Stash Cash

  1. Make paying down debt your biggest money priority.

  2. Once out of debt, make saving (aggressively) your biggest money priority (and staying out of debt).

  3. Use a debit card with NO ATM transaction fees (Charles Schwab) and one that's tied to a checking account with NO monthly service fees and NO account minimum (Charles Schwab).

  4. For a savings account that needs to be semi-liquid, use a high-yield savings account like SmartyPig. Note: By U.S. federal law, savings accounts have a limit of six withdrawals per month.

  5. Arm yourself with a credit card that passes the No Foreign Transaction Fee Test and the Points Test
    • No Foreign Transaction Fee = you can use the card in foreign countries without paying transaction fees.
    • Points = you can earn hella points. My go-to's: CapitalOne Venture and CapitalOne Spark.
  6. Get your investment fees low

    by investing in passive index mutual funds (as opposed to active mutual funds) after reading Common Sense on Mutual Funds by John Bogle.

  7. Use PersonalCapital and Prosper Daily (formerly BillGuard) for managing and tracking money accounts and expenses.

  8. Ignore most media on investing and money. For solid personal finance advice, read:

Caveat: I am NOT an investment or financial advisor, and no advice from this list should be taken without speaking to a qualified professional first. Also, investing in securities involves risks, and there is the possibility of losing money. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

Questions? Email [email protected]

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