7 Brilliant Ways to Build Wealth After 40

Last updated Sept. 14, 2026 | By FinanceBuzz Editors

Your 40s (and beyond) is a great time to get serious about building your wealth. There's a good chance your career is taking off and you're earning more money than you ever have before. With upcoming expenses like college and retirement looming, investing smartly and saving money are more important than ever.

Now is the time to make sure you're putting that money to work for you. 

Virginia Driver? Cancel your car insurance

Before you renew your current car insurance policy, you owe it to yourself to see what else is out there. Many drivers stick with the same provider for years without checking if they could pay less … and that's exactly how you end up missing opportunities to save.

This free tool can help you compare options in just a few clicks, and the results could surprise you. $159 per month is what my first quote was. I figured that was as good as it gets, so why bother looking? Big mistake.

I used this tool and now I'm paying just $47 a month for two cars.1That's real money back in my pocket every single month.

If you want to see if you could be paying less, here's what to do:

  1. Click the link below and enter your zip code, date of birth, and phone number.
  2. Answer a few quick questions about your car's make and model to get matched with top offers.
  3. Pick the option that works for you, and if you find a better rate, switch your policy and start saving.

Compare your options now and see if you could pay less for the same coverage.

Don’t forget to cancel your old policy so you're not paying double. I can't believe I waited as long as I did. The whole process of getting matched with providers took me about two minutes.


Quick Tip
92% of drivers who switched car insurance reported saving money, according to LendingTree. Separately, a Consumer Reports survey of 40,000+ policyholders found median annual savings of $461 among drivers who switched insurers.  Drivers who stay with the same provider for several years could be leaving real money on the table.
Sources: Consumer Reports (2025); LendingTree auto insurance switching survey (2025)

Pay no interest on qualifying balance transfers into 2028

Imagine getting 21 months from account opening on qualifying balance transfers with an intro 0% APR (then APR is 17.49%, 23.99%, or 28.24% Variable). Sounds great — right? You could dramatically change your financial picture with this industry-leading low-interest card - the Wells Fargo Reflect® Card (Rates and fees).

If you want to kick high-interest credit card debt to the curb, this is one of the leading get-out-of-debt cards available. Transfer your high-interest debt to this card with a 0% intro APR for 21 months from account opening on qualifying balance transfers. Your payments can go directly to paying down your balance without incurring a pile of additional charges. That could save you hundreds of dollars in interest! After the intro period, the APR is 17.49%, 23.99%, or 28.24% Variable.

The best part? There's no annual fee with the Wells Fargo Reflect® Card.

Click here to Apply Now to the Wells Fargo Reflect® Card

Turn your home’s value into extra cash

If you want to pay a large expense now, like a home improvement project or credit card debt, you may have considered using your home equity as leverage to borrow a large sum of money.

But with interest rates rising in recent years, a cash-out refinance or home equity loan may not make financial sense.

Here’s a potential solution: Get a home equity line of credit (HELOC) instead.

Using LendingTree’s simple HELOC matching tool2 (yes, the company from the commercials), you can compare rates and see what works for you.

How a home equity line of credit is different: Your line of credit acts similar to a credit card, where you can withdraw funds when you need them, and you’re only responsible for minimum monthly payments for what’s called the “draw period,” which is usually 10 years. After this borrowing period ends, you pay off the rest of your balance during an extended repayment period, which is usually 20 years.

Plus, as a revolving line of credit, rates are usually variable, so you won’t be locked into a fixed rate if they ever go lower.

To get started:

  1. Check out LendingTree’s HELOC matching tool.
  2. Answer a few questions.
  3. Be matched with personalized offers for you.

Visit LendingTree

Set up direct deposit and complete qualifying activities - pocket $500

If you aren't banking with Truist, you're missing out on a boost of extra cash just by following a few simple steps.

Earn a bonus of $500 after you open a new Truist One Checking account online, in a branch, or by phone between July 14, 2026 and February 2, 2027 using a valid promo code.3To earn the $500 bonus, your account needs to receive at least 2 qualifying direct deposits totaling $2,000 or more and complete 20 qualifying debit card purchase transactions within 120 days of account opening. The reward will be deposited to the new checking account within 10 business days after the qualification requirements have been met and verified. Terms apply.

This is a great way to supercharge your earnings. It basically takes no extra work at all other than following the steps above. Plus, your new account offers benefits like no overdraft fee and options to avoid a monthly maintenance fee on top of the bonus.

Open your account and earn a $500 bonus

Don’t pay a CENT to contractors for home repairs until you do this

Sounds crazy. And maybe you’re not even sure if this is real. But … you’re probably curious anyway. Choice Home Warranty makes it so you might be able to save $100s in home repairs!

They’ve been around since 2008 (so you know they’re legit) and they offer affordable plans to cover appliances and systems in your home that could break down from routine wear and tear.

Think of it like this: Say your water heater breaks down during a winter storm. Instead of paying $1,200 for repairs, you may only need to pay a $100 service fee with Choice Home Warranty, and their techs come and fix it ASAP. This could save you $1,100 almost instantly!

Choose a plan here and you can still lock in their ultra-low 2026 rates (for a limited time). Then, whenever a covered system in your home breaks down, all you have to do is make your claim online or give them a call. Their team is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.4

Choose a plan from Choice Home Warranty here and lock in 2026 rates

P.S. Use the links above and you’ll get $50 off and 1 month free. We don’t know how long this will last, so take advantage of it today before it disappears.

American adults lost $47 billion to scams and fraud in 2024

That's right. According to a new report, American adults lost $47 billion to scams and identity fraud in 2024.5

But you can safeguard your data with all-in-one scam and fraud protection services from Aura which comes with up to $1,000,000.00 in identity theft insurance6per adult, to cover eligible losses and fees should you experience them.

During setup, Aura scans the internet for data brokers that have your personal information. These data brokers could make a fortune selling your information to spammers, scammers, and other entities that want to know more about you. Aura helps remove that info.

Plans start at $7 per month, and you can choose a family plan that outmatches most others — including Dark Web monitoring to scour data breaches and leaks for your sensitive personal data — such as Social Security numbers (SSN), Medicare information, and phone numbers.

Before you make your next online purchase, protect what you’ve built for a fraction of what it could cost you if your data were compromised.

Save up to 68% when you sign up for protection today!

SmarterAuto
  • They work with 90+ partners and are trusted by over 2 million drivers to shop for auto insurance
  • It takes less than two minutes and the tool is free to use
  • There is no catch and no hidden fees to get matched