Here's a number that might surprise you: the average American checking account sits at around $3,683 — and for millions of households, that balance barely moves month to month. The money just sits there, doing nothing.
Financial planners call this the "checking account trap." Your bank is earning money on your deposits while paying you next to zero in interest. Meanwhile, inflation is quietly eating away at every dollar that isn't working for you.
The good news? You don't need to be a finance expert to fix this. We spoke to financial advisors and scoured the best money apps on the market — and these five moves take almost no effort, but can make a serious difference in your long-term financial health.
Whether you have $1,000 or $10,000 sitting in your account right now, here's exactly what you should do with it:
Buy a Piece of an Apartment Building
You've probably heard that real estate is one of the best wealth-building tools available. But most people assume you need hundreds of thousands of dollars — or at least a 20% down payment — to get in. That hasn't been true for a while now.
Thanks to platforms like Arrived Homes and Fundrise, everyday investors can now own a fractional share of income-producing rental properties for as little as $100. These aren't sketchy investments — Fundrise alone manages over $7 billion in assets for more than 300,000 investors.
Here's how it works: you invest your money into a diversified portfolio of rental properties. Every quarter, you receive your share of the rental income as a dividend deposited directly to your account. When the properties appreciate and are sold, you get your cut of the profits too.
Real estate has historically returned 8–12% annually when you factor in both appreciation and rental income. The difference between those who build wealth and those who don't often comes down to who starts investing early — not how much they invested.
— Certified Financial Planner, Forbes Advisory Council
Fundrise's starter portfolio has historically delivered annualized returns between 5% and 13%, depending on the year. Compare that to the 0.06% national average for checking accounts — and you'll understand why letting money sit idle is so costly.
Start Investing in Real Estate As little as $10 to get started
Cancel Your Overpriced Car Insurance — And Find a Better Rate in Minutes
This one surprises people, but it's one of the fastest ways to put money back in your pocket. Studies show that over 63% of Americans are paying more than they need to for auto insurance — often by $500 to $1,000 per year — simply because they never bothered to compare rates.
Insurance companies are required by law to provide the same coverage — so if you're paying $180/month but another provider offers identical coverage for $95/month, you're essentially donating $1,020 per year for no reason.
Free tools like The Zebra, Jerry, and Insurify let you compare dozens of insurance companies at once in under two minutes. You enter your car details once, and they show you every available rate side by side. No phone calls, no pressure from agents.
Drivers who use comparison platforms report saving an average of $96/month — that's money you could redirect straight into savings or investments immediately.
Compare My Car Insurance Rate Free 2-minute comparison — No obligations
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Ask This Website to Pay Your Credit Card Bills
This sounds almost too good to be true — but it's completely legitimate. If you're carrying a credit card balance and paying 20–29% APR in interest, a company called Credello (and similar debt relief platforms) can potentially step in and help you consolidate everything into one lower-interest payment.
Here's the bigger picture: Americans are currently carrying over $1.13 trillion in credit card debt, much of it at record-high interest rates. If you're paying $200+ per month just in interest charges, you're not making progress — you're running in place.
Debt consolidation works by combining multiple high-interest balances into a single personal loan — often at a rate 40–60% lower than your current credit cards. That means more of every payment goes toward the actual debt, not just interest.
Some platforms can also negotiate directly with your creditors to reduce your total balance. In some cases, people have settled for 40–60 cents on the dollar — legally and without bankruptcy.
| Scenario | Balance | APR | Monthly Interest | Years to Pay Off |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ❌ Credit Card (minimum payments) | $8,500 | 24.9% | ~$176 | 25+ years |
| ✅ Debt Consolidation Loan | $8,500 | 9.5% | ~$67 | 3 years |
Check My Debt Relief Options Free check — Won't affect your credit score
Spend $1 on Stocks in Amazon, Tesla, or Apple
You don't need thousands of dollars to own shares in the world's most valuable companies anymore. Thanks to "fractional shares," you can invest as little as $1 in Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, Tesla, or hundreds of other top companies — and start building a portfolio immediately.
Platforms like Public, Robinhood, and SoFi Invest allow you to buy a fraction of a single share. So if Amazon is trading at $3,500 and you only have $50, you simply buy a 1.4% slice of one share. You own real stock. You get the same returns. No minimums, no excuses.
What most people don't realize is that the S&P 500 — an index of America's 500 largest companies — has returned an average of about 10% per year over the last 50 years, even accounting for crashes and recessions. That means $1,000 invested today would become roughly $2,594 in 10 years without touching it.
The best time to start investing was 20 years ago. The second best time is today. Even small amounts invested consistently can grow into life-changing wealth over a decade or two.
— Warren Buffett, Chairman & CEO, Berkshire Hathaway
Many apps offer welcome bonuses too. Robinhood gives new users a free stock worth anywhere from $5 to $200. Public gives a $10 bonus on your first $20 deposit. These bonuses alone make it worth signing up even if you only invest a little at first.
Public — Social investing, fractional shares, $10 bonus
SoFi Invest — Great educational tools, no fees, $25 welcome bonus
Acorns — Rounds up purchases to invest spare change automatically
Claim My Free Stock & Start Investing Available to US residents 18+
Get Paid Up to $83 Every Time You Play Bingo
This one is purely fun money — but it's real money. A growing number of apps and websites actually pay you cash to play games like bingo, solitaire, puzzles, and trivia. And the payouts can genuinely add up.
Apps like Bingo Cash, Solitaire Cash, and Mistplay pay real money based on your performance. Unlike gambling, these are skill-based games where practice actually improves your results. The more you play, the better you get — and the more you earn.
Bingo Cash, for example, pairs players of similar skill levels in head-to-head bingo tournaments. Top players report earning between $20 and $83 per session. The app is free to download, and you can start with practice games before ever risking a cent.
Other top earners include survey platforms like Survey Junkie (up to $50/hour), cashback apps like Rakuten (which gives you a $30 sign-up bonus), and gig platforms like TaskRabbit for local odd jobs.
The concept of earning a "passive income side hustle" has exploded in popularity for a reason: most Americans want more financial flexibility without taking on a second job. These apps let you monetize spare time you're already spending on your phone anyway.
Download Bingo Cash & Start Earning Free to download · Available on iOS & Android
The Best Ways to Earn a Passive Income in 2026
If you've made it this far, you now have five concrete, actionable moves you can take with the money sitting in your checking account. Let's quickly recap what we covered:
- Real estate investing — Own a piece of rental properties for as little as $10
- Cancel overpriced car insurance — Compare rates for free and potentially save $500+/year
- Debt consolidation — Replace high-interest credit card debt with one lower-rate payment
- Fractional stock investing — Start with $1 in the world's biggest companies
- Get paid to play games — Earn real cash from apps in your spare time
None of these require significant wealth to get started. They all require one thing: action. The most common financial regret people have isn't that they invested in the wrong thing — it's that they waited too long to start at all.
A small amount invested wisely and consistently will always outperform a large amount that sits in a low-yield account. Time in the market beats timing the market every single time.
— John Bogle, Founder of Vanguard Group
Inflation, rising costs, and stagnant wages are real challenges. But they're not excuses to do nothing. Each of these five tools puts real dollars back into your pocket — and unlike budgeting tips that require you to give things up, these are about doing more with what you already have.
Start with just one move today. Even picking the easiest one — comparing your car insurance rate or downloading a cash-back app — puts you ahead of 80% of people who will read this article and do nothing.
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