Apparently, you just have to apply for the credit card (and be approved, of course) and after you make one purchase, AMEX gives you 25,000 reward points. You can redeem these points for a free round-trip airline ticket. Keep in mind that this is a one time shot, though. You’ll get points at a much slower rate afterward as you make purchases on the card. I would prefer to have a card that offers rewards if I have to have one at all.

Yes, I know I talk about how evil credit cards are. I don’t particularly like them, but they are a necessary evil in the world today and often can provide some needed flexibility in both business and personal finances. If used judiciously, they can be a great tool.

I recently posted on the Orange Savings Account as a great way to save some money for a rainy day. I hate to say it, but Bankoholic lists a number of other accounts that seem to have just as good or better offers, including some of the highest cd rates I’ve seen. I won’t list them here, so you’ll have to go through some of the recent posts there to find out more. It definitely pays to shop around for banking services these days (I still think the Orange Savings Account is great, though).

I know we’re all used to hearing about great deals that then turn out to be phony, but this one looks legit. If you’re in the market for a new business credit card (maybe for your growing internet business!), this is a deal you’ll want to take a look at. According to some of the comments left on the post, it’s okay for individuals to sign up for the card without a business name, too.

In my search for how to improve my own finances, I’ve been interested in finding a simple and safe way to save some of my earnings and build up an emergency fund. The most obvious way to do this is to begin putting some money into a savings account. Regular bank savings accounts have been paying pathetic interest rates, though. They’ve begun to rise a bit over the last year or two with the rest of interest rates, but they still have a hard time competing with online savings accounts.

ING Orange Savings is probably the most popular online savings account today. This is for good reason. It offers a high interest rate yield, currently 4.5%, and a simple, easy to use interface. ING also has a quick sign up process that’s a breeze to go through in just minutes and even a very nice incentive program to encourage you to open an account.

I opened an Orange Savings account online recently and I have to say that all of the above were confirmed. The process went smoothly, the interface was intuitive, and the whole thing was completed in a very short time. The process was virtually painless. If you’re like me, finances can be a very painful thing so this was refreshing.

There are a couple of things to be aware of with an Orange Savings account, however. You won’t have immediate access to the money. There is no debit card or check writing available on this account. It is strictly a savings account in the most basic form.

When you sign up for the account, you link it with your own regular bank checking account. This allows you to move money back and forth with just a few clicks. It really is that simple, but be forewarned that it can take up to five business days to move your money from checking to Orange Savings and vice versa. In my experience, the money has been available in about 2-3 business days.

I know some of you will protest that if this is to be used for an emergency fund, then the money should be instantly available. I understand your concerns. I’m going to stir up a little controversy by saying that you should keep a credit card available for those emergencies that require immediate spending. Then, simply transfer the money from your Orange Savings account to your checking and pay off the balance before the end of the month.

So, why do it this way? There are a couple of reasons. Having easy access to your emergency fund can sometimes make it too easy for you to spend that money. If you have a debit card in your wallet at all times that can tap into that money, you may be tempted to use it. For many of us those temptations are sometimes hard to overcome. Another important reason is that credit cards give you an extra layer of protection as a consumer that cash never has provided. If you’re dipping into your emergency fund, you definitely can’t afford to be ripped off.

Perhaps the coolest thing about the Orange Savings account is the incentive offered to open a new account. If you open an account with at least a $250 deposit, ING will deposit an extra $25 in your account right off the bat. Pretty good deal, huh? If you start with $250, that’s like making 10% interest immediately. You will need a referral from another member, though.

All in all, Orange Savings is a great deal with a very attractive incentive. You won’t be able to get the bonus by going straight to their page, though. If you’re interested in opening an Orange Savings account and getting the $25 for opening an account, contact me and I’ll send you a referral link. Full disclosure: I will get $10 if you sign up from the email I send you. If this bothers you, don’t do it, but I still highly recommend ING Orange Savings.

ING DIRECT – High Yield Savings with 4.50% annual percentage yield!