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Chase Total Checking Account Review (2023.10 Update: $900 Offer in Total w/Savings)
2026.4 Update: There is now a $900 signup bonus available for opening just a checking account. Compared to the usual $900 bonus that requires opening both a checking and a savings account, this version saves you the hassle of opening a savings account (after all, with a 0.01% APY, there’s really no point parking money there anyway). Expiration date: 07/15/2026. HT: DoC.
2023.10 Update: The $300 checking + $200 savings + $400 for both offer has returned! HT: DoC.
Application Link
Benefits
- Welcome offer: $900. See below for the requirements to get this bonus. Offer expires on 7/15/2026.
- There is a monthly maintenance fee of $12. You can avoid this by following the steps below.
- If you close your account within 6 months, the award bonus will be rescinded.
- Chase is one of the largest banks in the US, so their branch and ATM network is vast.
New: You can refer a friend. Click this link to start referring. You will get $50 for each friend who opens a qualifying checking or savings account (up to 10 bonuses per year). Note that your friend will only get the $200 (Checking Account) + $150 (Savings Account) offer.- In order to avoid Chase closing your accounts, please make sure never to do the following:
- Depositing an enormous amount of cash.
- Regular cash deposits.
- Depositing money orders.
- Large remittances from abroad.
Regular use of the account for direct deposits, cashing checks, transferring between banks in the US is fine. For more details, please see “How to avoid getting your account closed by Chase”.
Bonus Requirements
- This bonus is only available for new clients of Chase Checking Account. Those who currently have a Chase Checking Account, or have closed an account within 90 days are not eligible for this offer. Those with a Chase Savings Account or a Chase credit card are not exempt from this offer.
- You can receive only one new checking account opening related bonus every two years from the last enrollment date and only one bonus per account. It means Chase Sapphire Checking and Chase Total Checking are now affecting each other.
- Direct Deposit (DD) requirement: have one direct deposit made to this account within 90 days of account opening. No minimum amount.
- Deposit requirement: Deposit a total of $15,000 or more in new money (not limited to direct deposit) within 30 days of offer enrollment, and maintain balance for 90 days from offer enrollment.
How to Avoid the Monthly Fee (Meet Any One of the Requirements Below)
- Each month have at least a $500 Direct Deposit .
- Daily balance of at least $1,500 in this account.
- Checking + Savings + Investment Account monthly average balance at least $5,000.
Related Accounts
Here is a comparison and contrast on the official website.
Summary
Chase is a major national bank with a large branch footprint, so for many people around the country, it can work perfectly well as a primary checking account. In my view, opening and closing it once for the signup bonus is still reasonable, but I would not recommend repeatedly cycling their accounts just to farm bank bonuses. After all, Chase’s credit card lineup is simply too valuable, and it would be a terrible trade if you somehow annoyed them and ended up hurting your relationship. One thing to keep in mind is that Chase Checking accounts can be quite sensitive, so do your best to avoid cash transactions and unusually large transfers whenever possible. Be sure to read “How to avoid getting your account closed by Chase” carefully. The signup bonus is very generous, and if you have never earned this bonus before, this is a great time to go for it.
Application Link
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Consumer confidence in AI is falling. Why that matters to mortgage brokers
“I think it’s that people are becoming more familiar with it,” Gromowski said. “They’re seeing the value. They understand the power. It’s so powerful, and I’m constantly reminded that I turn to it all the time, multiple times a day. I’m always fascinated by how it works and how powerful it is. So when you start to get more and more confident or comfortable with the idea that it is powerful, it’s likely going to be here to stay, then you go to where is it actually going to start infiltrating?”
Gromowski said mortgage pros who are integrating AI into their customer-facing processes will not only need to explain that to the customer, but also explain how that’s going to help make their lives easier. Customers also want to know that there will still be a person behind the AI to offer support.
“Because now it’s a real concept that people are wrapping their minds around,” she said. “It’s going to happen, and so will I have control? Will I know when it’s going to be a part of decisions on something very important, like buying, selling, transacting, or getting into a home?
“I think that’s where the confidence is lacking. They think, ‘I don’t want that train to move without me having control of it in some way. I just don’t want to be on the ride without having volunteered for it, knowing that it’s going to be a reality or assuming that it’s already here.’”
Brokers understanding the risks
For brokers, when considering how to use AI and the impact on customers, it comes down to how much the technology will impact the potential homebuyer. The more impact there is, the more transparency those customers expect.
After a Big Run, Here’s the Honest Buy, Sell, or Hold on Sandisk
Sandisk (SNDK +0.15%) stock’s 2,000% gain just since August of last year makes enough superficial sense. Sandisk is one of only a handful of companies that make computer memory chips, and the proliferation of artificial intelligence (AI) data centers is driving insatiable demand for computer memory. Stunningly, even with this huge run-up, Sandisk shares are still reasonably priced at just over 20 times this year’s projected per-share earnings of $42.57. They’re expected to more than double next year.
Nevertheless, it would be naïve to ignore the ever-changing rhetoric that’s pushing and pulling on this and other AI-related stocks. This bullishness could fade just as quickly as it materialized, unwinding a sizable chunk of this rally.
Even then, there’s a decent value-based argument to be made.
Nothing to do with actual fundamentals
It’s cliché to be sure, but Benjamin Graham is right nonetheless — in the long run, the stock market may reflect companies’ underlying fundamental values. But in the short run, it’s a voting machine, reflecting investors’ fear, greed, and feelings about a company… no matter how misguided those assumptions may be.
Ignore those short-term, ever-changing knee-jerk moves at your own peril, though, particularly for well-watched volatile stocks like Sandisk. They can be opportunities, or curses, affecting your long-term results.
There’s the rub for anyone eyeing SNDK as a potential investment right now, or for that matter, any current shareholder mulling an exit while the stock’s still near its recently reached record high. This high follows last year’s spinoff from Western Digital (and subsequent relisting) early last year.
Not only are the company’s fiscal results changing too quickly to make a meaningful value-based assessment of the stock right now, Sandisk is clearly caught up with the market’s top artificial intelligence stocks. Most investors aren’t quite sure how to price them anymore. Unfortunately — out of necessity — the scenario is forcing even the most diehard of fundamental-minded investors to become speculators.
Image source: Getty Images.
There is clear long-term value here, though, if you can look far enough down the road. Even as the industry’s current pricing power deflates in the foreseeable future once the supply/demand imbalance gets sorted out, there’s still money to be made in this business in the short and long run. Analysts expect 2028’s per-share profits to hold near 2027’s estimate of $105.63, peeling back to a still-solid $91.85. The stock’s currently valued at less than 10 times that long-range number right now.
A technical cool-off is in the cards, but…
Great. So, buy or hold the stock despite the recent rally?
Today’s Change
(0.15%) $1.39
Current Price
$920.86
Key Data Points
Market Cap
$136B
Day’s Range
$886.28 – $930.40
52wk Range
$28.94 – $965.00
Volume
466K
Avg Vol
20M
Gross Margin
34.81%
Not necessarily. Plan on a pullback in the short run, in fact, which could evolve into an intermediate-term lull… especially if other artificial intelligence stocks do the same. That wouldn’t be an indictment of the company’s current and future results, or the stock’s value. It’s just the way the ebb and flow of trendy growth stocks works.
Once that cool-off is complete, however, don’t be afraid to step in. Artificial intelligence isn’t going away. Neither is its need for memory chips. Sandisk’s current pricing power will fade, but that’s seemingly already factored into the stock’s price.
Top assets to invest in for financial freedom. #robertkiyosaki #vpmotion #short #investing #assets
Top assets to invest in for financial freedom. #robertkiyosaki #vpmotion #short #investing #assets
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Stop Solving the Wrong Problems in Your Business
Catch the Full Episode:
Episode Overview
In this episode of the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast, John Jantsch sits down with entrepreneur, author, and business coach Kevin St.Clergy to unpack the concept of “blind blaming”—a hidden pattern that causes leaders to misdiagnose problems and stall growth.
Kevin shares a powerful personal story that led to the discovery of blind blaming and explains how this phenomenon shows up in business, particularly when leaders default to blaming marketing, teams, or external factors instead of identifying root causes. The conversation dives into cognitive biases, the importance of reflection, and why many entrepreneurs stay stuck despite working harder than ever.
Listeners will learn Kevin’s RCD Method (Reflect, Connect, Decide), how to uncover hidden bottlenecks, and why transformation—not tactics—is the future of business growth. This episode is especially valuable for entrepreneurs, agency owners, and leaders who feel stuck despite putting in significant effort.
Guest Bio: Kevin St.Clergy
Kevin D. St.Clergy is an entrepreneur, speaker, mentor, and author of Beyond Blind Blaming: Stop Solving the Wrong Problems and Instantly Unlock Results. After successfully building and exiting his own marketing agency, Kevin now helps business owners and leaders identify hidden assumptions, mindset blocks, and misdiagnosed problems that limit growth. His work focuses on transforming leaders by addressing root causes rather than surface-level symptoms.
Key Takeaways
1. Most Leaders Are Solving the Wrong Problems
Blind blaming occurs when individuals assign fault to the most obvious or convenient cause—often without verifying if it’s accurate. This leads to repeated failure despite increased effort.
2. Cognitive Biases Drive Misdiagnosis
- Availability Bias: The first explanation that comes to mind becomes the assumed truth.
- Confirmation Bias: Leaders then seek evidence to prove that assumption correct.
- Result: Time and energy are wasted on the wrong solutions.
3. The RCD Method for Breakthroughs
- Reflect: Ask, “Is there something I’m not seeing?”
- Connect: Seek outside perspectives (coaches, mentors, masterminds).
- Decide: Take decisive action once clarity is reached.
4. More Leads Isn’t Always the Problem
Many businesses blame marketing when the real issue lies in:
- Poor sales processes
- Missed calls
- Weak customer experience
5. Transformation Beats Transaction
Modern clients don’t want more services—they want outcomes. Businesses that shift from transactional services to transformational partnerships see higher retention and growth.
6. Mindset Shapes Business Outcomes
Limiting beliefs (e.g., “I’ll never be that successful”) directly impact business performance. Growth often starts with expanding what leaders believe is possible.
7. Slowing Down Is a Growth Strategy
High-performing entrepreneurs often avoid reflection. Scheduling dedicated thinking time is essential for identifying root problems and making better decisions.
Great Moments (Timestamps)
00:01 – Introduction to “blind blaming” and why leaders get stuck
01:08 – Kevin’s baseball story that inspired the concept
02:44 – Real-world example: businesses blaming marketing incorrectly
03:36 – Introduction to the RCD Method
05:12 – Why outside perspectives are critical for growth
06:18 – The power of making decisive choices (MFD concept)
06:55 – Why slowing down leads to better results
09:25 – Recognizing blind blaming through language and mindset
11:39 – The three fatal flaws: availability, confirmation, and misdirected focus
13:47 – Transitioning from marketing agency to business growth partner
15:01 – Strategy-first approach and becoming a trusted advisor
17:18 – Diagnosing real business problems beyond surface assumptions
18:58 – Why clients crave transformation, not services
20:16 – Hidden personal factors (like health) impacting business performance
Notable Quotes
“Blind blaming is when we blame something completely out of our control—or something that isn’t even the real problem.”
“If you keep solving the same problem over and over again and getting the same results, you’re probably solving the wrong problem.”
“People don’t want more marketing—they want more money, more growth, and more impact.”
“Build the business owner that builds the business.”
“Transformation beats transaction every time.”
Emotional Yields of Collectibles | FAJ
We propose a novel method to estimate emotional yields of collectibles based on factor-mimicking portfolios. Using up to 110 years of collectibles returns for 13 distinct asset classes, we apply machine learning techniques to address challenges from non-synchronous trading. We use these estimates to study how emotional yields affect equilibrium pricing. Emotional yield estimates for 24 of our 30 collectibles return series are positive, with an annualized mean (median) of 2.64% (2.53%). Despite various forms of underestimation, these results provide evidence that assets with positive emotional returns have lower equilibrium financial returns.
Rakuten Bonus for Bank of America Cards, Up to Extra $150
🔃 Update (Apr 17, 2026) – Rakuten bonus for Bank of America Travel Rewards Card is back to $250. Customized Cash Rewards Card bonus has doubled to $150. (HT: DoC)
🔃 Update (Apr 05, 2026) – Rakuten bonus for Bank of America Travel Rewards Card is now up to $250. Add the $250 bonus from Bank of America and you’re getting $500 for a no-fee credit card. (HT: Richard)
Rakuten Bonus for Bank of America Cards
Rakuten is offering an extra bonus for two Bank of America credit cards. We have seen similar offers in the past for select Chase credit cards, but currently there’s only a $25 extra bonus for Chase Freedom Unlimited.
The Bank of America bonuses are much better, as first reported by Doctor of Credit. Here are the two cards that are showing on Rakuten:
- Bank of America Travel Rewards Card:
$150$250 Cash Back - Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards Card: $75 Cash Back
These bonuses are showing for accounts that earn cash back or Bilt Points. You will not see them if your Rakuten account earns Membership Rewards points. They’re also in addition to the bonus that Bank of American is offering on these two cards:
That makes it a nice bonus for no-fee credit cards. You can earn $400 or $350+, depending on which card you choose.
If you don’t have a Rakuten account yet, you can sign up now for a $50 bonus.
Mortgage Rates Plummet on Unexpected Peace Deal and Strait Reopening
Mortgage rates just got the best possible news they could get.
A 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon has been announced that also resulted in Iran declaring the Strait of Hormuz “completely open.”
This resulted in oil prices dropping into the $80s and 10-year bond yields falling closer to 4.20%.
As a result, 30-year fixed mortgage rates will also see a winning day, building on a winning month thus far in April.
Just be wary that conditions can change quickly, and the ceasefire only lasts 10 days.
Mortgage Rates Extend Winning Month on New Ceasefire
A new 10-day ceasefire has been agreed to between Israel and Lebanon, complementing the existing one between the U.S. and Iran.
At the same time, Iran announced that the Strait of Hormuz was open for business again, leading to a big drop in oil prices.
This pushed 10-year bond yields a lot lower, as easing oil prices equate to reduced inflation concerns.
That will translate to lower mortgage rates today as well, and builds upon the strong month we’ve seen already.
Much of the increase in rates in March has been erased, though mortgage rates are still roughly .25% higher than their absolute lows seen prior to the conflict.
Whether they keep falling is another question, but it’s certainly good news for home buyers and even those looking at a rate and term refinance.
I checked out mortgage rates from a variety of big banks this morning and they’re all pretty much back to the lows we saw in February, perhaps just a hair higher.
So if you were shopping mortgage rates and gave up because of how bad March was, you might want to revisit and call some lenders for new quotes.
Beware of a Bounce in Rates If the Deal Falls Apart
While there’s a ton of optimism regarding mortgage rates right now, beware of a bounce higher.
It’s really no different than when the stock market rallies and then all of a sudden has a pullback or a down day.
While it’s great news to hear that negotiations and ceasefires are in effect, more so for the people actually affected by this conflict, it can change at a moment’s notice.
For example, the original two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran ends on April 22nd, which is next Wednesday.
And this new ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon only lasts for 10 days. The same goes for the Strait reopening.
It’s only open during the 10-day ceasefire. That’s not a ton of time to get ships moving again given the backlog, assuming it isn’t extended.
The U.S. is continuing its blockade until “our transaction with Iran is 100% complete,” per President Donald Trump.
Trump also said, “Iran, with the help of the U.S.A., has removed, or is removing, all sea mines!”
In addition, “Iran has agreed to never close the Strait of Hormuz again. It will no longer be used as a weapon against the World!”
So if you believe all that, and the various parties cooperate during the ceasefire, we could see mortgage rates continue to drift lower next week and beyond.
But if something unexpected happens, or we see any sort of setback, mortgage rates could shoot higher again.
Lastly, remember that rates always take longer to fall than they do to rise. It’s an elevator up and a staircase down.
New tool: Easily compare rates with my mortgage rate calculator!
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Oil is back to early war days, S&P 500 jumps to all-time high
Oil prices dropped back to where they were in the early days of the Iran war, and U.S. stocks raced to another record Friday after Iran said the Strait of Hormuz is open again for commercial tankers carrying crude from the Persian Gulf to customers worldwide.
The S&P 500 leaped 1.2% to an all-time high and closed out a third straight week of big gains, its longest streak since Halloween. A freer flow of oil could take pressure off prices not only for gasoline but also for groceries and all kinds of other products that get moved by vehicles. It could even ultimately help people pay less on credit-card interest and mortgage bills.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average surged as many as 1,100 points before paring its gain to 868, or 1.8%. The Nasdaq composite climbed 1.5%.
The U.S. stock market has jumped more than 12% since hitting a bottom in late March on hopes the United States and Iran can avoid a worst-case scenario for the global economy despite their war. Friday’s reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, which may only be temporary, is the clearest signal yet for optimism, and President Donald Trump said late Thursday that the war “should be ending pretty soon.”
The price for a barrel of benchmark U.S. crude plunged immediately after Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, posted on X that passage for all commercial vessels through the strait “is declared completely open” as a ceasefire appears to be holding in Lebanon. He said it would stay open for the remaining period of the ceasefire, and the price for U.S. oil dropped 9.4% to settle at $82.59 per barrel.
Brent crude, the international standard, fell 9.1% to settle at $90.38 per barrel. To be sure, it remains above its $70 price from before the war, indicating some caution is still embedded in financial markets.
Several times since the war began, optimism on Wall Street has quickly deteriorated into doubt about a possible end to the fighting. That in turn has caused vicious and sudden swings of prices for everything from stocks to bonds to oil.
Minutes after the Iranian foreign minister’s announcement of the Strait of Hormuz’s reopening, Trump said on his social media network that the U.S. Navy’s blockade of Iranian ports remains “in full force” until both sides reach a deal on the war. He, though, also suggested that “should go very quickly in that most of the points are already negotiated” and emphasized it by using all capital letters.
Companies with big fuel bills soared to some of Wall Street’s biggest gains following the easing of oil prices.
United Airlines flew 7.1% higher, and Southwest Airlines climbed 5.1%. A day earlier, the head of the International Energy Agency had said that Europe has “maybe six weeks or so” of remaining jet fuel supplies.
Operators of cruise ships, which guzzle fuel, also steamed higher. Royal Caribbean Group gained 7.3%, and Carnival rose 7%.
Housing and auto-related companies likewise got some relief from the drop in oil prices.
With less threat of high inflation hurting the economy, a sustained drop in oil prices could convince the Federal Reserve to resume its cuts to interest rates to help the economy. The yield on the 10-year Treasury sank to 4.24% from 4.32% late Thursday, and lower yields can bring down rates for mortgages and other loans going to U.S. households and businesses.
Builders FirstSource, a supplier of windows and other products, rose 5.5%, and homebuilder PulteGroup gained 5% on hopes that lower mortgage rates will spur more people to buy houses. Carvana climbed 7% because lower loan rates can get more customers into new autos.
A strong start to the earnings reporting season for big U.S. companies has also helped support the U.S. stock market, and more financial companies joined the list delivering bigger profits for the start of 2026 than analysts expected.
State Street rose 2.5%, and Fifth Third Bancorp added 1.7% after both reported better results for the latest quarter than expected.
They helped offset a 9.7% slide for Netflix, which fell even though it delivered a better profit than expected. It did not raise its forecast for revenue growth for the full year, which analysts said may have disappointed some investors.
It also said Reed Hastings, cofounder and chairman of the streaming company, will step down from its board of directors in June when his term expires.
All told, the S&P 500 rose 84.78 points to 7,126.06. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 868.71 to 49,447.43, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 365.78 to 24,468.48.
In stock markets abroad, stock indexes leaped in Europe following Iran’s announcement about the Strait of Hormuz. France’s CAC 40 jumped 2%, and Germany’s DAX returned 2.3%.
In Asia, where trading finished for the day before the announcement, indexes were weaker. Japan’s Nikkei 225 lost 1.8%, and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng fell 0.9% for two of the bigger losses.
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AP Business Writers Chan Ho-him and Matt Ott contributed to this report.