI to Lowe’s/Home Depot.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.
Update 10/14/24: Rates dropped to 4.40% APY on up to $100,000 for Mega Money Market and 4.65% APY on up to $15,000 for Rewards Checking (debit card usage and other requirements apply). Details below.
Update 7/9/24: Rates dropped to 4.75% APY on up to $100,000 for Mega Money Market and 5.00% APY on up to $15,000 for Rewards Checking (debit card usage and other requirements apply). Details below.
All America Bank and Redneck Bank are sister internet banks that offer the same types of accounts (with different marketing shtick). Looking back in my archives, I actually opened an account with them way back in 2009 (later closed), as they offer a simple product lineup and have intermittent periods where they are very competitive with interest rates. (There are also some periods where they choose to lag.) Looks like they are looking to attract deposits again, recently raising both their interest rates and their balance caps.
Mega Money Market
Rewards Checking
Note that both are under the FDIC insurance certificate of All America Bank (#20093), so you should be careful not to exceed the $250,000 limit across both banks (a reminder that the $250k limit is per depositor, per insured bank, for each account ownership category).
Updated for 2023. 5/29 is “National 529 College Savings Plan Day” and every year a few state plan offer promotions and/or giveaways. Most offers end by May 31st. Some offers require in-state residency, but some don’t. 529 plans can now also pay for K-12 tuition and other educational expenses beyond college tuition and room/board.
I find that having an open 529 plan is a great way to redirect various cash gifts from friends and family (like grandparents) so that the money doesn’t just get spent mindlessly and then forgotten. Finally, opening a plan and making any contribution also starts the 15-year clock on potential future 529-to-Roth IRA rollovers.
Here’s a list of what I could find, please let me know if you find more. I’m listing the state, but you do not have to be a resident of that state to open a 529 account there. You can have multiple 529s from different states. However, you may need to be a resident to qualify for a specific bonus, or there may be an age restriction on the beneficiary, etc.
Worried about keeping all your airline miles and hotel points active? Another trick to keep in your toolbox is that many loyalty programs have a partner survey company that can be a relatively easy way to earn a few miles and extend any impending expiration dates. I don’t enjoy doing them otherwise, and they can send way too many e-mails (set up a filter), but I am happy they exist. Even if you don’t qualify for the full survey, they’ll give you something like 5 miles for trying, and that’s all I really need. This is often expressly mentioned as a perk:
You can also use them in a pinch if you only need a few miles to reach a specific award amount. They all seem to be run by the same backend company, but while some post the points nearly instantly, while others can take a few weeks at times. I usually only sign up for a specific program when I need to generate activity, but many do offer a small bonus on your first survey. I recently just did a couple of surveys to extend the expiration of my Alaska and Hilton points.
Here’s a quick list of programs expiration policies and their companion survey sites.
Alaska Airlines – The Opinion Terminal
American Airlines – Miles For Opinions
British Airways – Avios For Thoughts
Hawaiian Airlines – Opinions Take Flight
Hilton Honors – Guest Opinion Rewards
JetBlue – Points For Surveys
Southwest Airlines – Rewards For Opinions
Spirit Airlines – Points For Thoughts
United Airlines – Opinion Miles Club
Wyndham Rewards – Opinion Rewards Panel
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):
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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
All rates were checked as of 5/1/2023.
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.)
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:
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:
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.
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. 💰
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.
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:
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:
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.
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.)
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Big List of Free Consumer Data Reports (Credit, Rent, Work)