My Money Map — Millennial Money Honey (2024)

I wanted to share with you a comprehensive list of all the real products & finance accounts I use on my own personal finance journey. Everything listed below I truly believe in 💯% and I’ll remove or add things I use. Let’s all become financially independent! 🔥😊

⚠️ Disclaimer: These accounts are what work best for me, please invest and save at your own risk. To be radically transparent, I’ve listed the incentives of using these links, which are mutually beneficial and help support this blog. I truly appreciate your support!

Pre-Tax Investment accounts

My Money Map — Millennial Money Honey (1)

401K: Fidelity

  • A 401K is only available through your employer so you don’t really get to chose where it’s at. 401Ks are so great because it reduces your taxable income by up to $19,500. Often times employers incentivize you by giving you a match. I currently only get a 1% match from employer hey, but free money is free money!

Rollover Traditional IRA: Charles Schwab

We both earn $100 for funding a $1,000 account

  • After I finish a job I rollover my 401K into this Rollover Traditional IRA account. I keep it separate from my other IRAs in the event I’d want to move it back into a current 401K. In the meantime, I have more control over my investments here. All of it is invested in a Target Date Fund for 2055. Although I’m planning on retiring earlier than that, I’m not going to draw down on these retirement accounts until I reach my actual retirement age.

HSA: Fidelity

  • An HSA is only available if you have a qualified High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP). Typically if it’s qualified, they’ll automatically open an account for you and if you’re fortunate sometimes employers will just give you money toward it. HSAs are legit my fave investment accounts for all of its tax benefits. You can only contribute up to $3,500 for 2020 but absolutely max it out if you can. Unfortunately I am not on a qualified health insurance plan right now, but I consolidated all of my old HSAs to Fidelity since they don’t have any fees.

Checking accounts

My Money Map — Millennial Money Honey (2)

High Yield Cash Account/Checking: Wealthfront

We both get $10!

  • I used to use a Bank of America Checking account but ever since Wealthfront started offering checking features on their high yield cash accounts, I moved everything over here. Although their APY fluctuates, it’s consistently higher than BofA’s 0.01%. Direct deposit also hits a day earlier giving me a little more time to grow my money!

Credit Card: CitiBank – 2x Cash Back

I don’t think there’s any reward 🤷‍♀️. It says I’ll get 10K points, but it’s not a points card…

  • Caveat—please, I beg of you, don’t spend money you don’t have. I know I have this credit card under “checking accounts.” To be clear, it’s not, but I truly use it like a debit card spending only what I have and paying it back straight away. It’s essentially “free” money since I get a consistent 2% back on everything, no fees. When looking for a credit card I didn’t want a category card because I don’t spend that much.

Savings accounts

My Money Map — Millennial Money Honey (3)

High-Yield Cash Account #1: Ally

No reward bonus, just the knowledge of knowing you’re banking with an awesome bank and getting SO much interest!

  • Ally has these awesome “buckets” and a great APY. You can compartmentalize different savings goals you’re working toward without actually having a different account. I made that mistake last year by opening 3 wealthfront cash accounts and then had to file taxes on all of them. (Annoying, don’t recommend!) I alternate sending my Emergency money between Wealthfront and Ally depending on which one has a better interest rate. Downside is you can only withdrawal like 6x a month like a typical savings account.

High-Yield Cash Account #2/Checking Account: Wealthfront

We both get $10!

  • Wealthfront has a great APY (aka lots of compound interest money!) plus no minimum fees plus you can withdrawal as often as you need, unlike regular savings accounts. I alternate between Wealthfront and Ally depending on who has a better APY. As noted above, I also started using this as my checking account (over Bank of America) since it is better to get that little bit of interest money!

Also as Wealthfront’s unofficial hype-girl, their financial goal tools are amazing. Based on your inputs, it tells you when you can retire (read: FIRE), how much to save for kids’ colleges, if/when you can afford a home with Redfin integration, and if you want to take time off to travel 🧳.

Post-Tax Investment accounts

My Money Map — Millennial Money Honey (4)

Taxable Brokerage/Roth IRA Account: Charles Schwab

We both earn $100 for funding a $1,000 account

  • Now that I know more about what I’m doing, I manage my own index fund portfolio and I LOVE Schwab. They don’t have any trade fees and have a bunch of low cost index funds.

  • For my Roth IRA, I have been able to max it out for the past 3 years. There are no immediate tax benefits, but the money will grow and when I finally am able to draw down on it, I won’t pay any taxes on the amount it has grown! I hold my US Bond Index Fund (SWAGX) in here since those dividends are not tax-free.

Robo-advisor Taxable Brokerage Account: Wealthfront

We both get $5,000 managed free

  • This account is amazing for new investors and how I started my own investing journey. You just take a quiz regarding how risky or risk-averse you are and deposit some money and BOOM it does all the investments and allocations for you. If you are waiting until you learn more about money and investing, don’t walk, run on this. It’s been 3 years since I officially started investing through Wealthfront and I’m so glad that I didn’t wait until I know what I know now to start. You can always evolve how you invest, but the most important thing is getting started. I’ve since stop contributing, but Wealthfront is my one true love and I still use all of their AMAZING financial planning tools.

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My Money Map — Millennial Money Honey (9)

My Money Map — Millennial Money Honey (2024)

FAQs

How much does the average millennial have saved? ›

And here are the results from those ages 35 to 44, or older millennials: 58.26% have less than $10,000. 17.89% have $10,001 to $50,000. 7.80% have $50,001 to $100,000.

What is the average net worth of Millennials? ›

The average net worth of millennials has surged from $62,758 to $127,793 since the start of the pandemic. Much of this growth is from real estate; as of 2022, more than half of millennials had become homeowners. The average millennial makes between $52,156 and $62,244 per year.

How do millennials make money? ›

Investing in the stock market, using ladder certificates of deposit (ladder CDs), or opening a high-yield savings account are all great ways for millennials (or other curious investors) to grow their money. Additionally, utilizing retirement funds such as 401(k)s or IRAs are great options for long-term savings.

How to be better with money? ›

These seven practical money management tips are here to help you take control of your finances.
  1. Make a budget. ...
  2. Track your spending. ...
  3. Save for retirement. ...
  4. Save for emergencies. ...
  5. Plan to pay off debt. ...
  6. Establish good credit habits. ...
  7. Monitor your credit.

How many Americans have $100,000 in savings? ›

Most American households have at least $1,000 in checking or savings accounts. But only about 12% have more than $100,000 in checking and savings.

Can I retire at 55 with 300k? ›

On average for a comfortable retirement, an individual will spend £43,100 a year, whilst the average couple in retirement spends £59,000 a year. This means if you retire at 55 with £300k, an individual will run out of funds in approximately 7 years, and a couple in 5 years. So, on paper, it doesn't look like enough.

Who is the richest millennial? ›

Who are the Millennial Billionaires?
NameAgeNet Worth
Mark Zuckerberg36$97.0 B
Zhang Yiming37$35.6 B
Yang Huiyan & family39$29.6 B
Dustin Moskovitz36$17.8 B
86 more rows
May 27, 2021

Why are millennials so rich? ›

High-earning millennials (think tech workers) have been able to accumulate unprecedented wealth due to their skills, according to the report. “The returns to high-status work trajectories have increased, while the returns to low-status trajectories have stagnated or declined,” the researchers write.

Which generation is the wealthiest? ›

A gigantic wealth transfer over roughly the next decade will likely make millennials “the richest generation in history,” according to a report from global real estate consultancy Knight Frank.

Are millennials frugal? ›

Millennials are often maligned as a generation focused more on avocado toast splurges than fiscal responsibility. But the stereotype isn't always true. Plenty of millennials have proven they can budget. And a majority of people in this generation are now homeowners, according to RentCafe.

What do millennials spend the most money on? ›

The average millennial is now entering their "sandwich generation" era and willing to spend lavishly to have more time to themselves. Colleagues and friends said they're spending money on house cleaners, babysitters, elder-care workers, dog walkers, and smart-home features.

How many millennials make 100k? ›

This statistic shows the number of high earning 25 to 34 year old Americans in 2022, by sources of income. In 2022, around 4.8 million people between 25 to 34 years old whose annual income was 100,000 U.S. dollars or more obtained that income through wages and salary.

What is the 50 30 20 rule? ›

The 50-30-20 rule recommends putting 50% of your money toward needs, 30% toward wants, and 20% toward savings. The savings category also includes money you will need to realize your future goals.

Why do I struggle for money? ›

It may be that you have too much credit card debt, not enough income, or you overspend on unnecessary purchases when you feel stressed or anxious. Or perhaps, it's a combination of problems. Make a separate plan for each one.

How to turn your life around financially? ›

39 Ways to Improve Your Personal Finances
  1. Get your overspending under control. ...
  2. Create a new budget. ...
  3. Find a budgeting app you like. ...
  4. Make a will. ...
  5. Protect your savings from inflation. ...
  6. Prepare for rising interest rates. ...
  7. Prepare now for your next major life event. ...
  8. Boost your retirement savings.

How much do most 30 year olds have saved? ›

Average Savings by Age 30

According to the latest Survey of Consumer Finances, the average savings in transaction accounts for this group was $11,250, and the median was $3,240, in 2019. If you have more than this in your savings account at 30, you have more than many of your peers.

How much should a 30 year old have saved? ›

Fidelity suggests 1x your income

So the average 30-year-old should have $50,000 to $60,000 saved by Fidelity's standards. Assuming that your income stays at $50,000 over time, here are financial milestones by decade. These goals aren't set in stone. Other financial planners suggest slightly different targets.

How much money does the average 21-year-old have in savings? ›

According to a study by Merrill Lynch, the average 21-year-old has saved $5,887. That's certainly not bad, but it's also not a lot of money when you consider that number could be used for a down payment on a house or to cover a year's worth of living expenses.

How much does the average 20-year-old have saved? ›

In fact, people in their 20s were able to save an average of nearly $5,580 last year, according to data from New York Life, putting them third on the list of age groups that saved the most in 2023. That's less than the average amount of $7,148 people in their 20s aimed to save, but how much should you really be saving?

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