Saving up $1,000 in your checking account is a big milestone. But leaving the money in checking likely doesn't make much sense since most checking accounts pay minimal or no interest.
Once you've worked hard to amass $1,000, you want to put your money to work for you. Here are eight money moves you can make to get the most bang for your buck and get on the path towards a bright financial future.
Invest in Apple, Tesla, or Amazon for just $1
Once you’ve paid all your essential monthly bills, take a look at what’s left in your bank account and come up with an investing strategy. Even if it’s not a lot of money, don’t let that stop you – you can start investing with just $1.
Stash is a great place for beginning investors to get started. You can invest in fractional shares (partial shares) in companies that are household names like Apple, Tesla, and Amazon. A single share of some companies could cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars, but with fractional shares you can invest with as little as $1.
If you're thinking about saving for retirement, you can start investing in an IRA and enjoy the tax benefits that come with retirement accounts. Stash also offers tools and guidance to help you along the way.
As a bonus, Stash will give you $20 towards your first investment after you sign up and deposit $5 or more into your personal portfolio.1
Cancel your car insurance
We've got bad news. You could be wasting $500 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 $500 or more per year when they save! 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 $500. To find out if you're losing up to $500 or more a year, just enter your zip code here, answer a few questions and see if you're overpaying. It takes less than 2 minutes.
A loan-free way to unlock your home's equity
If you own your home, you know it's a valuable asset, but tapping into your home's value without selling it can be a challenge. If you need money for home improvements, to pay off debt, start a new business, fund your retirement, pay for education, or more, there's a new option to consider.
Hometap is an alternative to traditional home equity loans. Instead of loaning you money that you need to pay back in monthly payments, they make an investment in your home. If qualified, they'll give you the cash now in return for participating in the proceeds when you sell your home.
To be eligible, you need to own at least 25% equity in your home. You can request a free estimate of your home from Hometap to get started.
Prepare for market volatility by diversifying in gold
Stock market volatility can be financially damaging, especially as you near retirement. You could move your investments into a savings account, but have you seen interest rates lately? Another option to consider — diversify with gold.
Gold values are inversely correlated with the stock market and the dollar. When one goes down, the other usually goes up. If you want to protect your retirement funds, having diversified investments may be able to help you weather market swings.
Gold Alliance is a reputable precious metals dealer that specializes in precious metals IRAs. They make it simple to transfer funds from your current retirement account (like a 401(k) or IRA) into a precious metal IRA — with no taxes or penalties.
Gold Alliance offers a free gold information kit to help you learn more about why gold and silver could be a smart choice for diversifying your portfolio, and how the process works.
Increase your credit scores instantly, for free
Your credit scores affect whether you can get approved for a loan, a credit card, or even a new job. Usually it can take weeks or months to improve your credit scores, but there's an innovative new feature that could help you raise your FICO® Scores3 instantly.
Experian Boost® can help you get credit for making on-time payments for your phone and utility bills. The process takes just minutes and if qualifying payments are identified, you can include this positive information in your Experian credit file. (Don't worry: If you have any negative marks, those won't count against you.)
Since launching, Experian Boost has collectively increased FICO® Scores across America by over 10 million points. It's 100% free and new potential credit scores take effect immediately.
Sign up for Experian Boost now
Get out of $10,000 or more in 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.
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.
See if you're overpaying for homeowners insurance
Are you overpaying for homeowners insurance? It only takes 60 seconds to get quotes with FinanceBuzz so you can compare options to see if you could save money on great coverage.
Finding the right homeowners insurance can be overwhelming, but with FinanceBuzz you can compare rates from top insurers in the U.S., all in one place. Comparing homeowners insurance quotes can help you get the coverage your home needs at an affordable price.
It's free and fast to compare quotes. See how much you could save!
See how much you could save by ditching your mortgage lender
Yep, we said it. If you want to save a ton of money next month — $100, $200, $500 — you should ditch your current mortgage right now.
Our new tool will help you compare mortgage offers and rates and could help you simplify refinancing your mortgage. Which means you could slash your interest rate, lower your monthly mortgage payments and even build equity in your home faster… all so you can save money and free up breathing room in your budget.
You could even take advantage of a cash out refinance for massive savings. The money you get could help you crush your high-interest debt for good. Or you could take advantage of that potentially lucrative investment opportunity that you now have the cash for. The possibilities are endless, but you’d be crazy not to see how much you can get just by refinancing.