Below is a list of stores that accept Afterpay for “buy now, pay later’ financing, listed in alphabetical order. NOTE: In some cases, you’ll need to use the Afterpay app to purchase at these retailers:

• Adidas
• American Eagle
• Anthropologie
• ASOS
• Athleta
• Athletic Propulsion Labs (APL)
• Banana Republic
• Bandier
• BCBG
• Bed Bath & Beyond
• Belk
• Birkenstock
• Boohoo
• Buckle

Updated November 17, 2021 – Have you seen a credit card listed on your credit report from SYNCB? SYNCB is an abbreviation for Synchrony Bank, the issuer of many store credit cards, including cards for retailers like Sam’s Club, PayPal, Gap, Lowe’s, etc. Below you’ll find a list of all the Synchrony Bank credit cards on the market today. If you know of one we’ve missed, e-mail adam@proudmoney.com.

• AAMCO Credit Card
• ABC Warehouse Credit Card
• Abt Electronics Credit Card
• Amazon.com Store Card (but NOT the Amazon Visa, which is issued by Chase)
• American Eagle Outfitters Credit Card
• American Signature Furniture Credit Card
• America’s Tire Credit Card
• Ashley Furniture HomeStore Credit Card
• Athleta Credit Card
• At Home Credit Card
• Atwoods Credit Card
• Banana Republic Credit Card
• Belk Credit Card
• B&H Photo & Video Payboo Credit Card

Updated November 15, 2021 – Comenity Bank and its sister company Comenity Capital Bank are the issuers behind many retail store credit cards and other credit cards as well. If you have a credit card from one of the companies listed below, it’s not issued by the store whose name is on the front, but instead by Comenity:

• Academy Sports Credit Card
• AKC (American Kennel Club) (Card no longer offered)
• Alphaeon Medical Credit
• Ann Taylor
• Arhaus
• Ashley Stewart
• Avenue
• Bealls Florida Credit Card
• Bealls Outlet / Burkes Outlet
• Bed Bath & Beyond
• Big Lots
• BJ’s Wholesale Club
• Blair
• Blue Nile

By Adam Jusko, ProudMoney.com, adam@proudmoney.com

Updated November 1, 2021 – Below we list the very best credit cards on the market, including cash back and travel rewards cards. See the cards’ applications pages for further details as well as information on introductory bonus offers and any exclusions on rewards & perks.

Best Cash Back Credit Cards

“Flat” Cash Back (Same Rebate Percentage on All Purchases):

• Wells Fargo Active Cash Visa – You get 2% “flat” cash back, meaning you get the same 2% cash back on every purchase with the card. Plus, you can earn a bonus as a new cardholder, something most other 2% cards do not offer. (Right now that bonus is $200 if you spend $1000 or more with the card in the first three months after account opening.
• Citi Double Cash – 2% “flat” cash back, meaning you get the same 2% cash back on every purchase with the card. No annual fee.
• SoFi Credit Card – Earn 2% cash back on all purchases, but only if you deposit your earnings into a SoFi account. No annual fee & no foreign transaction fees.
• Other 2% “flat” cash back credit cards: Fidelity Visa, PayPal Cashback Mastercard

Cash Back Cards with Enhanced Purchasing Categories:

• Citi Custom Cash – Get 5% cash back in the category where you spend the most each billing cycle (on up to $500 in purchases in that category); 1% cash back elsewhere. No annual fee.
• Capital One SavorOne Card – 3% cash back on dining, groceries, entertainment purchases, and most streaming services, 1% elsewhere. No annual fee.
• Blue Cash Preferred from American Express – 6% cash back on groceries & streaming services, 3% on gas & transit, 1% elsewhere. No annual fee first year, $95 per year after that.
• Blue Cash Everyday from American Express – 3% cash back on groceries, 2% on gas and at certain department stores, 1% elsewhere. No annual fee.
• US Bank Altitude Go – 4% cash back on dining purchases, 2% on groceries, gas, and streaming services, and then 1% anywhere else. No annual fee.
• Chase Freedom Unlimited – 3% cash back on dining purchases, 3% at drugstores, 5% at Chase’s own travel booking site, and 1.5% on all other purchases. No annual fee.
• Chase Freedom Flex – Get 5% cash back on purchases in certain categories that change every calendar quarter. Also get 3% on dining, 3% at drugstores, 5% at Chase’s own travel booking site, and 1% elsewhere. No annual fee.
• Navy Federal Credit Union More Rewards American Express Card – 3% cash back at grocery stores, restaurants, and gas stations, 1% elsewhere. No annual fee. Must qualify as member of the credit union.
• Navy Federal Flagship Rewards – Earn 3% cash back on travel, 2% everywhere else. There is a $49 annual fee. Must qualify as member of the credit union.
• US Bank Cash+ – Get 5% cash back in your choice of two purchasing categories from a list that US Bank provides, then 2% cash back on your choice of gas, groceries or dining. 1% back everywhere else. No annual fee.
• Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards – Get 3% cash back in a purchasing category of your choice, 2% at grocery/wholesale stores, 1% elsewhere. No annual fee.
• Discover it – Get 5% cash back on purchases in certain categories that change every calendar quarter. All other purchases earn 1%. No annual fee.
• Also worth mentioning: Verizon Visa, Apple Card, Venmo Credit Card

By Adam Jusko, ProudMoney.com, adam@proudmoney.com

Consumer Reports has long been a respected name when it comes to reviewing consumer products and choosing the best of the options in the marketplace. Its coverage of cars & trucks is especially well respected, because it offers reviews of new vehicles as well as used vehicles, including information on which cars have the most problems (and fewest problems) and how long you can expect a certain make and model to last.

To us, it is established that Consumer Reports provides value. But the question is: how much value? Is it worth it to be a paid subscriber?

How much is a subscription?

Let’s talk first about what Consumer Reports actually costs. You can get an online subscription for $39 per year, or you can choose to get that online subscription at $10 per month if you want to test it out for a shorter term. (But note that it will automatically renew each month unless you stop it.)

Looking for a great credit card bonus but don’t want an annual fee? Here are the best current signup bonus offers on credit cards with no annual fee:

Best Cash Signup Bonuses:

• Chase Freedom Flex – Get a $250 bonus when you spend $500 or more with this card within 3 months after opening the account.
• Chase Freedom Unlimited – Get a $250 bonus when you spend $500 or more with this card within 3 months after opening the account.
• Blue Cash Everyday from American Express – Get a $250 signup bonus when you spend at least $2000 on the card within 6 months after you open your account.
• Wells Fargo Active Cash Card – Get a $200 signup bonus on this 2% cash-back credit card when you spend at least $1000 with the card in the first three months after approval.
• FNBO Evergreen Visa – Get a $200 signup bonus on this 2% cash-back credit card when you spend at least $1000 with the card in the first three billing cycles after account opening.
• Citi Custom Cash Card – Get a $200 bonus after you spend at least $750 in the first 3 months after account opening.

If we were looking for an opportunity to work from home, these are the 15 opportunities we’d tackle first. All are legitimate stay-at-home work jobs, and this site does not receive any compensation if you choose to work with any of them.

• Enterprise – The well-known car rental company often hires at-home customer service representatives and reservation agents who work with Enterprise customers by telephone.
• TTEC (TeleTech) – Offers work-at-home customer service opportunities. From their site: “As a TTEC@Home associate, you’ll use TeleTech’s proprietary technology to support and assist customers with a variety of customer service and technical needs. This could include helping customers over the phone, via chat, or on social media. Best of all, you can do it all while wearing your slippers or flip flops! (To get started, you’ll need internet access and a home phone.)”
• American Express – Offers a variety of “virtual career opportunities” that could let you work from home. The Travel Counselor/Customer Service telephone jobs will probably be the most interesting if you don’t have the specific skills required for other Amex remote jobs. (If you don’t see the work-from-home jobs when you first click through, type “virtual” in the job title field to see current work-at-home jobs.)

(This is a regularly updated post; last update 11/5/21.) If you’ve ever been pitched on opening a new credit card at a retail store while making a purchase, you know that some stores are more than happy to give you instant credit — you apply on the spot, get approved, and you can use the card immediately. Below we offer a list of such cards, including regular bank credit cards as well as retail credit cards. Apply online and get shopping today. (Note that instant approval is not guaranteed.)

• American Express Cards – Most American Express credit cards and charge cards now offer the possibility of an “Instant Card Number” upon approval. Your “eligibility is based on our ability to instantly validate your identity.” If you are eligible, you’ll get an Instant Card Number that you can use even before you have the physical card in hand. Note, however, that you may not be able to access your card’s complete credit line instantly.
• PayPal Cashback Mastercard – One of the better cash back credit cards on the market lets you use your card today if you are approved instantly. Here’s the language they use to describe the process: “If you’re approved, in most cases, a temporary credit line will instantly be added to your PayPal account and you can start using it on PayPal right away – – even before you receive your card.” Beyond the instant approval, this card gives you a 2% rebate on everything you buy with it — which is the top of the market for cash-back cards with a flat rate on all purchases.

By Adam Jusko, ProudMoney.com, adam@proudmoney.com

One of the more satisfying possibilities for working at home is becoming a virtual assistant. While there is no single definition of what a “virtual assistant” is, most people think of it as doing general office work, which might include:

• Making phone calls or writing emails on a company’s behalf (or for an individual within a company), including scheduling appointments.
• Data entry, anything from tracking sales calls to entering figures in a database.
• Writing & editing basic marketing materials or letters.
• Bookkeeping
• Internet researching
• Blog management
• Social media management
• Graphic design
• Technical support

Your virtual assistant journey might include any or all of those tasks, depending on your skills and the needs of potential clients. You undoubtedly will be asked to do other things specific to whatever industry your clients are in.

By Adam Jusko, ProudMoney.com, adam@proudmoney.com

If you’re a beginner to the world of stock buying and selling, this guide will help you get started. Note that this is NOT a guide on how to choose which stocks to buy, but instead the basics of how to set up a stock trading account if you’re a beginner.

Step 1: Choose An Online Broker

In order to buy and sell stocks, also known as “stock trading”, you will have to have an account with an online broker. “Online broker” sounds sort of intimidating and mysterious, but an online broker is just an online trading platform — it’s a company’s website (or mobile app) where you go to buy and sell stocks, and also to see your current stock holdings, deposit money for trading, etc. You have probably heard some of these brokerages’ names before, even if you’re not sure how they work — Charles Schwab, E-Trade, Robinhood, Fidelity, TD Ameritrade, etc. All of these will let you set up an account for free, and once you’ve done the next step below, you’ll be ready to buy stocks.

Step 2: Fund Your Account

If you’re going to buy stock, you’ll need money in your account. Whichever online stock broker you choose, there will be a way to add money. In most cases, you’ll give information about your bank account (account number and bank routing number) and how much money you’d like to transfer to the broker’s platform. Here’s how that looks on E-Trade:

Once you approve the transfer, it could take a few days before that money moves from your bank account into your new broker account. Once it does, you’ll be ready to buy stocks!