Published: Apr 21, 2021 3 min read
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If there's something that this past year has taught the whole world is that it is essential to plan ahead--especially when it comes to your finances. Having amassed a $50,000 nest egg in your 401k is no small feat. Your diligence and sacrifice have ensured your financial future is paved on solid ground.

So, Illinois, are you ready to see that number grow while balancing risk and reward?

From investing in cryptocurrency to sharing ownership of high-end works of art, our modern society features no shortage of unusual options. Here are 5 moves worthy of your consideration:

1. Invest in Tesla, Amazon, and Apple with as little as $5

Now that you’ve established a healthy 401(k), chances are you may want to dabble in the world of investing. Years ago, such experimentation may have required thousands of dollars.

But today, technology makes investing easier than ever before. Thanks to a company called Stash, you can now invest in familiar brands like Apple, Amazon, Disney, Tesla, and more with as little as $5.1

Signing up takes a few minutes, and all investments are held by Apex Clearing Corporation, a third-party SEC-registered broker-dealer and member FINRA/SIPC. Apex Clearing is a member of the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC). This means the investments in your account are protected up to $500,000 total (including $250,000 for claims for cash). Translation: you can trust them.2 (To note, SIPC coverage does not insure against the potential loss of market value. For details, please visit www.sipc.org).

As if that weren’t good news enough, Money.com readers get a $5 bonus after depositing $5 or more into their personal portfolio.3 Just use our link to sign up.

2. Apply for up to $1.5 million for your family for as little as $10 per month

Your retirement and your family's future are on great footing and we congratulate you again for taking these important steps! Now, you need to cover all of your bases. Let's talk about the less cheerful--but equally as important--topic of your family's future in the case you are no longer around.

Life insurance is a must for anyone who wants to leave an inheritance for surviving loved ones and ensure their financial security. It can serve many purposes: from replacing your family income and covering outstanding debt or expenses such as funeral and burial costs, to funding a quality education for your kids.

Regardless of what you may have heard about when to get life insurance, the best time to do so is now. Why? Because you want to pay a lower premium. The younger and healthier you are when you apply for a policy, the more likely you will pay less for its protection (and peace of mind it provides). It's never too early to look into it regardless of your age and especially if you have begun to accumulate debt like buying a car or a home.

Now what? Where can you get a policy? Don't worry--we have a suggestion of a reputable and affordable life insurance company for you. You can apply for a term life insurance policy right now with Bestow to establish a $1.5 million buffer if approved. For as little as $10 per month, Bestow can protect your family with the funds they may need in the event of your death.

A free quote takes just a few seconds and could save your family from unnecessary struggle. What do you have to lose by checking?

3. Buy some fancy art. Yes, really.

Do the wealthy know something that the rest of us don’t?

When it comes to money, yes. They have been investing in art for generations. Now, crowdfunding makes investing in art available to the non-trust fund babies among us.

A platform called Masterworks connects aspiring art investors to purchase “shares” of paintings together, and profit from any appreciation to come. Just how much could you make? For those that have been investing over the past couple of decades, the asset class has outperformed the S&P 500 by over 180% between 2000-2018.

Masterworks requires a $5,000 minimum account balance to start, but a reasonable $20 minimum in each work. Want to skip their 25,000-person waitlist? Use our exclusive link to get to the front of the line.4

4. Scrap your pricey car insurance

Chances are, your current auto insurance company is charging you through the nose. And yet if you’re like most drivers, you haven’t bothered to mess with it in years.

The good news? A company called Gabi will do the hard work for you, showing you competitive rates and explaining how to get any money back from your current insurer.

Even more good news: use Gabi's average user saves close to a thousand dollars — $961 to be exact.

See how much you could save on car insurance now.

5. Get up to 5% cash back on socially-conscious merchants

Let’s get real, if you use a traditional debit card for purchases, you’re throwing money out the window. It’s time to get in the rewards game.

Our favorite is a debit card with the perks you’d expect from a high-end credit card. With the Aspiration card, your first $1,000 in purchases will net you a cool $100 cash reward.

You’ll also qualify for up to 3 to 5% cash back on socially-conscious purchases. Make that up to 10% cash back with a subscription to Aspiration Plus.

Subscribed to Blue Apron? More green, plus up to 1.00% variable APY on your savings account balance if you subscribe to Aspiration Plus and meet conditions.

Add in a 55,000+ network of fee-free ATMs and no minimum credit score, and the Aspiration card is truly the best of all worlds.

Enter your email address and set a password to get started and see how much you can save. And don’t worry. Your money is FDIC-insured up to $2.46 million per depositor by being swept to FDIC Member Institutions (visit fdic.gov and Aspiration’s Program Banks for more information), and your data is 256-bit encrypted. So yeah, it’s safe.

Money.com is a paid Affiliate/partner of Stash. Investment advisory services offered by Stash Investments LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser. Investing involves risk. Holdings and performance are hypothetical.
1 This material is not intended as investment advice and is not meant to suggest that any securities are suitable investments for any particular investor. Investment advice is only provided to Stash customers. All investments are subject to risk and may lose value. All product and company names are trademarks ™ or registered ® trademarks of their respective holders. Use of them does not imply any affiliation with or endorsement by them.
2 For uninvested funds, your Stash account is enrolled in the APEX FDIC-insured Sweep Program. Deposits to the Sweep Program are covered by FDIC insurance up to $250,000 limit per customer at each FDIC-insured bank that participates in the Sweep Program. Once your cash is deposited with the participating banks under the Sweep Program, such cash will no longer be covered by SIPC. Learn about the FDIC Sweep Program.
3 Promotion is subject to Terms and Conditions. To be eligible to participate in this Promotion and receive the bonus, you must complete the following steps: (i) click through the link above, (ii) successfully open a Stash Invest Account (otherwise known as your personal portfolio) in good standing, (iii) link a funding account (e.g. an external bank account) to your new Stash Invest Account, AND (iv) initiate and complete a deposit of at least five dollars ($5.00) into your Stash Invest Account.
4 See important information.