The 16 Financial Tools I Use

I ofttimes acquire asked what credit cards I recommend, or budgeting software, or how I invest.

So, I decided to position it all inward one topographic point for your convenience as good give yous a peek within my wallet as skilful!

Listed from left to right:

My Saddleback wallet – love that affair
Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 proficient-worn photograph of the love of my life
My TN driver’s license
The debit banking company electric charge of fare that I never purpose (only as a backup)
Chase Sapphire Preferred (details below)
Medi-Share insurance bill of fare (details below)
Chase Ink Business Preferred (details below)

How I salve upwardly to 20% on online purchases

This is 1 of my hole-too-corner weapons. It is too so simple as well as painless a 5-yr tin dismiss do it in improver to if you lot ever buy anything, yous testament salve money.

Watch the quick video below for details…

$10 Sign-upward bonus

The only 2 credit cards we purpose

As of early 2018, we have received 161 hotel nights together with 97 flights for FREE using credit nib of fare points in improver to as a event, I am a large proponent of rewards cards.

Even though I convey opened in all likelihood 25+ credit cards inwards the final 10 years, these are the best that I accept got establish. And that is why they are the only 2 inward my wallet.

1. Chase Sapphire Preferred

Running a financial weblog I hang out amongst a lot of other nerds who love stuff similar this, inwards addition to almost every 1 I know uses this nib of fare.

Cardratings has them listed as their top pick for motion rewards as expert.

I take got used this carte du jour every bit my primary carte for half-dozen years at in one trial.

Why I love it?

It rewards you lot amongst Ultimate Rewards points (which are but the best value together with options that I know of).
50,000 bonus points (aka $625 inward go) for signing upward at the time of this writing
Earn 2 points per $1 spent on dining and move, too 1 indicate per $1 on everything else
You acquire a 25% bonus on asking redemption if yous role Ultimate Rewards portal.

All that to say, if you lot only wishing one carte that pays fantastic rewards, this is the ane I would recommend.

(Find out more details about the Chase Sapphire Preferred here )

UPDATE: After 5+ years of using this love carte du jour, I agree been lured away yesteryear this i…

Find out more about the Chase Freedom Unlimited here.

2. Chase Ink Business Preferred

I wrote about how this is the only menu I purpose for my concern hither, together with so I won’t get into all the details i time more than than.

But, this carte is insane inwards that it pays 3x points on online advertising.

So if you accept a job organization where you lot purchase online ads, definitely acquire this ane. If non, it is nevertheless a genuinely skillful line of work beak of fare, but the Chase Business Unlimited would belike alive a ameliorate bet.

(Learn more about the Chase Ink Business Preferred hither)

The Financial Tracking tools we business office

3. Personal Capital

This is by far my favorite way to track investments and easily track cyberspace worth. These guys have been around a long fourth dimension and accept built such a peachy tool to:

See a snapshot of your finances inward ane family
Track your net worth
See the fees you are paying inward your 401k in summation to other retirement accounts
See where all your money is going each month

And it’s 100% complimentary.

You can read our review hither or sentry adult homo the video below for to a greater extent than information!

If yous wishing to acquire a large motion-painting exhibit snapshot of your financial pic (without the Quicken nightmare), together with then it is worth checking out.

Learn to a greater extent nigh personal majuscule

The Banks we purpose

4. Capital One 360

In my persuasion, this is the best all-around online banking company out in that location. I concur been amongst them for over 10 years as well like mentioned inwards a higher location, we devised a method of budgeting alongside them that we loved.

Why I love them together with notwithstanding purpose them:

Always inwards the top 1% best Savings, MMKT, likewise CD rates out at that location.
No minimums as good as no fees.
They offering debit cards in add-on to checks.
Free as well as like shooting fish in a barrel to transfer money to in addition to from other banks.

If you decide to try them out click hither to acquire a $xx bonus for signing upwardly.

5. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 local banking business solid

Even though nosotros likely could acquire yesteryear using Capital One 360 for all our banking needs, it is even together with thence squeamish to convey a local branch every inwards ane lawsuit inwards a piece. So this satisfies our brick-as good as-mortar banking needs.

The Insurance nosotros role

half-dozen. Health Insurance

We have used Medi-Share every fleck our health insurance alternative for the hold up ix years. They accept got been smashing to piece of work with inwards improver to I highly recommend them if you lot are a Christian in addition to adhere to a Biblical lifestyle.

You can check read our Medi-Share review here or check out this video for to a greater extent than information every flake good:

vii. Life insurance

Like 98% of people we are best suited with term life insurance. It is the simplest to empathize, the cheapest, as well as the easiest to get started.

I don’t have an affection for any particular life insurance company, but I do really like Policy Genius for getting quotes also comparison rates. Many of the comparing tools out at that topographic dot are obnoxious together with I bring got liked using this ane.

8. Auto Insurance

I don’t bring a companionship that I specially love, but definitely store around – 50-l when you lot intend you lot direct concord a skillful range. I knocked my annual nib down past times $530 in on yr, but past checking rates.

The Investing tools we work

We Pb concur investments inwards a lot of different areas in add-on to inwards that location genuinely are a lot of groovy options for novel investors these days. These are what I purpose…

9. Acorns

Simply lay, the easiest agency to maiden of all investing amongst no coin. They only round off off upward all the purchases you ready to the adjacent dollar in addition to invest the deviation.

So, say you driblet dead to the grocery store together with top $xvi.25, they will circular off upwardly to $17.00 too direct concur the 75 cents as good invest it. If you lot do that over inward plus to over, it apace adds upwards to some big savings.

By far, the easiest set-it-and-forget-it way to acquire started investing. Here is how it works:

You can learn more virtually them hither.

10. Fundrise

This is the easiest way to invest inwards existent estate that I pick out works.

We actually sold our rental property shortly after realizing that our Fundrise returns (which are 100% passive income) musical rhythm out our returns on our rental asset.

Read expert-nigh it hither:

Fundrise Review 2019: Fundrise vs. My Rental Property

11. Capital One Investing

This is where I acquire to purchase stocks. The argue I love them is that they allow yous to buy fractional shares.

So if the stock price is at $200/constituent, but you lot only behavior concur $50 to invest, you lot tin john purchase 1/4 of a per centum.

Not many online brokers do this.

They piece of work best when you lot plan on investing a regular sum each month, which is the wise affair to do anyway.

**** (Update: they got bought out yesteryear Etrade. Not for certain what the futurity holds for the Sharebuilder service)

12. Retirement Estimator

I mentioned Personal Capital up above for financial tracking, but they also have a free tool built in to help me see if I am on track for my retirement goals.

It is genuinely helpful to come across how increasing your savings sum past times $50 a calendar month tin impact your retirement nest egg.

xiii. Vanguard

In an industry wrought amongst fees together with middlemen trying to acquire a trim down, Vanguard is genuinely something unique likewise special amongst the index funds together with ETFs they offering.

Warren Buffett but of late won a 10-yr bet that the SP Index Fund (which Vanguard offers) would squeeze out a collection of hedge funds (amongst outrageous direction fees) as good non only was he right, but it won by to a greater extent than than than 3x!

You mail away invest inward these Vanguard funds at CapitalOne Investing.

14. Inspire Funds

I love these guys because they took the benefits of the ETF model and applied a Biblically Responsible filter to it. So few Christians really intend roughly the companies they are investing inwards (together with then financially endorsing) as well these funds do the slice of work for you. They filter out all the companies that are ones that you probable wouldn’t want to support too thence create a uncomplicated ETF to invest inwards with the remainder.

You tin sack also invest in these ETFs at CapitalOne Investing.

Credit Reporting Tools

Admittedly I don’t purpose these much anymore since we paid off our debt, and since we don’t computer programme on borrowing e'er over ane time again, I don’t really assist what my credit mark is. I to a greater extent than than oft than non suggest checking them annually but to prepare for sure there aren’t errors on inwards that location harming you.

These are the tools I used inwards the yesteryear likewise are the best (FREE) options I know of:

15. Credit Karma

These guys volition do most everything as good as for FREE:

Check your credit reports (Transunion together with Equifax)
Check your credit score
Monitor your credit report for yous

What I love nigh them is that they monitor your credit study for you lot, just inwards trial you lot forget to banking concern bank check it each twelvemonth.

16. Annual Credit Report

As yous belike know, there are iii different credit reports. Credit Karma only checks 2 of them, unfortunately. So you tin displace chore this site to acquire the other ane (Experian).