Money Management

Paper checks can cost a good amount of money. Take a look at how Costco members may be able to save on them at the warehouse club. 

When most people think of Costco, their minds may go to the delicious Kirkland products or the low prices at the warehouse club that allow them to get groceries and household items without running up big credit card bills.

But Costco offers many other benefits as well. In fact, you can actually use Costco to save on a banking essential.

Here’s how Costco can help make banking cheaper

Costco can help reduce the cost of your banking because you can actually order checks through the wholesale club. Specifically, you can get both personal and business checks on the Costco website, through Harland Clarke Check Printing.

Harland Clarke provides free standard delivery for checks ordered by Costco members. Costco Executive members save the most and can order a box of 250 basic blue safety checks for as little as $14.96 — a savings of 20% over regular Costco members. The regular price is still very affordable even for those regular members, too; they can get 250 checks total for only $18.70. By contrast, at Walmart, you’d end up paying $19.71 for 240 checks, and with some competitors, you’d pay even more.

Should you get your checks from Costco?

The reality is, many people still need to write checks for things, whether that’s paying monthly bills that can’t be paid online or writing gift checks to kids’ teachers or for preschool tuition. And while some banks offer free checks, not all do. Ordering checks can get expensive if you use them regularly — and you don’t want to run out.

Taking advantage of Costco’s discounted checks is a simple way to make paying for this banking service easier on your pocketbook. And Harland Clarke offers Costco members a wide variety of different check options to meet anyone’s needs.

Although some of the fancy and personalized checks cost more, you can likely find exactly the designs you are looking for with the wide selection available. There are even Disney Princess checks and wildlife checks available for purchase.

Businesses can also get the protection they need with special high-security options, and there are even computer checks and forms available that Costco members get discounts on. The free shipping is a big perk, too, as many companies that sell checks online will advertise them for a cheap price and then load you up with fees and additional costs once you’ve gone through the process of inputting all of your information.

Of course, you’ll want to shop around and compare prices — especially if you’re getting a specialized check or a unique design and you want to make sure you get it as cheaply as possible. But you’ll likely find the discounts for Costco members make this one of the lowest priced options out there.

Costco has perks beyond just savings on bulk buys

The fact that Costco offers this service is just one more of the many perks of becoming a Costco member — and it goes to show that you may end up surprised by all of the different benefits that your warehouse club can provide you beyond just extra-large bulk cereal boxes, giant containers of mustard, or cheaper electronics or household items.

If you give Costco’s check ordering service a look next time you need to reorder checks to pay your bills, you may just end up with a little extra left in that checking account you’re writing the checks out of.

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We’re firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers.
The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.Christy Bieber has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Costco Wholesale and Walmart. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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When an insurer denies a claim, it may be possible to appeal the denial or even file a lawsuit. Read on to learn what else you can do about a claim denial. 

Insurance is supposed to provide important protection for accidents. For example, when a driver purchases auto insurance, they do so in order to make sure their car can be replaced after a crash and that their insurer will pay damages if they harm others.

In some cases, however, insurance companies do not pay out when something goes wrong. Instead, an insurer may end up denying a claim. If that’s the case, here’s what happens next.

Consumers can take action for wrongful denials

Insurers have an obligation to pay under certain circumstances. So, if they wrongfully deny a claim, consumers have some options.

If a person makes a claim with their insurance and the claim is denied improperly, they may be able to file a bad faith claim against an insurer. This would require the policyholder to show the insurer acted unreasonably and without justification to deny payment of a valid claim. Some common examples of bad faith include:

Improperly denying a claim without any valid justification to say the loss wasn’t covered.Providing a low payout offer and trying to pay far less than the claim was worth.Delaying a decision on a claim for a long period of time, often to try to force the insured person to settle for less than the claim should be worth.

It can take a lot of effort to file a bad faith claim against an insurer, and it usually will mean hiring a lawyer to offer assistance. But, it can also be worth it if an insurer has tried to deny a policyholder coverage that they paid for — and coverage they need when a covered disaster happens.

The good news is, attorneys usually take bad faith claims on a contingent fee basis. This means a policyholder who needs to get legal help will not have to pay out of pocket for attorney fees unless they win their case.

Of course, a bad faith claim should still be a last resort. After a denial, insured policyholders should talk with their insurer to find out about the appeals process and should exhaust their options in trying to appeal the denial before calling a lawyer — unless the insurer is delaying unreasonably and it’s clear there will be no help provided without legal assistance.

Consumers may be left paying out of pocket when a claim was denied for legitimate reasons

Unfortunately, there are some circumstances where insurers do not act improperly when denying a claim. There are times when a loss simply will not be covered based on the terms of the policy. For example, this could happen if someone with only liability insurance had their car stolen. They would have no coverage for the theft without comprehensive insurance coverage.

When a claim is legitimately denied, the person who suffered the loss will likely have to cover it out of their own pocket. This is why it is so important to review insurance policies and make sure that comprehensive coverage is in place in order to avoid financial devastation.

By making sure to have a comprehensive policy in place and by choosing an insurer with a good track record of paying covered claims promptly and appropriately, ideally policyholders can avoid the hassle and financial stress that can come with a denied claim.

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We’re firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers.
The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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Before calling your airline’s customer service line to rebook your flight, make sure it’s a legit number. Find out how one traveler almost got scammed. 

It’s not uncommon for flight disruptions to happen. When delays, cancellations, and missed connections occur, many travelers call customer service to avoid waiting in a long line at the airport. Before calling your airline’s customer service line, make sure you’re calling the official phone number. Otherwise, you could fall victim to a scam that costs money and wastes your time. A recent scam has been targeting travelers who need customer service assistance.

This scam could cost travelers money and more stress

Traveler and Twitter user @Shmuli recently shared his experience trying to contact Delta Air Lines customer service after his flight was canceled. Once he saw how long the customer service line was at the airport, he decided to place a call instead.

After Googling the phone number, he called in hopes of arranging an alternate flight. Unfortunately, he was dealing with a scammer instead of an official Delta staff member. The number he saw on the Google business listing for Delta was not the official number. Scammers had altered the Google listing to add a new phone number, which would lead travelers to a scam line instead of Delta.

As Shmuli talked with the agent on the line, he realized something wasn’t right when he was asked to provide his credit card details to book a new Delta flight. Luckily, he ended the call before providing payment information. He took to Twitter to warn other travelers of the scam.

Shmuli also showed examples of other Google business listings being altered with fake numbers. Like Delta, American Airlines and Southwest had similar scam numbers listed for the contact information for the airlines’ John F. Kennedy International Airport Google listings.

If you’ve ever had an unexpected flight disruption occur while traveling, you know how stressful it can be. When trying to get through to customer service quickly, it can be tempting to Google the phone number to avoid wasting time digging through the airline’s website to find the contact information you need. But this story demonstrates the danger of doing this.

Whether trying to reach an airline or any other company, it’s best to gather contact information from the official source when you need customer support. Otherwise, you may end up reaching a scammer who wants to trick you into parting ways with your money. Falling for a customer service scam like this could worsen an already-stressful situation.

Don’t be quick to provide payment information

When you provide payment information to a scammer, they can take your money. It’s not always easy to tell that you’re dealing with a fraudster. If you’re asked to provide payment information, take a moment to consider whether you’re potentially speaking with a scammer instead of a legitimate customer service representative. Trust your gut. If something feels off, it probably is.

Online scams constantly evolve, so you must be aware of stories like this to keep your personal finances and personal information safe. If you need to contact your airline’s customer service department while traveling, consider one of these methods instead of Googling customer service contact information:

Contact the phone number listed on the official company websiteContact the airline by sending a direct message on social mediaWait to talk with a staff member at the airport (even if it takes extra time)

When viewing social media accounts and websites for companies, verify that you’re accessing a legitimate, official account. Scammers are getting better at deception in hopes of stealing money from unsuspecting people, so it doesn’t hurt to be extra cautious and verify legitimacy first. Hopefully sharing this news will reduce the number of travelers that are impacted by this scam.

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We’re firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers.
The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Natasha Gabrielle has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet. The Motley Fool recommends Delta Air Lines. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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A $100,000 nest egg is a great start for a 30-year-old. But read on to see why it pays to try to build on that sum. 

You’ll need to bring savings with you into retirement if you want your senior years to be comfortable, financially speaking. And the higher your IRA or 401(k) balance, the more you might get to enjoy retirement once you’re ready for that stage of life.

Recent data from Northwestern Mutual shows that the average 30-something has $67,400 saved for retirement. So if you’re sitting on a $100,000 savings balance at age 30, it means you’re ahead of the game.

But is having $100,000 by age 30 enough for you to stop pumping money into your IRA or 401(k)? You may decide that it is, or that it’s not — it depends on how much financial freedom you want later in life.

More money means more options

Over the past 50 years, the stock market has delivered an average annual return of 10% (before inflation), as measured by the performance of the S&P 500. So let’s say you have a $100,000 IRA that’s invested in S&P 500 stocks or ETFs. If your anticipated retirement age is 65, that gives you 35 years to grow that $100,000 into a larger sum. And at an average annual 10% return, you’ll be looking at a nest egg worth $2.8 million by the time retirement kicks off — even if you don’t contribute another dollar.

It would not be unreasonable to say that you’re more than happy with a savings balance that high. But before you make the decision to stop funding your nest egg, recognize a few things.

First, just because the stock market’s performance over the past 50 years has resulted in an average annual 10% return doesn’t mean that’s the performance it will deliver over the next 50. If the market only delivers an average annual 7% return, for example, and that’s the return you snag in your IRA, you’ll be sitting on a little less than $1.1 million by age 65, not $2.8 million. That’s still a fair amount of money in its own right. But it may not buy you the retirement you want.

What’s more, if you have the ability to keep funding your IRA for the remainder of your career, you could conceivably retire with well more than $2.8 million. And the more money you have as a retiree, the more options you have. A $3.8 million nest egg versus $2.8 million could make it so you’re able to spend six months out of the year traveling, as opposed to just three months.

Plus, you might appreciate having the option to help out your grown kids or future grandkids in retirement. Let’s say part of the reason you were able to build up a $100,000 nest egg by age 30 was that you graduated college without any debt because your well-off grandparents picked up the tab. Wouldn’t you like the option to be able to do the same for your grandkids?

Feel good about where you’re at, but don’t necessarily give up on saving more

To have $100,000 in retirement savings by age 30 is an extremely impressive feat, and one you should feel proud of. But frankly, if you were able to sock away enough money to have $100,000 by age 30, then you’re probably in a position to keep funding your IRA or 401(k) to some degree. So you might as well take advantage of that option if it doesn’t negatively impact your life in other ways.

Also, realize that it’s okay to pause your retirement plan contributions temporarily to meet other goals. If you have $100,000 in retirement savings by age 30, you may decide to spend the next seven years putting all of your spare cash toward a down payment on a home. If that’s the case, then resume retirement plan contributions in your late 30s.

There are so many options you can play around with. So take advantage of your strong start and do what works best for you.

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We’re firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers.
The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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If you travel often and sign up for a travel credit card, it should have some important benefits. Keep reading to learn what to look for. 

Traveling is one of the best ways to spend your money, as you can enjoy great experiences and make lasting memories. But paying for vacations can also be a big hit to your bank account.

Fortunately, there are travel rewards credit cards out there that can help make traveling cheaper and more pleasant. You’ll want to make sure you get a credit card with the right features, though. Specifically, here are four benefits you should insist on when choosing a travel card.

1. Airline lounge access

Airline lounge access is one of the single best perks credit cards offer. Airline lounges offer a comfortable place to sit and relax while waiting for a flight. They typically provide complimentary food and alcohol, which means that they can save you a ton of money on unhealthy, expensive, and poor-tasting airport food. They also offer plush seats, wifi, and a host of other special features that could include things like showers or secure business centers.

Accessing lounges without a credit card can be really expensive. For example, Priority Pass provides lounge access, but you have to either pay $99 per year and $32 each time you visit a lounge (plus another $35 for guests), or spring for a plan totaling at least $329 annually that comes with 10 free visits.

If your credit card offers lounge access, typically you and a guest or two can gain access and all the benefits at no extra cost (beyond whatever annual fee your card charges).

2. TSA PreCheck fee credits

TSA PreCheck makes moving through a crowded airport faster and easier. You can skip the long lines at the regular security checkpoint and go through a special expedited process where you typically do not need to remove your shoes or your electronics.

TSA PreCheck costs money, though. But the best travel cards offer a statement credit of up to $100 every four years to pay for it. You absolutely should make sure you find a card that gives you this important travel benefit for free, because it makes flying anywhere a whole lot better.

3. Bonus rewards for vacation spending

Most travel cards offer extra rewards for booking vacations using your card. For example, you may get two points per mile when you buy air travel with some co-branded airline cards. Your rewards points may also be worth more when you redeem them for travel through the card issuer’s portal.

If you travel often, there’s no reason you shouldn’t get extra points, miles, or cash back for the money you spend. All those rewards can help you pay for extra vacations!

4. Travel insurance

Finally, look for a card offering different kinds of protection for your trip. This could include trip interruption or trip cancellation insurance, lost luggage coverage, and insurance for a rental car that you drive while on vacation. These types of protections can mean you don’t have to buy third party insurance or risk being out a ton of money if something goes wrong.

With so many great travel cards out there, there’s no reason not to insist on taking advantage of these features when you sign up for one. So check out your options and find the perfect card that offers these perks today.

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We’re firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers.
The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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There are nearly 149 million Amazon Prime members in the U.S. If you’ve been on the fence, unsure if it’s worth the cost, here’s how you can decide. 

Amazon Prime membership costs $139 a year or $14.99 per month. If you’re budgeting every dollar these days, that’s a chunk of change. You may wonder if what you receive in return is worth the amount you shell out. Asking yourself these seven questions can help you decide.

1. How often do I make an Amazon purchase?

If you rarely buy from Amazon, Prime may not be worth the $15 a month. However, if you regularly order from the online giant, chances are that a Prime membership will save you money.

Depending on the size of the item you buy and how quickly you want it to arrive, Alphr.com reports that shipping can cost up to $12.99 (or more if ordered through one of Amazon’s third-party sellers).

Let’s say you average a couple of monthly purchases and pay shipping costs of $6 each time. If you purchase an annual membership (which reduces the monthly fee to $11.58), you will be money ahead by becoming a Prime member.

2. Am I currently paying for streaming entertainment?

When it comes to streaming services, Prime Video is up there with the big boys. Not only can you view thousands of movies and TV shows, but Amazon originals like The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Daisy Jones and the Six are also free to stream — and they’re all ad-free.

If you’re currently a Netflix subscriber, you’re paying between $7 monthly for basic Netflix with ads and $20 monthly for Netflix without ads. A Hulu subscription runs from $8 to $15 monthly, depending on whether you want to deal with ads, and Apple + sets you back by $8 per month.

If you’re not thrilled with any of the streaming services you pay for, try Prime Video out for long enough to determine whether you can replace an existing streamer with Amazon Prime.

The same is true for Prime Music. With access to over 2 million songs and podcasts, Prime Music can easily replace a streaming music service like Pandora, currently priced at $10 per month.

3. Have I ever been burnt by buying clothes online?

How often have you purchased a new piece of clothing, shoes, or other accessories, only to leave it in your closet because you don’t like it as much as you initially thought you would? Anything you don’t use represents a waste of money.

Try Before You Buy allows you to “test drive” products at home. With Try Before You Buy, Prime members can order up to eight items of clothing, shoes, and accessories and try them out at home for seven days. And since you’ll only be charged for the items you choose to keep, you may just end up with a little extra to tuck away into savings.

4. Am I currently paying for photo storage?

With Amazon Photos, you can save and share unlimited full-resolution photos. What’s more, you can share unlimited storage with up to five people. If you’re currently paying for Google Drive or iCloud storage to house your photos, that’s a cost you can cut.

In addition to storing photos, you’ll get 5 GB of space to keep videos and files.

5. Am I paying too much for medication?

Amazon Prime Rx can be a real money saver for Prime members, saving them up to 80% on prescription drugs. Prime Rx can be useful if you don’t currently have insurance, your deductible is higher than the cost of becoming a Prime member, your medication isn’t covered by insurance, or your copay is higher than the price you receive as a Prime member.

6. Do I spend a small fortune on reading material?

Prime members get access to a huge digital library of books, magazines, and comics through Prime Reading. If your reading habit is draining your checking account, as a Prime member you can check out 10 titles at a time, choosing from digital books, magazines, and audiobooks.

In addition, you can take advantage of a program called First Reads. With First Reads, you’re able to choose one book monthly from a list of new releases.

7. Can I afford to become a Prime member?

There may be a solution if you’re worried about the membership cost. Anyone with an EBT or Medicaid card can purchase a Prime membership for $7 monthly. And if you’re a student at an American university and have a .edu email address, you can sign up for a six-month trial of Prime Student for free. After that six months, you’ll pay half price to keep your membership going. That’s $70 per year or $7.50 monthly.

It’s easy to overlook Prime benefits beyond free shipping. However, Prime members receive much more. You can only know that Prime is right for you if the perks you’ll take advantage of are worth more than the cost of membership.

Alert: highest cash back card we’ve seen now has 0% intro APR until nearly 2025

If you’re using the wrong credit or debit card, it could be costing you serious money. Our experts love this top pick, which features a 0% intro APR for 15 months, an insane cash back rate of up to 5%, and all somehow for no annual fee.

In fact, this card is so good that our experts even use it personally. Click here to read our full review for free and apply in just 2 minutes.

Read our free review

We’re firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers.
The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.John Mackey, former CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Dana George has positions in Amazon.com. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Amazon.com. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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