5 Smart Things to Do With Your Stimulus Check

Many of us should have received a $1,200 federal stimulus check to help us deal with the fallout of COVID-19.

Now, maybe you lost your job because of the coronavirus, and you need every penny of that $1,200 to pay for food and shelter. (You also get $500 per child.)

But maybe you’re still working and earning an income, in which case that money is simply a welcomed bonus in this time of uncertainty. If so, here are a few financially responsible suggestions for what to do with it:

1. Start an Emergency Fund — and Grow It 23x Faster

If you’re one of the millions of Americans who don’t have an emergency fund, now’s a good time to start one. That’s right — save your stimulus payment for a rainy day.

A good way to avoid spending your emergency fund is to separate it from your everyday checking account. Try depositing your stimulus money into an online savings account that pays you better interest than a brick-and-mortar account.

A mobile banking app called Varo is one option. The average savings account pays a paltry .06% APY*, but Varo pays you more than 23 times that. Oh, and there are no monthly fees.

We know opening a new bank account isn’t exactly everyone’s idea of fun, but Varo makes it easy. You can open an account with just a penny, and more than 750,000 people have already signed up.

*https://www.fdic.gov/regulations/resources/rates/

2. Own a Piece of Amazon, Google or Other Companies

Investing your stimulus check in a company now could pay off big-time down the road.

Seriously. Take a look at the Forbes Richest People list, and you’ll notice almost all the billionaires have one thing in common — they own another company.

But if you don’t happen to have millions of dollars lying around, that can sound totally out of reach.

That’s why a lot of people use the app Stash. It lets you be a part of something that’s normally exclusive to the richest of the rich — buying pieces of other companies for as little as $1.1

That’s right — you can invest in pieces of well-known companies, such as Amazon, Google or Apple, for as little as $1. The best part? When these companies profit, so can you. Some companies even send you a check every quarter for your share of the profits, called dividends.

It takes two minutes to sign up, plus Stash will give you a $5 sign-up bonus once you deposit $5 into your account. Subscription plans start at $1 a month2.

3. Boost Your Retirement Savings

All too often, we don’t think about our retirement savings until we’re creeping closer to our 60s. But if you start building your retirement accounts earlier, you’ll benefit more from compound interest.

That’s why it’s smart to funnel some stimulus money into your retirement fund now.

Although you can’t directly deposit your stimulus check into your 401(k), you can increase your paycheck contributions. (Take full advantage of that company match!)

Or you could open an IRA — a retirement account that’s not tied to an employer. You can contribute up to $6,000 to an IRA each year or $7,000 if you’re 50 or older. So your stimulus check will definitely fit.

4. Pay Your Bills and Save Nearly $715/Year

It’s crazy how paying off a large bill actually feels like a gift when you reach adulthood. Earmarking your stimulus money for your annual car insurance bill or another big, once-a-year expense means you won’t have to scramble to get the money together when it’s due.

While you’re paying bills, it’s worth checking to see if you’re still getting the best deal on your unavoidable bills — like auto insurance.

If you really want to get the best price on car insurance, experts say you should be shopping twice a year.

If it’s been more than six months since your last car insurance quote, you should look again. 

And if you look through a digital marketplace called SmartFinancial, you could be getting rates as low as $22 a month — and saving yourself more than $700 a year. 

It takes one minute to get quotes from multiple insurers, so you can see all the best rates side-by-side. Yep — in just one minute you could save yourself $715 this year. That’s some major cash back in your pocket.

So if you haven’t checked car insurance rates in a while, see how much you can save with a new policy.

5. Get Rid of Your Credit Card Debt

Fact: Credit card debt is the most expensive kind of debt. And the truth is, your credit card company is getting rich off those high interest rates. But a website called AmOne wants to help.

If you owe your credit card companies $50,000 or less, AmOne will match you with a low-interest loan you can use to pay off every single one of your balances.

The benefit? You’ll be left with one bill to pay each month. And because personal loans have lower interest rates (AmOne rates start at 3.99% APR), you’ll get out of debt that much faster. Plus: No credit card payment this month.

AmOne keeps your information confidential and secure, which is probably why after 20 years in business, it still has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau.

It takes two minutes to see if you qualify for up to $50,000 online. You do need to give AmOne a real phone number in order to qualify, but don’t worry — they won’t spam you with phone calls.Once you’ve gotten your credit card debt nice and organized, use your stimulus check to make your first big payment toward becoming debt free.

Before you know it, all that credit card debt — and the anxiety that comes with it — could be gone.

1For Securities priced over $1,000, purchase of fractional shares starts at $0.05.

2You’ll also bear the standard fees and expenses reflected in the pricing of the ETFs in your account, plus fees for various ancillary services charged by Stash and the custodian.

The Penny Hoarder is a Paid Affiliate/partner of Stash. Investment advisory services offered by Stash Investments LLC, an SEC registered investment adviser. This material has been distributed for informational and educational purposes only, and is not intended as investment, legal, accounting, or tax advice. Investing involves risk.