Even if you only spend a minute or two reading this, I truly believe the tips below have the potential to change your financial life.
Here at The Motley Fool, we’ve been helping people grow their wealth since 1993. Below we share some of the most common mistakes that we’ve seen from Americans over nearly three decades, along with top money tips used by millionaires to get rich.
Why trust us? Well, you don’t have to take our word for it.
- Time Magazine says: “Even billionaires get ideas from The Motley Fool”
- The Economist calls The Motley Fool “an ethical oasis”.
But enough about us. Let’s get to our top money tips for 2025.
1. This credit card is so good, I signed up personally
If you haven’t upgraded your credit card recently, what are you waiting for? Banks have been offering incredible new perks on credit cards the past few years, which means you could easily be leaving thousands of dollars on the table if you're still using that same-old credit card. And if you’re using cash or debit cards, it’s really time for an upgrade: credit cards have far better fraud protections than debit cards, can earn you fantastic rewards, and can raise your credit score when used responsibly.
Our credit card experts have reviewed and crunched the numbers on hundreds of credit cards so that you don’t have to. The Discover it® Cash Back card is one of the very few cards that’s so good, I signed up for it personally.
Here's why I use it:
- You’ll earn up to 5% cash back on rotating activated categories you'll actually use (on up to $1,500 in purchases each quarter).
- Discover will match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year.
- These perks combine to give the card the highest cash back potential I've seen.
- On top of that, you'll pay 0% introductory APR for 15 months on both purchases and balance transfers. The go-to 18.24% - 27.24% Variable APR applies after the intro period.
- $0 annual fee.
Use this link to apply today for the Discover it® Cash Back card (see rates and fees)
2. Earn a higher savings rate on your cash
If you have your savings at a traditional brick-and-mortar bank, you’re likely earning almost no interest on your money. The average savings account currently earns barely over $4 per year on every $1,000! You can do better than that.
American Express® High Yield Savings Account's annual percentage yield of 3.60% as of May 8, 2025, is easily one of the highest rates we see right now -- 8X higher than the national average! And while that APY may not sound like a lot, it could easily add up to thousands of additional dollars over a lifetime vs. a traditional bank savings rate. Plus, this account is FDIC insured to at least $250k just like savings accounts at traditional banks, so your money is safe.
And remember: if interest rates continue to rise as expected, then the interest rate on your money in this savings account should continue to increase too.
These are all reasons why I moved my savings to a high-yield account years ago and haven’t looked back – I think it’s a no-brainer. And it only takes a few minutes to open an account.
3. Pay 0% credit card interest into 2026 (seriously)
One of the smartest things you can do for your finances is to simply avoid paying credit card interest. Amazingly, it’s now possible to pay intro 0% interest into 2026 – but only with a select few cards.
Wells Fargo Reflect® Card (see rates and fees) is one of those cards. It was named by our experts as the best 0% intro APR card of 2025 – and it’s not hard to see why.
You’ll pay 0% intro APR on both purchases & balance transfers for a whopping 21 months from account opening from account opening. The go-to APR of 17.24%, 23.74%, or 28.99% Variable APR applies after the intro period.
Whether you want to pay an introductory 0% APR on new purchases or have an existing balance to transfer, it offers among the longest 0% intro APR periods we’ve seen for both. Simply put, if you're looking to avoid credit card interest for the longest time possible (and who isn't?), then it's hard to beat this card.
Use this link to apply today for the Wells Fargo Reflect® Card
4. These stock picks could grow your wealth 3x
The numbers don’t lie: over the past 100 years, there’s been no better way to grow wealth than in the stock market. But what if you didn't only want your money to track the market, but actually beat the market?
That could be a recipe for retiring early and securing generational wealth for your family.
The Motley Fool has been picking winning stocks for nearly 30 years: the average stock pick inside our flagship Stock Advisor service is up 884% vs. just 171% for the S&P as of December 19, 2024!
If you're not familiar with Motley Fool Stock Advisor, it’s the award-winning online investing service created to provide easy-to-follow, monthly stock recommendations to individual investors. That's right – each and every month, over a half million investors tune in to discover which stocks we believe investors should be buying shares of today.
You can use this link to secure your Stock Advisor membership. Looking back five years from now, you'll probably wish you'd grabbed the stock picks offered there.
5. Switch to a top online stock broker
Once you've made the smart decision to start investing for your future, you'll need to pick the right online stock broker. Our experts have spent hundreds of hours rating and reviewing the top online stock brokers so you don't have to.
These top brokerages will help guide you through how to start investing, and here's the really good news: Some are offering big-time incentives to open an account! So even if you already have an online stock broker, it could really pay to switch.
Our Credit Cards Experts
Motley Fool Money brings financial expertise, trusted advice, and unbiased analysis to the world of daily personal finance decisions. Our mission is to help you live more richly.
We're firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers. Motley Fool Money does not cover all offers on the market. Motley Fool Money is 100% owned and operated by The Motley Fool. Our knowledgeable team of personal finance editors and analysts are employed by The Motley Fool and held to the same set of publishing standards and editorial integrity while maintaining professional separation from the analysts and editors on other Motley Fool brands.
Disclaimers:
Motley Fool Stock Advisor returns are 407% as compared to S&P 500 returns of 119% as of 4/12/2023. Past performance is not an indicator of future results. All investing involves a risk of loss. Not all Stock Advisor picks have performed as well. Individual investment results may vary.
Discover Financial Services is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. Wells Fargo is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. American Express is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Target and Visa. The Motley Fool recommends Discover Financial Services. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.