Money Management

Costco sells many sweet and savory baked goods at reasonable prices. Find out which Costco bakery items are the best. [[{“value”:”

Costco is a popular warehouse club brand with many great deals. You must pay an annual membership fee to shop the members-only deals, but many shoppers continue to carry a Costco card in their wallet because they save money when buying everyday essentials.

You can maximize your Costco membership by shopping the retailer’s best deals. And Costco sells much more than groceries, household goods, toiletries, beauty products, and electronics. You can also buy delicious bakery goods from your local club.

Costco’s tasty treats will satisfy your cravings without draining all the money in your checking account. Here are some delicious Costco bakery items you should consider trying.

1. Butter croissants

If you want to pretend you’re sitting outside at a cafe in Paris while sipping your morning coffee, you should pick up a package of Costco’s butter croissants. Each package contains 12 croissants. You’ll spend around $5.99 for this bakery find.

You can easily make sandwiches with them or enjoy them all by themselves. Are you worried you won’t be able to eat them all before they spoil? According to many members in the “Costco Finds” Facebook group, these freeze well.

2. Pumpkin pie

Looking for the perfect treat to bring to your family’s Thanksgiving gathering this year? You should pick up Costco’s iconic pumpkin pie. Shoppers rave about this seasonal sweet treat. You’ll get a 12-inch pie and over three pounds of pumpkin goodness for $5.99. Prices may vary slightly by location — but that’s a steal of a deal for a delicious dessert that your crew will love.

Want to save even more by earning rewards on your Costco bakery haul? Click here to review our curated list of the top credit cards that offer big rewards at Costco.

3. Cookies N Cream mini cakes

Costco members love the Cookies N Cream mini cakes. While they’re named mini cakes, these sweet treats are cupcakes. You get six mini cakes in a package for about $8.99. The cake is chocolate and has cookie pieces crushed up inside. Meanwhile, the frosting is vanilla-flavored and blended with Oreo pieces. If you like cookies and cream inspired snacks, this Costco bakery item is for you.

4. Tuxedo Chocolate Mousse Cake

Another Costco bakery item you don’t want to skip is the Tuxedo Chocolate Mousse Cake. This decadent dessert is packed with delicious layers. It features chocolate cake, chocolate mousse, white chocolate and vanilla mousse, brownie chunks, and dark chocolate ganache. Prices vary, but you can expect to pay around $16 for this shareable cake.

5. Cheese buns

Not all Costco bakery items are sweet — some are savory! The cheese buns are another winning bakery find. Some shoppers say these are best enjoyed with burgers, while others prefer to make deli sandwiches with them. No matter how you eat this savory find, it’s a win for your tastebuds. You can get a pack of 12 cheese buns for about $8.49 at Costco.

Maximize your savings by earning rewards

Shopping at retailers like Costco is a good strategy if you’re trying to save money. But there are other ways to save beyond shopping the best deals.

You can maximize your savings by earning rewards when you swipe your credit card at the checkout line. You can earn cash back rewards with a cash back card. Ready to get rewarded when you shop? Check out our list of the best cash back credit cards to see how easy it is to earn cash back when you shop.

Top credit card to use at Costco (and everywhere else!)

We love versatile credit cards that offer huge rewards everywhere, including Costco! This card is a standout among America’s favorite credit cards because it offers perhaps the easiest $200 cash bonus you could ever earn and an unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases, even when you shop at Costco.

Add on the competitive 0% interest period and it’s no wonder we awarded this card Best No Annual Fee Credit Card.

Click here to read our full review for free and apply before the $200 welcome bonus offer ends!

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.Natasha Gabrielle has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Costco Wholesale. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

“}]] Read More 

Falling interest rates could definitely make CD yields fall, but the impact might be less than you think. Read on to learn more. [[{“value”:”

The Federal Reserve recently cut interest rates for the first time in more than four years, and many savers are worried that yields on CDs, high-yield savings accounts, and money market accounts are set to plunge. While it’s true that the interest rates offered by banks tend to move in the same direction as the Fed’s moves, the relationship isn’t a perfect one, and it’s important to realize that we’re unlikely to see the rock-bottom interest rates of 2021 and earlier again anytime soon.

With that in mind, here’s a rundown of the latest interest rate expectations from the Fed, how Fed rate cuts impact CD yields, and why CD yields might not plunge as much as you think in 2025.

Do you want to lock in today’s high CD yields? Check out our updated list of the best CD rates from top banks right now.

Rate cut expectations

I’ll get right to it. The benchmark federal funds rate is currently set at a target range of 4.75%-5.00%. The latest expectation from the Federal Reserve is for a federal funds target of 4.25%-4.50% at the beginning of 2025 and for a range of 3.25%-3.50% by the end of the year.

For context, it’s important to point out that a target federal funds rate of 3.25%-3.50% is still relatively high by recent historic standards. After all, the peak of the federal funds rate during the last (2016-2019) rate hike cycle was less than 3%, and the benchmark interest rate was set at virtually zero from 2020 until early 2022.

So, even if the Fed’s rate cuts proceed as expected, the benchmark rate will still be higher than it was at any point since the mid-2000s prior to the current cycle.

What will it mean for CD yields?

First, the interest rates paid by banks on deposits don’t have a direct relationship with the Fed’s benchmark interest rates. However, since the federal funds rate impacts how much it costs banks to borrow money, the rates do tend to move in the same direction.

With high-yield savings accounts and money market accounts, the relationship is usually more direct. Unlike CDs, there isn’t a time component with these, meaning that the interest rates can change at any time. In short, their rates are based on the current interest rate environment.

For CDs, it’s a little more complicated. The simple explanation is that the longer a CD’s maturity term, the more its rate will be driven by future expectations for the interest rate environment.

This is why 1-year CDs generally pay more than 5-year CDs right now, despite the opposite being the case traditionally. The expectation is that over the next few years, rates will continue to fall, so that’s affecting the rates banks are willing to pay for longer-term products.

So, where will CD rates go in 2025?

Nobody has a crystal ball that can predict future interest rates, and I’m certainly not an exception. But my general expectation is that if the Fed’s rate cuts proceed as expected (and that’s a big if), the shortest-term CD rates — say CDs with terms of one year or less — will generally follow suit. In other words, if a bank offers a 4.5% rate on a 1-year CD today, I’d expect something close to 3% at the end of 2025.

I’d expect far less movement from longer-term CDs. The top 5-year CD yields from major online banks are in the upper 3% range right now, and while they’ll likely trend somewhat lower as the Fed cuts rates, it wouldn’t surprise me if 5-year CD yields from top online banks stayed around 3.5% through 2025.

Alert: highest cash back card we’ve seen now has 0% intro APR into 2026

This credit card is not just good – it’s so exceptional that our experts use it personally. It features a 0% intro APR for 15 months, a cash back rate of up to 5%, and all somehow for no annual fee!

Click here to read our full review for free and apply in just 2 minutes.

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.

“}]] Read More