Stimulus Update: Your Best Bet for a Stimulus May Be Your Tax Refund

Chase is the largest bank in the U.S., and one of the largest in the world. It has over 4,700 brick-and-mortar locations, more than 15,000 ATMs, and around a couple trillion in bank deposits. But for all this banking power, there's one thing Chase doesn't have: a savings account that can compete in today's high-rate environment. Seems as if a big bank like Chase would have at least one savings account that earned high interest, right? Truth is, banks lose money when they pay high interest rates and will forgo offering them if they don't need to attract customers. As the largest bank in the U.S., Chase is doing just fine and doesn't need high rates to bring in more deposits. But that leaves Chase clients in a bit of a conundrum. Just how much money are you missing out by keeping it in a savings account at Chase? Well, when you start to crunch the numbers, it can be a lot. The average American is probably missing out on $400 per year Today's most competitive rates on savings accounts are sitting at a two-decade high of about 5.25%. Most of these savings accounts are through the company Raisin, which is essentially a marketplace for finding high-yield savings and CDs. Last I checked, the highest rate on Raisin was 5.30% on a Customers Bank High-Yield Savings Account, followed by both VyStar Credit Union and DR Bank at 5.29%. How much could you make on 5.30%? According to a recent survey of U.S. Family Finances by the Federal Reserve, the median savings in 2022 was about $8,000. If you saved $8,000 in the Customers Bank High-Yield Savings Account powered by Raisin, you would earn about $424 within a year. In contrast, a Chase Savings Account pays out at a rock-bottom APY of 0.01%. At that rate, it's almost pointless to do the math but if you like your copper Abes, you'd make about $0.80 on $8,000 in 12 months.When is a Chase savings account worth it? I'm not going to lie -- I have a Chase account. I don't keep a lot of money in it, but I do keep some. The reason is that I live four blocks from the Chase bank in downtown Portland and like the security of having some money within reach. When I need to withdraw cash (rare but it happens), I can just go in person and use the ATM. And when I need to deposit cash -- birthday money, thanks Mom -- I can do it without jumping through hoops. If you want banking convenience like this, a high-yield savings account through Raisin or any other online bank will likely frustrate you. Raisin is a case in point: When you deposit money in a Raisin-powered account, you transfer it from an external account (which could be a savings account at Chase) into a service bank (Lewis & Clark Bank), which is then transferred into a custodial account at the bank account of your choice (a Customers Bank High-Yield Savings Account or a Western Alliance Bank High-Yield Savings Account, for example). If you want to withdraw this money, you have to transfer it back to your external account, which could take a few business days. For those who need cash fast, each nail-biting day might make that high yield not worth the stress. So you might have to diversify. Truthfully, it's best to keep a little money within easy access for emergencies, but not so much that you miss out on today's high rates. If you've engorged your Chase Savings Account, take a look at some other top-paying savings accounts to see how much you could earn in interest. If your savings is anywhere near the median -- $8,000 -- you could potentially pick up at least $400 on your savings. 

Since March 2022, the Federal Reserve has been raising interest rates to slow inflation. That's caused a world of upheaval for borrowers who are now facing higher interest rates on everything from credit card balances to personal and auto loans.The one silver lining, though, is that higher interest rates are benefitting people with money in savings accounts and CDs. But will that continue into 2024? Without a crystal ball, we can't predict what's in store for banking with certainty. But here are a few probable scenarios.1. Savings account rates will remain competitive but fall as the year goes onRight now, it's possible to score well above a 4% APY on a high-yield savings account. But will that be possible throughout 2024? Maybe, but it's not certain.The Fed is expected to cut rates in 2024 if inflation continues to cool. That could result in lower interest rates for savers with money in the bank.That said, savings account rates will likely remain competitive next year. So if you need a good place for your emergency fund, a high-yield savings account will still be a wise choice, as you can earn interest while keeping your money safe. But don't be surprised if you don't earn quite as much interest on your savings in the new year as in 2023.2. Short-term CDs will be attractive Like savings account rates, CD rates are competitive right now following the Fed's actions. And chances are, that will still hold true in 2024. But banks may be more willing to offer higher rates for short-term CDs than longer-term CDs in 2024 in anticipation of broad rate cuts. So you may find that you're able to earn more on a one-year CD than on a five-year CD.3. Long-term CD rates could drop more substantiallyBanks commonly reward savers who open long-term CDs with higher interest rates than shorter-term CDs. But we may see the opposite in 2024 due to projected rate hikes from the Fed.This isn't to say that opening a longer-term CD won't make sense in 2024. But we could end up seeing lower rates next year than the rates that are available for five-year CDs today. So if you're interested in opening a five-year CD, you may not want to wait until the new year, but rather, take action in the coming weeks. All told, there's a good chance that banks will be able to continue to offer attractive interest rates on savings accounts and CDs in 2024. But it's good to have a sense of changes that might arrive as inflation continues to moderate.Of course, that's not guaranteed to happen, either. And if inflation picks up and the Fed is forced to raise rates in the new year, all of the above predictions could be a bust. But since that's not expected to happen, you may want to assume the projections above are reasonably spot-on -- and sock your money away accordingly.

If you're trying to keep your credit card bills down, buying something for a penny may seem like a dream scenario. After all, what could be friendlier to your bank account than purchasing an item you want or need that costs only a cent?In today's day and age, it may seem impossible to find anything to purchase so cheaply, but that's not necessarily the case. In fact, it may be possible to find penny items at Dollar General.That's because the store has a system in which items that are supposed to be removed from stock are priced at $0.01. If employees do not remove these items from the shelves before the price adjustment happens, they'll ring up for only a penny.So, how can you find these items? Here are the steps you'll need to take.1. Go shopping on the correct dayItems are marked down to a penny only when it's determined that they need to be removed from stock. Typically, this markdown process happens on a Tuesday, so if you want to be able to buy one of these deeply discounted products, you'll want to go shopping then.Since others may also be on the lookout for the penny products, it can help to go early in the morning before all of the items you might want are bought up.2. Check the penny lists onlinePenny items are not advertised, since they are not really supposed to be for sale at that price. This means you can't just consult the Dollar General sales flyer to see what's on discount. You also shouldn't ask cashiers, as they not only won't help you find the items but instead are more likely to remove them from the shelves before you can purchase them.Since these products are like hidden gems, you'll want a guide to discovering them -- and there are a few lists online that can help you do that. The Krazy Coupon lady publishes a weekly list of penny items. You can also join Facebook groups dedicated to finding them.Since penny items change regularly, you'll want to check out these resources every week to see what's on discount.3. Load up your cartWhen you are lucky enough to find a penny list item on the shelves, you should bring up as many of the items as you want to purchase.As soon as you have alerted the store to the fact the items were left on the shelf, they will be pulled so you won't have a chance to get any more of them. If they ring up for a higher price, you can just say you changed your mind.4. Get lucky with your cashierFinally, you need to hope that the cashier you have ringing up your items allows you to actually buy them. Official store policy is that they should not be purchased, so you may well be told you can't actually get the item for a penny and may have to put the item back.While there's an element of luck involved in both finding the penny items and being able to buy them, it may be worth the effort to try if there's something on the penny list you are excited about purchasing -- or if you happen to be at Dollar General anyway.

Incomes vary widely across the United States, with some people making many times the amount that others earn. If you've ever wondered how your personal finances stack up, and what "class" your income officially puts you in, here's what you need to know.What income do you need to be upper, middle, or lower class?Based on 2021 data, here's what you would need to earn in order to be in each class:Lower class: This is defined as the bottom 20% of earners. Those in the lower class have an income at or below $28,007.Lower middle class: This is defined as individuals in the 20th to 40th percentile of household income. Earnings among this group are between $28,008 and $55,000Middle class: The middle class is officially those whose earnings put them in the 40th to 60th percentile of household income. The income range is $55,001 to $89,744.Upper middle class: Anyone with earnings in the 60th to 80th percentile would be considered upper middle class. Those in the upper middle class have incomes between $89,745 and $149,131.Upper class: Finally, the upper class is the top 20% of earners and they have incomes of $149,132 or higher.Take a look at these numbers and see where you fall based on your own earnings. And remember, this is a snapshot in time -- your earnings can change throughout your life, and so can your class designation.Will your success be determined by your income and class?It's probably not a surprise that those in the upper classes or in the upper middle class do have a higher net worth than those in the lower class or the lower middle class. But the disparity is greater than you might think. While the median net worth of those with incomes of $149,132 or higher is $805,400, the median net worth of those in the lower class is just $12,000.Your income impacts how easy it is for you to build wealth. If you make more money, it is easier to save it and invest it in a brokerage account where it can work for you. If you make less money, then you may struggle even to cover the necessities out of your checking account, much less to buy valuable assets that help you grow richer over time.But that doesn't mean people who don't make a lot of money can't be a financial success. A lot depends on what you do with the money you actually have, including how much you spend and how much you save.There are plenty of people who make over $100,000 a year who live paycheck to paycheck, and plenty of people with incomes that put them squarely in the lower or lower middle class who have diligently saved and grown quite wealthy over many years.Here's how you can improve your standingDon't be discouraged if you aren't in the class you hope to be. For one thing, you have opportunities to increase your income by taking the following steps:Learning new job skills: You could obtain a certification, take part in a management training program at work, or take some classes to develop skills that may help you get promoted (such as computer training courses or public speaking classes), depending on your industry.Take on a side hustle: The average side hustle brings in $483 per month, which is a good amount of extra money that could make a meaningful difference in your income.Work some extra hours: If your company allows you to work overtime, take advantage of it, as many people are paid time and a half for overtime hours.Negotiate your salary: According to Pew Research, when workers negotiated for higher pay, 28% said they received the extra money they asked for and 38% indicated they were given more than originally offered but less than their ask. Whether you are getting a new job or staying at your current job but feel you're underpaid, it doesn't hurt to make a request for more money -- especially if you can find salary data to back up the fact that others in your industry are paid more.And even if your earnings never put you in the top 20% of earners, you can still have a rich life and end up with the financial security you deserve -- especially if you prioritize saving as much as you can for as long as you can.

I flew business class for the first time a little over five years ago, on an eight-hour flight back to the United States. While I had flown first class on domestic flights before, this was a whole new level of travel for me. A seat that turned into a bed? I was hooked. My immediate reaction was "This is how I always want to fly."And that's what I've done. Travel is one of the things I don't mind spending money on, so flying in business class is worth it to me. I've also used quite a few travel credit cards to cover the cost of some of that airfare in miles instead of cash.There's a lot to like about flying business class. The seats are definitely much more comfortable, especially when they're lie-flat seats. The meals can be pretty impressive, at least for something served on an airplane. Most people would probably assume there aren't any real downsides, besides the higher cost.It's mostly as good as advertised. But when you always fly business class, there is a potential downside that doesn't get talked about much.Your travel standards go way, way upA single flight in business class might not change the way you look at travel. It's nice, but you may consider it a one-time thing, or a way to treat yourself on special occasions.On the other hand, if you always fly in business class, then it's almost certainly going to raise your travel standards. You get used to that level of service and luxury. Now, this isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it does have consequences.For one, it becomes normal for you. It's hard to go back to flying economy once you've gotten used to the perks of business class. And even business class loses some of its magic. Don't get me wrong, I still love it. But it doesn't wow me nearly as much as it did the first couple of times. At this point, I know the drill.It doesn't just raise your standards for air travel, either. It will probably raise them across the board. When you always treat yourself to a nice flight, you may feel like you should do the same with your accommodations. No more hostels, questionable Airbnbs, or budget hotels. If you're going to get to your destination in style, shouldn't you stay in a nice hotel, too?There's a good chance you'll start expecting more from your travels. To get more, you usually need to pay more. Between airfare and hotels, you could end up spending much more than you used to.Embrace the change -- or don'tTo reiterate, there's nothing wrong with having high standards when you travel. Many people go from budget travel as young adults to more expensive trips as they get older. If you want to fly business class for every trip and stay in premium hotels, you shouldn't feel bad about it. Everyone has their priorities with how they spend their money.You should, however, be ready for the costs involved. It's not worth going into debt just so you can travel in luxury. Here are a few ways to finance those business-class flights, fancy hotel stays, and meals at Michelin star restaurants.Set up a travel fund and contribute to it every month. Open a high-yield savings account to serve as your travel fund. If you already have a savings account, you can also set up a sub-savings account specifically for travel. Then, decide how much you'll transfer to it every month.Cut back on other expenses so you have more money to spend on travel. If travel is a priority for you, that may mean spending less on other, less important expenses. For example, I haven't had a car for years because I can get around fine without one. Instead of an expensive car payment, I'd rather have more money I can spend on vacations. Part of improving your personal finances is deciding where you can spend and get the most out of your money.Get a travel credit card and use it to pay for all your purchases. Travel cards earn rewards that you can use to cover travel expenses. If you love to travel, it makes sense to have one of these credit cards. You can use it to pay for your regular expenses, and then use the rewards you earn to save on your travel costs.You may also discover that you're fine with any type of trip. Some travelers don't care about all the bells and whistles. There's no right or wrong way to travel. Just know that if you start making higher-end travel a regular part of your life, it can be hard to go back.