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.
None 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.
Our tool 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.
Earn potentially $1,000s in basically passive income by opening this account ASAP
You can turn your existing money into even more money by basically doing nothing. Yes, it sounds insane. But it’s true — and it all depends on how early in life you open a high yield savings account.
The American Express® Savings High Yield Savings Account offers a rare 3.70% (as of Feb. 21, 2025) annual percentage yield (APY)1 <p>The Annual Percentage Yield (APY) as advertised is accurate as of Feb. 21, 2025. Interest rate and APY are subject to change at any time without notice before and after a High Yield Savings Account is opened. </p> — compared to the national average APY of 0.41% (as of Jan. 21, 2025). This could be worth hundreds, even thousands of dollars in passive income.
This is all thanks to compound interest — the earlier in life you start putting money into this type of account, the more you can earn over time. As Ben Franklin put it, “Money makes money. And the money that money makes, makes money.” Bam.
Let’s say you put $50,000 into a high yield account with a 3.70% (as of Feb. 21, 2025) APY at age 30. Then, you contribute $5,000 a year, every year, until age 50. At that rate with interest compounding daily, you’d walk away with $250,166.37! But ... if you start at age 45, you’d only have $87,117.29.2 <p>For illustrative purposes only. Interest rate and APY may change after initial deposit.</p>
Open an account today — the sooner, the better. There are NO fees, and you can withdraw your money whenever you need it. Plus, can rest assured that your funds are fully backed by the service reliability of American Express, Member FDIC. Terms Apply.
Click here to open an American Express High Yield Savings account
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 them3 <p></p>SmartAsset Advisors, LLC ("SmartAsset"), a wholly owned subsidiary of Financial Insight Technology, is registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission as an investment adviser. SmartAsset’s services are limited to referring users to third party registered investment advisers and/or investment adviser representatives (“RIA/IARs”) that have elected to participate in our matching platform based on information gathered from users through our online questionnaire. SmartAsset does not review the ongoing performance of any RIA/IAR, participate in the management of any user’s account by an RIA/IAR or provide advice regarding specific investments.</p> <p>We do not manage client funds or hold custody of assets, we help users connect with relevant financial advisors</p> 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 advisors3 <p></p>SmartAsset Advisors, LLC ("SmartAsset"), a wholly owned subsidiary of Financial Insight Technology, is registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission as an investment adviser. SmartAsset’s services are limited to referring users to third party registered investment advisers and/or investment adviser representatives (“RIA/IARs”) that have elected to participate in our matching platform based on information gathered from users through our online questionnaire. SmartAsset does not review the ongoing performance of any RIA/IAR, participate in the management of any user’s account by an RIA/IAR or provide advice regarding specific investments.</p>
<p>We do not manage client funds or hold custody of assets, we help users connect with relevant financial advisors</p> who serve your area
3. Once you’ve got your matches, get a free consultation with each!
Paid Non-Client Promotion
Earn a $300 bonus offer when you open and fund this powerful account
We hate to tell you this, really. But if you aren’t using Bank of America Advantage Banking, you could be missing out on extra cash. Don’t worry though … it's easy to fix.
Earn a $300 bonus when you open an account through the Bank of America promotional page. This offer is available online only and may not be available if you leave this page, visit bankofamerica.com, visit a Bank of America Financial center, or if you call the bank. See offer page for more details. Bank of America, N.A. Member FDIC.
Besides potentially earning a nice bonus, you’ll also get access to Bank of America’s highly-rated mobile apps, thousands of ATMs and financial centers, 24/7 security with Total Security Protection® and fraud monitoring, and much more.
This is practically passive income and a great way to supercharge your earnings. Hurry, this is a limited-time offer and is only valid through 5/31/2025.
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 $15 the first year with auto-renewal.
Pay no interest on balance transfers into 2026
Imagine getting 18 months with 0% intro APR on a balance transfer. Sounds great — right? You could dramatically change your financial picture with this industry-leading card - the Citi Double Cash® Card.
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 on balance transfers for 18 months. After the intro period for balance transfers, the APR is 18.24% - 28.24% (Variable). 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!
It doesn't stop with balance transfers though. Cardholders can also earn double cash back — 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases; plus, a special travel offer, earn 5% total cash back on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through 12/31/25. Even better, you can redeem your cash back as direct deposit, a statement credit, or even a mailed check! You can turn your everyday purchases into cash back and make a dent in your debt, regular bills, or save for the future.
The best part? There's no annual fee with the Citi Double Cash® Card(Rates and fees).
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 air conditioning unit breaks down during a heatwave. Instead of paying $1,500 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 $1,400 almost instantly!
Choose a plan here and you can still lock in their ultra-low 2024 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 <p>CHW reserves the right to offer cash back in lieu of repair or replacement in the amount of CHW's actual cost (which at times may be less than retail) to repair or replace any covered system, component or appliance. In the event that CHW makes such payment, CHW will provide written notification of the basis for the amount of the payment. First Month Free with purchase of any single payment home warranty plan. The product being offered is a service contract and is separate and distinct from any product or service warranty which may be provided by the home builder or manufacturer.</p>
Choose a plan from Choice Home Warranty here and lock in 2024 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.