According to a recent Gallup poll, more than half of American adults (58%) have money invested in the stock market. Although the median holdings (amounts invested) vary based on age, income, and other demographic factors, it’s clear that Americans see the value of investing — even if their exposure is limited to a workplace 401(k).

If you have a fully-funded emergency fund and have an extra $1,000 that you don’t immediately need, you have a lot of options. Unfortunately, the sheer number of investment options to choose from can be overwhelming and downright confusing.

That’s why I wanted to share some of my favorite ways to invest $1,000. Whatever decision you make, you should be proud of yourself for taking the time to be thoughtful with your money.

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If you are a beginner stock trader or

Opening a Roth IRA can be a smart move if you want to invest for retirement and save money on taxes later in life. However, there are strict rules when it comes to how much you can contribute to your Roth IRA. 

Contributions to a Roth IRA are made with after-tax dollars, which means your money can grow tax-free. When you’re ready to take distributions from your Roth IRA in retirement (or after age 59 ½), you won’t pay income taxes on your distributions, either.

If you want to start contributing to a Roth IRA as part of your retirement strategy, keep in mind there are some limits. For example, if you’re under the age of 49 you can contribute a maximum of $6,500 for the 2023 tax season. 

Interested in learning more about the specifics of the Roth IRA? Here’s everything you need to know.

How Much Can

In 2022, I published 156 posts on Financial Samurai. Every post is written based on firsthand experience because money is too important to be left up to pontification.

For background, I worked in finance from 1999 – 2012. Along the way, I got my MBA part-time in 2006 and started Financial Samurai in 2009. Since 2009, I’ve written over 2,100 personal finance articles.

Check out my About page for more details. You can also subscribe to my free weekly newsletter where I discuss all things personal finance.

I still haven’t hired a staff writer to help with the workload. But I might in 2023 if I can find a great storyteller who can tackle different personal finance perspectives from firsthand experience.

Given I’m a man, finding a woman, preferably with a finance background is a logical choice. Hit me up if this sounds like you. Hmmm, maybe I can convince

I’m a big fan of the Roth IRA and investors that understand it’s massive tax-free benefits are also.

Recently a reader sent in this question about it:

Thanks for your questions Debbie! Before we answer your question, let’s do a quick refresher on the Roth IRA rules.

What is a Roth IRA?

A Roth IRA is a type of individual retirement account (IRA) that allows you to contribute after-tax money and withdraw it tax-free in retirement. It is named after Senator William Roth, who sponsored

Do you have $30,000 burning a hole in your pocket? You’ll be rewarded if you can invest it for the long haul. As this compound interest calculator demonstrates, investing $30,000 at a return of 8% for 20 years will leave you with $138,828. If you can secure a return of 10% over that time, you’ll end the 20 years with $201,825.

But where should you invest your $30,000? There are many options, but your top priority should be choosing an investment that aligns well with your goals and risk tolerance.

With that in mind, I wanted to review some of my top suggestions for investing $30,000 in 2023. Most of these options are passive in nature, and remember that you can spread your initial investment across more than one option if you prefer.

16 Best Ways to Invest $30,000 in 2023

1. Index Funds 
2. Invest in ETFs
3. Invest in Fractional Shares 

Everyone could use a little extra cash every now and then. While your side hustle won’t make you rich, you can use the money to cover bills, pay for unexpected expenses, or even splurge on something you’ve wanted.

The Best Ways to Make $100 In a Day

It can be tough to come up with money-making ideas that work for you. To help you get started, I’ve compiled an exhaustive yet actionable list of 59 ways to make $100 per day.

Too many “how to make money” lists are filled with bad ideas, i.e., paid surveys and online games, that will waste your time chasing after a couple of dollars here and there.

You can make $100 with every idea on this list. There

The best home insurance companies offer high-quality coverage that protects against damage to your home’s structure and your property, whether it is caused by lightning, winds, fire, or other covered perils. Homeowners’ insurance also comes with important liability coverage that can save you financially if someone is injured on your property and decides to sue you for damages.

That said, not all homeowners insurance is created equal, and the best home insurance companies stand out due to the breadth of their policy offerings, the discounts they offer, and their affordable premiums. To help you find the best home insurance company for your needs and your budget, we compared more than 20 of the top providers based on these factors as well as third party rankings from agencies like A.M. Best and J.D. Power.

Our Picks for Best Home Insurance of 2022

Do you believe making money online is more fantasy than reality? It’s not – the evidence is the tens of thousands of people who are making money online from home right now.

To help you make this dream a reality, we’re providing this guide of the 25 best ways to make money online from home.

You can skim the table below, which lists all 25 with earning potential, skills needed, and difficulty level. But you can read the summaries that follow to get a more detailed description of each.

Once upon a time, I found out my wife had braces when she was really young. Since she has such a beautiful smile, that made a ton of sense. However, this whole situation made me wonder how much braces might cost if all four of our kids wound up needing orthodontic care.

When we had this conversation, I initially joked that we would need to set up “braces savings accounts” for them instead of 529 college savings plans. That seemed really funny at the time, but this joke eventually turned into a financial reality.

When you actually do the math, traditional braces or Invisalign can easily cost $24,000 or more for four kids!

That’s not quite as much as a college education, but it’s still an expense that needs to be planned far in advance. 

Braces vs. Invisalign

Not surprisingly, there are a lot more options today for orthodontic care