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

You’ve got money to invest but you’re not sure how much to put in stocks vs. bonds. Plus, how much to keep in cash? Or, maybe you’ve been investing for a long time but you’re not exactly young anymore. Should you be lowering the amount of stocks you own?

The best asset allocation at any age is going to strike a balance between being aggressive enough to get the upside of the stock market while also protecting some of your money through bonds or other fixed-income assets. The more risk tolerance you have, the more you should put in stocks. If you are leery of putting too much in stocks, you can dial back a bit on those and still have a portfolio that performs well.

Common Asset Allocation Formulas

The 100 Minus

In the past, a suggested formula for how much of your investing dollars to put into the stock market was this:

100 – your current age = % in stocks

In other words, if you were 25:

100 – 25 = 75% of your portfolio in stocks

If you were 55:

100 – 55 = 45% of your portfolio in stocks

The 110 Minus or 120 Minus

These days, few investment advisors would suggest the 100 Minus formula. With people living longer and their investments needing to last longer in retirement, it’s necessary to be a bit more aggressive in terms of exposure to the stock market. At the very least, most would suggest you change the formula to 110 Minus. If you are age 25, that of course means:

110 – 25 = 85% in stocks

If you are age 55, that means:

110 – 55 – 55% in stocks

Some would even suggest you go to 120 Minus, meaning our 25 year old would have 95% in stocks (120 – 25 = 95) and our 55 year old would have 65% in stocks (120 – 55 = 65).

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 our very favorite credit cards on the market also 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.

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 one of them. (See also: How To Make Money Without A “Regular” Job)

• 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.)”

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

Airbnb has become so popular, I’ve often thought they should launch a rewards credit card. People would jump at the chance to earn rewards or discounts on Airbnb, because in many ways it’s become like the world’s biggest hotel “chain” — if you can consider a collection of privately-owned living spaces a chain.

But then I realize there sort of already is an Airbnb credit card, a card that gives you a 3% rebate on all of your Airbnb stays — plus a ton of other perks.

It’s the Uber Visa.

Yep, the credit card with Uber’s name on the front is actually the best card to use for Airbnb purchases, because you get a 3% rebate on every Airbnb rental, plus 3% on other vacation rentals you might book through sites like VRBO and HomeAway.

Business credit cards allow you to separate your small business expenses from your personal expenses, and they very often have business-specific rewards that are different from personal credit cards. Note, however, that unless your business is well established, getting approved for a business credit card will usually require you to make a personal guarantee. What does that mean? If you fail to pay your card bills, you will hurt your personal credit score.

That said, here are our picks for the best business credits on the market today:

• SimplyCash Plus Business Credit Card from American Express – Earn a 5% rebate on all purchases from U.S. office supply stores and on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers. You also get to choose a 3% rebate category from a list that includes airfare, hotel, car rentals, gas, restaurants, advertising, etc. Finally, you get 1% cash back on all other card purchases. No annual fee.
• Ink Business Cash from Chase – Earn 5% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on Internet, cable and phone services each year. Also, earn 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants. 1% cash back on everything else. No annual fee.