Best Earth Day-Friendly Robo Advisors for Socially-Responsible Investing

Investing can change your financial life–but today, it could also change the world. Here are the best robo advisors that will make every day Earth Day.

When it comes to investing, we tend to primarily think about our ROI – return on investment. But now that we’re surrounded by groups supporting social causes (and Earth Day is coming up), it might be time to rethink your investment philosophy.

Yes, you might be able to earn more by investing in whatever is the best investment overall–but have you ever stopped to consider what kind of impact that company might be having on the environment?

For instance, big tobacco is a controversial one. Yes, you could very well get rich investing in tobacco companies, but how does that make you feel? For some, it’s no issue. For others, it is.

That’s why we’re outlining the best robo advisors that have a social component or focus their business on social impacts. This list will give you some ideas on how to put your money toward some type of greater cause. Let’s start with Swell.

Swell

According to Swell, their company began by asking how they can “create a better investment option for people who care about where their money goes and what it supports.” They specialize in finding companies that have both high potential and a high impact on the world. Swell then breaks up the stocks into six different thematic portfolios.

Swell does an in-depth analysis of each company they choose for their portfolio. They start by identifying big problems that are impacting our world. From there, they look for companies that work to solve those problems. In fact, the companies they include “derive revenue from environmental or social impact as part of their business.” Finally, they take it a step further by making sure each company is a smart financial investment.

Every company that Swell invests in has revenues in alignment with at least one of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals:

1. No poverty
2. Zero hunger
3. Good health and well-being
4. Quality education
5. Gender Equality
6. Clean water and sanitation
7. Affordable and clean energy
8. Decent work and economic growth
9. Industry, innovation, and infrastructure
10. Reduced inequalities
11. Sustainable cities and communities
12. Responsible consumption and production
13. Climate action
14. Life below water
15. Life on land
16. Peace, justice, and strong institutions
17. Partnerships for goals

Swell goes beyond socially-responsible investing by encouraging transparency and disclosure, as well as picking the best companies based on their revenue alignment. They go beyond Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) investing by screening out destructive and exploitative industries, as well as addressing social and environmental issues.

Swell offers standard taxable brokerage accounts, Traditional IRAs, Roth IRAs, and SEP IRAs. Their pricing is a flat 0.75% annual fee and they don’t charge trading fees, have pricing tiers, or add in expense ratios.

If you’re looking for impact investing, Swell might cost a little more, but they’re one of the best.

Read our full Swell Investing Review.

Open a Swell Investing account and get $50

Wealthsimple

Wealthsimple is quickly becoming one of the best robo advisors overall, and they’re at the top of our list for being Earth Day-friendly, too. With Wealthsimple, you can choose a Socially Responsible Investing portfolio and invest in line with your values. According to Wealthsimple, they make it so you can “invest in socially responsible initiatives across the globe, so you can be well-diversified while helping build the world you want.”

When you choose a SRI portfolio, your money is spread across the entire stock market in low-cost ETFs. These ETFs are screened meticulously by Wealthsimple based on their:

1. Environmental impact
2. Social impact
3. Overall performance

The funds that are currently part of this portfolio focus on issues such as:

• Low carbon
• Gender diversity
• Cleantech
• Local initiatives
• Social responsibility
• Affordable housing

Wealthsimple is a fiduciary, meaning they are obligated to give you financial advice that’s in your best interest – not theirs. Yes, they’re a robo advisor, but they also have highly-knowledgable experts available to help you if and when you need it.

Wealthsimple is a bit more on the expensive side, charging 0.50% annually for up to $100,000 in deposits. Over that, you drop to 0.40% and get some more perks. Wealthsimple is one of the best overall robos, so if you’re looking to start with something that has an impact on the environment, you can’t really go wrong with Wealthsimple.

Read our full Wealthsimple Review

Betterment

Betterment is known for being one of the best overall robo advisors on the market. But they also have a Socially Responsible Investing (SRI) portfolio.

What’s nice about Betterment’s SRI portfolio is that they considered performance heavily when choosing funds. Many times what you see is a loss in performance in exchange for a “greener” set of investments. But Betterment did a hefty amount of research to replace funds from their core strategy portfolio to be more Socially Responsible, without deviating from their overall philosophy:

“As we developed Betterment SRI, we analyzed all low-cost SRI ETFs available, searching for products that could replace components of our core strategy without disrupting the diversification or cost of the overall portfolio.”

The SRI portfolio mixes Large Cap US stocks with Emerging Market stocks. They chose not to utilize other asset classes such as mid or small cap because there aren’t any SRI-friendly funds in those categories yet.

If you’re interested in reading about how they developed their SRI portfolio, Betterment actually put together an entire whitepaper on it. Otherwise, head over to Betterment to sign up for an account and simply choose the SRI portfolio as your investment choice and you’ll be good to go.

Read our full Betterment Review.

Motif

Motif was founded by Hardeep Walia with the focus of giving “everyday investors access to cutting edge investment products.” Motif uses and focuses on thematic investing, which focuses on long-term trends that are likely to drive disproportionate earnings growth in the future. The company uses Artificial Intelligence and advanced algorithms to pick and allocate stocks for you.

Motif offers a few different thematic portfolios–one of them being the Impact Portfolio. The Impact Portfolio has stocks in five different asset classes that focus on three major areas:

1. Sustainable Planet – companies that reduce their carbon footprint
2. Fair Labor – companies that promote fair labor, job security, and safe working conditions
3. Good Corporate Governance – companies with ethical track records

Motif’s pricing is great, too. With a $1,000 minimum investment, you’ll pay a flat 0.25% annual fee on your assets.

Their platform is slick and innovative, making it easy to manage your assets on your desktop or mobile phone. You can automate this process with dollar-cost-averaging and rebalancing as well as “trade stocks more intuitively by purchasing in either dollars or shares using our patented technology.”

You can open an individual or joint taxable account, a trust, or a Traditional, Roth, or Rollover IRA. You’ll also rest assured knowing that “every Motif account is insured up to $500,000, including a maximum of $250,000 for cash claims and each Motif customer is protected up to $1.9 million through excess SIPC insurance provided by Lloyd’s of London.”

Read our full Motif Investing Review.

Sustainfolio

Sustainfolio is part of an independent investment advisory firm called Sustainvest Asset Management, which was founded in 2013. The firm is 100% focused on sustainable investing. Whereas other robo advisors might see sustainable investing as a niche part of their business model, Sustainfolio has elected to make it their entire business model – it’s all they do.

Sustainfolio is a newer player to the robo advisor game. Their sole focus is sustainable investing, meaning they focus on stocks that are simple and ethical. Every portfolio Sustainfolio invests in is screened for ESG criteria and will be modified by your own personal risk tolerance.

Sustainfolio requires a $5,000 minimum investment, and their fees are 0.50% per year. Currently, you can open up any of the following account types:

• Individual
• Joint
• Trust
• IRA
• IRA & 401(k) Rollover
• 403(b) Rollover

Another great feature about Sustainfolio is that they donate 1% of their annual revenues to environmentally focused non-profits. If you’re looking to support a smaller, startup robo advisor and don’t mind paying a little more to get a laser-focused sustainable investment portfolio, you might want to check out Sustainfolio.

Polaris Portfolios

Polaris Portfolios was co-founded by Evan Kulak, Michael McDermott, and Grant White to “provide a better way for individuals and their families to receive fiduciary-driven investment advice.” Polaris focuses on wealth management overall, but they do have a special ESG Investing portfolio that features companies that have positive environmental, social, and corporate governance characteristics.

Polaris Portfolios focuses on six key investment principles that are embedded in the way they work:

1. Dynamic Diversification – your portfolio is spread across six core asset classes
2. Risk Management – Polaris uses techniques to minimize the negative impacts of down markets
3. Low Fees – there are no trade fees, transaction fees, load fees, or rebalancing fees
4. Smart Rebalancing – their algorithms will buy low and sell high to maintain risk-adjusted returns on your behalf
5. Tax Optimization – the software used by Polaris will minimize your tax obligations
6. Fiduciary Standard – the company abides strictly by the Fiduciary Standard

Polaris Portfolios charges a bit more than some of the others on this list, coming in at a flat 0.75% annual fee. You can open a general taxable account, but also a variety of IRAs. The minimum investment amount is $500, so if you want to get started with a low cost of entry, Polaris might be a fit.

EarthFolio

EarthFolio was actually the first robo advisor dedicated entirely to sustainable investing, and features “world-class funds, personal asset allocation, and ongoing portfolio monitoring, all at a fraction of the typical investment and cost.” Their process is simple:

1. They’ll ask about your goals – this includes risk tolerance, age, and what you’re investing for
2. They provide you a recommended portfolio – the portfolio will allow you to make the best decision possible, estimating how your money will perform over the next 15 years
3. Open your account – in just minutes you can open an account and get started

EarthFolio allows you to open a number of different account types:

• Individual
• Joint
• Trust
• IRA Rollover
• 401(k) Rollover & 403(b) Rollover
• SEP

The downside to this sustainable investing-focused robo advisor is the barrier to entry. You currently need $25,000 to open an EarthFolio account. Once you’re in, pricing is reasonable at 0.50% per year.

This is another smaller robo advisor that focuses on a very specific niche. If you want to support a smaller firm and what they stand for, EarthFolio is a great option.

OpenInvest

OpenInvest was founded in 2015 by Conor Murray and Phil Wei. Murray and Wei both had strong investment backgrounds, working for Bridgewater Associates, and later teamed up with Josh Levin – who at the time was a finance expert from the World Wildlife Fund. They got financial backing and have since launched their robo advisor platform that focuses exclusively on socially responsible investing.

They have a number of causes they seek to invest in, including:

• Investing in healthy hearts – organizations focused on reducing heart disease
• Fighting dark money – organizations that fight back on lobbyists and politicians who pump money toward others to fund their own agendas
• Fighting CO2 pollution – organizations that fight against CO2 and other types of pollution
• Defunding DAPL – defunding one of the largest oil pipelines that threatens indigenous land–read more here
• Fighting deforestation – fight against companies that drive deforestation
• Fighting fossil fuels – organizations fighting against the production and use of fossil fuels
• Divesting gun violence – organizations that fight gun violence
• Pro-LGBTQ – companies that are and drive support for LGBTQ
• Divesting from the Prison Industrial Complex – PIC exploits people who are incarcerated–read more here
• Support refugees – organizations supporting refugees
• Ethical supply chains – fight alongside companies that combat against things like human trafficking and forced labor
• Divesting from big tobacco – invest in organizations that seek to divest from big tobacco companies
• Stand up against Trump – support companies who focus on standing up against Donald Trump
• Women in the workplace – companies that focus on promoting women in the workplace

Whew, what a list.

If you’re someone who agrees with these principles, I can’t say there’s another robo advisor out there that focuses this heavily on these causes.

OpenInvest doesn’t have terrible pricing, either. It’s 0.50% per year, and you can open an account with as little as $100.

Bottom Line

As you can see, there are quite a few robo advisors that have portfolios that focus on socially responsible investing or focus their business entirely on causes that support SRI. If you’re someone who wants to support an impact on the world, you can’t go wrong with any of these options.

Topics: Investing

The post Best Earth Day-Friendly Robo Advisors for Socially-Responsible Investing appeared first on The Dough Roller.

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First Internet Bank Review – Full Service Online Bank

Do you want the high interest rates paid by online banks, but you’re frustrated by the lack of full-service banking? If so, First Internet Bank may be the dream bank you’ve been looking for. They have just about everything you need and we’ll go over it all in our First Internet Bank review.

First Internet Bank

's rating

9.3

Fees 9.0

Interest Rates 9.5

Products 9.5

Customer Service 8.8

Mobile App 9.8

Pros

• High interest rates
• Full-service online bank
• Variety of products to fit your needs
• Business banking
• Little to no fees

Cons

• No physical bank locations
• Interest rates are not the best.

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Table of Contents

• About First Internet Bank
• First Internet Bank Deposit Accounts
• First Internet Bank Loan Products
• First Internet Bank Business Banking
• First Internet Bank Features and Benefits
• First Internet Bank Fees
• How to Sign Up with First Internet Bank
• First Internet Bank FAQs
• First Internet Online Bank Alternatives
• First Internet Bank Pros and Cons
• Should You Sign Up for First Internet Bank?

First Internet Bank has it all–high rates on savings products, checking accounts with all the features you would expect, the full range of loan products, and even a full suite of business banking services.

It’s truly a one-stop bank, except it’s entirely online.

About First Internet Bank

Headquartered in Fishers, Indiana, First Internet Bank was established in 1999, and now operates in all 50 states. It operates as a full-service bank, though it has zero branch locations. It is a subsidiary of First Internet Bancorp, which is a publicly traded company listed on the NASDAQ (INBK). The company has $3.1 billion in assets as of June 30, 2018.

What distinguishes First Internet Bank from other online banks is that it goes beyond a limited product menu. Where most online banks focus on providing high yield savings products–primarily as a result of the low overhead that comes from operating exclusively online–First Internet Bank provides that as well, but also adds every other banking service you’ll need.

That includes full checking account services, IRAs, HSAs, accounts for minors, education savings accounts, credit cards, vehicle loans, personal loans, student loans, and mortgages. They even provide full-service business banking.

The bank has a rating of A+ (on a scale of A+ to F) from the Better Business Bureau (BBB). The bank has been accredited by BBB since 2013.

First Internet Bank Deposit Accounts

First Internet Bank offers a variety of checking, savings, and money market accounts, as well as CDs, paying some of the highest interest rates available. They also offer health savings accounts, IRAs, children’s accounts, and education savings accounts.

Overview details on each account type offered are as follows:

First Internet Bank Online Checking Accounts

First Internet Bank offers two different checking accounts:

Interest Checking. This account pays an Annual Percentage Yield (APY) of 0.70% as of January 2019, when you maintain an average daily balance of $500 or more. The account includes unlimited check writing, and your first order of checks is free. The account comes with free Online and Mobile Banking, including Bill Payment. ATM surcharges are rebated up to $10 per month.

The account does have a $10 monthly maintenance fee, but that is waived with an average daily balance of at least $500. The account requires a minimum of $100 to open, and comes with a Visa Debit card.

Free Checking. There is no monthly maintenance fee, but this account does not pay interest. It requires a minimum of $25 to open, and comes with a Visa Debit card. The account also comes with free Online and Mobile Banking, including Bill Payment. You also get unlimited check writing, and your first order of checks is free.

First Internet Bank Savings Accounts

First Internet Bank offers two different savings accounts:

Regular Savings Account. This is an interest bearing savings account, with an APY of 0.75% as of January 2019. The account requires a minimum initial deposit of $100. The $2 monthly maintenance fee can be avoided with an average daily balance of $1,000. It comes with an ATM card, though since it’s a savings account, you are limited to no more than six withdrawals per monthly statement period.

The bank provides an ATM surcharge rebate of up to $10 per month for use at all out of network ATMs.

Free Savings Account. So named because there is no monthly maintenance fee. But the account does earn interest at a rate of 0.60% APY. The minimum initial deposit is $25, and it also comes with an ATM card. You are limited to no more than six withdrawals per monthly statement period, and there are no ATM surcharge rebates for use of out of network ATMs.

First Internet Bank Money Market Savings Account

This is a high-yield money market savings account, currently paying two interest rate tiers, based on account balance (as of January 2019):

1. Daily balance of $250,000 or less, 1.81% APY.
2. Daily balance above $250,000, 2.02% APY.

The minimum initial deposit is $100, and there is a monthly maintenance fee of $5 that you can avoid with an average daily balance of at least $4,000.

The account comes with an ATM card, and you are eligible for an ATM surcharge rebate of up to $10 per month for use of non-network ATMs. As is the case with savings accounts, you are also limited to no more than six withdrawals per monthly statement period.

First Internet Bank Certificates of Deposit (CDs)

First Internet Bank CDs range in terms from three months to 60 months. They can be opened with a minimum initial deposit of at least $1,000. Interest APYs as of January 2019, as well as applicable early withdrawal penalties, are as follows:

CD Options

First Internet Bank Health Savings Accounts (HSAs)

First Internet Bank offers HSA accounts that require no initial deposit, and earn interest at a rate of 0.15% APY (as of January 2019). There is no monthly maintenance fee, and the account comes with a debit card and free online and mobile banking.

The HSA account is an IRS approved program that comes with the following parameters:

First Internet Bank Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)

First Internet Bank provides IRA using either the Money Market Savings Account, or any of the CDs it offers, in terms ranging from 12 to 60 months. A minimum opening balance of $1,000 is required.

For 2019, the maximum IRA contribution is $6,000, or $7,000 if you are 50 or older.

First Internet Bank Accounts for Kids

This is referred to as “Tomorrow’s Tycoons”, and it’s designed specifically for account holders under age 18. A minimum of $100 is required to open the account, and there is no limit on the number of deposits you can make. Since it is a savings account, there is a limit of six withdrawals per monthly statement cycle. The account does not come with an ATM card.

But the account is currently paying an APY of 0.75% (as of January 2019), and has no monthly maintenance fee.

The account is automatically converted to a Regular Savings account once the child reaches age 18.

First Internet Bank Coverdell Education Savings Accounts (ESAs)

First Internet Bank offers Coverdell ESAs to help you fund your children’s college educations. You have a choice to invest in either a money market account, or a series of CD’s with terms ranging from 12 to 60 months.

The APY’s on these savings instruments are as follows as of January 2019:

Education Savings Options

First Internet Bank Loan Products

First Internet Bank offers the full range of bank lending products. These include credit cards, personal loans, vehicle loans, student loans, and personal mortgages:

First Internet Bank Credit Cards

First Internet Bank offers a Cashback credit card. It’s a Visa card that work with Apple Pay. Terms of the card are as follows (as of January 2019):

Cashback Card

First Internet Bank Personal Loans

First Internet Bank offers personal loans for just about any purpose, from debt consolidation to medical expenses. The loans are unsecured and come with terms of up to 60 months. The interest rate starts at 10.99% APR as of January 2019.

First Internet Bank Vehicle Loans

First Internet Bank Vehicle Loans are available for new and used horse trailers, recreational vehicles, motorcycles, autos, and boats. Rates and terms for each loan type are as follows (as of January 2019):

Vehicle Loan Rates and Terms

First Internet Bank Student Loans

First Internet Bank Student Loans are offered through Sallie Mae, as The Smart Option Student Loan. Features and benefits include:

• Multiple in-school repayment options plus a choice of competitive fixed and variable interest rates provides even more flexibility
• No origination fees and no prepayment penalty
• Benefits and an interest rate reduction available
• Rates that reward creditworthy borrowers
• Applying with a creditworthy cosigner may help you qualify
• 100% US-based Student Loan Specialists

First Internet Bank Personal Mortgages

First Internet Bank offers residential mortgages for conventional, FHA and VA loans. They also provide 30-year fixed rate mortgages for all three mortgage types, as well as a 15-year fixed rate for conventional loans. They also provide home equity loans with terms of five, 10, and 15-year fixed rate terms. Prices are competitive, and updated daily.

First Internet Bank Business Banking

First Internet Bank provides full service business banking, including the following programs:

First Internet Bank Business Checking

First Internet Bank offers three different business checking accounts. They offer a mix of services, depending upon which account will work best for your business. Some of the services involve include unlimited transactions, remote deposits, online banking, treasury management services, business debit card, an online bill payment.

The three accounts have the following basic parameters:

Account/Requirement	Minimum Initial Deposit	Monthly Maintenance Fee	Minimum Balance to Avoid Monthly Fee
Small Business Checking	$500	$25	$10,000
Commercial Premium Checking	$1,000	$15	$25,000
Commercial Analysis Checking	$1,000	Earnings credit rates help pay for services use	N/A

First Internet Bank Business Savings and Money Market

This is the First Internet Bank Regular Savings Account, but it pays much higher interest. As of January 2019, it pays an APY of 1.16% on daily balances up to $250,000, and 1.41% on balances above.

They also offer the Money Market Savings Account, which is identical to the one offered to customers for personal banking.

First Internet Bank Business CDs

Business CDs are identical to the CDs offered for personal banking.

First Internet Bank Business Treasury Management Services and Payments

Business Online Banking includes full banking, funds transfer, disbursement ACH funds, wires, and merchant services. They also offer commercial deposit services, including remote deposit capture, sweep accounts, and zero balance accounts (ZBAs) to consolidate your cash balances between principle and subsidiary accounts.

Other features include:

• Balance and detail report
• Stop payments
• Internal deposit account transfers
• Alerts
• ACH Origination (disbursements and collection)
• Multi-Factor Authentication – the industry’s highest standard for fraud prevention purposes
• Security Key – for extra layer of fraud prevention when processing ACH and Wires
• Quickbooks, Quicken and Comma Separated Value (CSV) file features

First Internet Bank Business Lending

First Internet Bank provides three types of business lending:

• Commercial Lending. Includes working capital lines of credit, acquisition and expansion loans, commercial credit cards, and SBA loans.
• Commercial Real Estate Lending. Customized financing programs for different types of commercial real estate. Includes residential construction and development, office, multi family, retail, and industrial financing.
• Single Tenant Lease Financing Program. Acquisition financing for properties subject to long-term rental lease arrangements with national and regional tenants (typically major retail chains).

Other First Internet Bank Business Services

Some other business services provided by First Internet Bank include:

Dealer Services. Providing funding for horse trailers, stock trailers, motorhomes, travel trailers, fifth wheels, camping trailers, and highway/cruise type motorcycles.

Public finance funding. The Bank works with various governments and nonprofit organizations, including cities, counties, and state governments; hospitals, fire departments, and water and sanitation districts. They offer a variety of product placement bank loans to meet their financing needs.

Specialty financing. Financing for medical practices, including dental, veterinary, and healthcare practices. Financing can be used to buy, start, or sell a practice, or to refinance existing debt.

First Internet Bank Features and Benefits

A First Internet Bank account comes with the following features and benefits:

Bill Pay. Pay anyone or any company anywhere in the U.S. You can use it to set up automatic payments. You can even have your bills come to your bank account for payment.

Mobile Banking. You can download the app for free on iPhone, iPad, Android, and Android tablets. The mobile app has all the functionality of online banking, and also offers text message banking. You can also use mobile banking for remote deposits. Just snap a picture of the check, hit the send button, and you’re all set.

Debit card/ATM card. A Visa Debit card is available with First Internet Online Bank checking accounts. It can be used for purchases anywhere Visa is accepted, as well as for access to ATMs. You have the option to use the card as either a debit or credit card, and it can also be used for Apple Pay.

The Bank also offers ATM-only cards, which cannot be used to make purchases, but will give you access to ATM machines.

First Internet Bank participates in the PLUS ATM network, where you can use either card at over 1.1 million ATMs worldwide, free of charge.

Customer service. Personal Banking customer service is available by phone, Monday through Friday 7:00 AM to 9:00 PM, and Saturdays from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM–all times Eastern. You can also reach customer service by email from the website.

Account security. First Internet Online Bank is an FDIC member bank. This means your account is protected for up to $250,000 per depositor.

First Internet Bank Fees (Other than Account Specific Fees)

Non-sufficient funds: $30 per occurrence

Overdraft fee: $30 per occurrence

Uncollected fee: $30 per occurrence

Check copies: $5 per copy, but images of checks written within the past 12 months are free through online and mobile banking

Statement copies: $3 per statement, however you can view up to 12 months statements at no cost when they are received electronically

How to Sign Up with First Internet Bank

To open an account with First Internet Bank you must first meet the following qualifications:

• Be a legal U.S. resident
• Be at least 18 years old
• Have a Social Security number
• Have a government issued ID (typically a driver’s license or equivalent document)

First, you’ll create a username and password. Then choose what type of account you want to open–checking, savings, money market, certificate of deposit, or other account type.

You can make a deposit into your account through any of the following methods:

• Direct deposit
• Remote deposit from your smartphone
• IScan Deposit – you can scan a check on your home computer, and upload it on Online Banking
• Mail a check

Once you’ve opened your account, you can log in at any time from the First Internet Bank login page.

First Internet Bank FAQs

Question: I get that First Internet Bank offers all banking services. But won’t there be times I may need a bank branch?

A: Banking technology has advanced to the point where physical bank branches are becoming increasingly unnecessary. ATMs are an excellent example of this in everyday life. Even banks with thousands of branches are gradually moving toward online banking. There’s now practically nothing you can do at a bank branch that you can’t do online or from your mobile device.

Question: Can I apply for an account with the bank if I am not a U.S. citizen?

A: First Internet Bank requires only that you are a legal U.S. resident. That means you must have a verifiable U.S. residential address and a U.S. tax identification number or Social Security number.

Question: Does First Internet Bank offer custodial accounts?

A: Yes. You can get a custodial account under either the Uniform Gifts to Minors Act (UGMA) or the Uniform Transfers to Minors Act (UTMA). First Internet Bank even has the Tomorrow’s Tycoons savings account specifically for that purpose.

Question: Can I make deposits into my account from an ATM?

A: Some, but not all, PLUS ATMs do accept deposits. You’ll have to determine which ones in your area will accept them, and use those machines for those times when you want to make an ATM deposit.

Question: Does First Internet Bank offer overdraft protection?

A: Yes. You can add overdraft protection by linking either a savings account or an overdraft line of credit to your checking account.

First Internet Online Bank Alternatives

First Internet Online Bank is one of the most comprehensive online banks available. But if you’re investigating online banks, you owe it to yourself to check out several before making your decision.

We recommend any of the following–all are solid choices:

CIT Bank

CIT Bank is similarly aggressive with interest rates. They offer high interest savings and money market accounts, with minimum opening deposits as low as $100. They also have one of the widest varieties of high interest CDs in the industry. For example, their RampUp CD enables you to take advantage of rising interest rates. And their No-Penalty CD has an 11-month term, and allows you to withdraw funds without incurring a prepayment penalty.

Read More: CIT Bank Review

Synchrony Bank

Synchrony Bank offers high-yield savings accounts available with a minimum opening balance of just $50. They also offer a wide variety of high-yield CDs, with terms ranging from 3 to 60 months. However, CDs are a bit steep with the minimum initial investment of $2,000.

Read More: Synchrony Bank Review

FNBO Direct

FNBO Direct is best known for their high interest savings accounts, that require no minimum balance. However, their CD rates are generally no better than what you can get at a local bank.

Discover

This may be the most interesting alternative online bank. Discover offers a checking account, which you can earn up to 1% cash back using the attached debit card. They’re also paying a generous bonus to open a high balance, high interest savings account. Their CD rates are at the high end of the range for both the three- and five-year terms. However, they do require a minimum initial investment of at least $2,500. Of course one of the major advantages with this bank is the tie-in with Discover’s very attractive credit card offers.

Read More: Discover Bank Review

First Internet Bank Pros and Cons

Pros:

• High interest rates. First Internet Bank offers some of the highest interest rates available on money markets and CDs.
• Little to no fees. Monthly maintenance fees, where they apply, are easily avoided.
• Full-service online bank. First Internet Bank is a full-service online bank, which is a rarity in the online universe.
• Variety of products to fit your needs. The Bank offers every type of loan you’ll need, including credit cards, vehicle loans, personal loans, student loans, and mortgages.
• Business banking. First Internet Bank provides full business banking services.
• Mobile app. You can scan and upload checks to online banking from your home computer (iScan), as well as make mobile deposits from your smartphone.
• ATM network. Access to more than 1.1 million ATMs worldwide.
• Available everywhere. The bank services customers in all 50 states.

Cons:

• No physical bank branches. This, of course, is what online banking is all about.
• Interest rates are not the best. Interest rates paid on savings accounts are lower than other online banks.

Should You Sign Up for First Internet Bank?

Based on the combination of services offered, from checking accounts, to high-yield money market account and CDs, IRAs, HSAs, and ESAs, First Internet Bank qualifies as a full service online bank. That’s rare in an industry where most participants focus solely on high-yield savings products, and totally exclude other common banking services.

First Internet Bank also provides the full range of loans the average consumer will need. This includes credit cards, personal loans, student loans, vehicle loans, and even home mortgages.

First Internet Bank can even accommodate business clients. They offer all business banking services, including a high-yield money market account and CDs.

Given the sheer number of banking services offered, First Internet Bank should be near the top of your search for an online bank. The basic advantage is that you can do all your banking with this company. There’ll be no need to maintain a local bank for basic banking services, like checking and loans, while keeping the online bank strictly for high-yield savings products.

If you’d like more information, or if you’d like to open an account with the bank, visit the First Internet Online Bank website.

Topics: Banking • Reviews

The post First Internet Bank Review – Full Service Online Bank appeared first on The Dough Roller.

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4 Important Tips When Using Essential Oils in Your Bath

Content originally published and Shared from http://perfectbath.com

More and more people are falling in love with aromatherapy. It doesn’t just smell good, it also provides health benefits depending on which oil you choose to use. But be careful about putting it in your bath without proper research beforehand, or you might risk burning your skin. Take note of the following tips:

Avoid direct contact with essential oils
“When it comes to putting essential oils in the bath, remember — oil and water don’t mix, which is to say the essential oils are not water soluble,” warns Teachey. Translation: When you climb into the tub, the small drops of oil can adhere to your skin (and tender nether regions!) just as if you’d applied the undiluted oil directly your skin, which can irritate and burn. Ouch!

Use carrier oils
You don’t want essential oils just to sit on top of the water; you want them dispersed throughout. The best way to do that is combine essential oils in a carrier oil first, like coconut, olive, sunflower, or jojoba. “For a single bath, three to 12 drops of essential oil in a tablespoon (15 ml) of carrier oil is sufficient to create a very aromatic, therapeutic bath,” says Teachey, who suggests stirring the bath before climbing in to help circulate oils. Source: GoodHousekeeping

Choose skin-friendly essential oils
As much as we love essential oils, there are some that don’t belong in the tub. Avoid essential oils that can irritate the skin or mucus membranes. On this list: basil, lemongrass, oregano, thyme, nutmeg, peppermint, cinnamon, clove, black pepper, and bay. Source: HelloGlow

Don’t stay for too long
Soaking for just the right amount of time in your luxurious bath will ensure that you get the most benefits from your aromatherapy session.

• You’ll want to soak in your aromatherapy bath for about 15-20 minutes to get the most benefits. Staying in longer can dry out or damage your skin.
• Consider using bath props, such as a pillow or rose petals, to help you relax further.
• A warm washcloth over your eyes will also help you enjoy your bath. Just make sure to warm it in water under the faucet so that you don’t get any essential oil in your eyes. Source: WikiHow

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Elmstone at Westerleigh

Elmstone at Westerleigh by Polygon is a new 4-storey condo development located at Polygon’s masterplanned community of Westerleigh, Abbotsford. This project will offer a collection of 142 stylish 1- and 2-bedroom homes, sizes range from 600 – 1,145 square feet. The homes at Elmstone is located steps from Club West – a 9,000 square-foot resort-style clubhouse just for residents – and features West Coast contemporary architecture with traditional touches like rich brickwork and metal detailing. Inside, these bright and airy homes will have spa-inspired bathrooms, laminate wood flooring, and gourmet kitchens with spacious islands, sleek stainless steel appliances and polished stone countertops.

The post Elmstone at Westerleigh appeared first on Vancouver New Condos.

from Projects – Vancouver New Condos http://bit.ly/2VXT3l2

Elmstone at Westerleigh

Elmstone at Westerleigh by Polygon is a new 4-storey condo development located at Polygon’s masterplanned community of Westerleigh, Abbotsford. This project will offer a collection of 142 stylish 1- and 2-bedroom homes, sizes range from 600 – 1,145 square feet. The homes at Elmstone is located steps from Club West – a 9,000 square-foot resort-style clubhouse just for residents – and features West Coast contemporary architecture with traditional touches like rich brickwork and metal detailing. Inside, these bright and airy homes will have spa-inspired bathrooms, laminate wood flooring, and gourmet kitchens with spacious islands, sleek stainless steel appliances and polished stone countertops.

The post Elmstone at Westerleigh appeared first on Vancouver New Condos.

from Projects – Vancouver New Condos http://bit.ly/2VXT3l2

Best Meal Planning Service: Our Top 10 Recommended Picks

Eat well and save money. Here are our top 10 picks for the best meal planning service available online!

If your normal weeknight dinner plans involve dining out or scrounging around the fridge for leftovers, meal planning could be exactly what you need. A great meal plan can help you eat well while saving money.

With so many meal plans to choose from, which are the best? And which one is best for you? We’ve compiled 10 meal planning services, so you can figure out which will work best for you.

The Best Meal Planning Service Available

eMeals

eMeals is one of the original online meal planning services, and from the volume of meal plans available, that’s obvious. The service offers a huge variety of menus, from clean eating to low carb to heart healthy to crock pot to vegetarian. They even offer plans in partnership with Health, All You, and Paula Deen. eMeals costs $59.99 per year or $29.99 every three months. You can pay extra for lunch, breakfast, dessert, and special occasion plans.

• Pros: With all the variety available, eMeals makes it easy to choose a meal plan that works for you and your family. They even offer store-centered plans that base recipes on what’s on sale that week. Plus, you can swap plans when you want, making it easy to fit meal planning to that week’s particular needs. eMeals will also export your grocery list to shopping apps like ClickList, which can be helpful.
• Cons: With eMeals, you can’t switch the serving sizes. The meals are set to either two to four or six to eight servings per meal with most plans, and you’ll have to do the math to reduce or increase them yourself if needed.
• Who it’s for: If you don’t mind cooking and want some flexibility with your meal planning, eMeals has the biggest variety available. You can easily switch to a 20-minute-meal or crock pot plan on a busy week, and then go back to your regularly-scheduled paleo or clean eating plan when life slows down.

Try eMeals 14 Day Free Trial

$5 Meal Plan

At just $5 a month for the service, the $5 Meal Plan is super affordable. The recipes lean towards family-friendly comfort foods, but always include a health balance of fruits and veggies. The weekly meal plan comes with a grocery shopping list, as well as bonus desserts, drinks, or other treats. The plan also offers a weekly gluten-free plan option.

More recently, $5 Meal Plan has introduced a Meal Plan Builder tool. This is great for pickier families, as it lets you build your own meal plan based on the site’s bank of cheap meals. Then, it will generate your shopping list for you.

• Pros: This service is affordable, and it focuses on affordable meals. The plans take advantage of seasonal products and what’s likely to be on sale. So most meals cost around $2 per person. The plan is also great in that it always includes at least one crock pot meal and one 20-minute meal per week. Many of the meals can also be prepped ahead of time for easier weeknight cooking.
• Cons: The meals aren’t customizable and neither are the recipes. (The website, however, offers a few six-week specialized menus, including a paleo option.) In other words, you can’t bump up a four-person recipe to accommodate six people easily. You’ll have to do the math–and adjust the grocery list–on your own.
• Who it’s for: The $5 Meal Plan is good for average-sized families who are neither super-picky nor super-adventurous. If you don’t mind some cooking on weeknights and your main meal-planning goal is trimming that grocery budget, this might be the plan for you.

Try $5 Meal Plan

Once a Month Meals

This meal-planning service, which used to be known as Once a Month Mom, is so popular it’s closed to new members right now. If you’re interested, though, you can put your name on their waiting list and be notified when you can sign up again. This service costs $16 a month, or about $170 per year, and it has a unique selling point: all the meals can be prepped in advance and stashed in your freezer. You can cook once a month, and then just basically warm things up on most nights of the week. Now, instead of giving subscribers access to set menus, Once a Month Meals lets you build your own menu from their database of freezer-friendly recipes. Then it tells you what to buy and in what order to prep your meals for the most efficient freezer cooking day possible.

• Pros: If you’re just too busy to cook on a typical weeknight, this is a great service. It offers customizable menus that make it easy to change serving sizes for your meals. The service actually plans out your entire cooking day to a T, making cooking as efficient as possible.
• Cons: At $16 per month, this is one of the more expensive services around, though it has more features. Cooking a full month’s worth of meals in one day makes for one very long day and also requires that you can buy a month’s worth of groceries at one time. Also, you’ve got to have a fairly large freezer to store all the meals.
• Who it’s for: This service is great for people who don’t like cooking on weeknights, but can bring themselves to cook once a month. It’s even better if you can team up with a friend, lighten the load, and split the meals for the month.

Try Once a Month Meals

Plan to Eat

Unlike the above meal plans, Plan to Eat doesn’t provide the recipes; you do. This app and online recipe planner collects your favorite recipes from anywhere. Then, you drag and drop your recipes onto your calendar-based meal planner. Plan to Eat then generates a grocery list for you.

• Pros: It uses recipes you already know your family loves, which makes your life easier and your dinner more likely to get eaten. Plus, the grocery list it generates is interactive, so you can check off items as you pick them up during the week. At $4.95 per month or $39 per year, it’s a pretty affordable option, too.
• Cons: It doesn’t do all the work for you, like some of these other services. You have to actually have a library of recipes your family enjoys to make this work!
• Who it’s for: This is best for people who don’t mind cooking and have recipes they’d love to eat, but who hate the list-making (and item-forgetting!) part of meal planning and grocery shopping. If you don’t mind putting in a bit of extra work, it’s a great option for streamlined meal planning.

The Six O’Clock Scramble

At $1.44 per week for a two-year subscription, The Six O’Clock Scramble is one affordable meal planning service! The service focuses on healthy meals that are quick to fix, and all the meals include side dishes. You can also customize meals for gluten free or vegetarian diets.

• Pros: It’s very affordable if you decide to opt for the two-year subscription, and even the one-year subscription at $2 per week comes in pretty low. With a focus on wholesome meals that are also easy to prepare, this is a great balance for families. Other reviewers have also noted that the weekly newsletter that comes with the service is helpful and interesting.
• Cons: Adding new recipes to the pre-planned menu can be difficult, and customization isn’t the easiest thing to do. And if you add a new recipe, you’ll have to print a separate grocery list.
• Who it’s for: The Six O’Clock Scramble is geared towards families with family-friendly recipes based on simple ingredients. If you’re not too fussy about customizing weekly menus, this is a simple way to plan quick weeknight meals.

The Fresh 20

The unique angle of this meal planning service is that it focuses on twenty fresh, local ingredients per week. The Fresh 20 splits the difference between daily meal prep and monthly freezer cooking with a one hour per week prep period to make weeknight meals simpler to prepare. Currently, it offers classic, gluten free, vegetarian, kosher, dairy free, and paleo plans, as well as plans for one person. Each plan costs $79 per year or $14 per month.

• Pros: With a focus on simple, fresh ingredients, The Fresh 20 is a healthy option. The one-hour prep period per week helps streamline meal prep each evening, too. When you pay for it annually, the plan is pretty cheap at just over $6.50 per month. You can also purchase specific plans, including dairy free, kosher, and six weeks’ worth of lunches, for an additional fee.
• Cons: You can’t switch between plans without adding additional costs, and you can’t change meal sizes easily with this one.
• Who it’s for: If you want both a great meal plan and fresh ingredients, this could be a good option. It’s geared towards families who want tasty, easy meals, but who also want to reduce their environmental footprint.

Pepperplate

Pepperplate is another app that will hold all your recipes. You can create and edit your own or import them to the service by pasting in an URL. The app comes with unlimited library space for your recipes, and you can schedule them as needed. The app also lets you scale recipes, and will generate shopping lists based on your meal plan.

• Pros: As a free app, it doesn’t get much cheaper than this! If you already have beloved recipes you love to use, this is a great app for compiling them and making them simpler to use.
• Cons: This is another app that doesn’t do it all for you. With Pepperplate, you’ll have to take time on the front end to save and import your favorite recipes, and you’ll have to take the time to plan your menu each week.
• Who it’s for: Pepperplate is another good option for those who already have recipes they love on hand. And since it’s free, it’s great if you’re on a super-tight budget that just doesn’t have $5-$10 per month of wiggle room for a meal planning service.

Eat This Much

If you’re on a specific, calorie-restricted diet, Eat This Much may be the meal-planning app you’ve been waiting for. It lets you put in how many calories you want to eat per day. Then you can build out your weekly meal plan with pre-made recipes and those that you add. You can track calories and your weight over time, as well. It lets you filter certain types of foods out of your meal plan, as well, which is great for low carb diets, vegetarians, and more.

• Pros: The app has a free version, but you can use premium features, including leftover planning and automatic weekly meal planning, for $3.99 per month with an annual subscription. This app is great for planning meals specific to your dietary style, right down to the calories you eat. It also offers unique features like an option to plan your meals based on restaurants or pre-made meal options.
• Cons: Family meal planning is part of the app’s premium services, so it’s not free. It also will only integrate personal nutrition targets for one person at a time.
• Who it’s for: If you want to follow a specific diet plan, either as a bodybuilder or someone who wants to lose or maintain weight, Eat This Much offers unique features you’ll love. It’s probably not the most family-friendly option on the market, though.

PlateJoy

The goal of PlateJoy is to help you be more joyful about your eating by providing you with meal plans that fit your life. When you sign up for an account, it will give you a quiz that lets the site customize a meal plan for your time constraints, eating preferences, and health goals. PlateJoy also offers a digital pantry, which keeps track of ingredients you should already have in your kitchen. And it automatically minimizes the number of ingredients on your grocery list to minimize waste.

• Pros: With the customization quiz, PlateJoy is likely to give you everything you never knew you wanted in a meal plan. It’s a good option if your family can all fit under the same time, health, and preference constraints.
• Cons: At $99 for a 12-month subscription or $69 for a 6-month subscription, this one is on the more expensive end of our list. But, still, if it results in a meal plan you love, the cost could be worth your while.
• Who it’s for: This meal plan could be for just about anyone, since it offers the get-to-know-you quiz when you start your subscription and then bases your meal plan on your personalized answers.

CookSmarts

What if you really want to meal plan and eat at home more, but you don’t really know much about cooking? In this case, CookSmarts might be for you. It includes helpful how-to cooking videos for beginning chefs, making it great for learning how to cook. Other features include weekend prep steps to ease your weeknight meal prep, automatic food waste reduction, and several diet options. It also has a free version that gives you access to three meal plans, so you can try it.

• Pros: This is an excellent option that takes some of the stress out of learning to cook. At $6-$8 per month, it’s not too expensive, either. And customizing your meals is easy, since each meal comes with a gluten-free, vegetarian, or paleo option. Your subscription also gets you access to the archives, so you can shop for a different plan if you don’t like that week’s.
• Cons: CookSmarts doesn’t offer as wide a variety of menu types as some of the options listed here.
• Who it’s for: This one is formulated specifically for beginning or inexperienced cooks who want to cook fresh meals and learn more about specific kitchen skills.

Alternative Meal Plan: Home Chef

If you’re too busy to even shop for groceries, Home Chef might be a good option for you. It’s one of the most popular meal delivery services around. This service lets you customize your meal options, and it actually delivers the ingredients and recipes right to your door. You can have two meals up to eight per week delivered. Home Chef makes meal prep and planning incredibly easy.

• Pros: You get easy-to-make, delicious, healthy meals delivered to your doorstep. It really doesn’t get any easier than this, and you can customize how often you want your meals delivered, too.
• Cons: The biggest con to any service like this is that you’re paying someone else to do your grocery shopping, which gets expensive. If you already spend a ton on dining out, Home Chef might save you money. But if you cook at home and grocery shop frugally, it will most likely cost you more than you spend now.
• Who it’s for: Home Chef could be a great option to supplement and simplify meal planning for a couple of nights a week. Or if you really don’t have time to grocery shop and end up dining out, it could definitely save you money. And it has a $30 off your first order deal, so now is a great time to give it a try!

Get $30 Off Your First Order Topics: Smart Spending

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