Buy $100 Apple Gift Card (or Disney), Get $10 Target Gift Card Free

Posted on November 18, 2025 // 2 Comments

Deal is back again through 11/22. Get a $10 Target GiftCard with $100 Apple Gift Card purchase. A simple deal if you plan to buy any Apple products/services in the future (and have a free Target Circle membership). While supplies last. Stack with the 5% back via Target REDCard, or your usual rewards credit card.

This time, the gift card deal also includes other options like Disney, Roblox, Starbucks, Google Play, Doordash, Razer, Nintendo, Uber, and Xbox.

Apple gift cards are now good for everything from iPhones to Apple Watches to music to iCloud storage subscriptions. The code just adds to the balance in your Apple account. I accumulate them over time like an old-fashioned layaway plan and I feel that getting 10% to 15% off a new iPhone or Apple Watch even when you buy on release day is pretty good.

Best Buy is not matching this deal right now, but they have some other promo where you get a EA SPORTS FC bonus with Apple gift card purchase. Gift cards at Best Buy.

Filed Under: Deals & Offers //

Current Fintech App: $175 Bonus w/ Direct Deposit

Posted on November 5, 2025 // 20 Comments

Bonus increased to $175 for limited-time. Current is a fintech, with banking services provided by Choice Financial Group, member FDIC. After the whole Synapse/Juno/Yotta fiasco, I no longer recommending keeping significant balances in a fintech, even if the interest rate is very competitive. The entire point of cash is to be as close to 100% safe and liquid as possible.

I am updating this review of my Current account opened years ago, as right now they are offering a boosted $150 referral bonus if you complete an eligible Payroll Deposit of at least $200 within your first 45 days of opening an account. You must either apply directly through the link above or enter promo code JONATHAP228 when signing up. Thanks if you use my link!

Other features:

  • No minimum balance. No minimum opening deposit.
  • No credit check. No Chexsystems check.
  • No overdraft fees.
  • Fee-free ATM withdrawals within the 40,000+ Allpoint ATM network.
  • Access to paycheck up to 2 days early.
  • Gas station authorization holds immediately released.
  • On top of no overdraft fees, also get up to $100 in fee-free overdraft coverage.

This is a pretty big bonus with no minimum deposit requirement that should be easy for those that have payroll websites/apps where you can split and/or switch your direct deposits easily.

Current also offers 4% APY on their “Savings Pods” if you maintain a $200+ direct deposit monthly. But even though the $175 new customer bonus is nice and they have some thoughtful features like the free overdraft coverage, they are still a fintech so I’m not keeping significant balances there long-term.

Filed Under: Banking, Deals & Offers //

Bask Bank Interest Checking $300 Bonus + 3% APY Rate Boost (New Customers)

Posted on November 5, 2025 // 1 Comment

Bask Bank has a new promotion for their Interest Checking account:

  • Open a new Bask Interest Checking Account between November 1, 2025, and January 31, 2026. Offer is available to new Bask Interest Checking customers who do not have an existing Interest Checking Account as of October 31, 2025.
  • Maintain an average monthly balance of at least $1,500 in your Bask Interest Checking Account and complete five or more monthly purchases, totaling a minimum of $50, using your Bask debit card.
  • 3.00% APY Rate Boost: Earn a 3.00% APY Boost from November 1, 2025, through January 31, 2026,
    when qualifying activities are met. This is on top of the “base” Checking rate, which can vary but is currently 1% APY.
  • $300 Cash Bonus ($100 x 3): Earn up to a $300 Cash Bonus from November 1, 2025, through April 30, 2026, when qualifying activities are met. Qualifying participants will receive a $100 Cash Bonus paid to their Bask Interest Checking Account at the close of each monthly statement period when all qualifying activities are met. Participants can receive a maximum of three Cash Bonus payments during the Cash Bonus Period.

Interest Checking has no monthly fees and no minimum balance. You could also pair with the Bask Bank Interest Savings account, currently paying a competitive 4.05% APY. This is not a fintech; Texas Capital Bank is the underlying bank, previously also behind the old BankDirect brand.

I already have this account as well from a previous $200 bonus. I should probably close it as I don’t use it.

This is a solid bonus that doesn’t require a direct deposit, just a few debit card purchases. I already have an open Mileage Savings Account with $20 or so in it so that I can earn a few American Airlines miles each month as “interest” and keep my AA miles active. (The payout isn’t as great as it once was, so I don’t keep anything sizable in there anymore, but maybe they’ll hike it back up someday.)

Filed Under: Banking, Deals & Offers //

Ally Bank $100 New Savings Account Referral Bonus (No Direct Deposit Requirement)

Posted on November 3, 2025 // 2 Comments

Bonus is back. Ally Bank is one of my favorite banks in terms of user interface, practical features, customer service, and reliability. They were my primary checking account for years (the checking can auto-draft from the savings). Unfortunately, their savings account rates have been lagging the top rates by about 1% recently. Despite that, I still keep maintain active accounts there because I use them as my central hub connecting all my many different bank accounts with fast transfers and a clear schedule of exactly when the money will be withdrawn and deposited.

Ally is running a $100 new account bonus by referral only (that’s mine, thanks if you use it). You must first enroll with your name and address by 12/31/25, and then using the same e-mail address open one of two possible account types (Ally Spending, Ally Savings) within 30 days of enrollment and make qualifying transfers to get the $100 bonus. You are not eligible if you are a current customer (with any Ally product), or has had any Ally account open since January 1, 2024.

Thus, my recommendation is to first open a Savings account with this offer (which works for both Savings and Checking but only works if you have no Ally accounts at all), satisfy all the requirements, and then after do this different bonus on your first Checking (allows you to have other Ally accounts).

Here are the details for the Savings Account. Taken from full terms and conditions [pdf].

Ally Bank Savings Account

1. Once your Savings Account is open, setup (within your new account) a monthly automated recurring transfer of any amount and have it start within 30 days of account opening.
2. Complete an automated recurring transfer at least once a month for at least three months in a row.
3. Your $100 Welcome Bonus will be deposited within 30 days of receiving your third consecutive monthly recurring transfer. To be paid, make sure you keep your Savings Account open and in Good Standing through the Payout Date.

What do they mean by “automated recurring transfer”? I tried it out in my Ally account it just means setting up as little as a $1 transfer every month into your savings account. You can connect an external bank account to fund the transfer.

Overall, the requirements are pretty easy for a $100 bonus and it has useful characteristics noted above. I personally use this account nearly every week to manage my interbank transfers. I even hit their maximum limit of 20 linked external accounts.

Filed Under: Banking, Deals & Offers //

Ally Bank Checking (Spending Account): $300 Bonus w/ Direct Deposit

Posted on November 3, 2025 // Leave a Comment

Bonus is back, now $300. Ally Bank has a new checking account promotion for their “Spending Account”. You must open your first Spending Account by 11/18/2025 and use the promo code GET300, fund it within 30 days of opening, and set up qualifying direct deposits of at least $1,000 a month for two consecutive months. Your first monthly qualifying direct deposit(s) totaling at least $1,000 must post to your Spending Account within 60 days of when you open the account. You’ll then get a $300 bonus within 30 days of the qualifying direct deposits.

If you don’t have an Ally Spending account already but are using their Savings account, this is a good bonus to grab. If you don’t have an Ally Savings account yet, I would open a Savings first grabbing this $100 bonus (which works for both Savings and Checking and only works if you have no Ally accounts at all), satisfy all the requirements, and then after do this bonus on your first Checking (allows you to have other Ally accounts).

Spending Account mini-review. Their Spending Account is solid but nothing extraordinary – a checking account with no monthly fees, no minimums, online bill payments, ATM rebates up to $10 per statement cycle, but it only pays a sad 0.10% APY interest on balances up to $15k and 0.25% APY on balances above $15k. However, it does pair well if you already use the Ally Savings Account. You can set an Ally Savings account to be the automatic (and free) backup funding source if you overdraft the Spending account. You can also have multiple Savings Accounts (useful when they enforced the six withdrawals per month limit). So when Ally was my primary account, I would keep a very minimal amount in my Spending Account, a bigger amount in Savings Account #1 as overdraft backup, and another bigger amount in Savings #2 or Savings #3 or No Penalty CD or whatever.

All deposits would go straight into Savings #1, earning higher interest right away. You can even do mobile check deposit directly into Savings. Bill Pay must come out of Spending/Checking, but all of my 5-10 payments would be scheduled on say the 2nd of the month. (You can request to shift each of your credit card due dates to match up.) I would then schedule a big transfer from Savings #1 to Spending/Checking on the 1st of the month. If a random withdrawal hits my Spending/Checking, it would just trigger an auto-withdrawal from Savings #1. The result: maximum interest earned from Savings and minimal idle cash in Spending/Checking.

While I have used my Ally Bank accounts regularly for years due to their well-designed bank-to-bank transfer service and overall solid customer service, the Ally Savings APY has been lagging during this period of interest rate hikes, usually 1% APY behind the rate leaders. Most of my idle cash has moved into money market mutual funds (like VUSXX or FDLXX) and Treasury bonds, both earning me at least 1% APY more on an after-tax basis due to my local state income tax deduction.

Filed Under: Banking, Deals & Offers //

Groupon: Costco New Membership $65 w/ $40 Costco Gift Card (+$50 Rakuten New Member Bonus)

Posted on October 30, 2025 // 13 Comments

Groupon has a limited-time deal on new Costco Gold Star or Executive Memberships. There are two options. Offer expires December 21, 2025.

$65 for Gold Star Membership Package

  • 1-year Gold Star Membership (normally $65 by itself)
  • Membership card for the Primary Cardholder and one additional Household Card for anyone living at the same address, over the age of 18.
  • $40 Digital Costco Shop gift card Valid in-store and online. The Digital Costco Shop Card will be emailed within two weeks of sign-up.

$130 for Executive Membership Package

  • 1-year Executive Membership (normally $130 by itself). Executive membership includes an annual 2% reward (up to $1,250) on eligible Costco and Costco Travel purchases.
  • Membership card for the Primary Cardholder and one additional Household Card for anyone living at the same address, over the age of 18.
  • $60 Digital Costco Shop gift card Valid in-store and online. The Digital Costco Shop Card will be emailed within two weeks of sign-up.

They’ve made it a bit more restrictive in that both the Primary and Household/Affiliate member must not have had a membership in the last 18 months. I know that some people like to alternate between a Costco and Sam’s Club membership.

Valid only for new members and those whose previous memberships (Primary and Affiliate) have been expired for at least 18 months or more. Not valid for renewal or upgrade of an existing membership.

Save even more on your Groupon with a cashback shopping portal. For example, trigger the Rakuten new member bonus ($50 bonus right now after you spend $50) and also get 4% back. If Groupon doesn’t give it to you, send them this screenshot from their own website after searching for “Costco” and scrolling down (taken 10/30/25):

Filed Under: Deals & Offers, Frugal Living //

Citi Strata Elite Card Review with Non-Travel Reward Redemptions

Posted on October 29, 2025 // 6 Comments

Citi has joined in the ultra-premium rewards card category with the Citi Strata Elite credit card. As with similar cards, there are a lot of travel-related perks, some associated “lifestyle” perks, and a hefty annual fees. Yet our “lifestyle” is more about sneaking the 3rd kid into a Hampton Inn and booking affordable Airbnbs so we can hike in a national park with our free 4th grader pass.

I recently finished up the spending requirements for the Chase Sapphire Reserve card, and I realized that while I will get a lot of first-year value out of the card, I will also leave many of the benefits completely unused. And that’s okay! I don’t want to spend $200+ on a fancy dinner only to then have to worry about it not being reimbursed and then spend additional time arguing with customer service about it. I will pick up the easy stuff, and move on. So that is the lens for this review, as I consider my next credit card.

(Side note: You can read about some the drama surrounding this card (WSJ gift article) during its initial launch. Not the best way to treat “premium” customers… I hope Citi has ironed out these kinks.)

Perk highlights:

  • Limited-time offer: 100,000 ThankYou points after spending $6,000 in the first 3 months.
  • $300 annual hotel credit for prepaid stays of at least two nights booked via Citi Travel portal.
  • $200 annual “Splurge Credit” at select sites (includes Best Buy, Apple, Airbnb, American Airlines, Delta Airlines).
  • $200 annual Blacklane chauffeur credit ($100 January–June, $100 July–December).
  • Up to $120 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit, once every 4 years.
  • Priority Pass Select membership for access to 1,500+ airport lounges worldwide.
  • 4 annual American Airlines Admirals Club lounge passes.
  • Travel and purchase protections including trip cancellation/interruption, delay protection, lost/damaged luggage, MasterRental coverage, extended warranty, and purchase assurance.
  • $595 annual fee.

Rewards structure highlights:

  • 12X points hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked through the Citi Travel portal.
  • 6X points on air travel booked through the Citi Travel portal.
  • 6X points at restaurants (including delivery) every Friday and Saturday from 6p to 6a ET (“Citi Nights”).
  • 3X points at restaurants otherwise.
  • 1.5X points per dollar on all other purchases.

Getting low-effort value out of Citi ThankYou points. If you prefer “cash back” rewards, then you might already have the Citi Double Cash card as it allows you to earn a flat 2% cash back on all your purchases. (Notice the Double Cash still beats this fancy card for most purchases!) However, technically you earn 2X Citi ThankYou points on all your Double Cash purchases, which you are then allow to redeem at a rate of $0.01 per point. Therefore, if you have both this Strata Elite and the Double Cash, then you can combine the points and redeem that 100,000 ThankYou point bonus for $1,000 cash (statement credit). Without the Double Cash, you are only going to get 75% of that amount ($750 for 100,000 points.)

(My second-favorite option would probably be to transfer to American Airlines miles, which are probably the most flexible and valuable option for a US domestic traveler. You can use their “Cash + Miles” option when booking a flight and reliably get more than 1 cent per mile value without having to use them in huge blocks. Finally, you could wait to redeem for a gift card during a promo, or you can redeem ThankYou points at Amazon at 0.80 cents per point using their “Shop with Points” feature. 100,000 points = $800 to spend at Amazon.)

Getting low-effort value out of the $200 “Annual Splurge Credit”. Here’s their text:

Every calendar year, earn up to $200 in statement credits on your choice of up to 2 of the following brands: 1stDibs, American Airlines (exclusions apply), Best Buy®, Future Personal Training, and Live Nation (exclusions apply).

I would simply pick Best Buy as my option and then promptly buy an Amazon gift card from Best Buy for $200 and load it directly into my Amazon account balance. (Airbnb and Apple gift cards would be my next choices.) Easy. Done. Won’t forget to use up. Notice also that the credit is based on calendar year. If you apply for this card before the end of 2025, you can get $200 in 2025 and also $200 in 2026 during the first year of paying that huge $595 annual fee.

The rest is gravy on top. For example, I might use the annual hotel credit, but I also already have a ton of hotel points and not that much travel planned. I don’t want to spend $1,000 to “save” $300. I probably won’t use the Blacklane credit; I looked up my home/airport combo and it cost $165 vs under $50 for Uber/Lyft. The airport lounge access is nice but honestly most of these Priority Pass lounges are so crowded nowadays. I’ll probably use the $120 Global Entry credit depending on expiration timing, but won’t count it for now.

The main point is that you often still do well without maximizing every potential benefit. With just the easiest non-travel rewards listed above, I am already at $1,000 statement credit + $400 in Amazon gift cards – $600 annual fee = $800 net first-year value.

Filed Under: Credit Cards, Deals & Offers //

Barclays Bank Tiered Savings: $200 Bonus on $30,000 Deposit (+3.90% APY)

Posted on October 19, 2025 // 5 Comments

Barclays Bank Delaware is an FDIC-insured US bank with a limited-time offer of a $200 bonus if you deposit $30,000+ in new funds into their Tiered Savings Account. You must fund within 30 days of opening, and maintain the balance of at least $30,000 for another 120 consecutive days after funding. Bonus arrives after another 60 days. You must be a new Barclays Tiered Savings customer (current and previous Barclays customers with a Savings or CD are not eligible). Note that they have other flavors of savings accounts, so be sure to apply for the right one. Direct deposit is not required. Offer expires 12/31/2025.

There is a slightly better version of this bonus for AARP members (you will need an active membership number).

Here are the current interest rate tiers, as of 10/19/25. Note that it’s basically a 3.90% APY account unless you have a $250,000 balance. As with all savings accounts, the rates are also subject to change at any time.

Bonus math. This is a 0.66% bonus on $25,000 if you keep it there for 120 days, which makes it the equivalent of 2% APY annualized. Bonus will be paid around Day 180 and the account must be open at that time, but you only need to maintain full balance through Day 120 after funding. The bonus is on top of the standard interest rate, currently a relatively competitive 3.90% APY for a $25,000 balance as of 10/19/25.

The equivalent of roughly 5.90% total APY over 120 days makes it a decent offer for those with compatible balances looking for short-term place to hold their cash for a few months. However, it’s not as good as the currently live CIT Bank deposit offer that offers $225 for $25k and $300 for $50k with no minimum holding period.

Filed Under: Banking, Deals & Offers //

How to Close Your US Bank Account or US Bank Credit Card Online

Posted on October 15, 2025 // 2 Comments

After US Bank completely changed the terms of their Smartly Rewards credit card less than 6 months after application, I have nearly completed closing nearly all of my US Bank accounts, including bank accounts, credit cards, and brokerage accounts. The process was relatively simple, and you don’t need to visit a branch or call them on the phone if you don’t want to. You can close your account online using the Live Chat feature on their website. Simply type in “close account” into their Smart Assistant search bar, and then they will ask which account you want to close. After you select it, you will be presented with the following popup options. These may be different based on their daytime/weekday business hours, but I was able to reach someone in less than a minute. The Live Chat agent closed things efficiently while I did other stuff on my computer.

If you have a US Bank credit card with an annual fee that was charged to your account within the last 30 days, the annual fee will be automatically refunded after you close the credit card account. In other words, you can wait until you actually see the new annual fee charged to the account before you close the account (if you want). That may give you more time to redeem all your rewards (which will be lost upon closure) and use up all the perks like a travel statement credit or TSA PreCheck/Global Entry application fee. In the past, US Bank has also offered “retention” offers in order to keep your business, but I was not offered anything this time when canceling. Perhaps if you call into a human, they might be more likely to offer something, I don’t know.

For the US Bank brokerage account, I had moved in over $100k in assets to qualify for their highest loyalty tier. Well, that loyalty was not rewarded, so I was off again looking for the best place for my assets. I thought about the Kraken up to 2% offer for 1-year hold, but the reward-to-risk ratio just wasn’t there for me. The current regulatory environment is not pro-consumer, and I didn’t feel comfortable with possible having to beg and plead for my $100k back if Kraken blew themselves up in a crypto meltdown. I also didn’t like how the “up to” 2% bonus was contingent on outside factors. I’ll still take the easy crypto money, though!

In the end, I chose this Merrill Edge transfer offer, which is a $400 bonus on $100k transferred (0.4%) with a much shorter 90-day hold. I already have an account with Merrill and Preferred Rewards status, and I find them reliable and professional. Merrill Edge will also reimburse me for the $95 outgoing transfer fee charged by US Bank. Thankfully, this offer is also valid for existing customers. If one bank isn’t meeting your needs, there is most likely a better offer out there.

Filed Under: Banking, Credit Cards, Deals & Offers //

Best Interest Rates Survey: Bank Accounts, Treasury Bills, Money Markets, ETFs – October 2025

Posted on October 13, 2025 // 3 Comments

Here’s my monthly survey of the best interest rates on cash as of October 2025, roughly sorted from shortest to longest maturities. Banks and brokerages love taking advantage of our idle cash, and you can often earning more money while keeping the same level of safety by moving to another FDIC-insured bank or NCUA-insured credit union. Check out my Ultimate Rate-Chaser Calculator to see how much extra interest you could earn from switching. Rates listed are available to everyone nationwide. Rates checked as of 10/13/2025.

TL;DR: Savings account interest rates have dropped slightly overall. You can get 4.6% and 4.5% APY if you accept some hoops/restrictions. Short-term T-Bill rates have fallen slightly, now ~4.1%. Top 5-year CD rates are ~4.3% APY, while 5-year Treasury rate is ~3.6%.

High-yield savings accounts*
Since the huge megabanks still pay essentially no interest, everyone should at least 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 and solid user experience. 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.

  • The top saving rate at the moment: Pibank at 4.60% APY (no min), but they have some weird restrictions; like you can only use wire/Plaid to deposit and wire transfers to withdraw funds?! Presidential Bank has a 4.50% APY savings account that requires an Advantage Checking account. You’ll have to decide if the hoops are worth it. CIT Platinum Savings is now at 3.85% APY with $5,000+ balance and is offering an up to $300 deposit bonus which increases your effective APY for a while. There are many banks in between.
  • SoFi Bank is at 3.80% APY + up to 4.50% APY for 6 months + $325 new account bonus with qualifying direct deposit. You must maintain a direct deposit of any amount (even $1) each month for the higher APY. SoFi has historically competitive rates and full banking features.
  • Here is a limited survey of high-yield savings accounts. They aren’t the top rates, but a group that have historically kept it relatively competitive such that I like to track their history. I call this the “okay/good” zone of 3.40%+.

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.

  • No Penalty CDs offer a fixed interest rate that can never go down, but you can still take out your money (once) without any fees if you want to use it elsewhere. Marcus has a 13-month No Penalty CD at 3.95% APY ($500 minimum deposit). Farmer’s Insurance FCU has a 9-month No Penalty CD at 4.00% APY ($1,000 minimum deposit). USA USALLIANCE Financial CU has a 11-month No Penalty CD at 3.90% APY ($500 minimum deposit).
  • Abound Credit Union has a 10-month certificate at 4.30% APY ($500 min). Early withdrawal penalty is 90 days of interest. Anyone can join this credit union via $10 membership fee to join partner organization.

Money market mutual funds
Many brokerage firms that pay out very little interest on their default cash sweep funds (and keep the difference for themselves). Note: Money market mutual funds are highly-regulated, but ultimately not FDIC-insured, so I would still stick with highly reputable firms.

  • Vanguard Federal Money Market Fund (VMFXX) is the default sweep option for Vanguard brokerage accounts, which has a 7-day SEC yield of 4.04% (changes daily, but also works out to a compound yield of 4.12%, which is better for comparing against APY). Odds are this is much higher than your own broker’s default cash sweep interest rate.
  • Vanguard Treasury Money Market Fund (VUSXX) is an alternative money market fund which you must manually purchase, but the interest will be mostly (100% for 2024 tax year) exempt from state and local income taxes because it comes from qualifying US government obligations. Current 7-day SEC yield of 4.04% (compound yield of 4.12%).

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, which can make a significant difference in your effective yield.

  • You can build your own T-Bill ladder at TreasuryDirect.gov or via a brokerage account with a bond desk like Vanguard and Fidelity. Here are the current Treasury Bill rates. As of 10/10/25, a new 4-week T-Bill had the equivalent of 4.09% annualized interest and a 52-week T-Bill had the equivalent of 3.61% annualized interest.
  • The iShares 0-3 Month Treasury Bond ETF (SGOV) has a 4.12% 30-day SEC yield (0.09% expense ratio) and effective duration of 0.10 years. SPDR Bloomberg Barclays 1-3 Month T-Bill ETF (BIL) has a 4.02% 30-day SEC yield (0.136% expense ratio) and effective duration of 0.15 years. The new Vanguard 0-3 Month Treasury Bill ETF (VBIL) has a 4.12% 30-day SEC yield (0.07% expense ratio) and effective duration of 0.10 years.

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.

  • “I Bonds” bought between May 2025 and October 2025 will earn a 3.98% rate for the first six months. The rate of the subsequent 6-month period will be based on inflation again. More on Savings Bonds here.
  • In mid-October 2025, the CPI will be announced and you will have a short period where you will have a very close estimate of the rate for the next 12 months. I will post another update at that time.

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.

  • OnPath Federal Credit Union (my review) pays 7.00% APY on up to $10,000 if you make 15 debit card purchases, opt into online statements, and login to online or mobile banking once per statement cycle. Anyone can join this credit union via $5 membership fee to join partner organization. You can also get a $150 Visa Reward card when you open a new account and make qualifying transactions.
  • Genisys Credit Union pays 6.75% APY on up to $7,500 if you make 10 debit card purchases of $5+ each per statement cycle, and opt into online statements. Anyone can join this credit union via $5 membership fee to join partner organization.
  • Oklahoma Central Credit Union pays 6.00% APY on up to $10,000 if you make 15 debit card purchases (non-ATM) per statement cycle. Anyone can join this credit union if they are “affiliated with another credit union”.
  • La Capitol Federal Credit Union pays 5.75% APY on up to $10,000 if you make 15 debit card purchases of at least $5 each per statement cycle. Anyone can join this credit union via partner organization, Louisiana Association for Personal Financial Achievement ($20).
  • First Southern Bank pays 5.50% APY on up to $25,000 if you make at least 15 debit card purchases, 1 ACH credit or payment transaction, and enroll in online statements.
  • Credit Union of New Jersey pays 6.00% APY on up to $25,000 if you make 12 debit card purchases, opt into online statements, and make at least 1 direct deposit, online bill payment, or automatic payment (ACH) per statement cycle. Anyone can join this credit union via $5 membership fee to join partner organization.
  • Andrews Federal Credit Union pays 5.50% APY (down from 6%) on up to $25,000 if you make 15 debit card purchases, opt into online statements, and make at least 1 direct deposit or ACH transaction per statement cycle. Anyone can join this credit union via partner organization.
  • Find a locally-restricted rewards checking account at DepositAccounts.

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.

  • United Fidelity Bank has a 5-year certificate at 4.30% APY ($1,000 minimum), 4-year at 4.25% APY, 3-year at 4.20% APY, 2-year at 4.20% APY, and 1.5-year at 4.25% APY. Early withdrawal penalties are not disclosed clearly online.
  • Mountain America Credit Union (MACU) has a 5-year certificate at 4.00% APY ($500 minimum), 4-year at 4.00% APY, 3-year at 4.00% APY, 2-year at 4.25% APY, and 1-year at 4.00% APY. Early withdrawal penalty for the 4-year and 5-year is 365 days of interest. Anyone can join this credit union via partner organization American Consumer Council for a one-time $5 fee (or try promo code “consumer”).
  • Lafayette Federal Credit Union (LFCU) has a 5-year certificate at 3.97% APY ($500 minimum), 4-year at 3.97% APY, 3-year at 3.97% APY, 2-year at 4.02% APY, and 1-year at 4.02% APY. Slightly higher rates with jumbo $100,000+ balances. Note that the early withdrawal penalty for the 5-year is a relatively large 600 days of interest. Anyone nationwide can join LFCU by joining the Home Ownership Financial Literacy Council (HOFLC) for a one-time $10 fee.
  • You can buy certificates of deposit via the bond desks of Vanguard and Fidelity. You may need an account to see the rates. These “brokered CDs” offer FDIC insurance and easy laddering, but they don’t come with predictable early withdrawal penalties. Right now, I see a 5-year non-callable brokered CD at 3.75% APY (callable: no, call protection: yes). Be warned that both Vanguard and Fidelity will list higher rates from callable CDs, which importantly means they can (and will!) call back your CD if rates drop significantly later.

Longer-term Instruments
I’d use these with caution due to increased interest rate risk (tbh, I don’t use them at all), but I still track them to see the rest of the current yield curve.

  • Willing to lock up your money for 10 years? You can buy long-term certificates of deposit via the bond desks of Vanguard and Fidelity. These “brokered CDs” offer FDIC insurance, but they don’t come with predictable early withdrawal penalties. You might find something that pays more than your other brokerage cash and Treasury options. Right now, I see a 10-year CDs at [n/a] (non-callable) vs. 4.05% for a 10-year Treasury. Watch out for higher rates from callable CDs where they can call your CD back if interest rates drop.

All rates were checked as of 10/13/25.

* I no longer recommend fintech companies due to the possibility of significant loss due to poor recordkeeping and the lack of government protection in such scenarios. The point of cash is absolute safety of principal.

Photo by Giorgio Trovato on Unsplash

Filed Under: Banking, Deals & Offers, Investing // Tagged:

One Key Credit Cards (VRBO, Expedia, Hotels.com): $400/$600 OneKeyCash Bonus (Limited-Time Offer)

Posted on October 10, 2025 // 2 Comments

The One Key and One Key+ credit cards are travel rewards cards offered by Expedia Group (Expedia, Hotels.com, and VRBO) and issued by Wells Fargo. Rewards are earned as “OneKeyCash” which can only be used to offset travel bookings on one of those three sites. Personally, the main draw for me is VRBO as we often book one larger space instead of two hotel rooms for our family of five. Right now, there is a limited-time offer. Highlights:

One Key Card

  • New cardholder bonus: $400 in OneKeyCash after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months.
  • 3% back in OneKeyCash on Expedia, Hotels.com and Vrbo.
  • 3% back in OneKeyCash at gas stations, grocery stores and on dining.
  • 1.5% back in OneKeyCash on all other purchases.
  • Automatic Silver One Key status. Supposedly, this includes “savings of 15% or more on over 10,000 hotels worldwide.” Unlock Gold when you spend $15,000 per calendar year.
  • Other benefits include no foreign transaction fees, cell phone protection, and travel protections like travel accident insurance and trip cancellation insurance.
  • No annual fee.

One Key+ Card (note the plus sign!)

  • New cardholder bonus: $600 in OneKeyCash after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months.
  • 3% back in OneKeyCash on Expedia, Hotels.com and Vrbo.
  • 3% back in OneKeyCash at gas stations, grocery stores and on dining.
  • 2% back in OneKeyCash on all other purchases.
  • Automatic Gold One Key status. Supposedly, this includes “savings of 20% or more on over 10,000 hotels worldwide.” Unlock Platinum when you spend $30,000 per calendar year.
  • $100 in OneKeyCash each year on your Cardholder anniversary.
  • $120 Global Entry/TSA credit. Receive one statement credit up to $120 for a Trusted Traveler Program, such as Global Entry® or TSA PreCheck®.
  • Other benefits include no foreign transaction fees, cell phone protection, and travel protections like travel accident insurance and trip cancellation insurance.
  • $99 annual fee.

The credit card rewards stack on top of the standard OneKeyCash earned for booking on Expedia, Hotels.com, and VRBO. However, it’s often cheaper to book a hotel directly at their own website, so I usually don’t use Expedia or Hotels.com. With VRBO, often the same house is also listed on Airbnb and on a small independent management site. Sometimes VRBO is the cheapest (after all their fees and taxes) or offers the best refund policy, so I still use VRBO in those cases.

Limitations on Expedia flight bookings. You can use OneKeyCash for a flight, but note the following limitations:

To use OneKeyCash on a flight, you will need enough OneKeyCash to cover the entire cost of your eligible flight, including taxes and fees, and may not add any optional extras like checked bags or seat assignments. You can purchase those extras after booking your ticket. OneKeyCash may only be used on selected flights.

In contrast, you can use OneKeyCash to partially offset a VRBO rental, down to the penny. Note that not all VRBO properties are eligible for OneKeyCash redemption (VRBO must be their payment processor) and you must use the “Pay Now” option.

I personally don’t usually use Expedia or Hotels.com on a regular basis, but I do book on VRBO regularly enough to expect to use up the OneKeyCash bonus. For those that have done most of the other big credit card bonuses, this card still offers some good potential value, even if it is in a more restricted rewards system.

Filed Under: Credit Cards, Deals & Offers //

Amazon Prime Big Deals Day 2025: Check For Extended Free Trials and Easy Credits

Posted on October 8, 2025 // 1 Comment

Amazon is running yet another “Huge Sale!” called Prime Big Deal Days. I’m late, and by the time you read this, it might be over. (You probably didn’t miss that much.) Check your wishlist. Check your “Buy Again” past purchases. I’ve listed again a few of my favorite things below as well.

Yes, I’m recycling most of the stuff from an old post, but that’s the thing to do as this is when where a lot of easy credits and extended free trials are reset. Time to spend a minute to click-and-check. I’ve gotten over $50 in easy value from the free trials and refreshed Shop with Points credits.

(Note: If you are reading this in an email/RSS reader, unfortunately I am not allowed to include any Amazon affiliate links in e-mails, so they have been removed. Please click here to view the links.)

As the name suggests, most deals require a Prime membership. New members can sign up for a 30-day free trial. Amazon Prime for Young Adults (age 18-24) has a 6-month free trial and $7.49/month after that (50% off regular). If you’ve already done the trial, you can simply buy a single month of Prime for $14.99 ($6.99 with SNAP, EBT or Medicaid card).

“Shop with Points” Promos (Check again if reset/targeted) Most likely, only the top three will work this time around, but I still clicked and checked.

Amazon Free Trials

Stuff I Own (and Would Buy Again)

  • Dyson V11 Origin Cordless Vacuum We still love our cordless Dyson. I’m sure a knockoff nowadays will do the trick, but this is another daily workhouse in our household. We had the V8 before, but the extra power of this one is useful.
  • Amazon Eero 6E mesh WiFi router system 3-pack. If you have WiFi coverage issues and haven’t upgraded your router recently, I do recommend an upgrade. It just makes WiFi something you don’t worry about anymore. No more dead spots.
  • Bose QuietComfort Bluetooth Noise Canceling Headphones. I’m not an audiophile, but these feel great, work well on planes, and are reliable.
  • COSORI Air Fryer 6 Qt. Love this air fryer. We use it nearly every day; heats things up like a microwave, except it keeps things crispy instead of soggy. Easy to clean.
  • Vitamix 5200 blender. Kitchen staple, sometimes we use it a lot, sometimes rarely, but it’s always there ready and powerful.
Filed Under: Deals & Offers //
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