Oct
17
2023
Is Money Everything in Life?

Is Money Really Everything?

By | Family Finances, Life & Career, money | Comments Off on Is Money Really Everything?

Some people may believe that money is everything, but is it actually? After all, money is embedded in a sense of well-being, from healthcare to the ability to pursue one’s passions. Money grants security and freedom — and, at its core, it ensures basic survival.

But research also suggests that having more money is correlated with depression and can lead to more stress. Comparing money with one’s peers can create dissatisfaction, and money arguments are the second-highest cause of divorce.

So is money really everything in life? Here’s a closer look at:

•   Is money everything in life?

•   What can money do for us?

•   What can money not do for us?

Get up to $300 when you bank with SoFi.

No account or overdraft fees. No minimum balance.

Up to 4.00% APY on savings balances.

Up to 2-day-early paycheck.

Up to $2M of additional
FDIC insurance.


Needing Money to Survive

Money has the ability to improve one’s life, but it can also create complications and lead to unhappiness. The question of whether a person needs more money to be happy is certainly up for debate (and researchers continue to conduct new studies about this very topic), but amid all the misconceptions about money, there is a fundamental truth: We need money to survive.

According to the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), poverty and low-income status can lead to shorter life expectancy, higher death rates for the 14 leading causes of death, and higher infant mortality rates.

From food and shelter to health care and education, money provides the things needed to survive.

What Money Can Do For Us

Is money everything? Probably not: Things like love, friendship, time, and passion are all important aspects of life (though money can help in those areas —for example, money can enable you to pursue passions and afford experiences with family and friends).

But even if money isn’t everything, it can do a lot of important things, such as:

Meeting Basic Needs

Money allows us to meet our most basic needs, like food, shelter, and health care. Without those things, we would die.

On Maslow’s hierarchy of needs — a popular tenet of psychology — humans must satisfy such basic needs before they can focus on more complex needs like love and belonging, esteem, and self-actualization.

Recommended: How to Manage Your Money

Paying Down Debts

Multiple studies indicate that carrying debt is bad for your mental and physical health. Adverse effects include high blood pressure, anxiety, depression, and even a weakened immune system.

On top of that, debt can lead to money fights with a significant other. It can also impact your ability to secure credit in the future — whether for a car, house, or even a credit card.

Thus, having enough money to pay down your debts can help avoid a lot of figurative and literal headaches.

Recommended: Paying Off Debt: 9 Strategies to Try

Improving Our Quality of Life

Beyond meeting basic needs, money can help improve quality of life. Having more money makes it easier to see expensive doctors, join a gym, and buy healthier foods. It also enables the pursuit of higher education without needing to open a student loan.

Money also allows you to afford experiences with friends and family — whether it’s going to a concert, affording a family vacation, or just having a drink with a coworker. Beyond that, money allows a person to pursue passions and hobbies, such as gardening, woodworking, painting, playing in sports leagues, and fixing up cars.

Feeling Secure and Free

Having enough money to pay the bills and provide for your family can create a sense of security. With a well-padded emergency fund, you may not worry about the cost of emergencies like unexpected vet bills or car trouble like those living paycheck to paycheck might.

Not only can money provide you with a sense of security, but it can also give you more freedom to pursue passions and buy material goods you enjoy without worrying about the price tag.

Recommended: 5 Ways to Achieve Financial Security

Making a Difference

Parents with more money may be able to provide things for their children that others cannot — like better education for a more promising future. Beyond your own family, money can allow you to make a difference in the world through charitable donations to causes you care about.

What Money Can’t Do For Us

After reading the list above, you may wonder, Is everything about money? While money can purchase material possessions and enable certain experiences, there are some things money simply cannot do.

Buying More Time

No matter how much money you have, no one can buy more time. If you spend a large chunk of your life working at a job you don’t like — and miss out on experiences and memories with people you love — you can’t buy that time back. And while deep pockets can perhaps enhance one’s health and healthcare, it’s not as if it can necessarily extend your life.

Creating Real Relationships

You cannot buy connections with true friends and family. You may win new friends with more money, but real relationships are based on love and respect for one another. The more time you spend trying to make money, the less time you’ll have to focus on building relationships with people you care about.

Recommended: How to Change Your Money Mindset

Fulfilling Passions

Some people may have high-paying jobs and love what they do. But others may take high-paying jobs just for the paycheck, even if there’s something else they’d rather be doing.

While it’s important to earn money to care for yourself and family, remember that it’s also valuable to allow yourself to do things that make you happy.

Can Money Buy You Happiness?

Is money everything in life? Clearly, money can offer security and opportunities — and allow you to meet basic needs — but there are other things in life worth pursuing.

But can money buy you happiness? Science says yes, though researchers continue to debate the extent to which it can.

More than a decade ago, Daniel Kahneman and Angus Deaton released their now-famous research that indicates money does buy you happiness, to a certain point. According to this research, money no longer improves emotional well-being and happiness beyond $75,000 a year.

A more recent study, however, throws that into question. The 2021 paper by Matthew Killingsworth demonstrates a continued, linear correlation between money and happiness beyond $75,000. That is, a person who makes $100,000 a year could scientifically be happier than one who makes $75,000.

Of course, other research demonstrates that money leads to unhappiness. For example, per capita income in the United States increased by 150% from 1946 to 1990, yet the percentage of people who considered themselves happy dropped during that time.

Research also shows that more income can mean more stress, that materialism can contribute to unhappiness, and that comparing one’s finances with one’s peers can contribute to dissatisfaction.

So can money buy you happiness? The answer: yes and no.

Recommended: 30 Low-Stress Jobs for Introverts

What’s More Important Than Money?

Science can only go so far to prove fundamental truths about the human experience. How can a person truly measure the value of love, family, and friendship to each individual? And how can you separate money from things you deem important, like your mental and physical health?

Understanding that it’s a nuanced subject, here are some things that you may find are more important than wealth; things that refute the the idea that money is everything:

•   Love: For many people, sharing love and companionship with friends, family, partners, and children is paramount. It’s the most valuable thing in the world.

•   Health: Having a sound body and sound mind are important. Many rely on jobs for health insurance and the money they need to afford everything from prescriptions to gym memberships to emergency room visits. However, one can overdo it at work. It can be important to remember to also focus on your mental health, especially if you’re working too much and too hard to earn your money.

•   Passion: While some people would prefer to work a high-pressure job for more money, the Great Resignation (in which people left their jobs in droves as the COVID-19 pandemic progressed) has shown us that many people would rather pursue their passions and accept a lower paycheck for it. To them, a passion-filled life is more important than money.

•   Time: Each person has a finite amount of time in life. If you spend too much of it focused on making money, you may miss out on life-changing experiences and wonderful memories with friends and family.

The Takeaway

Money can allow you to satisfy basic needs like food and shelter, but it may also enable you to pursue higher education, access higher-quality health care, and fund experiences and hobbies that you are passionate about. That said, money can never buy you more time or true relationships, and having more money may even make you unhappy. So while money may matter, it’s not necessarily what makes the world go around when one thinks about happiness at a basic, human level.

3 Money Tips

1.    Typically, checking accounts don’t earn interest. However, some accounts do, and online banks are more likely than brick-and-mortar banks to offer you the best rates.

2.    If you’re creating a budget, try the 50/30/20 budget rule. Allocate 50% of your after-tax income to the “needs” of life, like living expenses and debt. Spend 30% on wants, and then save the remaining 20% towards saving for your long-term goals.

3.    When you feel the urge to buy something that isn’t in your budget, try the 30-day rule. Make a note of the item in your calendar for 30 days into the future. When the date rolls around, there’s a good chance the “gotta have it” feeling will have subsided.

Better banking is here with SoFi, NerdWallet’s 2024 winner for Best Checking Account Overall.* Enjoy up to 4.00% APY on SoFi Checking and Savings.

FAQ

Where did the phrase “money isn’t everything” come from?

The origin of the phrase “money isn’t everything” isn’t clear, but it’s a common expression in the English language. The intent of the expression is that you shouldn’t focus solely on money because other things — love, friendship, time, passion, etc. — are also important and can bring you happiness.

What happens if we are too dependent on money?

Money is important for affording the basic things we need to survive, but research shows that focusing too much on money can lead to more stress, isolate us from people we care about, and even cause depression.

Is too much money a bad thing to have?

We need money to survive and to improve our quality of life. Having more money allows us to care for ourselves and the people we love. However, if you’re earning that money at the expense of your mental and physical health — and missing out on core life experiences because you’re busy with work — having more money could be a bad thing. Some research indicates that having more money can lead to unhappiness and even depression.

Photo credit: iStock/Irina Kashaeva

Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.

SoFi® Checking and Savings is offered through SoFi Bank, N.A. ©2024 SoFi Bank, N.A. All rights reserved. Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender.
The SoFi Bank Debit Mastercard® is issued by SoFi Bank, N.A., pursuant to license by Mastercard International Incorporated and can be used everywhere Mastercard is accepted. Mastercard is a registered trademark, and the circles design is a trademark of Mastercard International Incorporated.

SoFi members with direct deposit activity can earn 4.00% annual percentage yield (APY) on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. Direct Deposit means a recurring deposit of regular income to an account holder’s SoFi Checking or Savings account, including payroll, pension, or government benefit payments (e.g., Social Security), made by the account holder’s employer, payroll or benefits provider or government agency (“Direct Deposit”) via the Automated Clearing House (“ACH”) Network during a 30-day Evaluation Period (as defined below). Deposits that are not from an employer or government agency, including but not limited to check deposits, peer-to-peer transfers (e.g., transfers from PayPal, Venmo, etc.), merchant transactions (e.g., transactions from PayPal, Stripe, Square, etc.), and bank ACH funds transfers and wire transfers from external accounts, or are non-recurring in nature (e.g., IRS tax refunds), do not constitute Direct Deposit activity. There is no minimum Direct Deposit amount required to qualify for the stated interest rate. SoFi members with direct deposit are eligible for other SoFi Plus benefits.

As an alternative to direct deposit, SoFi members with Qualifying Deposits can earn 4.00% APY on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. Qualifying Deposits means one or more deposits that, in the aggregate, are equal to or greater than $5,000 to an account holder’s SoFi Checking and Savings account (“Qualifying Deposits”) during a 30-day Evaluation Period (as defined below). Qualifying Deposits only include those deposits from the following eligible sources: (i) ACH transfers, (ii) inbound wire transfers, (iii) peer-to-peer transfers (i.e., external transfers from PayPal, Venmo, etc. and internal peer-to-peer transfers from a SoFi account belonging to another account holder), (iv) check deposits, (v) instant funding to your SoFi Bank Debit Card, (vi) push payments to your SoFi Bank Debit Card, and (vii) cash deposits. Qualifying Deposits do not include: (i) transfers between an account holder’s Checking account, Savings account, and/or Vaults; (ii) interest payments; (iii) bonuses issued by SoFi Bank or its affiliates; or (iv) credits, reversals, and refunds from SoFi Bank, N.A. (“SoFi Bank”) or from a merchant. SoFi members with Qualifying Deposits are not eligible for other SoFi Plus benefits.

SoFi Bank shall, in its sole discretion, assess each account holder’s Direct Deposit activity and Qualifying Deposits throughout each 30-Day Evaluation Period to determine the applicability of rates and may request additional documentation for verification of eligibility. The 30-Day Evaluation Period refers to the “Start Date” and “End Date” set forth on the APY Details page of your account, which comprises a period of 30 calendar days (the “30-Day Evaluation Period”). You can access the APY Details page at any time by logging into your SoFi account on the SoFi mobile app or SoFi website and selecting either (i) Banking > Savings > Current APY or (ii) Banking > Checking > Current APY. Upon receiving a Direct Deposit or $5,000 in Qualifying Deposits to your account, you will begin earning 4.00% APY on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% on checking balances on or before the following calendar day. You will continue to earn these APYs for (i) the remainder of the current 30-Day Evaluation Period and through the end of the subsequent 30-Day Evaluation Period and (ii) any following 30-day Evaluation Periods during which SoFi Bank determines you to have Direct Deposit activity or $5,000 in Qualifying Deposits without interruption.

SoFi Bank reserves the right to grant a grace period to account holders following a change in Direct Deposit activity or Qualifying Deposits activity before adjusting rates. If SoFi Bank grants you a grace period, the dates for such grace period will be reflected on the APY Details page of your account. If SoFi Bank determines that you did not have Direct Deposit activity or $5,000 in Qualifying Deposits during the current 30-day Evaluation Period and, if applicable, the grace period, then you will begin earning the rates earned by account holders without either Direct Deposit or Qualifying Deposits until you have Direct Deposit activity or $5,000 in Qualifying Deposits in a subsequent 30-Day Evaluation Period. For the avoidance of doubt, an account holder with both Direct Deposit activity and Qualifying Deposits will earn the rates earned by account holders with Direct Deposit.

Members without either Direct Deposit activity or Qualifying Deposits, as determined by SoFi Bank, during a 30-Day Evaluation Period and, if applicable, the grace period, will earn 1.20% APY on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances.

Interest rates are variable and subject to change at any time. These rates are current as of 12/3/24. There is no minimum balance requirement. Additional information can be found at https://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet.

SOBK1122005

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Oct
17
2023
Flipping Furniture as a Side Hustle

Tips for Flipping Furniture as a Side Hustle

By | Budgeting & Goals, Financial Independence, money | Comments Off on Tips for Flipping Furniture as a Side Hustle

Flipping furniture, or taking one person’s junk and transforming it into a thing of beauty, offers many benefits. It’s a unique way to earn extra income, learn new skills, and even send less waste to landfills. But how profitable can flipping furniture be, what tools do you need, and how do you get started?

You’ll learn all that (and more) in this guide covering:

•   How to make money flipping furniture

•   How to source pieces

•   How to learn to restore and upgrade furniture

•   How to find customers.

What Is Furniture Flipping?

Though flipping furniture has recently become a popular trend on TikTok, it’s been a profitable side hustle for many people much longer. Flipping furniture means taking an old piece of furniture, restoring it, and selling it for a profit. Restoring furniture generally involves cleaning an old piece, sanding or stripping it, then painting or staining it — and maybe installing more chic hardware, like knobs and handles.

Recommended: 11 Benefits of Having a Side Hustle

Get up to $300 when you bank with SoFi.

No account or overdraft fees. No minimum balance.

Up to 4.00% APY on savings balances.

Up to 2-day-early paycheck.

Up to $2M of additional
FDIC insurance.


How Do I Get Started Flipping Furniture for a Profit?

Wondering how to flip furniture for a profit? To get started, you’ll need to find old pieces of furniture, research methods for restoring it, buy the necessary tools and materials, and perform the actual work.

Your first few attempts at flipping furniture may not be good enough to sell, but the pieces could make great gifts for friends and family. As with any new skill, practice makes perfect.

Once you’ve gotten the hang of flipping furniture, you can begin to look for places to sell your pieces.

Recommended: Best Time to Purchase Furniture

Where Can I Find Furniture to Flip?

To make money flipping furniture, you need to source old furniture cheaply — or for free.

You can find free furniture by driving around neighborhoods on trash day. The saying “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure” applies here: If a neighbor has put out an old dresser or end table for trash pickup, you can carry it or throw it in your truck and take it home to restore. Similarly, watch for neighbors who are moving; many dispose of furniture they don’t want to take to a new place.

If you’re willing to spend a little money, it may be easier to find the right pieces. Here’s a tip for buying furniture on a budget: Try sourcing pieces to flip for a profit here:

•   Thrift stores

•   Garage sales and yard sales

•   Estate sales

•   Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist.

It’s always wise to thoroughly clean used furniture before starting the restoration process — and ideally before bringing it into your home or workspace.

Recommended: Common Moving Cost to Know

What Types of Furniture Can I Flip?

Any furniture that you can get your hands on and improve could theoretically make for a good flip, but in general, some of the best furniture items to flip for a profit include:

•   Coffee tables

•   End tables

•   Dining tables

•   Dining chairs*

•   Nightstands

•   Dressers

•   China cabinets

•   Buffets

•   Baby furniture.

*Fabric chairs that require reupholstering may take more work than they’re worth and also present more risk (bed bugs and fleas, namely) than all wood furniture.

What Do I Need to Look For When Flipping Furniture?

Knowing how to flip furniture for a profit comes down to more than being able to strip paint and install handles. To maximize efficiency and profit, you’ve got to know how to spot the right kinds of furniture.

Here are some things to watch for:

•   Heavier items: If a piece of furniture is heavy, don’t let it scare you off. That’s a good sign that it uses real, solid wood. This kind of wood is more durable and thus attractive to buyers. Particleboard pieces, on the other hand, are cheap and fall apart easily; these are likely not worth your time.

•   Transportation ease: If you spot a great piece of furniture that looks a little bulky, measure it before purchasing. You’ve got to be able to transport it to your workspace and to the end customer or your retail space. If you can’t transport the furniture without renting a vehicle, it may not be profitable to flip it.

•   Craftsmanship: Look for dovetail joints in antique furniture. These are a mark of skill by the original furniture maker — not only do dovetail joints last longer than dowel joints, but they’re also more attractive to look at. Visible nails and staples are a sign of lower quality.

•   Easy flip: Some furniture pieces require less work than others. Think about how much work each piece will need. If some just need a light cleaning (or power washing) and a few screws tightened before you can sell them, these pieces may be more profitable than those requiring hours or even days of labor.

Recommended: Common Misconceptions About Money

How Much Do I Need to Start Flipping Furniture?

You don’t need much money to start flipping furniture for profit. If you’re able to source your first few pieces for free, you’ll just need to purchase basic tools and some paint and stain. Many flippers start with as little as $100.

As you begin to profit off your first furniture flips, you can start to invest in higher-quality pieces, better tools, and maybe even booth space at an antique store or flea market.

What Do I Need to Flip Furniture?

To start flipping furniture, you’ll need a few things, including transportation, a workspace, tools and other materials, and a place to sell the furniture.

Good Transportation

When flipping furniture, you’ll need a reliable mode of transportation that can fit multiple pieces to bring back to your workspace. Trucks and SUVs are great options, but if you turn your side hustle into a full-time gig, you may even want a trailer to transport even more furniture to and from your workspace.

You’ll also need blankets to protect furniture in transit and possibly ways to keep it from moving around too much as it’s transported.

Recommended: Car Value vs. Truck Value

Space to Work on Furniture

If you’re flipping furniture as a hobby or an easy way to make extra money on weekends, you don’t need to rent out a dedicated workshop. Depending on the weather, you could work on furniture flipping in your yard. Basements and garages are also great places to start your flips — but remember that your space should have adequate ventilation.

If you become more serious about flipping furniture, it might make sense to lease a workspace.

Equipment to Restore Furniture

Each furniture flip may require a different set of tools. In general, the following tools and materials should be in your arsenal:

•   Paint

•   Paintbrushes

•   Painters tape

•   Stain

•   Sealer

•   Paint stripper

•   Sanding materials

•   Rags

•   Drop cloth

•   Sewing kit or sewing machine

•   Staple gun

•   Hammer and nails

•   Drill

•   Screwdrivers and screws

•   Wood glue

•   Steel wool

•   Soap

•   Sponges.

Recommended: Common Budgeting Mistakes that People Often Make

A Place to Sell the Finished Product

Knowing how to start flipping furniture for a profit requires more than just knowing where to buy furniture and how to restore it. You also need to know how and where to sell it.

When you’re just starting out, you may find success advertising to friends and family on social media or to neighbors on a neighborhood app like Nextdoor. You can also list the furniture on Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, and OfferUp.

Pro Tip: If you’re selling online, take good photos. Nice staging can go a long way in making your finished product appear more upscale.

If furniture flipping becomes more lucrative for you, it might make sense to rent booth space at antique stores and flea markets to sell your flips.

Recommended: 39 Passive Income Ideas to Build Wealth

Pros and Cons of Furniture Flipping

Furniture flipping can be a great side gig, but it’s not for everybody. Here are the pros and cons of starting a furniture flipping business:

Pros of Furniture FlippingCons of Furniture Flipping
You can earn an extra source of incomeIt requires manual labor
You can learn new skillsSome projects can be time-consuming
There are typically low startup costsSelling online to strangers requires some caution
It can be a fulfilling hobbyYou need the right vehicle for transport
You’ll keep furniture from going to landfillsSome pieces may not sell

How Much Can I Resell Furniture For?

How much you can resell furniture for will depend on the type of piece and how much work you’ve done to it. Consider the time and money you put into the piece and the level of transformation it’s undergone.

Though it can vary by piece, you may be able to mark up an item 200% to 400%. For example, if you spent $100 on a table and materials to restore it, you may be able to charge between $200 and $400 for it.

Recommended: Creative Ways to Save Money

Is Furniture Flipping Profitable?

Furniture flipping can be profitable. Just remember to keep expenses low, choose pieces strategically, and mark up the end result enough to justify the time and money you put into the project. Flipping furniture may not generate enough revenue for you to quit your day job, but it can be a fun way to make additional income.

Skills to Learn to Improve Furniture Flipping

With each project, you can learn a new skill or try a new technique. Over time, you’ll have a roster of skills and techniques that allow you to transform furniture in new and exciting ways.

Here are some skills that are worth learning for flipping furniture:

•   Carpentry

•   Upholstering

•   Stripping paint, sanding, and priming

•   Painting and staining

•   Polishing

•   Tiling.

You’ll also need to learn basic finance skills to treat your furniture flipping like a real business:

•   Accounting (including what taxes you may have to collect on items you sell)

•   Sales

•   Customer service.

The Takeaway

Furniture flipping can be a lucrative side hustle if you’re willing to put in the effort to source good pieces, learn new skills, and do the actual hard work. While flipping furniture may not pay enough to be a full-time job, it can be a rewarding side hustle that allows you to be creative, try new things, and help the environment.

3 Money Tips

1.    If you’re saving for a short-term goal — whether it’s a vacation, a wedding, or the down payment on a house — consider opening a high-yield savings account. The higher APY that you’ll earn will help your money grow faster, but the funds stay liquid, so they are easy to access when you reach your goal.

2.    If you’re creating a budget, try the 50/30/20 budget rule. Allocate 50% of your after-tax income to the “needs” of life, like living expenses and debt. Spend 30% on wants, and then save the remaining 20% towards saving for your long-term goals.

3.    When you overdraft your checking account, you’ll likely pay a non-sufficient fund fee of, say, $35. Look into linking a savings account to your checking account as a backup to avoid that, or shop around for a bank that doesn’t charge you for overdrafting.

Better banking is here with SoFi, NerdWallet’s 2024 winner for Best Checking Account Overall.* Enjoy up to 4.00% APY on SoFi Checking and Savings.

FAQ

How much should I pay for furniture I’m planning to flip?

How much you should pay for a piece of furniture to flip depends on how much you think a person might pay for it fully restored. In general, it’s smart to aim for 200% to 400% markup. If the cost of the furniture is too high for you to reasonably sell it for even more, it’s probably not a good piece to purchase.

Is flipping furniture always legal?

Flipping furniture is a legal way to make money. Remember that you must pay taxes on all income, so it’s important to track your expenses (save your receipts!) and earnings, then report it on your tax return each tax season.

Where can I sell furniture?

You can sell furniture online using sites and apps like Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, Nextdoor, and OfferUp. If you have enough furniture to sell, it may make sense to rent a booth at an antique store or flea market.

Photo credit: iStock/ljubaphoto

Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.

SoFi® Checking and Savings is offered through SoFi Bank, N.A. ©2024 SoFi Bank, N.A. All rights reserved. Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender.
The SoFi Bank Debit Mastercard® is issued by SoFi Bank, N.A., pursuant to license by Mastercard International Incorporated and can be used everywhere Mastercard is accepted. Mastercard is a registered trademark, and the circles design is a trademark of Mastercard International Incorporated.

SoFi members with direct deposit activity can earn 4.00% annual percentage yield (APY) on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. Direct Deposit means a recurring deposit of regular income to an account holder’s SoFi Checking or Savings account, including payroll, pension, or government benefit payments (e.g., Social Security), made by the account holder’s employer, payroll or benefits provider or government agency (“Direct Deposit”) via the Automated Clearing House (“ACH”) Network during a 30-day Evaluation Period (as defined below). Deposits that are not from an employer or government agency, including but not limited to check deposits, peer-to-peer transfers (e.g., transfers from PayPal, Venmo, etc.), merchant transactions (e.g., transactions from PayPal, Stripe, Square, etc.), and bank ACH funds transfers and wire transfers from external accounts, or are non-recurring in nature (e.g., IRS tax refunds), do not constitute Direct Deposit activity. There is no minimum Direct Deposit amount required to qualify for the stated interest rate. SoFi members with direct deposit are eligible for other SoFi Plus benefits.

As an alternative to direct deposit, SoFi members with Qualifying Deposits can earn 4.00% APY on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. Qualifying Deposits means one or more deposits that, in the aggregate, are equal to or greater than $5,000 to an account holder’s SoFi Checking and Savings account (“Qualifying Deposits”) during a 30-day Evaluation Period (as defined below). Qualifying Deposits only include those deposits from the following eligible sources: (i) ACH transfers, (ii) inbound wire transfers, (iii) peer-to-peer transfers (i.e., external transfers from PayPal, Venmo, etc. and internal peer-to-peer transfers from a SoFi account belonging to another account holder), (iv) check deposits, (v) instant funding to your SoFi Bank Debit Card, (vi) push payments to your SoFi Bank Debit Card, and (vii) cash deposits. Qualifying Deposits do not include: (i) transfers between an account holder’s Checking account, Savings account, and/or Vaults; (ii) interest payments; (iii) bonuses issued by SoFi Bank or its affiliates; or (iv) credits, reversals, and refunds from SoFi Bank, N.A. (“SoFi Bank”) or from a merchant. SoFi members with Qualifying Deposits are not eligible for other SoFi Plus benefits.

SoFi Bank shall, in its sole discretion, assess each account holder’s Direct Deposit activity and Qualifying Deposits throughout each 30-Day Evaluation Period to determine the applicability of rates and may request additional documentation for verification of eligibility. The 30-Day Evaluation Period refers to the “Start Date” and “End Date” set forth on the APY Details page of your account, which comprises a period of 30 calendar days (the “30-Day Evaluation Period”). You can access the APY Details page at any time by logging into your SoFi account on the SoFi mobile app or SoFi website and selecting either (i) Banking > Savings > Current APY or (ii) Banking > Checking > Current APY. Upon receiving a Direct Deposit or $5,000 in Qualifying Deposits to your account, you will begin earning 4.00% APY on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% on checking balances on or before the following calendar day. You will continue to earn these APYs for (i) the remainder of the current 30-Day Evaluation Period and through the end of the subsequent 30-Day Evaluation Period and (ii) any following 30-day Evaluation Periods during which SoFi Bank determines you to have Direct Deposit activity or $5,000 in Qualifying Deposits without interruption.

SoFi Bank reserves the right to grant a grace period to account holders following a change in Direct Deposit activity or Qualifying Deposits activity before adjusting rates. If SoFi Bank grants you a grace period, the dates for such grace period will be reflected on the APY Details page of your account. If SoFi Bank determines that you did not have Direct Deposit activity or $5,000 in Qualifying Deposits during the current 30-day Evaluation Period and, if applicable, the grace period, then you will begin earning the rates earned by account holders without either Direct Deposit or Qualifying Deposits until you have Direct Deposit activity or $5,000 in Qualifying Deposits in a subsequent 30-Day Evaluation Period. For the avoidance of doubt, an account holder with both Direct Deposit activity and Qualifying Deposits will earn the rates earned by account holders with Direct Deposit.

Members without either Direct Deposit activity or Qualifying Deposits, as determined by SoFi Bank, during a 30-Day Evaluation Period and, if applicable, the grace period, will earn 1.20% APY on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances.

Interest rates are variable and subject to change at any time. These rates are current as of 12/3/24. There is no minimum balance requirement. Additional information can be found at https://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet.

Third-Party Brand Mentions: No brands, products, or companies mentioned are affiliated with SoFi, nor do they endorse or sponsor this article. Third-party trademarks referenced herein are property of their respective owners.

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Oct
17
2023
Compulsive or Impulsive Shopping: How to Combat It

Impulse Buying: Definition, Examples, And Ways To Stop It

By | Budgeting & Goals, Financial Independence, money | Comments Off on Impulse Buying: Definition, Examples, And Ways To Stop It

Most people are familiar with the feeling of impulse buying. Perhaps you go to the supermarket just to pick up some oat milk and wind up purchasing an array of pricey juices, crackers, and cheese as well, because everything looked so good. Or you walk through a favorite store on your way home from work and snap up a couple of pairs of shoes because there was a major sale going on.

Spending money is not only part of life, but it can also be a fun way to reward oneself from time to time. But those unexpected, “can’t resist” purchases can add up, make you feel out of control, and lead to blowing your budget.

But you can rein in this impulsive spending. Here, you’ll learn:

•   What impulsive shopping is

•   Causes of impulsive shopping

•   Examples of impulse buying

•   How to take control of impulse buying.

What Is an Impulse Buy?

Impulsive shopping tends to happen when a person gets caught up in the moment and spontaneously buys something. It’s a purchase without any forethought or planning, and it’s often not within a person’s budget.

People who impulse shop are usually influenced by external triggers, such as seeing an item on sale or positively responding to a store’s atmosphere. Everyone indulges in some impulse-fueled retail therapy now and then.

However, when these immediate gratification purchases become habitual, the behavior can morph into something uncontrollable and financially damaging. Taken to an extreme, potentially dire financial issues could result, such as credit card debt, bankruptcy, and foreclosure

When it has this kind of negative impact, it could nudge into the realm of a disorder.

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What Causes Impulse Shopping?

Buying something spontaneously can trigger a rush of dopamine, the body’s feel-good hormone. That’s why it feels so rewarding.

A variety of factors can trigger impulsive shopping. Your triggers are likely different from those that get your best friend to splurge. Some common causes include:

•   Feelings of loneliness and depression. Buying items can be an exciting mood-lifter; a kind of high.

•   Boredom. Just as mentioned above, buying things can spark joy and add interest to a blah day.

•   Stress relief. The idea of retail therapy can be real. Sometimes, if a person is having issues (a family argument, a rough day at work), and making an unplanned buy is both a distraction and a mood boost.

•   FOMO (Fear of missing out). Feeling as if you don’t want to miss out or as if we want to “keep up with the Joneses” can result in unexpected purchases. For instance, if a favorite influencer touts a new product on social media and says it’s almost sold out, you might click to buy it and be part of the “in crowd.”

•   Personal history. If you were raised in a family which often engaged in impulsive spending, they modeled that behavior for you and you may consider it normal.

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Open a SoFi Checking and Savings Account with direct deposit and get up to a $300 cash bonus. Plus, get up to 4.00% APY on your cash!

Examples of Impulse Buying

You may be curious about how people typically engage in impulse buying. According to a recent survey by Slickdeals conducted One Poll, spontaneous purchases totaled $151 on average among respondents.

Above, you heard the example of buying treats you don’t really need at the grocery store or buying shoes simply because they were on sale vs. really needing them.

Here are the ways that spending tends to shape up:

Percentage of People Who Bought the Item on Impulse

 Item Bought on Impulse
55% Clothing
50% Groceries
42% Household items
32% Shoes
23% Takeout
21% Books
20% Toys
19% Technology
18% Coffee

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What Is the Difference Between Impulsive and Compulsive Shopping?

Impulsive shopping is somewhat different from compulsive shopping, though some mental-health professionals consider them to be aspects of the same issue.

As mentioned above, impulse shopping tends to be spontaneous. It “just happens” in the moment: You’re grocery shopping and wind up buying some pricey ice cream and gourmet coffee beans.

With compulsive shopping, however, the person usually plans and invests time on their purchases, perhaps spending more energy and money than is desirable. This chart shows some key differences:

Compulsive

 Impulsive
Resembles addictive behavior Can develop into addictive-like behavior if left unchecked
Buying things regularly Buying is more occasional and situational
Shopping is planned and premeditated Shopping is unplanned and spontaneous
More internally motivated by uncomfortable emotions More externally motivated and influenced by shopping environments and marketing

How to Avoid Impulse Purchases

How to stop impulse buying? If impulse purchases are tipping into the danger zone and ruining your budget and financial fitness, take action. There is help. Consider these suggestions on how to get started if you wonder if you’re a shopaholic:

Paying Close Attention to Spending Habits

Figuring out your particular shopping triggers can help you avoid or eliminate them. For instance, when buying, do you use credit cards instead of paying with cash or a debit card? Make shopping a priority over paying bills? Grocery shop without making a list? Being honest about how and why you may engage in certain overspending behaviors is vital to understanding the issue. Changing spending habits can then help you manage your finances better.

Setting a Budget

Creating and sticking to a budget allows you to gain control over your spending. A well-thought out budget will help with personal accountability and achieving financial discipline. Try to set yourself up with the flexibility to splurge sometimes. This will help keep you from feeling completely deprived.

One suggestion is to consider incorporating the 50/30/20 budget rule. This guideline recommends spending up to 50% of your after-tax income on must-haves (say, housing, car payments, utilities, healthcare, and groceries). Then, take 30% of your money and reserve it for wants such as dinners out, vacations, concert tickets, electronics, and clothing. The remaining 20% should be allocated for investments, an emergency fund, debt repayment, or savings.

Recommended: 10 Personal Finance Basics

Minimizing Temptation

Many stores are carefully designed to get you to shop and spend, perhaps to an extreme. If a store’s atmosphere — the design, the scents, the music — tends to get you impulse buying, avoid it. Don’t walk down the streets filled with your favorite shops; try to escape the triggers that make you shop too much. If you often spend free time at the mall or online shopping, sign yourself up for a class, take up a new sport, volunteer, or find other ways to fill the hours.

Curbing social media exposure can help, too. Research suggests ads and posts from social media influencers and seeing purchases from people in your social networks may encourage a “keeping up with the Joneses” mentality, often leading to impulsive buying.

Starting a No-Spend or 30-Day Savings Rule

A quick way to stop spending money is to freeze any non-essential spending for an entire month. Commit to a 30-day shopping ban on impulse buys such as clothing, make-up, tech gadgets, or take-out, and see how much extra money you have at the end of the month. The difference may be eye-opening and help you break the cycle.

Successfully controlling your spending can provide a feeling of accomplishment and a confidence boost and offset feelings of being bad with money. Participating in a no-spend challenge can even become a fun game; you can involve other budget-conscious friends and know you’re all in it together.

Joining a Support Group

Here’s another way to stop impulse buying for some people: National 12-step program support groups such as Debtors Anonymous (especially if you’ve racked up credit card debt) and Spenders Anonymous are also an option. They can connect you with others who are dealing with similar issues.

Seeking Some Professional Help

Individual counseling with a mental health professional can help you get to the emotional root of your buying issues. Psychotherapy, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), can effectively treat impulse shopping behaviors.

Recommended: Using a Personal Loan to Pay Off Credit Card Debt

The Takeaway

Impulsive buying can be a fun treat sometimes…or it can seriously affect your financial life. Taking positive, concrete steps is likely to help conquer the problem. Getting past this spending issue, whether by shifting your behaviors or seeking professional help, can be a positive move, both for you personally and for your bank account.

Want to get a better handle on your spending? Look for a bank with tools to help you track your money.

Interested in opening an online bank account? When you sign up for a SoFi Checking and Savings account with direct deposit, you’ll get a competitive annual percentage yield (APY), pay zero account fees, and enjoy an array of rewards, such as access to the Allpoint Network of 55,000+ fee-free ATMs globally. Qualifying accounts can even access their paycheck up to two days early.


Better banking is here with SoFi, NerdWallet’s 2024 winner for Best Checking Account Overall.* Enjoy up to 4.00% APY on SoFi Checking and Savings.

FAQ

Is breaking a budget a sign of impulse shopping?

Breaking your budget is not necessarily a sign of impulse shopping. However, if you regularly deviate from your budget, spend money allocated for needs on wants or unplanned purchases, and find yourself saddled with credit card debt, you may need to rein in your impulse spending. Analyze your shopping habits and budget to understand your behavior better.

Is making an impulse purchase a bad thing?

The reality is, most of us make occasional impulse buys, and they are not always such a bad thing. However, if this kind of shopping becomes habitual and leaves you with debt, pay attention and take steps to improve the situation.

How do I limit impulse purchases?

One way to limit impulse purchases is to avoid stores or websites where you know you tend to overspend. Also, ask yourself, “Do I need this or do I just want it?” when tempted to make a purchase. If the answer is the latter, wait 24 hours, and see if you still really want it. Your desire may dwindle during that cooling-off period.

What Is impulse buying behavior?

Impulse buying involves making unplanned purchases, say, while heading home from work, at the supermarket to pick up necessities, or while spending a weekend afternoon downtown. Doing this occasionally isn’t a problem, but if you overdo it and are having trouble managing your budget and debt, it’s worth trying to minimize the habit.

Is impulse buying problematic?

Impulse buying in and of itself isn’t problematic; it’s okay to treat yourself to unplanned purchases now and then. However, if impulsive purchases are wreaking havoc with your budget, causing you stress, and accruing credit card debt, then it’s an issue to be managed.

Is there a connection between impulse buying and ADHD?

Some experts believe that people with ADHD are more prone to impulsive behavior, which can include spontaneous purchases. Impulse shopping can trigger a rush of the feel-good hormone dopamine, which those with ADHD may crave.

Photo credit: iStock/jacoblund

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SoFi members with direct deposit activity can earn 4.00% annual percentage yield (APY) on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. Direct Deposit means a recurring deposit of regular income to an account holder’s SoFi Checking or Savings account, including payroll, pension, or government benefit payments (e.g., Social Security), made by the account holder’s employer, payroll or benefits provider or government agency (“Direct Deposit”) via the Automated Clearing House (“ACH”) Network during a 30-day Evaluation Period (as defined below). Deposits that are not from an employer or government agency, including but not limited to check deposits, peer-to-peer transfers (e.g., transfers from PayPal, Venmo, etc.), merchant transactions (e.g., transactions from PayPal, Stripe, Square, etc.), and bank ACH funds transfers and wire transfers from external accounts, or are non-recurring in nature (e.g., IRS tax refunds), do not constitute Direct Deposit activity. There is no minimum Direct Deposit amount required to qualify for the stated interest rate. SoFi members with direct deposit are eligible for other SoFi Plus benefits.

As an alternative to direct deposit, SoFi members with Qualifying Deposits can earn 4.00% APY on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. Qualifying Deposits means one or more deposits that, in the aggregate, are equal to or greater than $5,000 to an account holder’s SoFi Checking and Savings account (“Qualifying Deposits”) during a 30-day Evaluation Period (as defined below). Qualifying Deposits only include those deposits from the following eligible sources: (i) ACH transfers, (ii) inbound wire transfers, (iii) peer-to-peer transfers (i.e., external transfers from PayPal, Venmo, etc. and internal peer-to-peer transfers from a SoFi account belonging to another account holder), (iv) check deposits, (v) instant funding to your SoFi Bank Debit Card, (vi) push payments to your SoFi Bank Debit Card, and (vii) cash deposits. Qualifying Deposits do not include: (i) transfers between an account holder’s Checking account, Savings account, and/or Vaults; (ii) interest payments; (iii) bonuses issued by SoFi Bank or its affiliates; or (iv) credits, reversals, and refunds from SoFi Bank, N.A. (“SoFi Bank”) or from a merchant. SoFi members with Qualifying Deposits are not eligible for other SoFi Plus benefits.

SoFi Bank shall, in its sole discretion, assess each account holder’s Direct Deposit activity and Qualifying Deposits throughout each 30-Day Evaluation Period to determine the applicability of rates and may request additional documentation for verification of eligibility. The 30-Day Evaluation Period refers to the “Start Date” and “End Date” set forth on the APY Details page of your account, which comprises a period of 30 calendar days (the “30-Day Evaluation Period”). You can access the APY Details page at any time by logging into your SoFi account on the SoFi mobile app or SoFi website and selecting either (i) Banking > Savings > Current APY or (ii) Banking > Checking > Current APY. Upon receiving a Direct Deposit or $5,000 in Qualifying Deposits to your account, you will begin earning 4.00% APY on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% on checking balances on or before the following calendar day. You will continue to earn these APYs for (i) the remainder of the current 30-Day Evaluation Period and through the end of the subsequent 30-Day Evaluation Period and (ii) any following 30-day Evaluation Periods during which SoFi Bank determines you to have Direct Deposit activity or $5,000 in Qualifying Deposits without interruption.

SoFi Bank reserves the right to grant a grace period to account holders following a change in Direct Deposit activity or Qualifying Deposits activity before adjusting rates. If SoFi Bank grants you a grace period, the dates for such grace period will be reflected on the APY Details page of your account. If SoFi Bank determines that you did not have Direct Deposit activity or $5,000 in Qualifying Deposits during the current 30-day Evaluation Period and, if applicable, the grace period, then you will begin earning the rates earned by account holders without either Direct Deposit or Qualifying Deposits until you have Direct Deposit activity or $5,000 in Qualifying Deposits in a subsequent 30-Day Evaluation Period. For the avoidance of doubt, an account holder with both Direct Deposit activity and Qualifying Deposits will earn the rates earned by account holders with Direct Deposit.

Members without either Direct Deposit activity or Qualifying Deposits, as determined by SoFi Bank, during a 30-Day Evaluation Period and, if applicable, the grace period, will earn 1.20% APY on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances.

Interest rates are variable and subject to change at any time. These rates are current as of 12/3/24. There is no minimum balance requirement. Additional information can be found at https://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet.

Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.

Third-Party Brand Mentions: No brands, products, or companies mentioned are affiliated with SoFi, nor do they endorse or sponsor this article. Third-party trademarks referenced herein are property of their respective owners.

External Websites: The information and analysis provided through hyperlinks to third-party websites, while believed to be accurate, cannot be guaranteed by SoFi. Links are provided for informational purposes and should not be viewed as an endorsement.

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17
2023
31 Places to Find Black Friday and Cyber Monday Deals

35 Places To Go For Black Friday Deals

By | Budgeting & Goals, money | Comments Off on 35 Places To Go For Black Friday Deals

Here come the holidays, and with them, a multitude of Black Friday deals that can help you stretch your budget further. Between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, you’ll find all kinds of bargains and opportunities to get products you love for less.

For instance, perhaps you’re looking to buy your kids some of their wish-list items or you’re looking to get that new mattress that you’ve been wanting for a while now. Whatever the scenario, Black Friday often offers some of the best deals of the year.

For the 2023 season, Black Friday is on November 24, and Cyber Monday is on Monday, November 27, though many retailers offer discounts earlier. You’ll hardly be alone if you get in on the sales action: In 2022, shoppers in the US spent a record-setting $9.1 billion on Black Friday, and $11.3 billion on Cyber Monday.

Ready to get some bargains? Here’s a guide to some of the best places to Black Friday shop this year.

35 Best Places to Shop for Black Friday

Whether you plan to spend a few hundred bucks like many people do or use the super-low prices as an opportunity to make larger purchases, here are some places you will be able to find great discounts for Black Friday, as well as some of the best places to shop on Cyber Monday this year if you want to find deals online. Ready, set…shop!

💡 Quick Tip: An online bank account with SoFi can help your money earn more — up to 4.00% APY, with no minimum balance required.

1. Amazon

The powerhouse known as Amazon is a good place to go for Black Friday. It generally starts showing Black Friday deals early in the month of November. Typically, you’re going to get the best sales on the most in-demand items on Black Friday weekend itself, though, starting on Thanksgiving Day. Look out for weekend deals on electronics, clothing, toys, and much more. Unlike on Prime Day, on Black Friday weekend, anyone can access great deals on products.

2. Bed Bath & Beyond

Are you wanting to replace some appliances in your home? Looking to surprise your college freshman niece with some deals for her dorm room? Or do you want to give your BFF some new tableware? Then check out Bed Bath & Beyond. Now just an online retailer, it will still offer Black Friday deals. Typically, you’ll find discounts on bedding, window treatments, and all kinds of kitchen gear, from air fryers to coffee makers.

3. Best Buy

If you want to buy electronics this holiday season, then Best Buy can be a best bet. The 2023 deals are starting to roll out, with low prices on Beats headphones, an array of laptops, smart TVs, and much more.

4. Chewy

Do you have pets at home? Here’s a way to make pet ownership cheaper: Don’t forget your furry family members this Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Check out Chewy’s Black Friday deals, which typically include sales on animal apparel, pet toys, dog food and treats, cat food and litter, pet beds, and flea medicine.

5. Claire’s

Is there a special teenager in your life who may want some new jewelry, makeup, or cool room decor for the holidays? Then go to Claire’s at the mall or shop their store online. To get more off your purchase, you can sign up for their rewards program and earn points to apply during future shopping expeditions.

6. Dell

Here’s another place to go Black Friday shopping: Dell. Electronics are often pricey but can be items worth saving for. Come November, you may be able to get an especially good deal. If you’ve been looking for a new laptop or other bit of electronic gear, see what Dell has to offer. Its Black Friday deals are already available, with up to 41% off PCs, accessories, and more.

7. DSW

If you’re looking for shoes (maybe multiple pairs) this holiday season, head on over to DSW or DSW.com. In addition to the Black Friday deals and special offers, if you join the VIP club for free, then you’ll earn 20% off on your first purchase, with additional ways to earn discounts after that.

8. eBay

This place to shop for Black Friday might surprise you if you think of eBay as just a place where used odds and ends are sold. Not the case! Whether you need a TV, laptop, cell phone, video game, toys, or kitchen appliances, you can probably find what you’re looking for on eBay.com during Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

There’s nothing like tracking down a hard-to-find toy your kid wants or those jeans that are sold out everywhere from an eBay seller. It’s often where people go when thinking, “Where can I sell my stuff?” Good for them, and often a real score for you!

9. Forever 21

If you’re a fan of Forever 21 and love their Hello Kitty and Barbie gear, then get ready for their Black Friday deals. Though the sales aren’t yet out for 2023, during the last sale, you could snag 30% to 70% off.

10. Gymboree

Here’s another place to Black Friday shop if you’re looking to stock up on clothes for the kids: Gymboree. In the past, they offered up to to 60% off everything in the store. You might get t-shirts for $3.99, jeans for $9.99, and PJs starting at $7.99.

Recommended: How to Teach Your Kids About Money Management

11. Harry & David

If you want to send someone a gift but don’t know what they’d like, then Harry & David gourmet gifts are the perfect solution. Get a gift basket full of fruit or candy for a loved one on sale on Black Friday. Their 2023 deals are offering up to 20% and more off select items such as gift baskets and their chocolate truffles.

12. The Home Depot

If you’re looking to dive into some DIY projects (this could be a good time to do some needed home maintenance before the holiday festivities start), or need new decorations for the holiday season, then check out The Home Depot Black Friday sales, scheduled to begin on November 1 and promising to offer deep savings on tools, appliances, and much more. On a recent past Black Friday, the store featured deals on giant, pre-lit Christmas decorations, up to 40% off on select appliances, and $79 artificial Christmas trees.

13. JCPenney

Need some new clothes for the entire family? Then check out JCPenney’s Black Friday 2023 sales. In years past, they offered deep discounts on fine jewelry, bedding, holiday clothes, shoes, and appliances. In 2023, they’re planning additional savings on kitchen tools, bedding and more. You may also be able to snag additional deals if you use your JCPenney credit card to make your purchase.

💡 Quick Tip: Want a simple way to save more everyday? When you turn on Roundups, all of your debit card purchases are automatically rounded up to the next dollar and deposited into your online savings account.

14. JOANN

Need some fabrics and crafts to keep a low-cost hobby going? Looking to DIY some scarves or hats this winter? JOANN has got you covered with their Black Friday sale. Though the deals for 2023 aren’t out yet, in past seasons, you could get up to 70% the entire stock of flannels, Singer sewing machines starting at $99, and 50% to 70% off holiday decor.

15. Kohl’s

For Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals on clothing, accessories, shoes, home goods, electronics, and more, check out Kohl’s. Deals tend to start rolling out earlier in the fall. If you are enrolled in their rewards program, you may be able to score some Kohl’s Cash and get even more of a discount on your purchases.

16. Lids

If you want to purchase some sports apparel, like hats, then make sure you check out Lids’ Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals. You can shop online or in the store at the mall to score deals on hats, jerseys, t-shirts, and more. Then, wear your favorite team apparel when watching sports games with your friends.

17. Lowe’s

Another place to get some DIY Black Friday deals is Lowe’s. You’ll find deals on appliances, smart home tech, tools, and home decor. Last year, sales included such deals as tool sets starting at $19.99, $248 for a 7-foot pre-lit artificial tree, $34.98 for three-foot Disney lawn inflatables, and more. Stay tuned for their best prices on tools, workbenches, and other items.

Get up to $300 when you bank with SoFi.

Open a SoFi Checking and Savings Account with direct deposit and get up to a $300 cash bonus. Plus, get up to 4.00% APY on your cash!

18. Lululemon

Do you want to purchase some athletic wear during Black Friday 2023? Lululemon might be the place to check out. In the past, they discounted leggings, outerwear, and sports bras. This year’s deals have not yet been announced, so make sure you go to their website for updates. There are usually hundreds of items at up to 77% off.

19. Macy’s

Macy’s is already gearing up for Black Friday. If you need to buy some clothes, jewelry, designer bags, home goods, or gifts for friends and family, then make sure you check out Macy’s sales. You can start shopping on November 10 this year, with discounts on jewelry, dinnerware, beauty, furniture and fashion.

20. Mattress Firm

While Mattress Firm hasn’t yet announced their Black Friday deals for 2023, if you sign up for their email list, you can get alerted to deals and extra savings on favorite mattress brands, from Tempur-Pedic to Serta, Beautyrest, Sleepys, Sealy, and more.

21. Nectar

Here’s another option for anyone in the market for a new mattress: Nectar. They also have bed frames and accessories to give you a good night’s sleep. If last year’s Black Friday sale was any indication, you might get free shipping and a free pillow along with other discounts, including special deals for first responders and healthcare professionals this November.

22. Nordstrom

Nordstrom features sales on Black Friday and Cyber Monday in store and online on favorite brands like Nike and The North Face, as well as plenty of deals on shoes. So if you’re looking for clothing, shoes, or accessories for your whole family, then mark your calendar to access deals.

23. Office Depot

For deals on everything for your home office, go to Office Depot on Black Friday. In recent years, deals included up to 40% off on desks, 60% off on office chairs, and up to 50% off print services, as well as reduced prices on laptops. For 2023, you can sign up for Black Friday updates on the Office Depot website for a sneak peek at the sales.

24. Overstock

Have you heard? Overstock changed its name in August when it acquired Bed Bath & Beyond. You’ll find great deals if you need to re-feather your nest or find the perfect gift at the second entry on this list above. Bed Bath & Beyond can offer reduced prices on sheets, glassware, and loads of other home products this holiday season.

25. Petco

If Petco’s recent Black Friday deals are any indication, there should be lots of great gear for your furbaby (or a friend or relative’s critter) in 2023. Petco’s Black Friday typically offers up to 50% off on petwear, beds, grooming gear, and more, and 20% off dog training.

26. Pottery Barn

Want to add some new furniture to your home? Pottery Barn features classic and contemporary items on sale on Black Friday. Check out the website for Black Friday deals closer to Thanksgiving, but in years past, savings went up to 70% on their well-designed furnishings, bedding, tableware, curtains, and other merchandise. There are also Black Friday sofa deals to score at Pottery Barn.

27. ProFlowers

If you’re looking to send someone special flowers, a wreath, or a mini-tree for the holidays, then go to ProFlowers for some Black Friday deals. If you sign up for emails, you could receive 20% off your order.

Recommended: How Do Savings Accounts Work?

28. Sur La Table

Sur La Table is the destination for high-quality, professional-grade cookware and tableware, featuring such brands as Le Creuset and Vitamix. While the company hasn’t shared its 2023 Black Friday deals yet, it is touting exclusive deals with “unparalleled savings” on November 24, 2023. In recent years, shoppers could get up to 55% off.

29. Target

Target can be a go-to stop for, well, just about everything you need. Don’t miss out on their Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals this year. The retailer is known for holding sales on toys, home, clothing, electronics, and more. Typically, Target will price match, so you can always look up a price on a site like Amazon or Best Buy and then show it to a Target associate to snag the same deal.

30. ULTA

Purchase everything you need to look and feel beautiful at ULTA during Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2023. In recent years, the store was giving out free gifts with a perfume purchase of $60 or more, plus 50% off on the ULTA Beauty Collection and 50% off fragrance sampler kits. Sweet!

31. Walgreens

Walgreens is keeping its Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals under wraps so far, but in the past, the retailer has offered 40% off photo gifts and puzzles and 60% off canvas prints. You may also find discounts on gifts, toys, cosmetics, personal-care items, and stocking stuffers.

32. Walmart

Walmart is renowned for being inexpensive, and on Black Friday weekend, you can score some even bigger price drops. Expect sales on electronics, clothing, auto supplies, toys, beauty, kitchen appliances, and much more. The dates to know: Sales are expected to begin on November 6th; check online for details.

33. Wayfair

Wayfair prides itself on offering up to 70% off furniture and just about anything else for the home on a typical day, so the Black Friday and Cyber Monday savings can yield some amazing savings. Check Wayfair’s website now for pre-holiday discounts on all kinds of stylish home gear. You might find some decor deals that deliver budget-friendly ways to celebrate the holidays.

34. West Elm

Shopping for cool furniture or home accessories? West Elm’s Black Friday sale can fill your or a loved one’s place with great buys. The discounts usually last a full week, often launching the Monday before Thanksgiving. The sale typically offers between 40% to 70% off select items, and you may be able to snag an extra 25% off coupon on some purchases.

35. Wine.com

You know you’re going to need to chill out and relax with a nice glass of wine after doing all your Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping (and hosting the relatives for Thanksgiving). New customers may be able to save $20 on a $100 order. Start shopping for your favorite red, rose, or white wines now. Or some of each.

Pros and Cons of Shopping on Black Friday

There’s no doubt that Black Friday can offer a variety of tempting discounts and deals. Before you start shopping, check out these benefits and downsides of taking advantage of these sales.

Pros

On the plus side, Black Friday offers these upsides:

•   It’s exciting. There’s an element of anticipation and surprise in these sales, which can make shopping more fun.

•   The savings are obviously a major draw. You can likely get more for your money.

•   It can be social. You can share deals and shop with friends and family.

•   It helps the economy. As noted above, Black Friday can trigger billions in spending.

Cons

Now, for the disadvantages of Black Friday shopping:

•   You might be tempted to overspend. Seeing all the deep discounts could make you buy more than your budget can handle.

•   It can draw your attention away from spending time with loved ones over the Thanksgiving holiday.

•   It can be a time suck, whether you line up in person for doorbuster deals or spend hours scrolling online.

•   Not all deals are as good as they may seem. Check for brands you know and love so you won’t be disappointed by quality issues, and do compare discounts to make sure you get the best price possible.

How Shopping on Black Friday Can Help You Stick to a Budget

As mentioned, Black Friday sales can offer amazing savings. Buying during this sale can help even beginners stick to a budget in a couple of ways:

•   It lowers your costs, thereby reining in spending.

•   It can help you avoid racking up credit card debt.

•   If you plan for a sale and set aside cash in advance, you can stretch your money further.

•   Black Friday sales often involve perks such as free shipping or free gift with purchase, which can help you save even more.

Saving Money With SoFi

Black Friday is all about the thrill of a great deal, which can help you avoid debt and stretch your money further. Another way to make your cash work harder could be finding a bank that charges low or no fees and pays a solid interest rate.

Interested in opening an online bank account? When you sign up for a SoFi Checking and Savings account with direct deposit, you’ll get a competitive annual percentage yield (APY), pay zero account fees, and enjoy an array of rewards, such as access to the Allpoint Network of 55,000+ fee-free ATMs globally. Qualifying accounts can even access their paycheck up to two days early.

Better banking is here with SoFi, NerdWallet’s 2024 winner for Best Checking Account Overall.* Enjoy up to 4.00% APY on SoFi Checking and Savings.

FAQ

What are the best places to go on Black Friday?

Many retailers can be the best places to shop on Black Friday. Check your favorite online retailers, such as Amazon and eBay; department stores such as Macy’s; big box stores, like Target and The Home Depot; and more.

Which state has the best Black Friday deals?

In this era of online shopping, most customers can find great deals online during Black Friday and Cyber Monday. The goods you score can likely be sent to your home.

Is everything cheaper on Black Friday?

Not everything goes on sale for Black Friday. Typically, a variety of items are available, often hot holiday gifts, popular winter items, and year-round major purchases, such as mattresses and laptops.

Photo credit: iStock/CarlosDavid.org

Third-Party Brand Mentions: No brands, products, or companies mentioned are affiliated with SoFi, nor do they endorse or sponsor this article. Third-party trademarks referenced herein are property of their respective owners.

Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.

SoFi® Checking and Savings is offered through SoFi Bank, N.A. ©2024 SoFi Bank, N.A. All rights reserved. Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender.
The SoFi Bank Debit Mastercard® is issued by SoFi Bank, N.A., pursuant to license by Mastercard International Incorporated and can be used everywhere Mastercard is accepted. Mastercard is a registered trademark, and the circles design is a trademark of Mastercard International Incorporated.

4.00% APY
SoFi members with direct deposit activity can earn 4.00% annual percentage yield (APY) on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. Direct Deposit means a recurring deposit of regular income to an account holder’s SoFi Checking or Savings account, including payroll, pension, or government benefit payments (e.g., Social Security), made by the account holder’s employer, payroll or benefits provider or government agency (“Direct Deposit”) via the Automated Clearing House (“ACH”) Network during a 30-day Evaluation Period (as defined below). Deposits that are not from an employer or government agency, including but not limited to check deposits, peer-to-peer transfers (e.g., transfers from PayPal, Venmo, etc.), merchant transactions (e.g., transactions from PayPal, Stripe, Square, etc.), and bank ACH funds transfers and wire transfers from external accounts, or are non-recurring in nature (e.g., IRS tax refunds), do not constitute Direct Deposit activity. There is no minimum Direct Deposit amount required to qualify for the stated interest rate. SoFi members with direct deposit are eligible for other SoFi Plus benefits.

As an alternative to direct deposit, SoFi members with Qualifying Deposits can earn 4.00% APY on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. Qualifying Deposits means one or more deposits that, in the aggregate, are equal to or greater than $5,000 to an account holder’s SoFi Checking and Savings account (“Qualifying Deposits”) during a 30-day Evaluation Period (as defined below). Qualifying Deposits only include those deposits from the following eligible sources: (i) ACH transfers, (ii) inbound wire transfers, (iii) peer-to-peer transfers (i.e., external transfers from PayPal, Venmo, etc. and internal peer-to-peer transfers from a SoFi account belonging to another account holder), (iv) check deposits, (v) instant funding to your SoFi Bank Debit Card, (vi) push payments to your SoFi Bank Debit Card, and (vii) cash deposits. Qualifying Deposits do not include: (i) transfers between an account holder’s Checking account, Savings account, and/or Vaults; (ii) interest payments; (iii) bonuses issued by SoFi Bank or its affiliates; or (iv) credits, reversals, and refunds from SoFi Bank, N.A. (“SoFi Bank”) or from a merchant. SoFi members with Qualifying Deposits are not eligible for other SoFi Plus benefits.

SoFi Bank shall, in its sole discretion, assess each account holder’s Direct Deposit activity and Qualifying Deposits throughout each 30-Day Evaluation Period to determine the applicability of rates and may request additional documentation for verification of eligibility. The 30-Day Evaluation Period refers to the “Start Date” and “End Date” set forth on the APY Details page of your account, which comprises a period of 30 calendar days (the “30-Day Evaluation Period”). You can access the APY Details page at any time by logging into your SoFi account on the SoFi mobile app or SoFi website and selecting either (i) Banking > Savings > Current APY or (ii) Banking > Checking > Current APY. Upon receiving a Direct Deposit or $5,000 in Qualifying Deposits to your account, you will begin earning 4.00% APY on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% on checking balances on or before the following calendar day. You will continue to earn these APYs for (i) the remainder of the current 30-Day Evaluation Period and through the end of the subsequent 30-Day Evaluation Period and (ii) any following 30-day Evaluation Periods during which SoFi Bank determines you to have Direct Deposit activity or $5,000 in Qualifying Deposits without interruption.

SoFi Bank reserves the right to grant a grace period to account holders following a change in Direct Deposit activity or Qualifying Deposits activity before adjusting rates. If SoFi Bank grants you a grace period, the dates for such grace period will be reflected on the APY Details page of your account. If SoFi Bank determines that you did not have Direct Deposit activity or $5,000 in Qualifying Deposits during the current 30-day Evaluation Period and, if applicable, the grace period, then you will begin earning the rates earned by account holders without either Direct Deposit or Qualifying Deposits until you have Direct Deposit activity or $5,000 in Qualifying Deposits in a subsequent 30-Day Evaluation Period. For the avoidance of doubt, an account holder with both Direct Deposit activity and Qualifying Deposits will earn the rates earned by account holders with Direct Deposit.

Members without either Direct Deposit activity or Qualifying Deposits, as determined by SoFi Bank, during a 30-Day Evaluation Period and, if applicable, the grace period, will earn 1.20% APY on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances.

Interest rates are variable and subject to change at any time. These rates are current as of 12/3/24. There is no minimum balance requirement. Additional information can be found at https://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet.

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Oct
16
2023
How to Make Money on YouTube

12 Ways to Make Money on YouTube

By | Budgeting & Goals, Financial Independence, money | Comments Off on 12 Ways to Make Money on YouTube

Wondering how to get paid on YouTube? Nearly 400,000 people have made YouTube a full-time job, and 51 million channels now exist across the video platform. From ads to affiliate marketing to content licensing, average Americans have ample opportunities to make money off their YouTube videos.

Not sure how to make money off YouTube though? This guide contains 12 ways to generate revenue from your video content — plus helpful tips for getting started.

The Popularity of Content Creation

The internet has enabled anyone and everyone to become content creators. Brands now rely on content creators and influencers to advertise products across industries, and sites like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram have enabled people with something to say to earn income just for posting photos, videos, and reviews.

YouTube’s continued popularity (it’s the second most visited website in the world) and TikTok’s recent explosion underscore that content creation plays an important role in our culture. And if you know how to make good content on YouTube in particular, you could make a lot of money.

Recommended: Active vs. Passive Income

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12 Ways to Get Paid on YouTube

YouTube offers creators an opportunity to make good money, but how exactly? It actually takes a lot of hard work, fresh ideas, and regular posting, but if you’ve got a knack for it, it could be an easy way to make money through social media.

Here are 12 YouTube monetization ideas to get you started:

1. Joining the YouTube Partner Program

The most common way to make money off YouTube is by joining the YouTube Partner Program. Doing so allows you to run ads on your videos — before, during, and after — as you see fit.

At one time, YouTubers could count on $1 per 1,000 views, give or take, but it’s a little more complicated today. There’s really no guarantee how much money you’ll make by running ads on your videos, though the average YouTuber now sees $3 to $5 per 1,000 video views.

According to social media management company Sprout Social, your revenue can vary depending on:

•   Your target demographic (there are some strict regulations about ads on videos intended for children)

•   How relevant the ad content is to your video

•   What kind of content you produce.

Recommended: 39 Passive Income Ideas

How Does the YouTube Partner Program Work?

Not every content creator can slap ads onto the front of their videos. To run ads, you have to qualify for the YouTube Partner Program. Requirements include:

•   1,000 subscribers

•   4,000+ valid public watch hours in the last year

•   A linked Google AdSense account.

Your video content must also abide by all Community Guidelines, and you must live in a country where the program is available.

And here’s the kicker: You’ve got to stay active. YouTube can turn off monetization for channels that haven’t put out new content in the last six months.

Recommended: Ways to Make Money from Home

2. Sending Viewers to Your Blog

If you have a blog with ads, you can encourage your viewers to check it out during your video and include a link to it in your video description. YouTube video descriptions can be up to 5,000 characters (roughly 800 words), though shorter descriptions tend to perform better.

By steering viewers to your ad-optimized blog site, you can earn additional ad revenue with every pageview. Common examples where this make sense include:

•   Recipe videos paired with your recipe website

•   Travel product review videos paired with your travel blog

•   Car maintenance instructional videos paired with your how-to blog content.

Though blogs can be a good revenue source, don’t forget to factor in the cost to run a blog.

3. Sending Viewers to Your Commerce Site

There are other similar ideas for how to get paid on YouTube. For instance, you can use your YouTube video description to link viewers to your commerce site. If your channel is popular enough to warrant branded merch, this could be a good way to generate additional revenue. Alternatively, if you run your own shop selling goods like artwork, candles, or apparel, you may want to create product videos on YouTube that send viewers to your site.

If you don’t have your own merch site but instead sell items on Amazon, Etsy, or eBay, you can also send viewers there.

Recommended: Places to Sell Your Stuff

4. Using Lead Magnets

Lead magnets are another idea for how to get paid on YouTube, though it’s a more indirect way of making money.

Your YouTube video description might send viewers to a free resource that you’ve created, like an ebook, template, or online course. When the viewer signs up for or downloads their freebie, you can collect their contact information for a newsletter and future sale alerts, which can in turn grow your business and earnings.

5. Starting a Channel Membership

YouTube has another great built-in feature for popular content creators: channel memberships. This enables creators to charge a monthly membership fee. In return for the fee, your viewers will expect certain perks like badges.

Channel membership usually only makes sense if you post content everyday, especially YouTube livestreams. You must be a part of the YouTube Partner Program to offer channel memberships.

Recommended: How to Build an Online Community

6. Encouraging the Use of Super Chat and Super Stickers

Content creators who are part of the YouTube Partner Program can also encourage viewers to utilize Super Chat and Super Stickers during live streams. How does this help to get paid off YouTube videos? To access these features, viewers pay a small fee to pin their comments and stickers to the top of a live chat feed.

7. Encouraging YouTube Premium

While you won’t get money directly for encouraging a subscriber to sign up for YouTube Premium, you will get a cut of a viewer’s monthly membership fee when they watch your videos. If your subscribers are loyal and watch your videos regularly, encouraging them to become YouTube Premium members could put more money in your pocket.

Note: YouTube Premium members don’t see ads. If your viewers are increasingly Premium members, your ad revenue may go down.

Recommended: How to Save Money on Streaming Services

8. Crowdfunding

Here’s another way that many YouTube creators make money: by crowdfunding. What is crowdfunding? It’s a process by which many people contribute small amounts of money, often to help an entrepreneur reach a particular business goal. Patreon is a popular choice for YouTubers, though there are plenty of crowdfunding sites to use. If you have loyal viewers who are willing to donate toward a specific goal or project, crowdfunding could be lucrative for you.

9. Using Affiliate Links in the Description

Links in video descriptions don’t just have to go to your own site. You can also add affiliate links to relevant products. For example, if your video talks about the 10 best ways to save money on a vacation, you can include affiliate links to any products or services in the description. For every viewer who clicks the link and purchases the item, you’ll earn a commission.

10. Getting Brand Sponsorships

YouTubers may also work directly with brand sponsors. For example, a recipe video for a dessert may be sponsored by a specific brand of cake mix. The YouTuber will mention the cake mix directly in the video and may even offer a code to get a discount on the product, and the brand will pay the YouTuber for the exposure.

It’s a good idea to thoroughly vet a sponsor to ensure their brand aligns with your values — and makes sense alongside your video content. Always be transparent with viewers by letting them know in the video and the description that this is a paid sponsorship.

Recommended: 13 Online Shopping Trends

11. Publishing Product Reviews

Similarly, YouTubers may review a specific product in a video. In these instances, the brand may specify talking points for the reviewer to discuss. These kinds of videos are common in the beauty, health, and fitness industries. Proceed carefully, though; they may be off-putting to viewers who view the content as inauthentic.

12. Licensing Content to the Media

If one of your videos goes viral, news outlets may want to report on it and show it to their audiences. Legally, they cannot do this without paying you. Thus, media companies often approach YouTube content creators to license their content.

Just make sure your contact info is clear on your channel so that members of the media know how to find you. You could profit from this as another way to earn money off YouTube.

Tips for Starting Your Own YouTube Channel

Ready to start making money on YouTube? Here are a few tips for starting a YouTube channel:

•   Follow YouTube’s guidelines and best practices for setting up an account. YouTube will walk you through all the major steps so you don’t miss anything. You can also search the web for tips on optimizing your channel as well.

•   Think about your target audience. Creating content for the sake of creating content may be fun for you. However, if you want to make money, you should focus on content that your target audience actually wants.

•   Invest in the right equipment. Depending on the level of quality you’re aiming for, you may need to invest in high-quality light equipment, an external microphone, a video camera, and video editing software.

•   Know how to optimize your videos. There’s a science to YouTube. Research everything from writing strong video titles and descriptions to popular video trends to creating click-worthy thumbnails to optimizing videos for search.

•   Don’t quit your day job just yet. YouTube has 51 million channels, but less than 1% of those have 100,000 or more subscribers. Subscribers will be key to your success. If you can, build up your channel and subscribers while relying on income from another avenue — until you’re confident you can make the leap.

Recommended: Tips for Spending Money Wisely

The Takeaway

YouTube is a source of entertainment for viewers, but it also can create real revenue opportunities to content creators. There are plenty of ways to make money on YouTube, but it requires hard work, dedication, fresh ideas, and a bit of luck.

3 Money Tips

1.    If you’re saving for a short-term goal — whether it’s a vacation, a wedding, or the down payment on a house — consider opening a high-yield savings account. The higher APY that you’ll earn will help your money grow faster, but the funds stay liquid, so they are easy to access when you reach your goal.

2.    If you’re creating a budget, try the 50/30/20 budget rule. Allocate 50% of your after-tax income to the “needs” of life, like living expenses and debt. Spend 30% on wants, and then save the remaining 20% towards saving for your long-term goals.

3.    If you’re faced with debt and wondering which kind to pay off first, it can be smart to prioritize high-interest debt first. For many people, this means their credit card debt; rates have recently been climbing into the double-digit range, so try to eliminate that ASAP.

Better banking is here with SoFi, NerdWallet’s 2024 winner for Best Checking Account Overall.* Enjoy up to 4.00% APY on SoFi Checking and Savings.

FAQ

How many people make money on YouTube?

In October 2021, YouTube released a report stating that 394,000 people in the U.S. alone were working (at least) a traditional 40-hour work week to generate video content for YouTube. But even more people could be making passive income off a few videos on YouTube, even if they have other full-time jobs.

How many people are on YouTube?

YouTube has more than 51 million channels with more than 2 billion monthly active users consuming content. In fact, YouTube is the second largest search engine in the world behind Google; the video search engine generates more search queries than Yahoo, Bing, Ask, and AOL combined.

On average, how much do YouTubers make per year?

With AdSense, YouTube content creators can expect to make between $0.01 and $0.03 per ad view; the average content creator earns $18 for every 1,000 ad views and $3 to $5 per 1,000 video views. Calculating an annual salary largely depends on how many views a content creator can amass.

For YouTubers with at least one million subscribers, the average salary is $60,000. But only 29,000 YouTube channels actually have more than one million subscribers.

How can you make money on YouTube without making videos?

Though it’s technically possible to make money on YouTube without making videos, it may be a much more challenging path to financial success. However, you might be able to generate revenue on a YouTube channel by reposting reels or TikToks as YouTube Shorts, uploading your Twitch streams or Instagram Lives to the YouTube platform, or even transforming an existing webinar or slideshow presentation to a video format on YouTube.

In all of these cases, you’re still technically creating video content — but you’re using content optimized for another platform and recycled for YouTube, so you may be less successful.

Photo credit: iStock/mapodile

Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.

SoFi® Checking and Savings is offered through SoFi Bank, N.A. ©2024 SoFi Bank, N.A. All rights reserved. Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender.
The SoFi Bank Debit Mastercard® is issued by SoFi Bank, N.A., pursuant to license by Mastercard International Incorporated and can be used everywhere Mastercard is accepted. Mastercard is a registered trademark, and the circles design is a trademark of Mastercard International Incorporated.

SoFi members with direct deposit activity can earn 4.00% annual percentage yield (APY) on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. Direct Deposit means a recurring deposit of regular income to an account holder’s SoFi Checking or Savings account, including payroll, pension, or government benefit payments (e.g., Social Security), made by the account holder’s employer, payroll or benefits provider or government agency (“Direct Deposit”) via the Automated Clearing House (“ACH”) Network during a 30-day Evaluation Period (as defined below). Deposits that are not from an employer or government agency, including but not limited to check deposits, peer-to-peer transfers (e.g., transfers from PayPal, Venmo, etc.), merchant transactions (e.g., transactions from PayPal, Stripe, Square, etc.), and bank ACH funds transfers and wire transfers from external accounts, or are non-recurring in nature (e.g., IRS tax refunds), do not constitute Direct Deposit activity. There is no minimum Direct Deposit amount required to qualify for the stated interest rate. SoFi members with direct deposit are eligible for other SoFi Plus benefits.

As an alternative to direct deposit, SoFi members with Qualifying Deposits can earn 4.00% APY on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. Qualifying Deposits means one or more deposits that, in the aggregate, are equal to or greater than $5,000 to an account holder’s SoFi Checking and Savings account (“Qualifying Deposits”) during a 30-day Evaluation Period (as defined below). Qualifying Deposits only include those deposits from the following eligible sources: (i) ACH transfers, (ii) inbound wire transfers, (iii) peer-to-peer transfers (i.e., external transfers from PayPal, Venmo, etc. and internal peer-to-peer transfers from a SoFi account belonging to another account holder), (iv) check deposits, (v) instant funding to your SoFi Bank Debit Card, (vi) push payments to your SoFi Bank Debit Card, and (vii) cash deposits. Qualifying Deposits do not include: (i) transfers between an account holder’s Checking account, Savings account, and/or Vaults; (ii) interest payments; (iii) bonuses issued by SoFi Bank or its affiliates; or (iv) credits, reversals, and refunds from SoFi Bank, N.A. (“SoFi Bank”) or from a merchant. SoFi members with Qualifying Deposits are not eligible for other SoFi Plus benefits.

SoFi Bank shall, in its sole discretion, assess each account holder’s Direct Deposit activity and Qualifying Deposits throughout each 30-Day Evaluation Period to determine the applicability of rates and may request additional documentation for verification of eligibility. The 30-Day Evaluation Period refers to the “Start Date” and “End Date” set forth on the APY Details page of your account, which comprises a period of 30 calendar days (the “30-Day Evaluation Period”). You can access the APY Details page at any time by logging into your SoFi account on the SoFi mobile app or SoFi website and selecting either (i) Banking > Savings > Current APY or (ii) Banking > Checking > Current APY. Upon receiving a Direct Deposit or $5,000 in Qualifying Deposits to your account, you will begin earning 4.00% APY on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% on checking balances on or before the following calendar day. You will continue to earn these APYs for (i) the remainder of the current 30-Day Evaluation Period and through the end of the subsequent 30-Day Evaluation Period and (ii) any following 30-day Evaluation Periods during which SoFi Bank determines you to have Direct Deposit activity or $5,000 in Qualifying Deposits without interruption.

SoFi Bank reserves the right to grant a grace period to account holders following a change in Direct Deposit activity or Qualifying Deposits activity before adjusting rates. If SoFi Bank grants you a grace period, the dates for such grace period will be reflected on the APY Details page of your account. If SoFi Bank determines that you did not have Direct Deposit activity or $5,000 in Qualifying Deposits during the current 30-day Evaluation Period and, if applicable, the grace period, then you will begin earning the rates earned by account holders without either Direct Deposit or Qualifying Deposits until you have Direct Deposit activity or $5,000 in Qualifying Deposits in a subsequent 30-Day Evaluation Period. For the avoidance of doubt, an account holder with both Direct Deposit activity and Qualifying Deposits will earn the rates earned by account holders with Direct Deposit.

Members without either Direct Deposit activity or Qualifying Deposits, as determined by SoFi Bank, during a 30-Day Evaluation Period and, if applicable, the grace period, will earn 1.20% APY on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances.

Interest rates are variable and subject to change at any time. These rates are current as of 12/3/24. There is no minimum balance requirement. Additional information can be found at https://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet.

Third-Party Brand Mentions: No brands, products, or companies mentioned are affiliated with SoFi, nor do they endorse or sponsor this article. Third-party trademarks referenced herein are property of their respective owners.

External Websites: The information and analysis provided through hyperlinks to third-party websites, while believed to be accurate, cannot be guaranteed by SoFi. Links are provided for informational purposes and should not be viewed as an endorsement.

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