Stockpile Review and Free $5 of Stock

Updated: 15 Oct 2017

Lately I have been looking at stock related sites and applications, and I ran across Stockpile - it is a site that I have seen before but never really did a deep dive into it.  I had an offer for a free $5 of stock, so I decided to give it a try.

If you have no clue what a stock is, go here ( https://learn.stockpile.com/2017/06/24/what-is-stock/ ) and then come back.  If you are ready to get started with a free $5 of stock, scroll to the bottom if not keep reading.

The process for setting up the account was fairly easy, and instead of the Apple stock that the offer initially showed I decided to go with Ford (F) for two reasons 1) right now the dividend shows up as being almost 5% and 2) I like Ford.  One of the really neat things about Stockpile is that you can own part of a share - so if you can't afford a single Google stock (almost $1000 right now) you can still get a certain $ value worth of it.

The next day my order was executed, and I owned a partial share in Ford.  Specifically, the share was selling at $11.95 so my $5 got me 0.41841 shares.  Since Ford does pay dividends, I read up on the Stockpile support area and found out that they can reinvest the dividends into the same company without any extra fees.  Why does this matter?  Now every time Ford pays dividends, the money goes right back into getting more Ford stock.  This is a great "set it and forget it" approach that allows the stock to slowly increase in shares if the company pays dividends.

$5 of Ford stock

As I started to look around the Stockpile website, I started to realize how well the company has targeted a specific market.  Stockpile seems like the perfect option for someone that wants to provide a gift to a child (either a young child or a teenager) as an investment opportunity and a chance to learn about stocks.  Here are my reasons for coming to this conclusion:

1) Stockpile focuses on providing information for someone who is new to stocks and wants to learn.  They have an entire section on their website ( https://learn.stockpile.com/ ) and they have a "A Rookie's Guide to Investing in the Stock Market" mini-book that you can purchase.

2) Stockpile has an online gift store with many various options of cards that can be targeted to the person you are giving the gift to such as:

- Generic cards (For example "Your Favorite Stock" & "Your Favorite Index ETF")
- Company specific cards (For example Disney, Facebook, Apple & Tesla )
- Theme based cards (For example "Own a piece of your favorite..." and various options like "car company" or "gaming company")
- You can get bundles of cards with the "A Rookie's Guide to Investing in the Stock Market" mini-book that I mentioned earlier, making it a great little kit.

This allows the flexibility to target the gift to the person.  The card itself costs more than the face value ( for example a $50 card costs $56.95 ) but that means the gift giver is taking care of fees and the recipient gets stocks for the face value ($50 in my example) of the card.

3) You can get cards at local stores (seems to be Lowes and Target mainly) but that is just based on what the website says, I didn't personally check.

4) You can send the gift as an "e-gift" if you don't want to deal with an actual gift card.

5) No monthly fees or other maintenance costs, the only fee most people would run into is the 99 cents cost when they decide to sell the stock.

6) Stockpile allows a UTMA (Uniform Transfer to Minors Act) account that is owned by a minor but managed by an adult (the custodian) but the custdian doesn't have to be a parent.  More info: https://learn.stockpile.com/2017/07/21/what-is-an-utma-account/

I am very impressed with Stockpile.  Like any product or company they have a target audience, and I think they are a great option for giving stocks as a gift either for novelty or educational purposes.

Disclosure: This post contains an affiliate link, which means that if you sign up using my link, I’ll receive compensation.  However, all opinions are my own and I actually tried Stockpile and wrote this review before joining the affiliate program to get my readers the unique offer below.

Update (Feb 2022): Stockpile no longer has a referral program, but I think you can still go to ( https://www.stockpile.com/affiliate?utm_source=stockpile&utm_medium=freestocksupport&utm_campaign=support ) and get $5 free worth of stock.

If you want another option to try and more free stock, check out my review of Robinhood:
http://bigboystoys13.blogspot.com/2017/09/robinhood-free-or-near-free-stock.html

If you want to see other freebies/offers, go here:
http://bigboystoys13.blogspot.com/2016/11/get-some-free-stuff-or-free-money.html

Drop Review

Update on Drop.  It has officially launched in the US.  To celebrate the launch, everyone in the US gets $5 worth of points per referral this week (10.10-10.17) - that's 5X the normal amount! So sign up using my link ( https://b.ewd.io/code?c=pkbs3 ) or code ( pkbs3 ) and start to save money shopping and earn points by referring others.

I recently ran across an application called Drop.  It allows you to save money shopping at places you normally would, without submitting receipts or anything like that.  It seems very similar to another application called Dosh ( Do$h ) that I recently tried out.

When you go to the Drop website, it says it will be officially launching in October 2017 but I was able to sign up late September ( I think it was a special link ).  The sign up was fairly simple, I put my phone number into the web page and I was sent a text with a link.  Once I entered the normal basic info (email etc) I was presented a screen to select my bank.

I attempted to link two cards, but they both said some error about having delays with the institution I selected.  Unfortunately there was no "skip" button, so I had to force the application to close.  Once I started it again, I was able to get into the application.  Keep in mind, I am using it before it is officially released so issues are expected.

During the sign up, I had to select 5 brands and the app made it clear that once I select the brand I can't change your mind.  I just picked the 5 that I would most likely use.

5,000 points just for signing up

Just from signing up, I had 5000 points.  I looked around in the application, and saw another screen that showed options to earn more points.  For example, Target would earn 10pts per $1 spent.  Doing the quick math, you would have to spend $500 to get 5000 points.  These are ongoing offers that seem to be aligned with the 5 brand I picked earlier so basically points for shopping where I normally would shop.

My "Ongoing Offers" seem to match the brands I chose

Additionally, you can earn points doing other special things in the application ( check them out on Facebook and Twitter for example ).  I ended up with a total of 7,150 points without spending a dime.

Next, I wanted to see what my points would get me.  I ran across a few offers for example:

- 5,000 points for a $5 gift card at Starbucks
- 10,000 points for a $10 gift card at Amazon

I ended up getting the $5 for Starbucks, it only took a few minutes to arrive in my email.

Screen showing where I redeemed point

Email with eGift Card

So basically every $500 you spend gets you 5000 points which are worth $5, about a 1% "cash back" value which isn't bad considering these are free points for shopping places you already do.  The application also has special offers like 2000 points for spending $20 at Amazon (this seems to be a one-time offer) which would give you a return of 10% instead of 1%.

Bottom line, this gives you a chance to get some free stuff by redeeming points for spending money that you already spend.  Why not give it a try?  My referral link ( below ) will start you off with 2000 points!

Use my link to sign up ( https://b.ewd.io/code?c=pkbs3 ) and if you are asked for a code make sure you put in my code: pkbs3

If you want to see other freebies/offers, go here:
http://bigboystoys13.blogspot.com/2016/11/get-some-free-stuff-or-free-money.html

Dosh Review - Get cash back on offers and $5 free

I recently ran across another online money saving option called Dosh.  As always, I did some research on how it worked to make sure it was something that I wanted to try out.

NOTE: If you are ready to sign up and don't need to see any more details use my link: https://link.dosh.cash/YCLI/wD86NGeHlI

I decided to go ahead and sign up, and took screenshots of the first 5 screens so you can see the same information since it is pretty useful:

Once you have decided to sign up, it takes you through registration where you put in your mobile number which is verified by sending a code ( Google Voice numbers do work ).  After that you put in your name, email and password.

Once you have setup your account, you get to the main screen ( see above).  I blanked out the restaurant names/logos, but two of the three on my list are places I go to from time to time for dinner.  I didn't see any big chain stores ( Applebees, Outback etc).  There is also a large list of online offers from many different companies.  The "Unlock" only shows up because I had not added a card at this point.

Make sure you verify your e-mail address!  You should see a reminder to do this if you click on the "Home" tab of the app.

At the bottom you will see the other tabs "Travel", "Home", "Social" and "Cards".

Once you click on "Cards" you will see where you can get $5 bonus for connecting your 1st card.  Adding the card was pretty simple, just enter the information it asks for.  The minimum cashout is $15, and it can go to PayPal or a bank account.

At this point you can get more money two ways:

1) Use the application to get cash back.
2) Get $5 when you refer a friend and they connect a card and redeem a cash back offer.

Update: October 13, 2017 - I finally had a chance to use the card at one of the 7% restaurants, shortly after (same day) I got the 7% cash back in the Dosh app.  Even better there was some little offer that let me get 2x the cash back so I ended up getting 14% just for getting food from a place I would have anyways!  I also cashed out a few bucks to PayPal!

Was up to $18.98 then I cashed out (left $15 in it)

Proof of transfer to PayPal

I hope this information was useful.  If you are ready to sign up, please use my link:

https://link.dosh.cash/YCLI/wD86NGeHlI

If you want to see other freebies/offers, go here:
http://bigboystoys13.blogspot.com/2016/11/get-some-free-stuff-or-free-money.html

Saving for Goals with Rize

I recently signed up for Rize to give it a try and wanted to share a few details about it.  Basically, Rize helps you save towards goals by pulling money from your account and putting it into a separate account (with assigned goals so you can track progress).  This could be a specific goal ( a vacation, a laptop ) or a general one ( emergency fund ).

The benefits of Rize ( Visit https://rizemoney.com/ to read more )

Safe and Secure: Money in your Rize account is insured up to $250,000 and Rize uses 256-bit encryption end-to-end.
0.90% APY: Cash in your Rize account earns interest at 15x the national average.
Unlimited Goals: Save for 1 goal or for 100. Whatever you want to save for, you can do it with your Rize account.
Unlimited Transfers: Move money in and out of your Rize account anytime you want for free. Transfers typically take 2-3 business days.
No Minimums: It doesn’t matter if you save $5 each month or $5,000. Saving for the future you want, that’s what counts.
Pay What You Want: You choose what you pay to use Rize. 100% transparent with no hidden fees. We’re not kidding.

Disclosure: This post contains a referral link, which means that if you sign up using my link, I’ll receive compensation.  However, all opinions are my own.

Sign up using this link https://goo.gl/oRYNam to get $5.

When you sign up, it will walk you through a few steps - setting a goal, monthly saving amount and connecting your bank.  If you aren't sure you want to actually start moving money around yet, I would check the following settings:

1) Go into the goal you created, and edit it so the monthly commitment is $0.
2) Go into your settings > Profile Settings and under "Scheduled Savings" make sure it say "Recurring deposits are paused" if it doesn't go ahead and pause them
3) Turn off the "Savings Power Ups" until you have a chance to read about them
4) For the Monthly Rize Contribution, change it to $0.  This is ONLY while you get familiar with it, if you try Rize for a few months and it provides value then you should consider contributing to the service.

You can play around with the interface a bit more, and then start setting some actual goals.

Your $5 free will take a few weeks to show up, but it has to stay in your account for 90 days before you can withdraw.  Remember this is a savings account so really that $5 is just $5 towards one of your goals.

Referral bonus!

Update: After playing around with Rize and getting a better understanding of the service, I came up with how I can use it.  I was working on a monthly budget, but there were certain items that were quarterly, yearly, or twice a year.  For example my trash is about $54 every 3 months.  It is hard to budget for those type of expenses on a monthly basis, since two months there is no expensive then one month it goes up to $54.

If you take the $54 across 3 months that is $18 per month.  I am using Rize to pull $18 per month from my account, and set it aside against a specific goal for my trash bill.  I do the same thing for other items that aren't monthly.  This way on a monthly basis, a consistent amount is set aside for the items that happen quarterly, twice a year or yearly.  When I need to pay those bills, I can just move the money out of Rize.

If you take this approach, keep in mind the timing of your bills will impact how things work first time around.  For example, lets assume the trash was paid in August and is due again in November.  Since I am starting this now in October, I will have Oct/Nov ($36 total) set aside.  However, once that bill is paid the next time it is due I should have the full $54 available.  Check out the screen shots below.

$18 a month for trash company

Other quarterly, twice a year and yearly set asides

Disclosure: This post contains a referral link, which means that if you sign up using my link, I’ll receive compensation.  However, all opinions are my own.

Sign up using this link https://goo.gl/oRYNam to get $5.

If you want to see other freebies/offers, go here:
http://bigboystoys13.blogspot.com/2016/11/get-some-free-stuff-or-free-money.html

Robinhood - Free (or near free) Stock Trading

I recently ran across a page online that provided information on how to get a free stock via Robinhood (see details at the end of my post).  I was familiar with Robinhood, and have played around with stocks in the past ( most recently via Scottrade but it has been a while since I did any trading ).  I had my eye on Robinhood in the past, but didn't signed up until just recently - the key aspect of Robinhood is that there are no fees to purchase stocks.  Make sure you read up on other fees before diving in, so there are no surprises.

If you are ready to sign up, use my referral link ( https://share.robinhood.com/victorj95 )  Make sure you confirm your email.

Keep on reading..

Signing up for Robinhood is pretty simple, but keep in mind this is a financial site/app so you will need to share information like your social security number.  Overall the process wasn't difficult, if additional information is needed they will let you know.

NOTE: If you have your credit frozen, make sure you unfreeze it before signing up for Robinhood since it will likely help you avoid extra steps to confirm your account.

Once my account was verified, the first thing I did was claim my free stock.  It didn't take long to show up, I figured I wouldn't get one of the high value ones like Apple and I was right - I got Chesapeake Energy (CHK).  It was a free stock, and more importantly it put something in my account so I could start to become familiar with the application features.

My free Chesapeake Energy (CHK) Stock

Next, I linked my account to my bank and pulled in a few bucks.  The money showed up as instantly being available in Robinhood which was very cool.  It didn't take me long to play around with the various options to purchase shares, and I ended up buying a stock in Ford (F).  It wasn't a well researched decision, I just like Ford.  So now I have two stocks, one free and one purchased without a fee.  More importantly, I think Robinhood may have gotten me interested into playing around on the stock market again.

Portfolio view

Portfolio View ...continued
Positions = Stocks you own
Watchlist = Stocks you are tracking

For someone trying out the stock market without racking up fees, this seems like a good area to get started.   If I remember correctly Scottrade has some neat reporting and tracking features, and their trades were cheap compared to other offerings at the time but it is hard to argue with free stock purchases and a simple interface even if you miss out on some of the bells and whistles that other options may have.

Bottom line, I think Robinhood is a great way to start getting familiar with buying and selling stocks since you can try things out for free (or minimal fee) to see if you want to dive into stocks further.

If I run into any other cool features, or problems, I will update this post.

Free Stock Details

As of 9/9/2017 here are the key points of the "Free Stock" offer from Robinhood but make sure you read to see what has changed if you sign up later:

- You and the person who refers you will get a free stock certificate
- The stocks are chosen randomly, and will be in the $2.50 to $200 range but that depends on the market.
- You can refer others and get up to $500 in stocks

If you are ready to sign up, use my referral link ( https://share.robinhood.com/victorj95 )  Make sure you confirm your email.

If you want another option to try and more free stock, check out my review of Stockpile:
http://bigboystoys13.blogspot.com/2017/09/stockpile-review-and-free-5-stock.html

If you want to see other freebies/offers, go here:
http://bigboystoys13.blogspot.com/2016/11/get-some-free-stuff-or-free-money.html

Should I freeze my credit?

This post doesn't really align with my "normal" posts, but hopefully someone finds it useful.

With the recent Equifax data breach, I have seen many posts online where people ask about credit freezing vs. credit monitoring, and what they should do.  Personally this is just one of many times my information has potentially been breached, so I have received monitoring for free many times but in my opinion monitoring isn't enough.

Monitoring is not the same as freezing.  I have had a credit freeze on my account for years.  Remember a freeze restricts access, so if a company can't pull your report chances are they will not issue credit or access against the info.  Think of it this way:

Freeze: Imagine you have a safe, and it is locked.  No one can get in.  So real world, that means even if they know your information when they apply using your social the financial institution will not get anything back from the credit agencies.

Monitoring: You keep the safe open, hoping no one knows where it is.  If someone does find the safe, it is wide open and they can steal what they want.  Sure you have monitoring in place, but all they will say is "hey someone got into your safe and maybe did something".  So real world, if they know your information they can apply for credit in your name and you will find out.

That may not be the best way to explain it, but that is what I came up with.

There are things to consider with a freeze (for example, it might cost money to freeze or temporarily lift the freeze for your credit).  Also, it has caused me problems signing up for certain sites online (when they verify your info against credit agencies) but 1) lifting the freeze fixed the problem and 2) that basically proves it is protecting me.

Personally, I would rather avoid the issue in the first place by freezing my credit.  Ultimately I would suggest each person do the research and make an informed decision.  Good links to read more:

http://clark.com/personal-finance-credit/credit-freeze-and-thaw-guide/
https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0497-credit-freeze-faqs

Credit Monitoring

Additionally, even if you place a credit freeze it is probably a good idea to consider some free monitoring options:

- For Equifax and TransUnion, Credit Karma is a great (free) option
- For Experian someone suggested Credit.com, but I also saw this option ( https://www.experian.com/consumer-products/free-credit-report.html ).

Free Credit Report Info

If you go to this official FTC Government website ( https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0155-free-credit-reports ) it states:

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires each of the nationwide credit reporting companies — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion — to provide you with a free copy of your credit report, at your request, once every 12 months.

You can go to ( http://www.annualcreditreport.com/ ) to get your reports, or go to the link above for other options such as calling or mailing a request.  Don't Google "free credit report" use the link above, or if you don't trust me use the FTC link above or Google "FTC free credit report" and look for the ftc.gov link.