Do you dream of a stress-free retirement? Maybe even an early retirement? (Now we’re talking!) Of course, you do — you’re human, after all.
Unfortunately, there’s a common mistake that holds people back from making that dream a reality: People often make a mental checklist of things to do by the time they retire when they should really have those things done five to ten years before retiring.
If you’re looking to retire by 65 (or sooner), you’ll want to have everything below checked off before 60.
But have no fear! If you don’t have one checked off yet, this page will show you how to get started.
Earn cash back on everyday purchases with this rare account
Want to earn cash back on your everyday purchases without using a credit card? With the Discover®️ Cashback Debit Checking account (member FDIC), you can earn 1% cash back on up to $3,000 in debit card purchases each month!1
With no credit check to apply and no monthly fees to worry about, you can earn nearly passive income on purchases you’re making anyway — up to an extra $360 a year!
This rare checking account has other great perks too, like access to your paycheck up to 2 days early with Early Pay, no minimum deposit or monthly balance requirements, over 60K fee-free ATMs, and the ability to add cash to your account at Walmart stores nationwide.
Don’t leave money on the table — it only takes minutes to apply and it won’t impact your credit score.
Take this quiz to see if you can retire early
Do you know if you can retire early? One of the best ways to find out is by speaking with a financial advisor. With the right moves and a little work, you could potentially retire years earlier.
Our advice: Take this quiz from SmartAsset. In just a few short questions, it can help you find qualified, vetted financial advisors who serve your area based on their cost and specialty. You even earn 3 free consultations with each of your matches, so you can compare them2 and be fully prepared to pick a financial advisor that’s right for you.
But there’s one problem. Where do you even find a financial advisor?
Here’s how to find a financial advisor in the next five minutes:
1. Take this 5-minute quiz. (Yes, there are a fair amount of questions but they are all easy.)
2. Make sure you enter your zip code towards the end so you get matched with up to three financial advisors2 who serve your area
3. Once you’ve got your matches, get a free consultation with each!
Paid Non-Client Promotion
FinanceBuzz doesn’t invest its money with this provider, but they are our referral partner. We get paid by them only if you click to them from our website and take a qualifying action (for example, opening an account.)
Ask this company to pay off your credit card debt
Credit card debt is suffocating. It constantly weighs on your mind and controls every choice you make. You can end up emotionally and even physically drained from it. And even though you make regular payments, it feels like you can never make any progress because of the interest.
National Debt Relief is designed specifically to help you get out of credit card debt faster, without having to make drastic life changes. With National Debt Relief, you could pay off your credit card debt (with potentially way less interest) in one simple monthly payment.3
How to get National Debt Relief to pay off your debt: Sign up for a free debt assessment here. (Do not skip this step!) By signing up for a free assessment, National Debt Relief can immediately assist you in paying off your debt, but only if you schedule the assessment.
Invest your spare change on autopilot
The best time to invest was yesterday. The second best time is today. By harnessing the power of compound interest, not only is every penny saved a penny earned, but cumulatively those pennies can grow into thousands of dollars.
With Acorns, you could turn your pennies into real wealth with their unique automated investing system for as little as $3/mo. Setting up automatic recurring investments, even just $5/day, will set you up to take full advantage of time, compound interest, and the stock market — without even having to think about it!
You’ll get access to expert-built portfolios4 with highly rated Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs), which include stocks and bonds, that can help reduce risks compared to trading individual stocks.
Plus, you can access Acorns’ Round-Ups® feature, where your daily purchases get rounded up to the next dollar and automatically invested, adding even more wealth-growing opportunities on autopilot!
BONUS: Set up Recurring Investments and Acorns will give you a $20 bonus after you make your first successful Recurring Investment (minimum $5).
Get started today for as little as $3/mo
Paid Non-Client Promotion
FinanceBuzz doesn’t invest its money with this provider, but they are our referral partner. We get paid by them only if you click to them from our website and take a qualifying action (for example, opening an account.)
If you’re over 50, take advantage of massive discounts and financial resources
Over 50? Join AARP today — because if you’re not a member you could be missing out on huge perks. When you start your membership today, you can get discounts on things like travel, meal deliveries, eyeglasses, prescriptions that aren’t covered by insurance and more.
How to become a member today:
- Go here, select your free gift, and click “Join Today”
- Create your account (important!) by answering a few simple questions
- Start enjoying your discounts and perks!
You’ll also get insider info on social security, job listings, caregiving, and retirement planning. And you’ll get access to AARP’s Fraud Watch Network to help you protect your money, as well as tools to help you plan for retirement.
Important: Start your membership by creating an account here and filling in all of the information (Do not skip this step!) Doing so will allow you to take up 25% off your AARP membership, making it just $12 per year with auto-renewal.
Virginia Driver? Cancel your car insurance
We've got bad news. You could be wasting $600 every year on overpriced, second-rate car insurance. And you should probably cancel your existing insurance right now, because there's something much better.
This new tool from FinanceBuzz can tell you if you're overpaying for your car insurance in just a few clicks. We match drivers with companies that report saving drivers up to $600 or more per year when they switch! Each driver’s savings will vary by driving history and how many discounts you’re eligible for. And once you try it out, you'll never have to look for affordable insurance again because we find you the lowest rates that other companies can't match.
Oh, and it's also free. And come on — you can't tell us you don't want to save up to $600. To find out if you're losing up to $600 or more a year, just answer a few questions, and then make sure to enter your zip, DOB, and email, to see if you qualify for a lower rate. It takes less than 2 minutes.
Stop overpaying for cell phone service
Bad news: You might be overpaying for your cell phone bill and not even realize it. Some service providers charge a premium because their plans include features you don’t need or data you won’t use.
With Consumer Cellular, you can get an individual plan for $20 a month, plain and simple.5
All plans include unlimited talk and text. Plans also include internet data, and you can get a lower rate by opting for less data if you don’t need it. That way, you can get a plan that fits your needs without overpaying.
To get started, choose your plan here and see how much you could save by switching. You do not need to sign a long-term contract, and if you don’t like the service, you can cancel within 30 days — risk-free.6