35 minutes to riches

It's Money Magazine's 35th anniversary. In its honor, here are 47 smart ways to get on track to a rich life.

Home Affordability
See where you max out
Gross annual income:
Downpayment amount:
Monthly debt:
(eg. student loan, credit card payments)
Mortgage rate:  %
Annual property taxes:
Annual homeowner insurance:
CALCULATE  
Stop overpaying on your mortgage
Time it takes: 9 minutes
If you carry private mortgage insurance but now have 20% equity in your home, see whether you can cancel. Your mortgage servicer (the phone number is listed on your bill) usually must oblige if your down payment and principal payments exceed 20% of your home's original value. Many will do so if rising prices have pushed your equity to 20%.

In this case, canceling will take longer: Most mortgage companies require an appraisal, which costs around $300. But at homegain.com, realestateabc.com or zillow.com you can get an idea of whether your home value has risen enough to justify a call.
Credit score Raise your credit score Triple the return on savings Stop junk mail Freeze your credit Cut your credit rate Upgrade to a better card Add to your 401(k) Asset Allocation Buy a forever portfolio Find promising funds Track returns Check salary Retirement plan Life insurance Tax bracket Escape late fees Write bounce-proof checks Auto insurance Double-check your taxes Keep more of your paycheck Tax break for day care Pay less for your cell Cut drug costs No more waiting rooms Burn calories Be like Buffett Save for college Automate your savings Get credit, even in a crunch Read your mortgage Save on your mortgage Create an insurance record Curb impulse buys Spend consciously Slash recurring charges Boost your mileage Find it cheaper online Demand a lower cable bill Save on drinking water 35-second solutions
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Most stock quote data provided by BATS. Market indices are shown in real time, except for the DJIA, which is delayed by two minutes. All times are ET. Disclaimer. Morningstar: © 2018 Morningstar, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Factset: FactSet Research Systems Inc. 2018. All rights reserved. Chicago Mercantile Association: Certain market data is the property of Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. and its licensors. All rights reserved. Dow Jones: The Dow Jones branded indices are proprietary to and are calculated, distributed and marketed by DJI Opco, a subsidiary of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC and have been licensed for use to S&P Opco, LLC and CNN. Standard & Poor's and S&P are registered trademarks of Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC and Dow Jones is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC. All content of the Dow Jones branded indices © S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC 2018 and/or its affiliates.

Most stock quote data provided by BATS. Market indices are shown in real time, except for the DJIA, which is delayed by two minutes. All times are ET. Disclaimer. Morningstar: © 2018 Morningstar, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Factset: FactSet Research Systems Inc. 2018. All rights reserved. Chicago Mercantile Association: Certain market data is the property of Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. and its licensors. All rights reserved. Dow Jones: The Dow Jones branded indices are proprietary to and are calculated, distributed and marketed by DJI Opco, a subsidiary of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC and have been licensed for use to S&P Opco, LLC and CNN. Standard & Poor's and S&P are registered trademarks of Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC and Dow Jones is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC. All content of the Dow Jones branded indices © S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC 2018 and/or its affiliates.