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Money tips that respect your time.
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The 101 money moves that matter most, from the foundations to protecting what you’ve built.
WHAT WE DO
We can all be Money Crashers
Anyone, at any stage of life, can get good with money. It just has to be explained straight. That’s what we do, one short tip at a time.
Educate
Every tip teaches one useful thing and opens with the takeaway, in a box we call Just the Tip. No lectures, no jargon, no filler.
Research
We compare rates, fees, and current promotions side by side. You just pick from the winners.
Enrich
We work with top financial brands on offers and bonuses, and we flag the ones you can only get through us.
AS SEEN ON
Latest
New tips every day. Browse the latest, or get the next one in your inbox.
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Your Expired Groupon Is Still Worth What You Paid at the Same Business
On a Groupon voucher for a restaurant, spa, or other local business, only the extra value the deal added can expire, never the amount you paid. Take the expired voucher back to that business and spend what you paid there. If it refuses or has closed, report it to Groupon through your account.
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Calculate Your Net Worth – Use Today’s Values, Not What You Paid
Calculate your net worth by listing everything you own at what it’s worth today, including your home and car at what they’d sell for, then subtracting every debt. Write the total down with the date, even if it’s negative, as the baseline you’ll measure your progress against.
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Brokered CDs Can Beat Your Bank’s Rate – Market-Linked CDs Can Earn Nothing
Buy a brokered CD only when it pays more than your bank’s CD for the same term and you can hold it to maturity, because cashing out early means selling it for whatever buyers offer. Treat a market-linked CD as an investment, since it returns your deposit at maturity but can pay no interest at all.
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I Bonds Track Inflation and Never Lose Value – but Are Locked for a Year
Series I savings bonds earn the inflation rate plus a fixed rate, and the total can’t fall below zero, so they never lose value. You can buy up to $10,000 a year at TreasuryDirect but can’t cash one for 12 months. Use them for savings you won’t need that soon, not your emergency fund’s first few months.
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How to Make $10,000 Fast – Stack One-Time Bonuses on a Steady Side Gig
Ten thousand dollars in a few months rarely comes from one source, so build it from several. Start a bank bonus and a card bonus first, since each gives you about three months to qualify, sell what you don’t use, and add one gig or skill you can work every week for most of the total.
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8 Legit Mystery Shopping Companies – What They Pay and the Check Scam to Skip
Mystery shopping is real side work that usually pays a few dollars to about $20 a visit, plus any purchase the company reimburses. Sign up with several established companies so more jobs show up near you. Never pay to join, and treat any check that arrives before you’ve done a shop as a scam.
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Roth or Traditional 401(k)Â – Pay the Tax When Your Rate Is Lower
A Roth 401(k) taxes your contributions now, and withdrawals are tax-free once you’re 59½ and the account is five tax years old. Choose it when your tax rate today is lower than the one you expect in retirement, and the traditional option when it’s higher. If you can’t tell, split your contributions between the two.
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How to Read Your Bank Statement – and Catch Fraud, Errors & Fees Every Month
Read your bank statement the week it arrives, since federal rules give you a 60-day window, starting when the bank sends it, to report a debit card purchase or other electronic transfer you didn’t make. Check that every charge is yours and every fee has a reason, and call the bank the day something looks wrong.
WHY WE DO IT
Money Crashers’ mission
Money should work for you, not the other way around. We keep you on the right side of that deal with tips you can act on the day you read them.
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