Hustler Money Blog
This is a great website I found through Penny Hoarder a few months ago while trying to find more creative ways to save and make money for our first house. Hustler Money Blog (click link) is a one-stop means to find bank bonuses, credit card bonuses, airline deals and much more. So far this year I have earned $400 in bank bonuses and have another $500 waiting. All of these deals are checked by the site's creator and also reviewed and checked by the readers. Although I like Penny Hoarder, I really don't want to fill out endless surveys for just a couple bucks.
BANK BONUSES
I never thought to sign up for checking accounts to get a bonus, but as you've read above, you can make $1,000+ in a few months signing up for checking accounts. These are legitimate and really do work, but you must read the fine print carefully on the bank's website (not just HMB's).
A few warnings to be aware of: The HMB website states that you can probably open 10 bank accounts safely in one year. Obviously there is some innate risk (identity theft), and even a "soft" credit inquiry still is posted on the ChexSystems and you could get denied for too many inquiries. Since we are in the process of getting a house, I am not signing up for any "hard pull" credit inquiries where the bank pulls your credit report. This is not good at this stage of the game with my loan officer! After we get our house, we will probably carefully select a few "hard pull" accounts to sign up for, still being careful because too many credit inquiries can harm you and raise insurance rates.
Many also require direct deposit or large sums to keep for 30-90 days. More hassle, but worth it if you can pull it off (and if your HR department will allow you to frequently change direct deposit information). There are some big bonuses of $300-$400, but require $10,000-$15,000 to be there for up to 90 days. If you can go without that much money for a while, I'd say do it.
I have done the following Bank Bonuses so far:
Huntington Bank ($200, now $250). Cannot close the account before 6 months is up or you lose the bonus. Also, must have $5,000 to avoid monthly fees.
Discover/NEA ($50). This was through the NEA website. Not too exciting, but it worked. Can close the account immediately after bonus is granted. Initial deposit was not very high.
First Federal of the Midwest ($75/$75). $50 initial deposit, must make 10 POS purchases ($75 bonus) and 3 online bill pays (another $75 bonus). Mine worked with just doing 10 $0.99 Amazon movie rentals and paying $1 each to 3 companies through bill pay.
Northpointe Bank ($50). Deposit $100, $50 bonus in 30 days. Must keep account open 120 days or you lose the bonus.
Chartway Credit Union ($100). Must make a small donation to become a credit union member. No minimum initial deposit, but must make 5 debit card purchases.
Key Bank ($200). This one is harder to find. You must have a reservation code emailed to you (I had to ask in a chat session with an associate). Initial deposit is $50 and you must make a $500 direct deposit.
CREDIT CARD BONUSES
To keep my credit score intact, we got a couple cards - both with no annual fees and some basic cash-back perks. You definitely do not want to sign up for a bunch of credit cards just to get the bonuses or you will destroy your credit. I also never carry a balance and use the cards for specific purposes in my overall budget. Choose and use wisely, but definitely look into it if you know how to control credit card use.
Citi Double Cash - no bonus, but 1% cash back on purchases and 1% back as you pay. It works, very straight-forward. Credit limit started low for me, but I was able to raise it after a few months.
Penfed Platinum Cash Rewards Visa - $100 bonus if you spend $1,500 in 3 months. 5% back at the pump and no annual fee after you open a money market account with $25. This is our exclusive gas card.
BANK BONUSES
I never thought to sign up for checking accounts to get a bonus, but as you've read above, you can make $1,000+ in a few months signing up for checking accounts. These are legitimate and really do work, but you must read the fine print carefully on the bank's website (not just HMB's).
A few warnings to be aware of: The HMB website states that you can probably open 10 bank accounts safely in one year. Obviously there is some innate risk (identity theft), and even a "soft" credit inquiry still is posted on the ChexSystems and you could get denied for too many inquiries. Since we are in the process of getting a house, I am not signing up for any "hard pull" credit inquiries where the bank pulls your credit report. This is not good at this stage of the game with my loan officer! After we get our house, we will probably carefully select a few "hard pull" accounts to sign up for, still being careful because too many credit inquiries can harm you and raise insurance rates.
Many also require direct deposit or large sums to keep for 30-90 days. More hassle, but worth it if you can pull it off (and if your HR department will allow you to frequently change direct deposit information). There are some big bonuses of $300-$400, but require $10,000-$15,000 to be there for up to 90 days. If you can go without that much money for a while, I'd say do it.
I have done the following Bank Bonuses so far:
Huntington Bank ($200, now $250). Cannot close the account before 6 months is up or you lose the bonus. Also, must have $5,000 to avoid monthly fees.
Discover/NEA ($50). This was through the NEA website. Not too exciting, but it worked. Can close the account immediately after bonus is granted. Initial deposit was not very high.
First Federal of the Midwest ($75/$75). $50 initial deposit, must make 10 POS purchases ($75 bonus) and 3 online bill pays (another $75 bonus). Mine worked with just doing 10 $0.99 Amazon movie rentals and paying $1 each to 3 companies through bill pay.
Northpointe Bank ($50). Deposit $100, $50 bonus in 30 days. Must keep account open 120 days or you lose the bonus.
Chartway Credit Union ($100). Must make a small donation to become a credit union member. No minimum initial deposit, but must make 5 debit card purchases.
Key Bank ($200). This one is harder to find. You must have a reservation code emailed to you (I had to ask in a chat session with an associate). Initial deposit is $50 and you must make a $500 direct deposit.
CREDIT CARD BONUSES
To keep my credit score intact, we got a couple cards - both with no annual fees and some basic cash-back perks. You definitely do not want to sign up for a bunch of credit cards just to get the bonuses or you will destroy your credit. I also never carry a balance and use the cards for specific purposes in my overall budget. Choose and use wisely, but definitely look into it if you know how to control credit card use.
Citi Double Cash - no bonus, but 1% cash back on purchases and 1% back as you pay. It works, very straight-forward. Credit limit started low for me, but I was able to raise it after a few months.
Penfed Platinum Cash Rewards Visa - $100 bonus if you spend $1,500 in 3 months. 5% back at the pump and no annual fee after you open a money market account with $25. This is our exclusive gas card.
