Personal Finance Guides for Expecting Parents

Start early. Find everything you need to prepare financially for the arrival of your little bundle of joy, and set the little one for a great financial future.

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Top Guides

How to Ask for Money as Gifts for a Baby Shower

Set financial goals, open a diaper fund, baby fund, or cash baby registry, and share it with friends and family. Use polite wording, and let gift givers know how their cash gifts will be used.

How to Financially Prepare for a Baby: 21 Practical Tips

How Does a Baby Registry Work?

The 7 Best Baby Registries for Expecting Parents in 2024

Top Financial Products

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NY 529

Why we like it:

Offers low fees and diverse investment options and available to residents of any state. New York residents enjoy a state tax deduction for contributions to the plan.

No minimum to open an account or to contribute
Low fees - 0.13% total annual asset-based fee
No advisor fees, commissions or account maintenance fees
State tax deduction of $5,000/yr for single filers, $10,000/yr for joint filers
Offers Age-Based investment plans, reducing portfolio's risk as child nears college years
Top 10 performing 529 plans by SavingForCollege.com

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Fidelity

Why we like it:

Managed investment with no fees for the hands-off investor. Virtual assistant, no minimums, low cost mutual funds, and fractional share trading for the hands-on investor. These make Fidelity a great choice for new investors that are looking to dip their toes in investing.

A virtual assistant offers step by step help for new investors
Individual and custodial accounts: no minimum to start, $0 commission on stock and ETF trades
Managed portfolios: no minimum to start, and no advisory fees for accounts with balance under $10,000
Low to no cost mutual funds with no minimums to invest
Allows buying fractions of pricey shares for as little as $1

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stork illustration - expecting parents

Ally Bank

Why we like it:

Set it and forget it savings at its best. Ally bank's smart saving features and boosters help you automate savings, driving your savings up with little effort.

Easy to open accounts online
Offers custodial savings accounts, truely owned by your child
High yield savings account
Smart features to optimize savings
No minimum to open or hold account
No monthly fees

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All Guides

Financial Gifting

6 Best Financial Gifts for Kids in 2024

Giving a financial gift can kickstart a child’s financial future. Here are the best ways to do that: Greatest Gift App - 529 Plan Contribution - Savings Bonds for Kids - Gift Stocks - Gift Savings - Financial Literacy.

Great Gifts for your Greatest Gifts

Greatest Gift is launching the greatest financial gifting platform with parents, children, supporting family members and family friends in mind.

How Does a Baby Registry Work?

How Baby registries work: sign up & pick, share, receive gifts. Find out how to let your family and friends know what you would prefer to receive as gifts for your baby with three easy steps.

Financial Gifting

How to Ask for Money as Gifts for a Baby Shower

Set financial goals, open a diaper fund, baby fund, or cash baby registry, and share it with friends and family. Use polite wording, and let gift givers know how their cash gifts will be used.

How to Start Saving for a Child’s Future

Starting to save for your child's future can be broken down to 3 steps: start saving, start investing, and grow your investments. The most important thing is to just start.

Financial Gifting

Monetary Gift Etiquette

Discover 7 monetary gifts to invest in someone’s future and how to make sure it really feels like a gift: Greatest Gift, Cash, Payment Apps, Savings Bonds, Stocks, 529 Contribution, and Gift Cards.

The 7 Best Baby Registries for Expecting Parents in 2024

Greatest Gift - Best Cash Registry; Amazon - Best Online Baby Registry; Target - Best Online with Stores; Babylist - Best Guides & Support; Walmart - Best for Your Pockets; MyRegistry - Best Universal Baby Registry. Find out what we like from each of the top baby registry websites.

Gifts for a Second Baby

Here are seven ideas for gifts for a second baby – monetary gifts, pamper mom, multi-kid gear, new baby essentials, time & help, baby memories, gifts for the firstborn, and something for everyone.

How Much to Spend on a Baby Shower Gift in 2024

Typical gifts range from $25-$200 and more. The closer you are to the expecting parents, the more you'll spend on a baby shower gift.

The Best Baby Shower Gift Ideas

Finding the best baby shower gift doesn't have to be hard. We've put together great gift ideas that will make any expecting parent happy and show how much you care. Choose from financial gifts, diaper gift ideas, baby gear, essentials, nursery furniture, or gifts for mom.

Financial Gifting

Savings Bonds for Kids: The Complete Guide

A complete guide on how to buy savings bonds for kids as gifts and savings bond gift alternatives.

How to Financially Prepare for a Baby: 21 Practical Tips

How to financially prepare for a baby - creating a stable financial foundation will help you handle the road ahead. Organize your family finances: reduce debt, increase income, check insurance coverage and set a budget. Consider child care and parental leave. Start investing for the future.

The Best Investment Accounts for Kids

The four main types of investment accounts for kids include UTMA accounts, 529 plans, Custodial Roth IRAs, and Youth Investment Accounts. Choosing the right account can help reach different financial goals.

7 Ways to Build Generational Wealth

Create generational wealth by spending less than you make, investing the rest, acquiring assets and knowledge. Invest in stocks & bonds, acquire real estate, start a family business, create a will, purchase life insurance, learn personal finance, and give financial gifts. Transfer knowledge, assets, and opportunities to the next generation to set your family up for a stress free financial future.

The Best Baby Shower Gift Cards Compared

Compare the best baby shower gift cards, including Greatest Gift, Amazon, Target, and Visa. Find ideas for gift cards for new parents.

A Penny Doubled For 30 Days

What's worth more - a million dollars today, or a penny that doubles every day for 30 days? The answer is quite surprising. That single penny, when doubled every day, greatly surpasses the one million dollars. By day 30, it grows into an astonishing $10,737,418.24! Let's dive in.

A Guide to Life Insurance for New Parents

As new parents, life insurance isn't just another box to check on your grown-up to-do list. It's an important safety net for your family. Getting a head start on life insurance could save you not just peace of mind, but also a fair bit of cash.

The 7 Best Savings Accounts for Kids in 2024

Opening a savings account for your little one can be a game-changer. We review the top savings accounts for kids: Ally Bank - Capital One - PNC - Alliant - Greenlight - Spectrum - Wells Fargo.

Financial Gifting

How to Add a Diaper Fund to an Amazon Registry

The Amazon Diaper Fund is a feature within the Amazon Baby Registry that allows loved ones to contribute cash towards your diaper purchases. 1. Navigate to Your Registry - 2. Locate the Settings - 3. Locate the Gift Options - 4. Enable the Diaper Fund - 5. Share Your Registry.

Babylist Registry Review

Babylist offers a modern tech platform dedicated to making the journey to parenthood smoother and more enjoyable. It's comprehensive, easy to use, and when paired with Greatest Gift, it becomes an unbeatable combo for preparing for your baby's arrival.

Babylist vs Amazon Registry

Looking at Babylist and Amazon, both have their perks for soon-to-be parents. It really comes down to what you like more when you shop. Choosing the right baby registry is about matching features with your personal needs. Using both Babylist and Amazon can give you the best of both worlds.

Financial Gifting

How To Add a Cash Fund to your Babylist Registry

Babylist cash funds work like an item added to the registry list. You can add multiple cash funds, one for each goal that you are saving for. Combine Babylist with Greatest Gift to meet immediate needs and future financial goals for your baby’s journey.

A Guide for your Financial Parenting Journey

Discover guides and compare financial products that
set your kids up for a great financial future

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Expecting Parents

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New Parents

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Young Kids

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Teens

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Young Adults

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Offers are provided to you as a convenience. Greatest Gift does not endorse, warrant or guarantee the products or services available through the Offers (or any other third-party products or services advertised on or linked from our site), whether or not sponsored. Greatest Gift is not an agent or broker or otherwise responsible for the activities or policies of those websites. Greatest Gift may receive compensation from third parties which may impact the placement and availability of the Offers. If you elect to use or purchase services from third parties, you are subject to their terms and conditions and privacy policy.