TessMore Finance Blog

Last week, I raved about the book Designing Your Life by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans. These two Standford design professors have taken design principles and applied them to helping people figure out what they want to be when they grow up. After advocating Designing Your Life to several friends, two of them suggested that we work through the book's exercises together. One of those friends is Kim, my long-term girlfriend. The other is Craig, a college classmate. I thought it might be fun to share some of these exercises as we complete them over the next couple of months. Because I want to respect the intellectual property of the authors, I'm not going to describe the exercises exactly . Instead, I'll provide a vague overview and then discuss my own answers. (And, when it makes sense, I'll also include answers from my friends.) With that out of the way, let's dive in! Let's see what happens as I begin the process of designing my life. Start Where You Are Th...

Bubble Cash is a legitimate mobile gaming app. It offers virtual and real cash prizes to its users worldwide. The game has a total positive rating of 4.6 in the Apple play store as well. What is Bubble Cash? Bubble Cash is a mobile gaming app that uses a bubble shooting theme as its playing option. Users can download this app for free on iPhone and iPad devices in most countries. It is currently available at Galaxy stores in selective countries like the US and UK only. This game was developed and launched by Papaya Games. Papaya Games is a Tel Aviv-Based game developer company and it has launched a few games so far. It is a small private company and financed by individual investors, not disclosed officially. Is Bubble Cash Legit? Yes, Bubble Cash is a legitimate gaming app launched on the Apple Play store. It has been there for a few years now. The legitimacy of the Bubble Cash game hasn’t been challenged anywhere. It is launched by its developed company Papaya Games which is r...

Millions of American investors purchase certificates of deposit (CDs) at banks and credit unions. But did you also know that you can buy them through investment brokers? They’re called brokered CDs. At their core, bank CDs and brokered CDs are the same product. But upon closer inspection, there are several key differences. These include how they are purchased, options for maximizing FDIC coverage , and other provisions. This article covers broker CDs and how they work to help you decide if they’re right for your portfolio. Table of Contents Bank CDs  Brokered CDs How do Brokered CDs Work? Callable vs. Non-callable CDs Are Brokered CDs Risky? Comparison of Brokered and Bank CDs Brokered CDs Bank CDs Is a Brokered CD the Right Choice? The Bottom Line on Brokered CDs Bank CDs  Bank CDs are locked savings accounts provided by a bank or credit union. It’s a savings contract in which the bank promises to pay a fixed interest rate for a specific duration. Consid...

This article is difficult to write. It's an admission that I failed. And it's not like I failed once, but failed repeatedly over the course of several years. And it's not that I really failed failed, you know. It's that I failed myself. I failed to live up to my own expectations. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Let me start at the beginning. Goody Two-Shoes I grew up Mormon. Among other things, this meant that nobody in my family consumed recreational drugs of any kind. Mormons have a strict prohibition against such indulgences. And, as most folks know, they even take their stricture against “strong drink” to mean that caffeine is forbidden. So, my parents didn't drink alcohol or coffee. They didn't smoke cigarettes. They didn't do anything that led to altered states. Hell, my father even hated television because he considered it a “plug-in drug”. For much of my childhood, we didn't have a TV. When we did have a TV, access was often restricted....

Looking to sell your old car but are getting no leads? Well, this happens a lot. That’s why people don’t sell cars privately anymore and search for a platform or company that offers the quote to buy cars instantly. Cash For Cars is a company that is getting popular among car owners because of its claims about purchasing any car model in any condition. That’s a big claim, and those who have never used their services often think about whether it is even legit or not. Cash For Cars is definitely legitimate. The company has car buyers that can purchase any car you want to sell. The listed buyers have already bought cars from thousands of people and they don’t say No to anyone. You will be paid on the spot when you make a deal with them, even before the car leaves your garage. But there’s much more to it. Stay till the end to know why you should sell your vehicles through Cash For Cars. Let’s start! How Does Cash For Cars Work? The Process of selling Cars becomes very simple if you c...

No matter how confident you are about the future of the economy, it’s clear that the average consumer is feeling nervous. A June 2022 survey from MagnifyMoney found that 70% of Americans think a recession is coming .  But a recession affects everyone differently, and there are some professions that tend to thrive even when the economy dips. Read below to learn about the 10 most recession-proof careers. Top 10 Recession-Proof Jobs When a recession occurs, the economy shrinks and businesses suffer. Many industries start laying off workers, sometimes in huge droves. But not all jobs are similarly impacted during a recession. Some fields are temporarily destroyed, like those in hospitality, tourism or other industries that depend on consumers having excess income. Other fields are left mostly unscathed. Keep reading to see which jobs are recession-proof.  Nurses Since the Covid-19 pandemic began, the nationwide nursing shortage has only gotten worse. And as the Baby Boomer p...

A CD (or Certificate of Deposit) is a financial instrument that holds your money for a pre-specified amount of time in return for payment of interest that is (hopefully) higher than what a regular bank savings account would typically pay.  The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) insures most bank-issued CDs for up to $250,000 per account holder. CDs began to be FDIC-insured when it was formed in 1933. CDs have long been a popular investment choice for investors who want to keep their money safe, secure, and close by but still earn an attractive interest rate. But the investment isn’t ideal in every situation , nor is it the right solution for every investor. Table of Contents How Does a CD Work?  Fixed Rate Fixed Term Most CDs Have Early Withdrawal Penalties CD or Savings Account? Where Can I Get a CD?  Current CD Rates CD or Mutual Fund? Should I Invest in a CD? The Impact of Inflation on Investment Returns Final Thoughts How Does a ...

As inflation continues to dominate the headlines, you may have started to hear about the concepts of shrinkflation, skimpflation and greedflation. These are subtle ways in which companies attempt to either minimize or take advantage of the impact that inflation has on consumer expectations. It’s important to understand these concepts in order to avoid being manipulated. Let’s take a look at each one in a little more detail. What is Shrinkflation? The traditional concept of inflation refers to paying more than you would previously for the same item. The concept of shrinkflation refers to paying the same amount as you were before, but receiving a smaller size.  For example, let’s say you paid $5 for an 18-ounce jar of peanut butter last year. But now, you’re paying $5 for a 15-ounce jar of peanut butter. While the final price hasn’t changed, you’re receiving less than you were before.  Shrinkflation is often harder to spot than traditional inflation because it’s difficult ...

The Great Resignation was not the end of things. Now workers, especially younger workers, have a new phenomenon in the work-worker relationship: Quiet Quitting. Quiet quitting is a form of quitting without quitting. The employee changes the work-worker dynamic, but doesn’t leave their job. The change in relationship works across a spectrum. At one end of the spectrum, workers cease going over and above for an employer. The worker might stop putting in extra hours, quit seeking additional work or assignments, limit themselves to the specific tasks they perceive to be part of their job description. They remain engaged in the basics of the job, but do nothing extra. The other end of the spectrum is a bit more severe. Some workers reduce their output to as little as possible. They have, for all practical purposes, quit their job; they just remain employed — at least until the employer figures this out.  Driving Forces The themes behind the quiet quitting movement are similar to t...

Labor Day, celebrated in the United States on the first Monday in September, is often considered the end of the summer season. As kids go back to school and the weather gets colder, it is common to celebrate with barbecues and other types of get-togethers. The Monday holiday means that many have a long weekend as well. If you are trying to stick to a budget but still want to celebrate Labor Day, here are a few ways to prepare and have fun on a budget. Host a Potluck If you have an annual tradition of a Labor Day cookout that you don’t want to break, there are a few things you can do to keep your tradition strong while trying to save some money. One idea is to make it a potluck. You can have all your guests bring a side dish or dessert, while you provide the main course. Depending on how many guests you are planning to host, you might consider organizing a signup so that you make sure that you’ll have a good variety of appetizers, side dishes, salads and desserts. Another idea is to...

According to its website, Chime is a fintech company that provides “peace of mind” banking. And at nearly 10 million members strong, we can assume customers are happy with Chime. However, many other fintech companies and online banks offer the same features as Chime. How do you know which one is best suited for you? In this article, I cover ten online banks similar to Chime, so you can compare them. I’ve summarized the key features of each platform, and I let you know the similarities and the differences between them and Chime. Table of Contents What Is Chime? Top 10 Chime Alternatives 1. Ally 2. Axos Bank 3. Varo 4. CapitalOne 360 5. CashApp 6. Dave 7. Brigit 8. Digit 9. MoneyLion 10. Self Chime Alternatives: Summary What Is Chime? Before we delve into the Chime alternatives, let’s talk briefly about what Chime is. Chime is a banking fintech developed to make banking helpful, easy, and free.  Chime offers three types of accounts:  Checking a...