7 Ways to Finish the Year Richer

It’s crazy to think about, but 2024 will be here before you know it. The clock is ticking on 2023 — which means you’re running out of time to boost your bank account by the end of the year.

You still have time to make a difference, though. There are enough days left on the calendar to fuel a financial upswing, and we’ve got some suggestions for how you can do that.

If you use these proven wealth-building strategies, you’ll finish out 2023 with more money in your pocket.

Not all these tips may apply to you, but some of them will, so make sure to read them all.

1. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket

If a large part of your savings is in the stock market — as it should be — you’re well aware that what goes up can also go down. You can’t control the market, but you can hedge against uncertainty by having other forms of wealth.

One of the best ways to protect your savings is diversification. Keep money in different types of investments, ideally ones that go up when others are going down. For example, stocks tend to do poorly when inflation and interest rates are rising and there’s political turmoil brewing.

But there’s one investment that thrives in this scenario: gold.

Be careful who you deal with, though. Lots of companies in the gold business are pretty shady and won’t hesitate to sell you gold and silver at vastly inflated prices.

Goldco, on the other hand, has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau, an AAA rating from Business Consumer Alliance, and 4.8 to 5 stars on Trustpilot, TrustLink, Google reviews and ConsumerAffairs. They offer just about everything, from precious-metal IRAs to gold coins and gold bars.

You’ll even receive up to $10,000 in free silver on qualified purchases. If you’ve ever thought about investing in gold, why not take a look?

2. Get a second set of expert eyes

To properly manage your money, work with a professional — it’s totally worth it. If you’re not doing this, you could be missing out on some serious financial gains.

A Vanguard study found that, on average, a hypothetical $500,000 investment over 25 years would grow to $1.7 million if you manage it yourself, but more than $3.4 million if you work with a financial advisor. That’s twice as much!

If you’ve got at least $100,000 in investments, check out a free service called SmartAsset. You fill out a short questionnaire and instantly get matched with up to three vetted financial advisors in your area, all legally bound to work in your best interests.

Even if you don’t want help picking investments, an advisor can help lower your tax burden, create a comprehensive financial plan for you, maximize your Social Security, and serve as a second pair of eyes to make sure you’re on the right track.

Using SmartAsset only takes a few minutes, and in many cases you’ll be offered a free consultation.

Please carefully review the methodologies employed in the Vanguard white paper, “Putting a value on your value: Quantifying Vanguard Advisor’s Alpha.”

3. Escape the jaws of 25% interest

The average credit card interest rate these days is approaching 25% — a record high. Sounds like what a loan shark would charge, doesn’t it?

Never borrow recklessly, but when it’s time, do it right. Take advantage of much lower rates by borrowing against your home. Use that loan — with rates as low as 6.25% — to fix up your house, to pay off high-interest debt or for any other purpose (besides financing a lifestyle you can’t afford).

That’s a fraction of what credit cards charge, and will literally save you thousands of dollars over the life of the loan.

How do you shop for the best deal? Simple: Head to a loan shopping site like Rocket Mortgage. They’ve eliminated most of the hoops you had to jump through in the past, so it only takes a couple of minutes to see how much you could get.

4. Get cash back on every debit card purchase

It’s hard to keep track of all the cash-back offers out there. Let’s see, some credit cards offer cash back on certain purchases – as long as you qualify for the card in the first place. And that card might come with fees, too.

What if you just automatically got cash back every time you used your plain old debit card? That would be super easy, wouldn’t it?

That’s how it is with the Discover® Cashback Debit Checking. You earn 1% cash back on up to $3,000 in debit card purchases every single month. Also, there are no overdraft fees, no monthly account fees, no minimum opening deposit and no minimum balance required.

Another bonus: When you set up direct deposit, you’ll get paid up to two days early.

You can use more than 60,000 ATMs for free. And Discover is just as secure as any brick-and-mortar bank. Your deposits are FDIC-insured up to $250,000.

It’s time to leave your old bank behind and check out a smarter option.

5. Don’t pay retail, save 10% to 30% on everything you buy

With the kind of inflation we’ve all seen over the past two years, everything is more expensive now. You’ve noticed this, right?

Let’s face it, shopping online is more convenient than going to a store. Plus, you’re more likely to find a deal, promotion or coupon code and quickly cross-reference prices at several different retailers to save money.

Want to make that process even easier? Try Capital One Shopping. This handy-dandy tool alerts you when a deal on an item you’re buying is available. Talk about effortless. All you have to do is add it as a browser extension, and it’ll search the internet for coupon codes to apply during checkout.

That’s not all. It also compares prices across the internet so you know if an item you’re purchasing is cheaper elsewhere. It’s free, and you don’t need to be a Capital One customer to use it. It’s just a friendly tool trying to save you money online. Find better bargains now.

6. Use this secret source for discounts

Are you over 18? Then you’re eligible to save hundreds of dollars every year simply by joining AARP.

“What?” You say, “I thought AARP was for retired people.”

As it turns out, you don’t have to be 50 or older to join AARP. And members get discounts on hundreds of things, like:

• Up to $200 per person off flights
• Up to 30% off rental cars
• Up to 15% off restaurants
• Up to 20% off hotels

You’ll also save on eyeglasses, prescriptions, meal deliveries and lots more. And that’s not all. AARP offers a Fraud Watch Network, job listings, retirement planning tools, games, and tons of information, programs and resources.

Anyone trying to save money can’t afford not to join AARP, especially since the cost is as low as $12 per year with auto-renewal. You’ll likely recoup the cost in the first week.

7. Slash your car insurance bill by $610

If you’re like most Americans, you’re probably paying too much for car insurance. But shopping around for a better deal is such a hassle.

Well, it used to be.

Now you can just check out Provide Insurance, the largest online marketplace for insurance in the U.S. Provide Insurance lets you compare quotes from more than 175 different carriers in minutes.

All you have to do is answer a few questions about yourself and your driving history. Then Provide will show you the best options for your needs and budget.

You could save up to $610 a year on car insurance by using Provide Insurance. That’s money you could use for other things, like investing, saving or paying off debt.

Don’t let your current insurer overcharge you. Try Provide Insurance today and see how much you can save on car insurance.

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