Products & Services

Capital One 360 Checking

Deposit cash at participating retailers and use branches where available.

Check local services and app-based deposit limits. Cafés do not offer every branch service.

Schwab Bank Investor Checking

Get rebates on ATM withdrawal fees worldwide, including when you need cash abroad.

Requires a linked brokerage account. Currency-conversion charges are excluded.

Ally Bank Savings Account

Use buckets to organize several savings goals within one account.

Specified withdrawals and transfers count toward a ten-per-cycle limit. Buckets do not increase deposit insurance.

American Express Business Checking

Handle mainly electronic business payments without keeping a minimum balance to avoid a monthly maintenance fee.

ATM cash deposits are not accepted. Mobile check-deposit restrictions and other eligibility conditions apply. Outgoing domestic wires cost $25 and outgoing same-day ACH costs $10.

Cost: $0 monthly maintenance and no minimum balance requirement. Optional and transaction-specific fees apply.

Chase Business Complete Banking

Use branches for regular business cash deposits if you can meet the conditions to waive the monthly fee.

The $15 monthly service fee needs a qualifying waiver, such as a $2,000 minimum daily ending balance. Included allowances cover 20 specified checks/teller transactions and $5,000 of in-branch cash deposits per statement cycle; excess fees apply. Check nearby services.

Cost: $15 monthly service fee, waived when qualifying conditions are met. Payment-processing and other service charges are separate.

Schwab One brokerage account

Manage your own investments with access to local branches and round-the-clock support.

Automatic purchases are limited to eligible mutual funds, not ETFs. A full outbound asset transfer costs $50. Review the cash feature and its yield separately; branch access does not mean all advice is free. Fractional investing now includes most U.S.-listed stocks and ETFs from $1.

Cost: $0 account opening or maintenance fee and no account minimum; $0 standard online listed U.S. stock/ETF commissions. Full outbound transfer $50; fund and other service charges apply.

Disclosure: In 2022, Schwab subsidiaries settled SEC charges concerning cash allocations and disclosures in Intelligent Portfolios. That robo-adviser is not the self-directed Schwab One account selected here.

Vanguard Brokerage Account

Buy Vanguard mutual funds with generally no online brokerage transaction charge for those funds.

A $25 annual service fee may apply unless waived, including through qualifying electronic delivery. Account closure or full transfer may cost $100 unless an exemption applies. Fund minimums and expenses are separate. Holding Vanguard ETFs alone does not require a Vanguard brokerage account.

Cost: Generally $0 online Vanguard mutual-fund transaction charge; fund-specific purchase/redemption fees can apply. Potential $25 annual account fee and $100 closure/full-transfer fee, subject to waivers.

Disclosure: Vanguard settled SEC charges in 2025 concerning tax-distribution disclosures for certain target-date funds in taxable accounts. This account selection is not an endorsement of those funds or their tax suitability.

Fidelity Go

Begin managed investing with $10 and pay no advisory fee while the balance stays below $25,000.

At $25,000 and above, the 0.35% annual fee applies to the account, not only the excess. Coaching and taxable-account harvesting require that threshold. Flex funds can be held only in certain Fidelity fee-based accounts; leaving generally requires selling them unless an eligible receiving account accepts them, potentially creating taxable gains.

Cost: $0 to open; $10 to invest. No advisory fee below $25,000; 0.35% annually at $25,000 and above. Flex funds have zero expense ratios, with limited fund-expense exceptions described in the brochure.

Disclosure: Registration is not regulatory endorsement. This service selection does not establish the security or suitability of every Fidelity affiliate or verify tax outcomes.

Capital One Savor

Earn 3% on eligible grocery-store, dining, entertainment and streaming purchases.

Other ordinary purchases earn 1%. Grocery rewards exclude superstores such as Walmart and Target; merchant coding determines category eligibility. This selection concerns the standard Savor offer, not Student or other credit-tier variants. Rewards do not replace required payments.

Cost: $0 annual fee and no foreign-transaction fee. Interest, balance-transfer, cash-advance and late-payment charges can apply; check the current offer rather than relying on an introductory promotion.

Disclosure: Capital One's historical 2012 credit-card add-on marketing action is context, not a finding about the current Savor reward categories.

Fidelity Rewards Visa Signature

Get 2% purchase-reward value when you deposit rewards into an eligible Fidelity account, with no annual or foreign-transaction fee.

The 2% value applies only to deposits into eligible Fidelity accounts; other redemption values differ. Contribution limits can affect retirement, HSA and 529 destinations. Elan, not Fidelity, makes credit decisions. Points are forfeited when the card account is closed to future transactions; redeem before closure.

Cost: $0 annual fee and no foreign-transaction fee. Balance transfers cost the greater of $5 or 5%; ordinary cash/ATM advances the greater of $10 or 5%. Interest and penalty fees remain.

Disclosure: Elan is part of U.S. Bank, whose 2022 CFPB order concerned unauthorized accounts, including credit cards. This is historical issuer context, not a finding that this card's stated rewards are invalid; completion of every remedy is not established here.

Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards Secured

Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on eligible purchases without tracking rotating reward categories.

Deposit $200–$5,000; it earns no interest. Deposit-return reviews are discretionary. After payoff and closure, return can take up to two billing cycles plus ten days. Terms confirm consumer-agency reporting, but this review did not establish a product-specific commitment to all three bureaus. No introductory APR or new-account bonus.

Cost: $0 annual fee; purchase APR 27.74% variable as checked October 20, 2026. Foreign transactions 3%; balance transfers 5%; late fees up to $41 and other charges may apply.

Disclosure: The CFPB issued a 2023 order concerning unauthorized Bank of America credit-card accounts and rewards-bonus practices. This review of public sources does not establish completion of every required remedy.

U.S. Bank Cash+ Secured Visa

Choose quarterly reward categories while building a payment history reported to the credit bureaus.

Deposit $300–$5,000 equals the credit line. Enroll each quarter for 5% on the first $2,000 combined eligible spending in two chosen categories and 2% in one selected everyday category; otherwise purchases earn no more than 1%. Rewards expire after 36 months under the stated rule. Reports to all three bureaus; graduation is discretionary. Deposit-release holds can extend to the later of 60 days or two billing cycles after closure/last posting; funds may repay debt.

Cost: $0 annual fee; purchase APR 28.74% variable, checked October 20, 2026. Foreign transactions 3%; balance transfers greater of 5% or $5; late and returned-payment fees up to $41. Other fees apply.

Disclosure: A 2022 CFPB order addressed unauthorized U.S. Bank accounts, including credit cards and lines of credit. This review of public sources does not establish completion of every remedy.

Capital One Spark 1.5% Cash Select

Earn an uncapped 1.5% on ordinary purchases, with no foreign-transaction fee.

The lower ordinary rate can trail Blue Business Cash for domestic spending below its cap. The product targets excellent credit; approval is not assured. The linked terms make the business signer and business liable, restrict use to business/commercial purposes and permit credit-record checks. Unredeemed rewards can be lost on closure or default. The separate 5% travel-portal benefit is not the basis for this selection.

Cost: $0 annual fee and no foreign-transaction fee; other interest and service charges apply.

Chase Ink Business Cash

Earn 5% on the first $25,000 in combined office-supply, internet, cable and phone purchases each account-anniversary year.

A separate $25,000 combined cap covers 2% gas-station/restaurant purchases; other ordinary purchases earn 1%. Merchant coding and exclusions matter. Ink cards require joint and several liability. A business card is not a way to avoid personal responsibility or consumer-credit effects.

Cost: $0 annual membership fee; 3% foreign-transaction fee. Other finance, transfer, cash-advance and penalty fees apply.

Cash App Taxes (2025 edition)

Prepare supported federal and state returns without a preparation charge, particularly for full-year, single-state filing.

This selection covers the 2025 edition only. A Cash App download and account are required. The 2026-season state documentation excludes part-year and nonresident state returns and requires successful federal e-filing with Cash App before state e-filing. Do not assume coverage for a multi-state return. Detailed forms articles contain older-year references, so confirm exact form coverage rather than relying on broad marketing claims. We have not independently tested calculations, the workflow or support quality.

Cost: $0 federal and state preparation for supported returns, as documented when checked October 20, 2026. This is not a promise of eligibility, availability or pricing for 2026 returns filed in 2027.

OLT Free Edition (2025)

Pay a lower published state-return charge than FreeTaxUSA, with free federal preparation for supported self-employment, investment and rental-income returns.

This selection covers the 2025 Free Edition only, not the upcoming edition. Phone and live-chat support require Premium. The separate IRS Free File offer has eligibility and entry-route requirements; it is not the same as ordinary commercial free federal filing. We have not independently tested calculations, the workflow or support quality. Check exact federal and state forms before starting.

Cost: Observed October 20, 2026: $0 federal plus $9.95 per state for Free Edition, before optional services. Paying preparation fees through a refund transfer costs extra. These are not promised 2026-edition prices or an archived record of every price offered last season.

Goodbudget Free

Use a manual envelope budget without paying a subscription.

One spending account, two devices and one year of history. Automatic bank sync is not included.

Monarch Core

Review household balances, spending and goals together in one place.

Check what other household members can see before sharing an account. Plus features are not included in this Core selection.

Boldin PlannerPlus

Explore U.S. retirement and tax scenarios, including Roth conversions.

A paid subscription is required. Have a professional review tax projections before acting on them. Check the AI and document-upload settings separately.

myFICO Free

Monitor Equifax and see FICO Score 8 without paying for a subscription. It can complement CreditWise, which does not monitor Equifax.

One bureau only; monthly report availability is not continuous access to every bureau's full report. Free excludes mortgage/auto score packages, identity insurance and restoration. Not all credit-file data is monitored; alerts can be delayed and other lenders' scores can differ.

Cost: $0 monthly Free plan, no credit card required. Paid Basic, Advanced and Premier plans are separate.

FreshBooks Plus

Bill clients for time and retainers while keeping business books and giving an accountant access.

Plus supports invoicing up to 50 clients; additional team members cost extra. Bank reconciliation is available on Plus and higher, not Lite, and supports a single currency. Verify renewal pricing rather than relying on an introductory offer.

Cost: $43 regular monthly subscription before promotions and taxes. Additional team members are listed at $11 per month each; other add-ons cost extra.

Wave Starter

Keep basic business books and send invoices without a software subscription charge.

Automatic bank imports and ordinary additional-user roles require Pro; receipt capture is paid. Online payment processing has separate fees. Viewer and Editor roles cannot export account data.

Cost: $0 Starter subscription. Pro, receipts, payroll and payment processing are separate paid options.

MileIQ Unlimited

Record and classify drives for reimbursement or tax records when mileage is your main tracking need.

Not a full expense/receipt or bookkeeping replacement. Confirm background-location permissions, battery behavior, missed trips and report fields on the intended phone. Pricing increased in 2026; do not reuse older $5.99/$59.99 quotes. The app does not guarantee tax deductions or savings.

Cost: $13.99 monthly on the current U.S. pricing page. Annual billing is a separate offer; confirm its exact invoice total. Free permits 40 drives monthly.

Asana Personal

Coordinate tasks in list, board and calendar views without a subscription charge, alone or with one collaborator.

Personal is limited to two users. More advanced workflow features and larger collaborations require a paid plan. Review plan and seat costs before upgrading.

Cost: $0 Personal subscription for up to two users. Paid plans are separate.

Notion Free

Keep research, drafts and project databases together in a solo workspace.

Free includes 5MB file uploads, seven-day page history and ten external guests; workspaces with multiple members have block limits. Review sharing permissions. Exports do not provide a one-step recreation of the workspace.

Cost: $0 Free subscription. Paid workspace plans and optional services are separate.

Scrivener 3

Keep references, outlines and manuscript sections in one desktop project when writing a book, guide or extended series.

A licence covers the purchased major version and one operating-system platform, not every future upgrade. macOS, Windows and iOS licences are separate. Do not assume simultaneous collaboration; keep project backups and test compile/export on your intended platform.

Cost: $59.99 standard desktop licence per platform before applicable taxes. Additional platforms and future major upgrades can cost extra; trial and crossgrade options have separate conditions.

Disclosure: Research organization does not verify the sources or conclusions in a manuscript. We have not tested exports, backups or accessibility.

Descript Hobbyist

Edit spoken-word recordings through a transcript instead of working only with waveforms.

Hobbyist includes 10 media hours and 400 AI credits monthly; unused media minutes do not roll over. Usage top-ups and timeline exports require a higher plan. Review sharing and data-improvement controls before uploading recordings. This selection does not endorse voice cloning or unreviewed transcript edits.

Cost: $24 per person monthly or $192 billed annually ($16 monthly equivalent), before applicable taxes. Free includes one media hour monthly; other plan entitlements differ.

Disclosure: The privacy policy permits project use for service improvement with an opt-out. Audio-speaker training has additional terms. Do not upload confidential material or another person's voice without appropriate permission.

REAPER 7

Record and mix multiple tracks with a configurable desktop application and a purchased licence, without a recurring subscription.

The 60-day evaluation is not permanent free licensing. Discounted commercial eligibility requires yearly gross revenue no greater than $20,000; verify your eligibility. Both licence prices buy the same software. New licences include upgrades through version 8.99, not every future version.

Cost: $60 discounted licence for qualifying users or $225 commercial licence, before applicable taxes; no recurring licence subscription.

Disclosure: This review of public sources does not establish audio quality, assistive-technology compatibility or reliable interchange with every other editing application.

Shotcut

Edit video locally with an open-source application that includes proxies, subtitle import and export, voiceover and configurable standard-format exports.

MLT XML is an editable project, not a finished video; linked media must remain available. Check the hardware requirements even if you plan to use proxy editing. Some older computers will not be suitable. Do not assume one-step interchange with another editor or observed accessibility/rendering performance.

Cost: $0 official desktop distribution; commercial use is permitted. Optional donations or store distribution are separate.

Buttondown

Publish a text-first newsletter with Markdown, custom-domain sending and hosted archives. Add analytics and broader marketing features only if you need them.

Segmentation, analytics, paid subscriptions and automations can add separate recurring charges. Default prices assume no more than one full-list email daily; heavier sending requires a quote. Custom-domain sending and a custom-domain archive are different features. Maintain consent and suppression information during migration; exports do not prove round-trip compatibility.

Cost: First 100 subscribers free. Pricing calculator at 1,000 subscribers quotes $9 monthly or $90 yearly before optional add-ons; confirm the full configured total.

Kit Creator

Run multiple lead magnets and product-launch sequences with unlimited visual automations and email sequences.

Creator has two user seats, not Pro's unlimited users or collaborative editing. Automatic tier upgrades increase costs as a list grows; tier downgrades can require support. CSV exports contain subscribers, not a way to recreate your automations elsewhere. Pro demographics/enrichment and other Pro features are outside this recommendation. Compare the distinct Free plan before buying.

Cost: At 1,000 subscribers: $39 monthly or $390 billed annually. Higher subscriber tiers cost more; commerce has separate fees.

Disclosure: Plutus uses Kit for its newsletters. Its inclusion here is an editorial selection, not a paid placement or evidence of superior deliverability.

Circle Professional

Host member discussions, courses and live events together, with defined moderator roles.

Professional permits three admins, ten moderators and 20 spaces; automation workflows and APIs require Business. Live/storage limits apply. Member CSV and chat-transcript exports are documented, but these are not a complete backup you can necessarily restore elsewhere; preserve source course/media files and establish exit arrangements before committing. No checkout, permission or accessibility test was performed.

Cost: $89 monthly equivalent billed annually ($1,068 per year), plus a 2% Circle transaction fee on paid transactions and separate payment-processing charges. Monthly billing is a separate quote.

Thinkific Start

Run a school with self-paced courses, assessed assignments, certificates and live cohorts or coaching.

The subscription is only part of the cost of selling. Payment-provider availability and fees vary by region; third-party gateways can add plan-dependent fees beyond processing. Advanced exam banks, B2B sales/invoicing, API/webhooks and richer reporting require Grow or higher. Thinkific does not provide an entire course as one exported file; preserve lesson/media sources and rebuildable course structure separately.

Cost: $109 monthly or $82 monthly equivalent billed annually; confirm the exact annual invoice total. Processor and any applicable gateway/service fees are separate.