Since 2020, a very popular annual thread I started encourages our members to share their credit card strategy for the coming year. (Latest: Setting Your >2026< Annual Card Strategy.) It occurred to me that many of our members who are credit card enthusiasts also enjoy managing their personal finances and discussing that topic. Also, we have many members who might be "gardening" their current credit card lineups but planning to make non-FICO related financial changes. This thread will give them a better opportunity to tell the community about their strategy and goals.
We've often told our members that "Finance before FICO." That means that making smart financial decisions is more important than FICO score or what we do with our credit cards. However, "smart" financial decisions are circumstantial and can vary between situations. Sometimes, Finance and FICO go hand-in-hand since a person's top financial goal might be building a better credit score or getting a higher amount of cash rewards. For someone struggling with credit discipline, closing credit accounts to get debt under control may be smart. Some of our members have stabilized their card lineups and are moving on to other goals, such as gardening before applying for a car or home loan. Some of our members are working on budgeting or are struggling with finances in close interpersonal relationships. Some of our members also are working on savings and investment strategies, looking for better rates of return, consolidating accounts, or exploring new-to-them types of investments such as High Yield Savings Accounts, stocks, bonds, mutual funds, ETFs, or cryptocurrencies. Some members might be opening or closing deposit accounts to acquire SUBs, to benefit from improved features, or to flee a bad banking experience. Even more than credit card strategies, optimizing our personal finances is more of an on-going challenge that requires frequent reassessment.
Similar to our planning for credit cards, having a good strategy requires taking inventory of our existing circumstances, conducting an honest evaluation of our financial picture and needs, and carefully considering what changes (if any) would be most beneficial. Writing down a financial plan helps me to come up with strategies for the short term (~six months), medium term (~one year), and long term (~two years.)
As we approach the new year, and with the goal of making credit changes a premeditated and mindful decision, what are the planned changes for your Personal Finance lineup in 2026? (Please discuss credit card changes in that forum unless they are directly related to personal finance.)
@ptatohed wrote:
I dabbled in crypto this year for the first time, with a few thousand dollars. Boy to I regret that! Got burned hard. I'm probably done with crypto! I may explore crypto ETFs at most.
I'm interested in precious metals which I have never gotten into before. I may dabble. But, like crypto, I think I'll try my hand at precious metals ETFs instead of directly purchasing.
I diversified this year into both a little bit of crypto and precious metals, @ptatohed. Like you, I didn't want the hassles of owning actual cryto or metals, so I put some money into ETFs for each. In addition, it's possible to invest "around" both crypto and precious metals by investing in companies that profit from those industries indirectly. So for example, I bought some stock in Coinbase (COIN) and some crypto mining company stocks, some of which also seem to be diversifying into the AI data center business. Besides a precious metals ETF, I have some shares in precious metals mining companies. For crypto, there are dozens of currencies but I hear there's a lot of scams out there. I just stuck with a Bitcoin ETF, since it seems to be the most stable and mainstream currency. I purchased the VanEck Bitcoin Trust (HODL) and later found out it stands for "Hold on for dear life!" LOL It's been volatile but I have faith in those who predict it's the "new digital gold." Merrill Lynch wouldn't allow me to buy it, I suppose since it's considered a riskier investment, so I bought it through Schwab. I heard that ML is now telling advisors they can put clients in crypto at a conservative 1 - 4% of portfolio holdings. This is consistent with other advice I've heard and plan to do the same with the precious metals.
For my Bitcoin ETF, I was going to go with Blackrock's IBIT, which I believe is the largest fund. However, I went with VanEck HODL since it has slightly lower fees. (See a longer list below.)
For a precious metals investment (Gold), I invested in a State Street Global Advisors Fund (SPDR: GLD). (SPDR = Standard and Poors Depository Receipts.)
SPDR Gold Trust (GLD) is the largest and most liquid gold ETF with over $125 billion in AUM in late 2025 (more than double the AUM of iShares Gold Trust). It's the gold standard for investors seeking direct exposure to the price of the yellow metal. The ETF's sole asset is gold bullion, which it stores in secure vaults. Investors pay a premium for this leading gold ETF. It has a higher expense ratio than other ETFs that own physical gold bullion at 0.4%. However, it's still relatively cheaper than shipping, insuring, and storing gold bars and coins, especially when you factor in its liquidity. >link<
I went with GLD because it was considered the "gold standard," LOL ... pun intended. 
But in hindsight, perhaps I should have considered others with lower expense ratios. I found these also.
The Franklin Responsibly Sourced Gold ETF (FGDL) holds physical gold. It only holds gold sourced from accredited refiners that demonstrate their efforts to respect the environment and combat money laundering, terrorist financing, and human rights abuses. This responsibly sourced gold ETF has a low expense ratio of 0.15%.
The Goldman Sachs Physical Gold ETF (AAAU) is another ETF that holds physical gold. Like iShares Gold Trust, this fund holds gold bullion in the London branch of JPMorgan Chase. It has a lower ETF expense ratio than its larger rivals at 0.18%.
| Franklin Bitcoin ETF (EZBC) | 0.19% |
| VanEck Bitcoin Trust (HODL) | 0.20% |
| Bitwise Bitcoin ETF (BITB) | 0.20% |
| ARK 21Shares Bitcoin ETF (ARKB) | 0.21% |
| iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (ticker: IBIT) | 0.25% |
| Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund (FBTC) | 0.25% |
| Invesco Galaxy Bitcoin ETF (BTCO) | 0.25% |
| CoinShares Valkyrie Bitcoin Fund (BRRR) | 0.25% |
| WisdomTree Bitcoin Fund (BTCW) | 0.25% |
| Hashdex Bitcoin ETF (DEFI) | 0.90% |
| Grayscale Bitcoin Trust ETF (GBTC) | 1.50% |
I haven't been posting on my own threads about credit card or finance plans, even though I am planning very carefully. However, posting may help me to commit more to following through! 
In the past several years, I've complicated my credit card and banking relationships. On the banking side in particular, I feel the need to untangle the complexity. I've had at least two banks or credit unions for many years and don't ever want to go back to a single depository relationship. On the other hand, while taking advantage of SUBs, broadening my banking relationships, and diversifying funds, I've really over-complicated things! My financial adviser is mystified about why I've created this mess, at least in his eyes! I just did a quick count and I have (28) open deposit accounts at (14) financial institutions. *This does not even count DW's accounts which she holds separate!! Some have very limited funding and see little if any activity. I have (11) checking accounts, (8) regular banking 'savings' accounts, and (9) higher-yielding savings accounts that are either bank money markets or online HYSAs. In my defense, I've been saving for a big home remodel which we're in the process of completing and a lot of my cash has been sitting it those multiple HYSAs. I was also aggressively saving and had conflicted feelings about where and how much of that money I wanted to invest. As I'm in the process of spending money on the remodel and moving money to investments, the need to keep some of these accounts open is diminishing.
I've also stymied my tax advisor since she has had to deal with all of these banks! And since many report interest earnings (IRS form 1099-INT), I'm adding to my tax preparation fees.
I don't have an end-goal yet. I'm going to start with many of those "savings" accounts that I opened in companion with checking. Likewise, while I like the main HYSAs I have open and they earn respectable rates, I think I can do a little better. I plan to close and consolidate HYSAs into one or maybe two accounts.
I've also been moving money into both Merrill Edge and Schwab brokerage accounts. Until this year, I haven't invested directly in stocks very much, and I've enjoyed doing some research, watching the business news, and picking some (hopefully) winners for the long term.
My goal is to keep my finances boring, simplified, and steady. I have a Cash Management Account invested in SPAXX which I use for both Bill Pay and emergency savings. I have another account invested in SWPPX that I use to save money for travel and major purchases. I have yet another account invested in VXUS which I'm using to save up for a new car or at least a down payment, whichever comes first once my current car can no longer function. I have a local credit union (NFCU), too, in case I need to deposit cash or anything else where I need a local bank. I have a Easy Start Share CD there with a really good rate that I'm going to use as fun money once it matures. (I like watching numbers go up. lol) And finally, I have a Roth IRA fully invested in VT.
I have a traditional IRA with my company that I will continue to contribute up to their match with. I'm getting an HSA next year which I plan to max out. Not sure what I want to invest that money in just yet. After I max that out, I want to max out my Roth IRA, as well. I have two more credit cards left to pay off, which I plan to do next year also. What I realized is that I really enjoy saving and watching accounts grow much more than receiving cashback and points from credit cards.
As far as savings go, I think I've got pretty much all my cash earning 4% or higher, though I suppose that will come down a bit with the rate cut announcement! I've got my checking with Presidential Bank since their high-yield checking just requires direct deposit and 7 of basically any kind of transaction monthly. I have that taken care of just with monthly payments, so basically no hoops to jump through or remember to do. I do plan on continuing to pursue bank account bonuses for a little extra - If the ones I'm working on now payout before year's end, I'll have make around $5,000 just from that.
401k and Roth IRA are pretty much set with everything in index funds.
I did get into real estate this year and will be working on that into the next. The main thing I want to optimize there is interest on the money in the business bank account. I'm spoiled on the personal side and it's much harder to find business accounts, especially checking, that pay any interest.
@Aim_High wrote:
@ptatohed wrote:
I dabbled in crypto this year for the first time, with a few thousand dollars. Boy to I regret that! Got burned hard. I'm probably done with crypto! I may explore crypto ETFs at most.
I'm interested in precious metals which I have never gotten into before. I may dabble. But, like crypto, I think I'll try my hand at precious metals ETFs instead of directly purchasing.
I diversified this year into both a little bit of crypto and precious metals, @ptatohed. Like you, I didn't want the hassles of owning actual cryto or metals, so I put some money into ETFs for each. In addition, it's possible to invest "around" both crypto and precious metals by investing in companies that profit from those industries indirectly. So for example, I bought some stock in Coinbase (COIN) and some crypto mining company stocks, some of which also seem to be diversifying into the AI data center business. Besides a precious metals ETF, I have some shares in precious metals mining companies. For crypto, there are dozens of currencies but I hear there's a lot of scams out there. I just stuck with a Bitcoin ETF, since it seems to be the most stable and mainstream currency. I purchased the VanEck Bitcoin Trust (HODL) and later found out it stands for "Hold on for dear life!" LOL It's been volatile but I have faith in those who predict it's the "new digital gold." Merrill Lynch wouldn't allow me to buy it, I suppose since it's considered a riskier investment, so I bought it through Schwab. I heard that ML is now telling advisors they can put clients in crypto at a conservative 1 - 4% of portfolio holdings. This is consistent with other advice I've heard and plan to do the same with the precious metals.
For my Bitcoin ETF, I was going to go with Blackrock's IBIT, which I believe is the largest fund. However, I went with VanEck HODL since it has slightly lower fees. (See a longer list below.)
For a precious metals investment (Gold), I invested in a State Street Global Advisors Fund (SPDR: GLD). (SPDR = Standard and Poors Depository Receipts.)
SPDR Gold Trust (GLD) is the largest and most liquid gold ETF with over $125 billion in AUM in late 2025 (more than double the AUM of iShares Gold Trust). It's the gold standard for investors seeking direct exposure to the price of the yellow metal. The ETF's sole asset is gold bullion, which it stores in secure vaults. Investors pay a premium for this leading gold ETF. It has a higher expense ratio than other ETFs that own physical gold bullion at 0.4%. However, it's still relatively cheaper than shipping, insuring, and storing gold bars and coins, especially when you factor in its liquidity. >link<
I went with GLD because it was considered the "gold standard," LOL ... pun intended.
The Franklin Responsibly Sourced Gold ETF (FGDL) holds physical gold. It only holds gold sourced from accredited refiners that demonstrate their efforts to respect the environment and combat money laundering, terrorist financing, and human rights abuses. This responsibly sourced gold ETF has a low expense ratio of 0.15%.
The Goldman Sachs Physical Gold ETF (AAAU) is another ETF that holds physical gold. Like iShares Gold Trust, this fund holds gold bullion in the London branch of JPMorgan Chase. It has a lower ETF expense ratio than its larger rivals at 0.18%.
Franklin Bitcoin ETF (EZBC) 0.19%
VanEck Bitcoin Trust (HODL) 0.20% Bitwise Bitcoin ETF (BITB) 0.20% ARK 21Shares Bitcoin ETF (ARKB) 0.21% iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (ticker: IBIT) 0.25% Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund (FBTC) 0.25% Invesco Galaxy Bitcoin ETF (BTCO) 0.25% CoinShares Valkyrie Bitcoin Fund (BRRR) 0.25% WisdomTree Bitcoin Fund (BTCW) 0.25% Hashdex Bitcoin ETF (DEFI) 0.90% Grayscale Bitcoin Trust ETF (GBTC) 1.50%
@Aim_High , dude, I really, really appreciate you composing this post in response to the two investments I mentioned I am interested in. Very, very helpful and, honestly, you taking the time to do this means a lot to me. Thanks man!
Only read though it once but, rest assured, I'll be back to read it again slowly, click the links, and open separate browser windows! 