Simplifying finance for everyone!
Free checking accounts should do more than avoid a monthly fee. I have personally used every institution in this comparison, including PenFed, Navy Federal, First Tech/DCU, Alliant, Capital One, Ally, Schwab, and Fidelity. Some are still part of my financial system today. Others are accounts I have used in the past. My first recommendation for … Read more
You are not imagining it. Your paycheck used to stretch further. The same grocery order costs more. The same night out costs more. And yet you keep hearing that the economy is doing fine. Here is the piece nobody explains clearly: the economy actually is doing fine, just not for everyone at the same time. … Read more
The Fidelity Rewards Visa is easy to recommend to someone who wants one main card without turning rewards into a hobby. It earns unlimited 2% cash back on eligible purchases when rewards are deposited into an eligible Fidelity account. There is no annual fee, no foreign transaction fee, and no rotating category calendar. Fidelity is … Read more
MVNO family plans can cut a phone bill by hundreds of dollars a year, but the cheapest plan is not always the best value. The better approach is to right-size each line and compare the full 12-month cost. One person may need unlimited data. Another may be fine with a few gigabytes. A backup phone … Read more
Your checking account balance should be large enough to make normal life easy without becoming the place where all your cash piles up. My rule is simple: Aim to keep one full month of your normal expenses in checking. Not one month of income. One month of what you actually spend. If your household normally … Read more
Debit cards make a lot of sense when you want spending to stop when the money you set aside is gone. You can now earn useful cash back, avoid many travel fees, and still keep everyday purchases out of debt. My overall picks are simple: Upgrade for most everyday spending, Quontic if you want straightforward … Read more
Data broker removal sounds like a tech problem. It is also a money problem. Personal details spread across broker sites can feed spam, sales pitches, and more convincing scams. All that noise costs attention. A simple financial life should protect your time, identity, and cash. Take control of your cash flow. Join the Simple Finance … Read more
Finance management apps promise one clean view of your money. Many just give you another screen to check. I currently use Copilot Money and Fidelity Full View. I no longer use Monarch Money. The best tool is not the one with the most features. It is the one you will use. Take control of your … Read more
Frugal travel booking does not need a rewards program, a spreadsheet, or a stack of credit cards juggled for bonus categories. Most people who chase points end up spending more time managing the system than they save on the trip itself. The good news is that a simpler approach works just as well, often better, … Read more
When disaster hits your neighborhood, most people think about water, flashlights, and food. Almost nobody thinks about their bank accounts. But if you get an evacuation order tonight, your financial life needs to survive the trip out the door just as much as you do. A financial emergency kit is not complicated. It is a … Read more