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Best money-saving banking offers!
Welcome to Credit and Cents – your partner in reviewing the best offers in your journey to achieving your financial goals.
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If you are tired of the extremely low savings interest rate (APY) offered by traditional brick-and-mortar banks, please click here for the best offers on our site that pay up to 12X the national average, to help you grow your hard-earned savings or to begin saving for any purpose.
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Our research shows that both CD rates and High-Yield Savings APYs are trending down. Act today to benefit from the current high rates.
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If you are looking to get cash back or rewards cards or looking forward to building your credit history, or maybe a beginner in the credit card life-cycle wanting to know the best credit cards and personal loans for all credit types to take advantage of, please click here to explore your options.
Card |
Description |
Target Audience |
Upgrade Triple Cash Rewards
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Get up to 3% cash back on select categories. No annual fee. |
For excellent, good, or fair credit |
Upgrade Cash Rewards
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Get 1.5% cash back. No annual fee. |
For excellent, good, or fair credit |
Open Sky Plus Secured Card
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No annual fee secured card to build/ re-build credit |
For poor credit, or no credit |
We post on our site articles on credit card and banking related topics including offers for new small business owners, so please check back as often as possible, and send us your comments/thoughts on credit card related topics that are of interest to you. We strive to identifying the best credit cards, loans and banking offers for all.
Lets get started on understanding what the economic trends are indicating, on growing your savings (or taking your savings further, faster) with high-yield accounts offering APY of 5% and more, learning about the best credit cards (particularly for beginners, business owners, students, cash rewards seekers, and new US residents). Review and apply for personal loans (available for any purpose and for all credit scores with just one application), and read about strategies to build (or re-build) your credit.
Pulse check on the US economy
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US Inflation Rate (as of February 29, 2024): 3.15% ( Jan ’24 rate was 3.09% and Dec ’22 rate was 6.45%)
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US Unemployment Rate: 3.9% (as of February 29, 2024)
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US Index of Consumer Sentiment: 76.50 (flat to Jan ’24’s number of 76.90)
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The University of Michigan provides the US Index of Consumer Sentiment (ICS), which monitors the sentiment of US consumers through surveys conducted on randomly selected households. This index helps gauge consumer attitudes regarding personal finances, business conditions, and other subjects. Over time, the index has shown a trend of decreased confidence among consumers during economic downturns and heightened confidence during periods of economic expansion.
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Average Credit Card APR (accounts with balances accessed interest): 22.75% (as of Q4 2023)
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Prime Rate: 8.5%
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New Car Loans: 60 months – Average 8.15% APR (Q4 2023)
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Personal Loans: 24 months – Average 12.35% APR (Q4 2023)
Source: federalreserve.gov, ycharts.com
Need help with taxes? Whether you are an individual or a small business owner, talk to the tax pros and be worry free. Click here.
Travel Protection for Any Budget
Streamline Payments, Save Big: The Melio Advantage for Businesses. Amplify Cash Flow with Melio!
Learn More about Using Melio Pay for Free
Test Your Financial Savvy: Dive into our short Quiz Challenge!
1. Experts recommend that you should keep your credit card usage to under ___ of your credit limit.
A.10% B. 50% C. 30% D. 25%
2. What does APR stand for?
A. Annual Payment Rate B. Annual Percentage Rate C. Average Payment Return D. Annual Profit Ratio
3. What is the golden rule of personal finance?
A. Spend more than you earn B. Save and invest consistently C. Rely solely on credit D. Ignore financial goals
4. What does a credit score measure?
A. Income level B. Ability to save C. Creditworthiness D. Number of credit cards
5. Question: What does the term “compound interest” refer to?
A. Simple interest applied monthly B. Interest earned on the initial principal and the accumulated interest C. Interest on loans only D. Interest calculated annually
Scroll below for answers
When to use Buy Now Pay Later option?
Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) offers became a popular way to pay for purchases during the Covid time period. Many retailers began offering BNPL option during checkout, by which you could break up your total purchase and pay a smaller amount at the time of purchase, instead of the full balance. The pay-in-four plan with zero interest became the most popular BNPL option.
However, important point to note is that because of its convenience, it’s easy to overspend with BNPL. If you’re struggling to pay your bills, or have high amounts of debt which is lowering your credit score, steer clear of buy now, pay later – particularly for nonessential purchases.
Experts recommend using BNPL only for necessary expenses, like a microwave or mattress for your apartment or a laptop for school. Though BNPL can be a simple and low-cost way to pay for your purchases, you’re still taking on debt, and will need to be able pay down the debt in a timely manner without getting into a financial distress.
When shopping, let’s be shrewd shoppers, making every dollar count.
Want to save money on your auto insurance? Click below:
Click below to get up to 4 auto loan offers (new and used autos or to refinance existing auto loan) in just minutes. Clients save $1,900 on average when refinancing:
Best Checking Account Offers – earn up to $300 when you open a new High Yield Checking Account. Click to learn more.
Stay safe from online scammers:
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Be wary of false urgency where someone tries to convince you that you must act now to provide your credit card or personal information.
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Order Confirmation Scams where unexpected calls/texts/emails about an unauthorized purchase are sent asking you to act urgently to confirm or cancel the purchase.
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Tech Support Scams where scammers create fake websites claiming to provide tech support for your computer/laptop.
Please scroll below for money saving offers from our affiliate partners:
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New:
“Making More Cents” Newsletter, Q4′ 2023 issue (Jan 2024)
Answers to the Financial Quiz Challenge!
1. C, 2. B, 3. B, 4. C, 5. B
Learn about our Banking offers to help you get started on building your savings.
Click Here to Apply for Featured Credit Building Credit Cards (multiple card options including no annual fee credit cards).
Tradeline Supply Company, LLC offers an innovative online platform bringing buyers and sellers of tradelines together in one marketplace. Fast, secure, and easy checkout. Click below to learn more.
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