We’re all familiar with the numerous holiday gift round-ups that hit the web each year around this time. If you’re shopping for a child, these pieces probably showcase the top toys, art supplies, tech, or clothing for kids. You’ll find the latest and greatest tablets, drones, and video games … but there’s generally nothing unique that you wouldn’t find outside your local big-box store or the homepage of popular online retailers.
The same goes when listing Christmas gift ideas for adults. You’ll likely see the same old slippers, e-readers, earbuds, and puffer coats. Chances are you probably already own one or most of those things. And let’s face it: Even though they’re cozy, nobody actually needs five pairs of fuzzy slippers.
If you’re looking for something that’s a little off the beaten path, and a little more useful, read on as we list our best gift ideas and stocking stuffers for Christmas 2023. Instead of Squishmallows and shaving kits, we have the only Christmas gift ideas (outside of Chia Pets!) with the potential to grow over time: financial gifts.
Why the Perfect Gift for Christmas Is a Financial Gift
Financial gifts are not only unique amid a sea of Legos and Squishmallows, but they also open a door to learning about money—a valuable opportunity no matter the age of the gift recipient.
If you’re gift shopping for a child or teen, remember: A financial present could help them learn about saving, investing, and building wealth. As a result, they might develop good financial habits that will serve them well in the future.
But financial gifts aren’t just for kids: Adults can benefit every bit as much. Just about everyone could get a little better at managing their finances and saving money. And a money-related gift can help your loved one boost their savings and invest for their goals.
So, without further ado, let’s get on with our financial holiday gift guide!
Best Christmas Gifts for Kids and Teens: Financial Edition
If you’ve got money on your mind this holiday season, channel some of that energy—and redirect it by doling out the best financial gifts to the kids and teens in your family!
A quick note, though: If you’re not the parent, be sure to consult with the child’s parents before giving a financial gift. Whenever possible, you want to ensure your gift aligns with their savings plans.
1. 529 Plans
Higher education is expensive. That’s why a particularly thoughtful gift is contributing to a 529 plan, where money can grow over time and be used to pay for tuition and related costs. College isn’t cheap, so most parents will appreciate that kind of financial support for their child.
In 2023, a person can give up to $17,000 per person in a year, whether that’s to a 529 plan or not, without any tax consequences. However, if it’s financially feasible, you can front-load a large contribution to a loved one’s 529 plan. Also called “superfunding” a 529, gift givers can donate a lump sum between $17,001 to $85,000, and categorize this amount as being spread out over five years from a gift tax perspective. It’s a great tax break that allows all of your generous contribution to begin compounding right away. And thanks to special IRS rules around 529 accounts, this amount won’t count against your lifetime gift tax exclusion.
And we’ll say this several times: Discuss with parents beforehand to see whether they already have set up an account, or if you should create one.
529s with Backer
- Available: Sign up here
- Price: Flat fee of $1.99 per contribution
Backer, a hassle-free 529 savings plan where your family and friends can play a role, has helped families save more than $25 million toward college in just minutes.
Backer users have lauded its service for three primary reasons:
- Simplicity: Backer allows families to start a college fund or enhance their existing one in under 3 minutes
- Smart design: The company leverages robo-advice to help families maximize their college savings with tax-free investing in line with the details discussed above
- Social: Backer allows friends and family to support the child’s college fund through gifts and cash-back rewards through brand-name partners
Backer 529 account holders can invest in a portfolio of low-cost index funds, including large-company stocks (S&P 500), small-cap stocks (Russell 2000), international-company shares (MSCI EAFE Index), and U.S. government bonds (Barclays Aggregate Bond Index).
- Backer allows you to invest your educational savings tax-free in a 529 plan and also allows for family and friends to help you to save more.
- Use low-cost index funds to invest in different asset classes, including stocks and bonds.
Related: Best Bar Mitzvah Gift Ideas
2. Custodial Accounts
Custodial accounts are among the best gifts you can give a child to build up their financial future.
Custodial accounts allow you to invest money for a minor. As the account’s custodian or trustee, you have control of it until your child reaches adulthood—typically 18 to 21 years old. Once your child reaches adulthood, they become the owner of their individual account and can do whatever they want with the funds.
There are two main types of custodial account: Uniform Gifts to Minors Act (UGMA) and Uniform Transfers to Minors Act (UTMA). The two main differences between UGMA and UTMA:
- A UGMA custodial account can be used to hold only strictly financial assets, including (but not limited to) stocks, bonds, mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and insurance products. UTMA accounts can hold those assets, but also any property—say, real estate or cars.
- The UGMA custodial account structure has been adopted in all 50 states. However, only 48 states have adopted the UTMA custodial account. (South Carolina and Vermont are the exceptions.)
Just note that if you are concerned about the impact of your child’s assets on their eligibility for federal financial aid, then a custodial account might not be right. Students are expected to contribute a higher percentage of savings versus what their parents might be able to, usually 20% versus a maximum 5.6% of savings for the parents.
Custodial accounts with EarlyBird
- Available: Sign up here
- Price: $2.95/mo. for one child, $4.95/mo. for families with 2+ children
EarlyBird is a mobile app that allows parents and guardians to set up a Uniform Gifts to Minors Act (UGMA) account (more on those below) to gift money for investments to their children.
This app provides a convenient and inexpensive way to gift money to a child, with funds available to go toward any expenses that benefit the child. When opening an account to invest for your children, EarlyBird allows you to choose from five strategic ETF-only portfolios, with investing goals ranging from conservative to aggressive, based on your stated risk tolerance and overall investor profile.
Do family and friends want to provide a gift, but think money is too impersonal? With EarlyBird, they can record a video to go along with their financial contribution, personalizing these moments which last a lifetime. And if you’d like to give but the recipient doesn’t have an EarlyBird account, you can text them a link from the app to the recipient’s phone number.
Consider opening an EarlyBird account today and receive $15 to get you started after opening your account.
- EarlyBird empowers parents, family and friends to invest in the next generation through custodial accounts.
- Send and receive financial gifts to invest in children.
- Offers managed and auto-rebalanced portfolios of ETF-based investments based on the child's age, investment goals, time horizon, risk tolerance, and other factors.
- Special offer: Receive $15 to invest by opening an account today.
Related: 11 Best Investment Accounts [Types for Beginners to Use]
3. Joint Brokerage Accounts
The standard type of brokerage account is an individual brokerage, in which one person is listed as the account owner. A joint brokerage account, however, allows two or more people to sit on the account’s title and act as owners of all assets within the account.
These accounts most commonly exist between spouses. However, they can also be opened between two or more individuals who share financial goals (say, unmarried partners or business partners), or more to the point of investing for kids, multiple family members (say, a parent and child).
When a parent and child have a jointly owned brokerage account, they can share in the decision-making of what to buy and sell. And it’s easy! Many investing apps for kids allow you to open a brokerage account with joint ownership.
4. Brokerage Accounts (Parent-Owned, Kid-Used)
In theory, children could use their parents’ brokerage account (with the parents’ permission, of course) to learn about investing. Problem is, because you can’t open a brokerage account until age 18, virtually all brokerage accounts are designed with adults in mind—the interfaces aren’t simple enough for children, and there aren’t nearly enough guardrails.
However, there are rare exceptions out there, including a notable one from Greenlight:
The Greenlight Max account
Greenlight Max is an investment account for kids that comes paired with a debit card and bank account.
It’s easy to use and can double as a savings account and banking apps for teens. The investing app will teach the basics of investing, how to invest in stocks and ETFs, and more.
It works best if parents and/or grandparents are involved in the process because it requires linked accounts from the adults’ banks or brokerages. Plus, parents and guardians will need to approve trades made in the investment account.
The all-in-one plan teaches them important financial skills like money management and investing fundamentals—with real money, real stocks and real-life lessons.
You can use the investing feature to:
- Start investing with as little as $1 in your account
- Buy fractional shares of companies you admire (say, kid-friendly stocks)
- No trading commissions beyond the monthly subscription fee
- Teens can only invest in U.S.-listed stocks and ETFs that have either a market capitalization over $1 billion or a three-month average daily dollar volume of more than $500,000
- Parents must approve every trade directly in the app.
Consider opening a Greenlight Card + Max account to start investing in a joint investment account as a teenager today. Each account supports up to five kids.
Greenlight currently offers a free one-month trial so you can see whether it really is one of the best investments for kids and, more importantly, meets all of your needs.
- Greenlight offers flexible parental controls for each child and real-time notifications of each transaction.
- Greenlight is the only debit card letting you choose the exact stores where kids can spend on the card.
- Parents can use this app to teach them how to invest with a brokerage account through Greenlight Max and Greenlight Infinity plans
- Best-in-class parental controls (can prohibit specific stores)
- Can add brokerage account to invest in stocks
- Intuitive Parent and Kid apps
- Competitive cash back and interest rates
- High price points
- No cash reload options
- No parent / child lending
Related: Greenlight Card Review
5. Custodial Roth IRA
While individual retirement accounts (IRAs) and Roth IRAs are used predominantly by adults, one type of Roth IRA makes for a great Christmas gift for a child or teen.
Like with a custodial brokerage account, a parent or guardian opens a custodial Roth IRA and maintains the account on behalf of their child or minor. You decide how to invest the account balance and how much to contribute, and then account ownership is transferred to your child when they reach a certain age.
These accounts offer certain advantages, such as tax-free withdrawals for qualified costs or in retirement, but they’re also subject to contribution limits. For 2023, the Roth IRA contribution limit is $6,500. Still, opening a custodial Roth IRA can be a great way to help your child build a nest egg for retirement, or a qualified expense such as college tuition or a down payment on a first home.
6. Debit Card for Kids and Teens
Debit cards are a pivotal pathway into financial responsibility. That’s because they give kids a little control over their spending and provide them a glimpse into what it’s like to manage money on their own.
The best debit cards for teens come with features such as parental oversight, spending controls, rewards programs, and more.
Get your child started with a Greenlight debit card
- Available: Sign up here
In addition to investment accounts, Greenlight also offers a debit card that boasts great features for the kids who use it, as well as important safety features that adults can oversee.
The Greenlight Card works like a prepaid debit card. You can choose how much money to load onto the card, and it will be cleared to make approved purchases so long as a money balance backs up the card.
Greenlight provides parents with control over where their teens can spend money by limiting the stores where their cards work. Parents also can receive alerts when money is spent. Teens who want extra money can request it and even include a photo of the purchase they want to make. Teenagers who have jobs can add their own funds to the card as well.
The Greenlight card is accepted at any ATM that accepts Mastercard, Visa, Interlink or Maestro cards. (Just note that most ATMs charge withdrawal fees, and these fees will be charged per withdrawal.) The company even offers a personalized card, with your own photo or design, for $9.98 per year.
Further, parents can open an investment account for kids to get their children investing in stocks and exchange-traded funds for the first time.
- Greenlight offers flexible parental controls for each child and real-time notifications of each transaction.
- Greenlight is the only debit card letting you choose the exact stores where kids can spend on the card.
- Parents can use this app to teach them how to invest with a brokerage account through Greenlight Max and Greenlight Infinity plans.
- Unlike many apps that simply provide features and controls, Greenlight is also designed to spark discussions with children about spending, investing, and more, fostering more education.
- Best-in-class parental controls (can prohibit specific stores)
- Can add brokerage account to invest in stocks
- Intuitive Parent + Kid apps
- Competitive cash back & interest rates
- Parent-Paid Interest
- High price points
- No cash reload options
- No parent / child lending
Related: 10 Best Free Debit Cards for Kids & Teens [Earn, Save & Spend]
7. Secured Credit Card for Teens
Another type of card to consider getting for your teenage children is a secured credit card.
Like a prepaid debit card, you effectively have to put money up front to use the card. However, with a secured credit card, the up-front money is just a deposit—usually equal to your credit limit—that you will receive back when you close the card. Otherwise, it works like a credit card, you pay it off monthly, and it can help you build your credit.
Start your credit history with the Step Visa Card
- Available: Sign up here
The Step Visa Card is a unique “hybrid” secured credit card that’s tailor-made for kids and teens. It functions just like a Visa credit card, but it offers the safety features of a debit card—and most importantly, it can help build your child’s credit history.
Parents, who sponsor the card, can opt to have Step report the past two years’ worth of information—transactions, payment history, and more—to the credit bureaus when their child turns 18. Credit scores are assigned once someone turns 18, and most teens will begin with a score of under 600. But based on a Step survey, 18-year-olds who used Step for at least seven months had an average credit score of 725.
How much of a difference could that better credit make? Step says that an 18-year-old user with a score of 725 could expect these kinds of savings compared to users with lower credit scores:
- Car insurance: $147 per month instead of $250 per month
- Student loan: 6.24% interest rate instead of 10.46%
- Security deposit: 1 month’s rent instead of two months’ rent
Step also provides a seamless experience for teens who “graduate” into young adulthood. When they turn 18, Step allows cardholders to keep their old credit card number and account, doing the legal heavy lifting in the background to get them appointed as the legal owner of their account, and transitioning them to an independent account.
In other ways, Step acts like a debit card. Parents can add money directly into their child’s Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)-insured Step account. A regular Step account allows a child to have both a physical spending card as well as a virtual card in the Step app, while a Parent Managed Account only allows the child to spend via a physical card. Children can use both the virtual and physical cards to spend anywhere Visa is accepted, and they can use the physical card to withdraw money for free at more than 30,000 ATMs.
And parents needn’t fear their child overdrafting—they can’t spend any money they don’t have.
Other features include Savings Goals, where any money saved can generate 5% in annual interest (compounded and paid monthly) with a qualifying direct deposit*; Savings Roundup, where purchases are rounded up to the nearest dollar and the overage is put toward a Savings Goal; an “invest” function that allows users age 13 and older to buy and sell Bitcoin; and opt-in cash or Bitcoin rewards from companies including Hulu, Chick-Fil-A, CVS, and the New York Times.
Visit Step to learn more or sign up today.
Read more in our Step review.
- The Step Visa Card is a one-of-a-kind "hybrid" spending card that can help you to build your credit history via everyday purchases, even before you turn 18.
- Earn a high 5% annual rate on up to $250,000 in your Savings Goals with qualifying direct deposits.*
- Earn points that you can redeem for cash when you use your Step Visa Card at participating merchants.*
- Buy and sell fractional shares of stocks, ETFs, and Bitcoin for as low as $1.
- Send and receive money instantly, spend with Apple and Google Pay.
- Pay allowance weekly, biweekly, or monthly.
- Track your card balance from the Step App.
- Banking services, provided by Evolve Bank & Trust, are FDIC-insured for up to $250,000.
- Helps build credit
- Free secured card for kids, teens, and young adults
- High yield on money held in Savings Goals
- Free investment account for stocks, ETFs, and Bitcoin
- Fractional investing for as low as $1
- FDIC insurance
- High-yield savings only available with qualifying monthly direct deposit*
- Can't directly deposit checks into a Step account
Related: 20+ Best Investing Apps + Money Apps for Teens [2023]
8. Savings Bonds
Savings bonds are considered a fairly safe investment, and you can buy them as holiday gifts for kids or teens through the U.S. Treasury website.
These debt instruments, which are issued by the U.S. Treasury, are effectively low-risk loans to the government. In return for buying savings bonds, bondholders earn interest on their investments. Returns on bonds are generally lower than what you’d see with stocks, but these tools can be useful for hedging against inflation.
Savings bonds are generally considered long-term investments, and they have varying maturity dates depending on the type of bond you get. For instance, Series I bonds mature after 30 years, but you can cash them out in as little as 12 months (though you’ll forfeit three months’ worth of interest.)
9. High-Yield Savings Account
If your child isn’t old enough (or responsible enough) for a debit or credit card, they can at least start earning some interest while storing their money by having their own high-yield savings account. Among the reasons why a savings account is among the best presents for a young relative:
- Even small contributions to a child or teen’s savings account can earn interest. And thanks to compound interest, their balance will grow even more over time.
- Making deposits to a bank account is simple, and you can do so any time of year, not just Christmas.
- If you want to give your loved one a yearly gift, you can probably set up automatic payments from your own bank account.
- Assuming your child doesn’t have a job, interest earnings on the account won’t be taxed unless they exceed a certain amount.
- Your child can take over ownership of the account and contribute on their own once they reach a certain age.
While a high-yield savings account is unlikely to provide the returns you’d see with, say, a brokerage account. But these accounts are secure, easy to manage, and easily accessible.
10. Piggy Bank
If you’re looking for an actual gift gift, you might consider a classic—with a twist.
While a piggy bank may not sound like an exciting gift, you could be pleasantly surprised. Newer piggy banks are a far cry from the simple ceramic pigs that used to sit atop our bureaus as children. Some, like the Fishboy ATM, will even count your child’s total deposits and keep their funds secure with a safe-style combination lock. Others, like the Moonjar Moneybox, actively teach your children about money.
11. Money Games
Young children learn a lot about the world through play. So, capitalize on this by adding a fun game about money—preferably one you can play together—to your holiday shopping list.
Games such as Learning Resources’ Money Bags and Winning Moves Games’ Pay Day help kids learn about coin value, saving, money management, and more.
Our suggestion? If you do open an account for your child, pair it with a tangible gift, like a money board game or toy. Kids appreciate tangible gifts that they can actually hold and play with come Christmas morning.
12. Toy Cash Register
Another unique gift option for young children is a pretend cash register (with pretend money included), such as the Learning Resources Pretend & Play Calculator Cash Register.
Not only will this toy give your child the opportunity to learn about coin value and how credit cards work, but they can also use their cash register to play Store. The setup can be as simple or elaborate as they want, and you could even help them price items and calculate totals for goods they’d like to buy.
Adding a pretend cash register is a smart way to teach your children the basics of money while they play.
Best Christmas Gift Ideas for Adults: Financial Edition
If you’re about to start shopping, whether it’s for a 20-something son or daughter, or another beloved adult family member, the right money gift will not disappoint.
Forget the Apple Watch. Forget the candle gift set. There’s something more rewarding—from investment accounts to gift cards—for everyone you’re shopping for this holiday season.
13. Microsavings App
Know someone in your life who wants to become a saver? Are you that someone? Either way, a prime solution might be a microsavings app, which helps you save a little at a time through features such as round-ups and cash back.
14. High-Yield Savings Account
Kids, teens, adults: A high-yield savings account can make a great gift for recipients of any age.
With a high-yield savings account, your loved one won’t have to sweat the ups and downs of the stock market. Plus, online high-yield savings accounts can often offer APYs several times higher than what you’ll get with an average bank savings account, meaning your loved one can earn interest on their money without lifting a finger.
A great example is the UFB Preferred Savings account by UFB Direct. It typically offers an industry-leading rate, just make sure to check with UFB Direct for the most up-to-date rates.
- UFB Preferred Savings by UFB Direct is an online-only high-yield savings account offering industry-leading interest rates
- No monthly maintenance fees
- No minimum deposit required to open the account
Related: Best Kid Debit Cards
15. Certificate of Deposit (CD)
A certificate of deposit (CD) is a specific type of savings product that earns you a fairly high APY for a predetermined period of time. CD terms typically range from six months to five years, though shorter or longer options may be available too, depending on your bank.
Longer-term CDs tend to offer higher rates, which means the recipient will earn more on your gift. But they’ll also need to leave it alone until the CD matures, as most banks won’t let you cash out a CD before then. Many CDs earn more than a typical savings account, and they’re a safe place to stash cash.
CIT Bank CDs, for instance, offer competitive yields. As of this writing, yields for 13- and 18-month CDs were above 4%.
- CIT Bank is an online bank which offers competitive interest rates on its multiple products
- Earn many times more than the national average interest rate by keeping your cash and other savings in one of CIT Bank's banking products
16. Money Market Account (MMA)
Like a high-interest savings account, a money market account (MMA) offers a generous interest rate on your deposits. You can open one of these accounts for a family member at several banks and credit unions. Many MMAs come with minimum balance requirements, and some offer tiered APYs that let your gift recipient earn a higher rate if they meet a set balance threshold.
The average APY on money market accounts with balances under $100,000 was just 0.07% in November, according to the FDIC. As of this writing, the CIT Bank MMA earned 1.55% on a minimum deposit of just $100.
- CIT Bank is an online bank that offers competitive interest rates on its various products.
- CIT's money market accounts current yield roughly 3x the national average.
- CIT Bank's money market accounts feature no monthly service fees, 24/7 banking, mobile app access, and FDIC insurance of up to $250,000.
17. Investment Account for Beginners
Whether you’re 10, 18, 30, or 60, you can always gain something by beginning to invest.
That said, some investment accounts are more appropriate for seasoned investors. Others have the beginner in mind. So if you want to get someone started on the path to investing, go with a platform or app that’s designed specifically for newbies.
Robinhood: The best stock app for beginners
- Available: Sign up here
- Best for: Beginner traders
- Platforms: Web, mobile app (Apple iOS, Android)
Robinhood is a pioneer of commission-free trading, jumping into the investing public’s consciousness in 2013 when they rolled out commission-free trading. They remain a standout option for cost-minded investors thanks to their continued $0 commissions on stocks, ETFs, and options, as well as for its fractional trading, which allows people to invest with as little as $1.
More importantly, though, Robinhood has evolved from a bare-bones app appealing to mostly beginner investors to a fuller-featured account suitable for a wider range of experience levels.
For instance, Robinhood now offers traditional individual retirement accounts (IRAs) and Roth IRAs via Robinhood Retirement. Functionally, Robinhood comes up short compared to many other IRA providers because of its investment options. It offers just stocks and ETFs; like with its brokerage account, mutual funds aren’t available. Options aren’t currently available, though Robinhood has explicitly stated that options will be made available soon.
However, Robinhood Retirement still stands out from the pack because it’s the only IRA provider that offers matching funds. If you open up an IRA with Robinhood Retirement, Robinhood will match 1% of any IRA transfers, 401(k) rollovers, and annual contributions to your account—and 3% if you pay for the Robinhood Gold service ($5 per month)—typically almost immediately after you make your contribution. Better still: Any matches made on annual contributions don’t count toward your contribution limit.
(Friendly message from your WealthUp tax expert: The reason the IRA match doesn’t count toward your annual IRA contribution limit is because Robinhood treats it as interest income in your IRA.)
You can choose your IRA investments yourself, but Robinhood’s Portfolio Builder can also provide you with a custom recommended portfolio made up of five to eight ETFs.
Sign up for a Robinhood brokerage account or Robinhood retirement account today.
- Robinhood is an investing app that became famous for offering commission-free trades on stocks, ETFs, options, and cryptocurrency.
- The platform has added a new innovation in the retirement space: an individual retirement account (IRA) with a 1% match. Robinhood will match 1% of any IRA transfers or 401(k) rollovers, as well as any annual contributions*, made to your Robinhood Retirement account—and it will upgrade that match to 3% if you subscribe to Robinhood Gold.
- Robinhood Gold also includes Level II market data provided by Nasdaq, higher interest rates on uninvested brokerage cash, lower margin trading rates, and bigger Instant Deposits.
- Special offer: Sign up for Robinhood, link a bank account, and fund your account with at least $10, and receive a randomly selected cash amount between $5 and $200 to put toward fractional shares.
- Good selection of available investments in brokerage accounts
- 1% match on rollovers, IRA transfers, and contributions to IRAs and Roth IRAs (3% with Robinhood Gold)
- Automated portfolio builder in IRAs and Roth IRAs
- Intuitive interface
- Extensive educational library
- Lackluster investment selection in IRAs and Roth IRAs
- No mutual funds in brokerage or IRAs
- No robo-advisor functionality
18. Stock Investment Newsletter Subscription
For the latest in money and investing news, you might also consider signing your loved one up for a stock investment newsletter subscription. This is an especially smart choice if they enjoy learning about money online, and you can handpick a few smart options so they’re actually getting decent guidance.
We’d be remiss if we didn’t shamelessly plug our own two free newsletters, Lunch Money and The Weekend Tea, which you can sign up for simultaneously. Lunch Money targets parents and teens looking to learn more about essential money topics, and The Weekend Tea offers finance news updates for readers.
But our newsletters cover all areas of personal finance. If you’re looking for stock-specific newsletters, you might want to consider the likes of Motley Fool Stock Advisor and Motley Fool Epic.
- Motley Fool Stock Advisor is a stock service that provides recommendations for both "steady Eddie" and high-flying stocks, as well as a few ETFs for investors who want diversified holdings, too.
- Just getting started? Stock Advisor provides 10 "Foundational Stocks" you can use to anchor your portfolio.
- You're not alone! Stock Advisor membership also gives you access to a community of investors who also want to outperform the market and love talking shop.
- Enjoy access to GamePlan: Motley Fool's financial planning hub, which includes advice on personal finances, taxes, retirement, and more, as well as calculators and other financial tools.
- Limited-Time Offer: Get your first year with Stock Advisor for $99 (vs. $199 usual value)—a 50% discount for new members!
- Discounted introductory price
- Strong outperformance above S&P 500
- High overall average return for stock picks
- High renewal price
- Not every stock is a winner
- Motley Fool's Epic is a discounted combination of four foundational stock-investing services rolled up into one membership.
- Get access to more than 300 recommendations, reports, and analyses across the Stock Advisor, Rule Breakers, Hidden Gems, and Dividend Investor services.
- Get at least five new stock recommendations every month,
- Membership also unlocks GamePlan+ financial planning content and tools, Fool IQ+ stock research tool, a members-only podcast, and more.
- Limited-Time Offer: Get your first year with the Epic for $300 (vs. $499 usual value)—a 40% discount for new members!*
- Discounted introductory price
- Strong outperformance compared to the S&P 500
- High overall average return for stock picks
- Diversified array of recommendations for investors targeting growth, income, or both
- Additional value from GamePlan financial planning content and tools
- High renewal price
- Not every stock is a winner
Read more in our Motley Fool Stock Advisor review and Motley Fool Epic review.
19. Stock Research Website Subscription
If the loved one in your life is more of a self-directed investor—in other words, they prefer conducting their own research rather than simply taking suggestions from a newsletter—you might want to consider a stock research website subscription instead.
Features differ from one website to another, but they’ll often include screeners, charting capabilities, proprietary ratings, complimentary news and analysis articles about stocks, and more.
Research stocks with SeekingAlpha
- Available: Sign up here
With a Seeking Alpha Premium subscription, you will enjoy unparalleled access with an ad-lite user experience.
SA Premium is an all-in-one investing research and recommendation service that offers insightful analysis, financial news, stock research, and more—all designed to help you make better investing decisions.
Seeking Alpha Premium can help you manage your stock portfolio by putting you in touch with a large investing community—one that can help you research stocks and understand the financial world and provide you with ideas for your next great investment.
Premium plan members can see the ratings of authors whose articles they read. (After all, it’s useful to know whether you’re reading the opinion of someone with a top record, or someone who’s whiffing a lot.) And Premium subscribers unlock analyses from SA-designated “experts.”
Among the other benefits:
- A stock screener that lets you filter by average analyst rating
- Earnings conference call transcripts
- 10 years’ worth of financial statements
- Ability to compare stocks side-by-side with peers
- Access to dividend and earnings forecasts
- Seeking Alpha has the world's largest investing community.
- Seeking Alpha Premium helps you find profitable investing ideas, improve your portfolio, research stocks better and faster as well as track the news to find investing opportunities.
- Receive up to 15 investing newsletters filled with stock research and analysis, commentary and recommendations.
- Use Seeking Alpha Premium's Seeking Alpha Stock Ratings to find stocks likely to outperform and make you money.
- Seeking Alpha Premium's proprietary quant records have an impressive track record leading to massive market outperformance.
- Special offer: New subscribers receive a $25 discount off the price of Seeking Alpha Premium in their first year.
- Active community of engaged investors and analysts
- Stock screeners, quantitative tools for stock analysis
- Strong track record of market outperformance on stock ratings
- Minimal mutual fund coverage
20. Cash
Just about everybody loves cold, hard cash.
Sure, some adults would love wireless headphones or a Star Wars Millennium Falcon waffle maker. (No, really, that’s a thing.) But many adults would appreciate a cash gift even more.
Cash might seem impersonal, and it won’t be a winner for everyone. But it’s an excellent gift because it gives the recipient the freedom to do whatever they want with it—save it, invest it, or buy something they really love.
It’s the perfect stocking stuffer, too: small, lightweight, and easy to fold and store.
21. Gift Cards
Gift cards are already among the most popular gifts you can buy. Chances are your sister, brother, mother, or adult child has a favorite restaurant or a store they shop at all the time—maybe they’ve even put a gift card on their wish list. And if you don’t know where they love to spend their money, do a little sleuthing and ask people close to them about their favorite stores.
Many places even offer e-gift cards, so if you don’t live near your loved one, you can buy them a card online and have it sent directly to your recipient’s inbox.
And if you give a gift card that’s just not right for them, they can redeem it with Plynk.
22. Financial Coaching Sessions
You could travel down the road less traveled by gifting a financial coaching session. After all, financial coaching can be an incredible tool for leveling up your money management skills.
This gift is best for a loved one you’re close to that has expressed a desire to get a better hold on their finances. And make sure you’re sensitive about how you communicate the gift so it doesn’t come across the wrong way.
You can start your search for a qualified financial counselor through the Association for Financial Counseling & Planning Education’s Find an AFC tool.
23. Net Worth Tracking Tool
Understanding your net worth can give you valuable insight into your overall financial situation. And what better way to understand and track your net worth than using a financial tool to simplify the process?
While different net worth trackers have different features, many include budgeting tools, savings and investment trackers, and assistance with paying down your debt. If you want to gift access to a net-worth tool for an adult in your life, consider options such as You Need a Budget (YNAB) or Tiller.
- You Need a Budget (YNAB) is an award-winning software platform which uses a proven method to teach you how to manage your money and get ahead.
- Budgets update automatically and in real time, and can be accessed on your computer, phone, or tablet.
- Customizable
- Allows for multiple budgets
- Difficult for beginners
- No bill tracking or bill pay
- No investment tracking features
What Other Gifts Can You Give This Holiday Season?
Investment accounts, money toys, even cash and gift cards make fantastic Christmas presents that can also help the loved ones in your life improve their financial futures.
But we know every gift isn’t going to be a financial one—and that’s OK. You’ve got plenty of interesting, and admittedly more traditional, options.
For the kids in your life, you might consider an educational toy like a talking microscope, a buildable fort for pretend play, a slime kit, a coding robot, or a geode kit.
If you’re shopping for an adult, the gifting possibilities are also pretty endless. For tech fans, a smart home device may be a good choice. You could also opt for new sports gear, a toolset, beauty supplies, a unique handmade gift, or the old standby: some warm, fuzzy slippers.
How Can You Find the Perfect Gift This Holiday Season?
Start by thinking about your loved one’s interests to find the perfect gift. Are they into sports? A specific activity like reading or woodworking? Are they coffee lovers or tea lovers? Try a coffee mug or a teas-of-the-world monthly membership. Bath lovers might want a bath bomb or bubble bath formula. You get the idea.
Once you’ve decided what they enjoy, you can research options within your budget.
The internet is both a blessing and a curse for holiday shoppers. On the one hand, it’s easy to find virtually anything online. On the other hand, it’s really easy to get lost in a rabbit hole while you search for the perfect present.
Let your loved ones’ interests guide you while you shop. And set parameters for how you’ll search; for instance, you might decide you’re only shopping with certain online retailers, give yourself a maximum price, or settle on a backup gift first in case the perfect choice isn’t available.
If you shop smart, you’ll find an excellent gift without driving yourself crazy.
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