(Updated: SoFi has a new $300 transfer bonus on the crypto account. Per the terms, you should be able to get the $50 new account bonus and then the $300 deposit bonus. I have updated the other offers as well.)

SoFi (“Social Finance”) is an all-in-one finance app that expanded from students loans into banking, stocks, crypto, credit cards, and more. They often run a bunch of different promotional offers; New users can receive a separate opening bonus for each separate part of SoFi (Money, Invest, Loans, etc).

• SoFi $300 Transfer Bonus (New & Existing customers): $300 SOFID bonus. Transfer $1,000 or more in eligible crypto to SoFi Crypto by 10/14/26 and earn a $300 bonus in SOFID.* SOFID is their new stablecoin. Transferred crypto assets must be held on platform through 10/14/27 (one year). $300 bonus on $1,000 is a 30% return in one year, not bad at all.
• Personal notes: I’ve opened some crypto accounts recently for bonuses like Kraken ($25 bonus), Gemini ($50 bonus), and Robinhood Crypto. I decided to use Kraken for this SoFi promo since I still had some crypto held there, but there was a 7-day hold on the portion of USDC bought with bank transfer funds, so I will be cutting it close with the deadline. Using Robinhood Crypto and buying using existing funds from my brokerage account would have been faster in retrospect.
• SoFi Checking Referral Offer: Up to $425 new account bonus. Open a new SoFi Checking account and add at least $50 to your account within 21 days, and get $25. Then get up to $400 additional bonus with qualifying direct deposit.
• SoFi Credit Score Monitoring Offer: $10 bonus. Earn $10 in rewards points when you activate free credit score monitoring.
• SoFi Invest Referral Offer: $25 new account bonus. Taxable brokerage account. Open an Active Investing account with $25 or more, and you’ll get $25 in stock.
• SoFi Crypto Referral Offer: $25 new account bonus. Open a new SoFi Crypto account, buy $25 of crypto within 30 days, and get a $25 bonus in SOFID stablecoin.
• SoFi ACAT Transfer Offer: 1% Match Bonus. Get a 1% match on ACAT transfers to IRA or taxable brokerage accounts (max $100,000 on $5,000,000 transferred). Minimum hold period for five (5) years from the settlement date.
• SoFi 401(k) Rollover Offer: 1% Match Bonus. Get a 1% match when you roll over your 401(k) into a SoFi IRA. Minimum hold period for five (5) years from the settlement date.
• SoFi Student Loan Refi: $300 bonus. Warning: Do your research before refinancing your Federal student loans to a private lender. You may lose some consumer protections.
• SoFi Doctors and Dentists Student Loan Refi: $1,000 bonus. Special low rates just for doctors and dentists.
• SoFi Private Student Loan: $300 bonus. For those looking for a new student loan (not a refinance).
• SoFi Personal Loans Referral Offer: Fixed $300 bonus. Fixed $300 bonus, 90 days after successful funding. The loan has no fees and you can pay it back in full after 90 days (you can pay it down to $50 before then to accrue minimal interest, thus making it an opportunity to make a net profit on this offer).

CIT Bank has a limited-time Platinum Savings APY Boost Promotion, offering a boosted interest rate of 4.25% APY for 6 months on their Platinum Saving account that is 0.50% APY above the standard APY (currently 3.75% APY) for balances of $5,000 and above. Thankfully, this offer is available to both new and selected existing customers that activate the promotion.

New customers will need to sign up for a new CIT Bank Platinum Savings account using the promo code BOOST50 to qualify. There is a $100 minimum balance required to open, and you will need a $5,000 minimum balance to get the higher interest rate on this tiered account. There are no monthly service fees.

Existing customers with a Platinum Savings account opened prior to the promotion must enroll via the enrollment web page using promo code BOOST50. You will not get the 6-month boost automatically. From the fine print:

CIT Bank Customers with an account prior to the promotion: This Platinum Savings APY Boost promotion is valid for a Primary account owner with an existing account with a CIT Bank User ID before the start of the promotion, provided that the following requirements are met:

– Customers without a Platinum Savings account open prior to the Promotion must open a new Platinum Savings account via the enrollment web page using Promo Code BOOST50.
– Customers with a Platinum Savings account opened prior to the promotion may enroll their current Platinum Savings account into the Platinum Savings Boost promotion via the enrollment web page using Promo Code BOOST50.
– Customers who are not the Primary account owner on a Platinum Savings account may open a new Platinum Savings account as the primary account owner via the enrollment web page using Promo Code BOOST50.
– Accounts opened or enrolled during the program period without the Promo Code are ineligible to receive the APY boost.

Note that the terms also add the following:

Customers are ineligible to participate in the Platinum Savings APY Boost promotion if:

They are earning an APY over the standard rate.
They participated in a previous APY Boost promotion.
They participated in a cash bonus promotion in the past 6 months.

Still, I am appreciative that some existing customers are again eligible for this promotion, as most other banks will only allow new customers to participate.

Note that if the base rate on the Platinum Savings account changes, during the promo you will maintain a 0.50% APY interest rate boost above the standard interest rate.

¹APY disclosure for Platinum Savings:

Platinum Savings is a tiered interest rate account. Interest is paid on the entire account balance based on the interest rate and APY in effect that day for the balance tier associated with the end-of-day account balance. APYs — Annual Percentage Yields are accurate as of July 1, 2026: 0.25% APY on balances of $0.01 to $4,999.99; 3.75% APY on balances of $5,000.00 or more. Interest Rates for the Platinum Savings account are variable and may change at any time without notice. The minimum to open a Platinum Savings account is $100.

² Discloser on multipliers:

Based on comparison to the national average Annual Percentage Yield (APY) on savings accounts as published in the FDIC National Rates and Rate Caps, accurate as of September 21, 2026.

* Platinum Savings APY Boost Promotion Terms and Conditions

This is a limited time offer available to New and Existing customers who meet the Platinum Savings APY Boost promotion criteria.

Accounts enrolled in the Platinum Savings Annual Percentage Yield (APY) Boost promotion will receive a 0.50% APY boost on the Platinum Savings current standard APY tiers for 6 months following the opening of a new account or when an existing Platinum Savings account is enrolled in the promotion. The Platinum Savings APY boost will be applied on account balances up to $9,999,999.00. Account balances above $9,999,999.00 will earn the standard APY. If the standard-published APY should change during the promotion period, the APY boost will move with it, offering an account APY above the standard rate.

The Promotion begins on September 29, 2026, and ends December 15, 2026. Customers enrolled in the promotion prior to the end date will receive the APY boost for the 6-month period outlined in the terms and conditions.

The promotion can end at any time without notice.

For complete list of account details and fees, see the CIT Bank Personal Account disclosures.

Whole Foods has a new app where you can now order your groceries directly inside (instead of having to go through the Amazon app, which still works too). To get you to try it, they have a $10 off $50 offer with promo code APP10. Works on both pick-up and delivery.

In this current low-regulatory environment, I was surprised to see that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the State of Washington, and Amway just announced a $225 million settlement over “Unfair and Deceptive Business Practices”.

Multilevel Marketing (MLM) firms, sometimes called “pyramid schemes”, have a common set of criticisms and the settlement details offered some detailed examples of those criticisms. If you have thought about joining an MLM, you should definitely read the entire thing.

Most Amway “Independent Business Owners” (IBOs) lost money. Amway promises you an easy, ready-to-go business opportunity. $40,000+ a year on the side sounds great, right? In fact, the majority of IBOs spent more money purchasing Amway products and paid training materials than they ever made back from Amway. Not really a great side hustle when most people joining ended up losing more money than if they did nothing at all. At least if you deliver for DoorDash, you’ll get paid for your time.

The primary goal is to recruit more IBOs (build the pyramid). You end up getting the most commission when you recruit another person as an Amway IBO (who then buys the products), not actually selling products to customers. The products are nothing special. The “business owners” themselves are the source of profit.

Amway pressured IBOs to buy product themselves and then pretend those were real sales. The settlement states Amway and its affiliates deceptively instructed IBOs to falsely report product sales that never happened. This was designed to create the illusion that Amway’s revenue came from legitimate retail sales rather than internal recruitment purchases. This in turn makes the next recruit think it’s a great business.

Expensive paid training materials and seminars. Another significant source of revenue for people who actually made money at Amway was by selling proprietary training materials and seminars to new IBOs. Many are pitched as “required” for success.

Beyond the $225 million judgement amount, which mostly goes to past Amway IBOs, the settlement will enforce the following new rules to try and counter the above dangers for future Amway IBOs:

• Actually sell 70% of your product: IBOs will be required to sell to others at least 70% of the products they purchase from Amway each month.
• Reduced Recruitment Compensation: Recruiters will receive substantially reduced compensation if the IBOs they recruit buy products but do not resell them.
• Sales Tracking & Receipts: IBOs will need to report all of their customer sales promptly, including the actual sales price, and Amway will send receipts to all of an IBO’s customers.
• No paid training during first year. Amway can’t charge new IBOs for any training or “mentorship” during their first year.

I hope that news of this settlement travels so that people can be informed of the potential dangers of most MLM programs. I’m sure some members make a little bit of side income selling the turnkey MLM product, but the facts are the most just get eaten up in the machine and end up with a bunch of unsold product in their garage.

MLMs are definitely on my “Simply Avoid” list. Beyond having to bother my friends and family, most MLMs don’t have much upside potential because the product is a commodity. I would tell my kids that even the more successful Amway folks would have been better off creating their own business based on their own set of unique products, knowledge, and/or skills. It’s very cheap to start a business now – keep your downside low, and your upside high.

Image source: Amway

Audible has a new promo for $0.99/mo for 4 Months + $20 Audible Credit. This offer is targeted but should be widely available for past customers as long as you haven’t done a trial very recently (it worked for me and I’ve done 5+ free trials in the past). Offer ends October 7, 2026 at 11:59 PM PT. Cancel anytime.

With Audible Standard, you get 1 audiobook credit each month, so that’s 4 credits over 4 months. With the newer and cheaper Audible Standard plan, you only get to listen during that month and then you lose it. (Audible Premium lets you keep the audiobooks forever.) The $20 credit should cover at least 1 additional audiobook at full price and then offset some of a second one, which you get to keep forever. Audible Standard renews at $8.99/per month, so be sure to set a reminder after your four months is up (cancel 3 months from now and it won’t renew).

(Note that I am an Amazon affiliate and Amazon doesn’t let me put links in e-mails, so you may have to visit the original post to see all the links. Thank you.)

With Audible Premium trials and book credits, once you buy an audiobook, it is yours “forever”. (With Audible Standard, the monthly free book only lasts during the month you pick it.) You can go back and listen whenever you want, even if your membership is not active. Through these promos I have the entire Harry Potter collection read by Jim Dale (though now they have the new full cast edition) and currently finishing up the Percy Jackson series for the kids to listen to during roadtrips. More recently, Project Hail Mary was also good as an audiobook.

Activation reminder for 2026 4th Quarter. The credit cards below offer 5% cash back and up on specific categories, some fixed and some that rotate each quarter. It takes a little extra attention to which card you’re using, but it can add up to hundreds of dollars in additional rewards per year without changing your spending habits. I just load them into my Google/Apple Wallet and swipe through them. You can also buy gift cards for other retailers at places like Grocery Stores and Home Improvement stores with 5% back now but spend the gift cards later. New cardmembers may also get an upfront sign-up bonus.

Discover Card (by Capital One)

From October 1st through December 31st, 2026, you can earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 spent in the following categories:

• Restaurants
• Entertainment (includes movie theaters, sports promoters, theatrical promoters, concert promoters, amusement parks, tourist attractions, aquariums, zoos, dance halls, record stores, video rental locations, pool halls and bowling alleys.)
• Utilities (includes residential electricity, natural gas, water service, internet, cable, satellite TV, and mobile and landline phone service.)

Enroll after logging into your online account. 5% rewards won’t apply until after you activate your rewards, so it is best to activate now before you forget. No annual fee.

Discover it $100 bonus + Double Cashback Match details. If you are a new applicant and sign up via Discover Card referral link, you will get a $100 Cashback Bonus after your first purchase of any amount within 3 months of being account opening. On top of that, you will also get Cashback Match for an entire year – a dollar-for-dollar match of all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year, automatically. During those 12 months, your 5% cash back rewards becomes 10% cash back, and your 1% cash back rewards become 2% cash back. You can verify this on the bottom of the page:

We’ll match all the rewards you’ve earned on your credit card from the day your new account is approved through your first 365 days and add it to your rewards account within two billing periods. You earn rewards only when transactions are processed, which may be after the transaction date. We will not match: rewards that are processed after your match period ends; statement credits; rewards transfers from Discover or Capital One checking or other deposit accounts; or rewards for accounts that are closed. This promotional offer may not be available in the future and is exclusively for new cardmembers. No purchase minimums.

Chase Freedom Flex Card

From October 1st through December 31st, 2026, you can earn 5% cash back (or 5X Ultimate Rewards points) on up to $1,500 spent in the following categories:

• Grocery Stores (excludes Walmart and Target)
• Dining
• donations to American Red Cross®

(The categories are also the same for the old Chase Freedom card, which is no longer available to new applicants.)

Enroll each quarter online in your Chase account or at ChaseBonus.com. As long as you activate by the 14th of the last month in each quarter, the rewards are retroactive. Technically, you earn Ultimate Rewards points which may be worth even more when converted to airline miles or hotel points instead of cash if you have a Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Sapphire Reserve card. You could also use the Pay Yourself Back tool to additional value. Currently, the Chase Freedom Flex card is offering new applicants a $250 bonus if you sign up and make $500 in purchases in your first three months. No annual fee.

Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express

• 6% cash back at US supermarkets all year long (on up to $6,000 per year)
• 6% cash back at select US streaming subscriptions (includes Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+, Netflix, Sling, Vudu, Fubo TV, Apple Music, SiriusXM, Pandora, Spotify, YouTube TV, and more).
• $120 Disney Streaming Credit ($10 per month with no minimum or bundle required). You can now earn up to $10 back per month as a statement credit when you use your enrolled Blue Cash Preferred® Card to purchase a subscription, or bundle subscription, on DisneyPlus.com, Hulu.com, or Plus.espn.com U.S. websites, now with no minimum purchase requirement. Subscription is subject to auto-renewal.
• 3% cash back at US gas stations and transit (taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses and more).
• $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95.

This keeper card got even better for me with the new $10 a month Disney+ credit that is valid on any plan. I use this card all year long for 6% cash back on groceries up to the limit, get my $120 in Disney+ credit to more than offset the $95 annual fee, and then in December use up the $6k annual limit on gift cards bought in the supermarket aisle. New cardholders are also eligible for a up to $300 welcome offer after $3,000 in purchases within the first 6 months. See details in link.

U.S. Bank Cash+ Visa Signature Card

You must choose the two 5% cash back categories every quarter, out of a preset selection of specific categories:

• Fast Food
• Cell Phone Providers
• Home Utilities
• Ground Transportation
• Select Clothing Stores
• Electronics Stores
• Car Rentals
• Gyms/Fitness Centers
• Sporting Goods Stores
• Department Stores
• Furniture Stores
• Movie Theaters
• TV, Internet, and Streaming Services

Unfortunately, you can’t pick a broad category like gas stations, restaurants, or grocery stores. Make sure to choose your categories each and every quarter, even if you want them to stay the same. If you do not choose your categories, all purchases revert to only earning 1% cash back for that quarter. That’s the “catch”. No annual fee. Currently, new applicants are offered a $200 bonus after you spend $1,000 in eligible purchases within the first 120 days of account opening.

Amazon Prime Rewards Card

Earn 5% back at Amazon.com and Whole Foods all year long. Up to 10% cash back on select items during special promos. Prime membership required. New cardholder bonus of $150 instant Amazon gift card (no spending requirement). No annual fee. Just link this card in your Amazon account as the default payment method and you’ll know how much you spend at Amazon each month when the bill comes…

(Removed section on the Citi Custom Cash. As of May 28, 2026, Citi is no longer accepting applications for this card, which used to automatically offer 5% cash back on your single top eligible spending category up to $500 each month.)

(The Citi Dividend card has also not been available to new applicants for years now, but somehow they keep updating the categories each quarter. If you still have the grandfathered card you can view and activate your quarterly 5% category here. Limit of $300 cash back for the calendar year.

Updated with new promo details. US Mobile is an MVNO offering service from all three major networks, Verizon (Warp), AT&T (Dark Star), and T-Mobile (Light Speed). I wrote previously about balancing saving money on MVNOs with high data speed priority, and their “Unlimited Premium” plan on Warp (Verizon) was my personal choice. Since then, US Mobile has been recognized as #1 rated by both Wirecutter (NYT) and Consumer Reports. I’ve also expanded to three different phone lines and two Apple Watch standalone plans (for the kids).

Here are some links to help you find the best current promo.

• New Trade-In Deal + $100 credit for iPhone 18 Pro/Pro Max. Instead of trading in your old phone to Apple, US Mobile will pay you more for your trade-in. See chart in link. Then, if you activate an iPhone 18 Pro/Pro Max (bought elsewhere) at US Mobile, they will give you an instant $100 off on new lines. On existing lines, they will give their Multi-Network feature free for 12 months (lets you switch between Verizon and AT&T, for example).
• US Mobile Promo Archive. This page is very handy as it not only shows the various current promos, but also saves the old promos for your future reference.
• Current US Mobile Plan Promos. This is their generic plans landing page, and for a while they have been offering the first year of Unlimited Premium for $299 a year and Unlimited Starter for $199 a year.
• Additional $30 prepaid card if you use my referral link during signing up for a new line. Stacks with the promos above. See details below.

Reasons why I chose their Annual Unlimited Premium plan on Warp (Verizon), switching from Mint Mobile:

• The Unlimited Premium plan comes with 5G Priority data level QCI 8 with Verizon, which is equal in priority to the official Verizon postpaid plans. I just went to another crowded event and having high data priority made life easier. Plus, with Premium the “Unlimited Data” actually means unlimited. No speed throttling after 30 GB or 50 GB, for example. 50 GB Hotspot bucket is useful for WiFi while in cafes/traveling in US. When traveling internationally, you 20 GB data, 200 mins, 250 texts in 125+ countries.
• The initial year can be very cheap, usually around $300 for the first year upfront on their top-tier Unlimited Premium, which works out to about $25 a month. Renewal is $390/year. After the first year, I can downgrade to a cheaper plan, but I will probably stay because…
• The Warp network comes with a free smartwatch plan, so I can use my Apple Watch cellular without paying the usual $5 to $10 extra per month with other carriers. I like to swim/run/exercise with just a watch, and my previous provider Mint Mobile and many other MVNOs don’t support smartwatches at all.

$30 referral credit details. You can stack the current promo with my referral link to get an $30 referral credit. Click on my referral link first, which should auto-fill the promo code 0360B9DC before checking out. You will get sent a $30 virtual prepaid card after porting-in at least 1 line on an Unlimited or By the Gig Plan. You no longer have to wait 6 months.

Expected payout out is a minimum of $25, up to $95. My standard advice is that if you are affected, submit a claim immediately and then forget about it. Choose a payment method that you are confident will still work years from now, as sometimes these things take a while to sort out.

• Protect Your Property from Illegal Sales Through Parcel Owner Impersonation
• FBI Boston Warns Quit Claim Deed Fraud is on the Rise

Basically, criminals will forge some documents and pretend to be you online, and then either hire a real estate agent to sell the property or take out a loan against it. The most vulnerable are vacant parcels and “unencumbered” properties with no mortgage lien on them (i.e. you’ve paid off your mortgage).

This Realtor.com article states that 59% of title firms reported encountering at least one seller impersonation fraud attempt in the prior calendar year. In general, title insurance does not protect the property owner from post-closing events.

The actionable advice here is to check if your state or local office offers a “property alert” service. In addition, be on the lookout for unexpected changes in tax or utility bills. I would simply run a search for “[your county] property recording alert” or “[your county] property recording watch”. For example, let’s take Multnomah County of Portland, Oregon. If you search for “Multnomah Country property recording alert”, you will find their Property Recording Alert Service (PRAS) which is a free e-mail alert service for when a recorded document is indexed under a monitored name. This means that you should be able to be get an alert if a property titled in your name has its ownership changed.

This is how most of these free services work; they don’t actually prevent the fraud, but at least you are notified quickly after it occurs. That way, you can immediately start to take steps to fix it and possibly prevent someone taking out a loan against the property.

Make sure you are entering your information into a legitimate government website. I’ve seen some questionable sites mixed in with the official ones.

Most people worry about stock drama, but every so often, there is also bond drama. Bonds are debt, which means people worry when there’s an increased chance you won’t get paid back. However, the goal of my bond holdings is to have at least 5 years of expenses safely set aside so that I can comfortably ignore both stock market drama and bond market drama. If you assume a simple 4% withdrawal rate, that means roughly 20% of my portfolio should be in very safe bonds.

“Safe” means that my bonds should have both minimal default risk and interest rate risk. Minimal default risk means ideally either FDIC/NCUA-insured cash or certificates, or US Treasury bonds. Minimal interest rate risk means a relatively short duration.

In the idealized “mental model” of my bond portfolio, this is a ladder of 1-year, 2-year, 3-year, 4-year, and 5-year certificates of deposit. Each rung of the ladder is a year of expenses. As each year passes, the 5-year CD will now have 4 years left to mature, the 4-year CD will have 3 years left, and so on, with the 1-year maturing into a liquid savings account. Then, I will take money from my portfolio (mostly dividends and interest) and buy a new 5-year CD. Usually the yield curve is such that a 5-year CD will pay more interest than the savings account, so this ladder earns more interest overall than just keeping it all in the savings account.

In reality, right now US Treasury bonds with their state income tax exemption pay more interest (in my state situation) than other safe options. For example, right now, a 5-year Treasury bond pays ~4.8% interest, but that’s effectively ~5.3% with the state income tax exemption (assuming a 10% state tax rate). There are no 5-year bank CDs that pay ~5.3% a year, even if I went through the hassle of rate-chasing across different credit unions and banks around the nation.

I could build a manual ladder of Treasury bonds, but even better (lazier) is simply buying the Vanguard Short-Term Treasury ETF (VGSH), which maintains a basket of 100% Treasury bonds with an average maturity of 2 years and a low expense ratio of 0.03%. Not exactly the same, but a short-term Treasury ETF is practically very similar to a repeating ladder of US Treasuries of 1 to 5 years. 100% of the interest is considered US government obligations, and so I retain the full state income tax deduction.

For comparison, the 30-day SEC yield today on VGSH is ~4.4%, and with the state income tax exemption that’s an effective ~4.8% for me. Meanwhile, the popular Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF (BND) has a 4.8% 30-day SEC yield but also has higher default risk (holds corporate bonds) and higher interest rate risk (longer duration). BND is fine, but this is why I prefer VGSH. I’m getting the same after-tax return as BND with lower risk. VGIT (intermediate-term Treasury ETF) has a significantly higher average maturity of about ~6 years year, longer than I need and doesn’t pay much higher interest in return.

That’s my long-winded explanation of why ~20% of my portfolio is held in Vanguard Short-Term Treasury ETF (VGSH). The rest of my bond allocation is in TIPS because they guarantee a long-term real return and thus address another risk (inflation risk) directly, but that’s a different topic.

Amazon Prime membership includes Grubhub+, and there’s a new $20 off a $30 purchase deal with promo code DEALS20. The code works on both delivery and pickup. I tried out Taco Bell pickup and added 16 cheesy bean and rice burritos at $2 each for $12 + tax at checkout. (Judge if you want, I’m also gonna add 16 packets of hot sauce!) Promo ends 10/5.

I have a hard time understanding how food prices can be so high, yet these food delivery companies are still in business. They mark up menu prices significantly, then add a delivery fee plus a 15%+ tip. I am honestly curious about the income profile of the folks who regularly use these services.

Here’s my monthly survey of the best interest rates on cash as of September 2026, roughly sorted from shortest to longest maturities. Banks and brokerages love taking advantage of idle cash, and you can often earn more interest 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 9/14/26.

TL;DR: Savings account interest rates are mostly stable, while rates on some longer-term CDs have risen significantly. You can get 4.34% APY on savings if you accept certain hoops/restrictions, but most are under 4% now. Short-term T-Bill rates ~3.8%. Top 5-year CD rates are now ~4.8% APY (brokered), while the 5-year Treasury rate is also ~4.8%.

High-yield savings accounts*
Since the huge megabanks still pay essentially zero 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: Elevault (no min) is at 4.34% APY, a division of Southern Bancorp Bank.
• SoFi Bank is at 3.10% APY (new customers can get up to $475 in bonuses with qualifying direct deposit. You must maintain a direct deposit of any amount (even $1) each month for the higher ongoing 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. This month they start at 3.00% APY on up.

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 11-month No Penalty CD at 4.00% APY ($500 minimum deposit). Farmer’s Insurance FCU has a 9-month No Penalty CD at 4.00% APY ($1,000 minimum deposit). USALLIANCE Financial CU has a 11-month No Penalty CD at 4.00% APY ($500 minimum deposit).
• Eagle Bank has a 12-month CD at 4.45% APY ($1,000 minimum deposit). Early withdrawal penalty is not clearly disclosed, but is 90 days of interest according to 3rd-party sources.

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 3.63% (changes daily, but also works out to a compound yield of 3.69%, 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 2025 tax year) exempt from state and local income taxes because it comes from qualifying US government obligations. Current 7-day SEC yield of 3.71% (compound yield of 3.77%).

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 9/11/26, a new 4-week T-Bill had the equivalent of 3.85% annualized interest and a 52-week T-Bill had the equivalent of 4.34% annualized interest.
• The iShares 0-3 Month Treasury Bond ETF (SGOV) has a 3.63% 30-day SEC yield (0.09% expense ratio) and effective duration of 0.10 years. The Vanguard 0-3 Month Treasury Bill ETF (VBIL) has a 3.63% 30-day SEC yield (0.06% 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 2026 and October 2026 will earn a 4.26% 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 2026, 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.

• La Capitol Federal Credit Union pays 6.50% 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).
• OnPath Federal Credit Union (my review) pays 6.00% 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”.
• 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 5.50% 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 5.25% APY 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.
• Capitol Credit Union pays 6.00% APY on up to $15,000 if you make 12 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 ($5 to Wild Basin Wilderness).
• 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.

• NASA Federal Credit Union has a 5-year certificate at 4.28% APY ($1,000 minimum), 4-year at 4.20% APY, 3-year at 4.15% APY, 2-year at 4.10% APY, and 1-year at 4.05% APY. Early withdrawal penalty for the 5-year is 365 days of interest. Anyone nationwide can join via a complimentary membership to the National Space Society (NSS).
• Advancial Federal Credit Union has has a 5-year certificates at 4.28%/4.39%/4.49% APY based on either a $1,000/$25,000/$50,000 opening balance. Early withdrawal penalty for the 5-year is 365 days of interest. Anyone nationwide should be able to join via membership with partner organization US Dog Agility Association, but I would call to verify first.
• Popular Direct has a 5-year certificate at 4.50% APY ($10,000 minimum) but with a huge early withdrawal penalty of 730 days of interest.
• Sallie Mae Bank has a 5-year certificate at 4.40% APY ($2,500 minimum) but with a more reasonable early withdrawal penalty of 180 days of interest.
• 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 4.80% 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 4.85% APY (non-callable) vs. 4.97% 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 9/14/26.

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

Photo by Giorgio Trovato on Unsplash

(Update: Offer is back, this time for $300 for $20k with a 90 day hold. Again available to both new and existing customers depositing new funds. For existing customers, the deposits must be in addition to your balance as of September 7th, 2026. To be clear, you need to open up a *new* personal savings account through the specific link below. You can have more than one savings account. You can’t just transfer in more money as an existing customer to your existing account and expect the bonus. Thanks to reader Andrea for the tip.)

Live Oak Bank is an FDIC-insured internet bank that is focused on lending to small businesses. Their personal savings account has a limited-time offer of a $300 bonus if you deposit $20,000+ in new funds into a new online savings account by 5:00 p.m. ET on October 16th, 2026 per this special offer page and keep it there for 90 days. The current interest rate is 4.00% APY. Direct deposit is not required. Valid for both new and existing customers, as long as you are adding new money (lookback date is 9/7/26).

To be clear, you need to open up a *new* personal savings account through the specific link above. You can have more than one savings account. You can’t just transfer in more money as an existing customer to your existing account and expect the bonus.

Unlike some other deposit bonuses, the 90-day window starts when the new money hits:

Beginning on the date in September or October 2026 when the new account attains a balance of at least $20,000, if the balance remains equal to or exceeding $20,000 for 90 consecutive days, then the account will be eligible for the bonus if all other conditions are met. If all eligibility criteria are met, the $300 cash bonus will be deposited to your open, eligible account within 45 days following the expiration of the 90-day period.

Bonus math. This is a 1.5% bonus on $20,000 if you keep it there for 90 days, which makes it the equivalent of 6% APY annualized. Bonus will be paid around Day 135 (45 days afterward) and the account must be open at that time, but you only need to maintain full balance through Day 90. The bonus is on top of the standard interest rate, currently a competitive 4.00% APY as of 9/8/26.

This equivalent of roughly 10% total APY over 90 days makes it a solid offer for those with compatible balances looking for short-term place to hold their cash for a few months. Live Oak Bank seems to come and go with the competitiveness of their rates, but they’ve been strong recently and it’s nice that this is available to existing customers.

Sources for this post are here, here, here, here, and here. My personal takeaway is that they are two main scenarios where you should open an account.

Scenario #1: If you are eligible for free money, you should take action and open an account.

• Enrollment is not automatic. However, once you open an account, even with $0, outside contributions can arrive directly into your account. There are no annual account fees, so I see no reason not to take the money and let it grow over time until it becomes part of your child’s IRA balance. Your money will be invested in an S&P 500 index ETF (ticker SPYM) and you will need to use an app with BNY and Robinhood software handling the backend.
• Download the official app. You need to file IRA Form 4547. Practically, you can do everything on the app found at the official site TrumpAccounts.gov. You could also wait until when you file your taxes or through the IRS website.
• $1,000 Federal-level contribution for young kids and newborns. U.S. citizens born between January 1, 2025, and December 31, 2028, qualify for a one-time federal contribution of $1,000. The money arrives automatically after you open an account.
• $250 Dell Foundation contribution (~75% of rest of kids under age 10). U.S. citizens born between 2016 and 2024 who live in ZIP codes where the median income is $150,000 or less qualify for $250 from the Dell Foundation. This ends up including ~75% of all kids in that age range. Limited to the first 25 million kids who open an account. Here is an eligibility tool. The money arrives automatically after you open an account.
• Employer Contributions and/or Matching (Up to $2,500/year). Check with your employer, and look out for new commitments, especially if its a big corporation.
• State-level Contributions. This list is also growing.
• Things appear to be changing constantly, including Visa stating they want to enable the ability to redirect your credit card rewards to Trump Accounts.

Scenario #2: If you are already financially set for your own retirement and your children’s educational goals.

• In general, I take the philosophy that you should worry about your own retirement needs first. If you aren’t very confident you can fund your own retirement, why are you worrying about your kids? This by itself removes the majority of US families.
• After that, 529 accounts are most likely a better way to save money towards your child’s education. There are tax breaks on contributions in many states, there are more investment options, and the money can be withdrawn tax-free for eligible educational expenses. Even if you over-contribute, you can also now convert up to $35,000 in excess to Roth IRAs.
• For those financially set enough that they still want to help fund their kids’ retirement beyond that, then this works like a non-deductible IRA contribution to your kids’ retirement. You have to put in after-tax money, it grows tax-deferred, but when it turns into a Traditional IRA at age 18, your kids will owe tax on all capital gains upon withdrawal (taxed as ordinary income).
• Given that your kids will probably be an a relatively low tax bracket at age 18, this may be a good time to convert from Traditional IRA to a Roth IRA, assuming that is still allowed in the future. Boom, your kid could turn 21 with a six-figure Roth IRA.
• I figure the folks that are rich enough for this will often be the same folks that were previously funding their kids’ Roth IRA by trying to count their chores or other household tasks as “earning income”. This account isn’t as good as a Roth IRA, but it’s a lot easier to fund.

I was surprised to find out that roughly 75% of children aged 10 and under qualify for the “low-income restricted” Dell $250 contribution, and indeed my zip code was eligible and the $250 has already arrived in my child’s account.

In the end, I did learn more about several financial topics outside my personal bubble like using a financial calculator, handling estate issues for small business clients, and specific insurance topics. I would be glad that a prospective financial advisor at least had this basic core level of financial knowledge, but a lot of it was “studying for the test” and memorizing specific formulas and facts. It’s basically the equivalent of passing a semester or two of a single college class. I bought the physical textbooks, but passed the tests without opening them at all (just used the class slides). I’m still glad I tried it, otherwise I would still be curious.

The final requirement of a CFP is “Ethics”, which means passing their Candidate Fitness and Standards Background Check. Allan Roth is an experienced fee-only financial advisor whose opinion I respect, and he recently wrote a detailed article about How the CFP Board Sold Out the Public & the Profession. It’s certainly a disappointing read. Basically, the article outlines how the CFP Board is failing in its promise to only certify ethical financial planners. Many CFP holders with regulatory issues get to keep their CFP as long as they keeping paying the dues. “Nearly 1,000 CFPs have some form of criminal disclosure.”

Overall, my impression is that the CFP Board now mainly serves as a business selling the CFP designation to whoever is willing to pay the annual fees and continuing education fees as a signifier to the average person that they are a “educated and vetted financial planner”. They make millions on annual dues, exam prep classes, and continuing eduction tuition. The CFP took advantage of a vacuum, and unfortunately there really isn’t anything better. This means that all financial planners (good or bad) feel pressured to keep their CFP designation, even if they know it doesn’t mean much.

The takeaway is that a CFP designation is a bar, but not a very high bar. Yes, they took some coursework and passed a knowledge exam, although that exam is not nearly as hard as other financial tests like the CFA or CPA exams. Unfortunately, the CFP does not appear to aggressively weed out unethical advisors. The best advisors in the world still probably have a CFP, but many sketchy advisors with past complaints are also flashing their CFP. Be careful out there. If you’re looking for a planner, looking beyond the CFP badge and use BrokerCheck at a minimum, even if the CFP Board doesn’t.