7 Low-Effort Ways to Make Passive Income (You Can Start This Week)
By Luke Rodas
Earning passive income doesn’t need to be difficult. You can start this week.
Most of the time, if you want to earn money, you have to work for it. That’s kind of the whole arrangement we’ve all agreed upon. Unless, that is, we’re talking about passive income. It’s right there in the name — it’s passive. You can earn money while you’re sleeping, hanging out with your friends or just living your day-to-day life.
And it doesn’t have to be some difficult far-fetched scheme, either. These are some of the lowest-effort ways we’ve ever seen to earn passive income. You can start these as soon as this week:
1. Grow Your Savings More Than 9x Faster Every Month
One of the best ways to earn passive income is to make sure your money is working for you. And if you keep it in a traditional savings account, you could be missing out on serious growth.
When you keep your savings with Cash App, you could earn up to 3.50% interest* — that’s more than eight times faster than the average savings account (which pays just 0.40%**).
Cash App pays a base 1.5% interest rate, but when you set up a direct deposit of just $300 per month, you’ll boost that rate to 3.50% interest. Even better? There’s no minimum balance or monthly/hidden fees, and Cash App monitors your money 24/7 to look out for any fraud.
Want to boost your savings to 3.50% interest every month with Cash App’s partner bank? It’s easy to get started here with as little as $1 and watch your money grow more than eight times faster than average.**
2. Earn Guaranteed Growth on Your Retirement Savings
Most people don’t consider their retirement savings when they think of passive income. But if you use an annuity like the Gainbridge® FastBreak™ annuity, you can earn guaranteed growth on your retirement savings — as much as 5.40% APY** — with no risk to your investment.
An annuity is a contract between you and an insurance company that promises you a future payout in regular installments, usually monthly and often for life. Simply put, annuities can provide a guaranteed stream of income during retirement.
The Gainbridge® FastBreak™ annuity allows you to grow your money at fixed interest rates of up to 5.40% APY**. That’s more than 13 times faster* than an average savings account. Plus, your principal amount is fully protected, unlike when you invest in the stock market.
The FastBreak™ annuity is self-directed, easy to set up and comes with 30 days to cancel your contract if you change your mind. You can also withdraw your money without a tax penalty before age 59 1/2.
Looking for a predictable, stable way to grow your retirement savings without risking any of your principal investment? Get started here to start earning a guaranteed APY of up to 5.40%**.
3. Protect Your Portfolio With Precious Metals — And Get Up to $20K in Free Metals
If the past few years have shown us anything, it’s that market disruptions can come out of nowhere and impact your retirement savings.
That’s why many people invest in precious metals to diversify and protect their wealth: Precious metals often rise in value during uncertain economic times.
One option is a precious metals IRA through a company called Thor Metals Group — right now, you can even get up to $20,000 in free metals on qualifying purchases.
Opening an account is easy, and you can roll over funds from existing retirement accounts or buy gold and silver directly from Thor Metals Group.
If you decide to sell your precious metals in the future, Thor Metals Group offers a no-fee buy-back program. Plus, they have an A rating with the Better Business Bureau.
Want to diversify and safeguard your investments? It’s easy to get started here and get your free report. Plus, you could get up to $20,000 in free metals on qualifying purchases — and, you’ll pay no account fees for 2025.
4. Stop Wasting $1,025 on Your Car Insurance
Odds are, you’re probably paying way too much for your car insurance every month. And it can seriously add up — to the tune of $1,025 a year.
Fortunately, Insurify lets you compare all your car insurance options at once — and it can save you up to $1,025 a year.
Just enter some basic details about your car and background, you’ll get customized quotes you can review on your own time and from the comfort of home.
Ready to cut your car insurance bill? It’s easy to get started here and see how much you can save.
5. Get Paid $17 a Day to Play Free Games on Your Phone
We all have a game or two we like to play on our phone during our free time. Wouldn’t it be nice to get paid real cash for it? That’s exactly what a free site called Scrambly does — the average person earns $17 per day.
Scrambly works with developers who want to get their games and apps in front of new people, and they’re willing to pay you to try them. When you sign up, you can browse more than 150 free games and apps. Just find one you like and start getting paid.
You don’t need to play long, either — you can earn by playing just a few minutes at a time. And it’s all completely free. In fact, if you make an in-app purchase on a Scrambly-discovered app, they’ll give you cash back.
Once you earn $1, you can cash out instantly via PayPal, Visa, Amazon Google Play and Apple. More than 2 million people already use Scrambly, and the average person cashes out in just six minutes.
Ready to start pocketing up to $500 a month in extra cash just for playing free games on your phone? Get started here and see how much you can earn. Right now, you’ll even get a 500 coin signup bonus.
6. Get Up to $1,000 in Free Stock Just For Investing
Your savings are looking great. But don’t rest on your laurels just yet. Now that you’ve built up some cushion, it’s a great time to make sure you’re putting your money to work.
When you invest with SoFi Active Invest, you can earn up to $1,000 just for opening and funding an account. All you have to do is open and fund a new account within 45 days.
Once you open your account, you’ll get access to commission-free trading on stocks and ETFs, plus you can buy fractional shares of your favorite companies. Unlike other platforms, SoFi® has no account minimums and no hidden fees, so you’ll keep more of what you earn.
It takes just a few minutes to open an account. Get started here and fund your account within 45 days to earn up to $1,000.
7. Boost Your Lifetime Investment Returns — By As Much As Double
According to a Northwestern Mutual study, working with a financial planner could double your lifetime investment returns* — all while helping you reduce risk.
But only one in three people ever do it. Luckily, a company called WiserAdvisor will match you with a vetted financial advisor in your area — for free.
No two people have the same financial situation, which is why WiserAdvisor matches you with an advisor tailored to your unique goals — retirement, investing and more.
Every advisor is pre-screened for expertise and trustworthiness, and you have no obligation to hire them.
Want to get a customized financial plan and answers to your biggest money questions? Don’t miss the chance to see what your money could really be doing. Get matched with a financial advisor for free.
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Bottom Line
Earning passive income doesn’t have to be difficult. In fact, it can be as easy as making sure you’re using one of the best checking, savings and CD accounts of 2025.
Cash App is a financial services platform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App’s bank partner(s). Direct Deposit provided by Cash App, a Block, Inc. brand.
*Cash App will pass through a portion of the interest paid on your savings balance held in an account for the benefit of Cash App customers at Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., Member FDIC. To earn the highest interest rate on your Cash App savings balance, you need to (a) have a Cash App Card or sponsor one or more sponsored accounts and receive at least $300 in paycheck direct deposits each month; or (b) have a sponsored account with sponsor approval to earn interest. Exceptions may also apply. Savings yield rate is subject to change.
**The national average savings account interest rate is 0.40% APY, according to the FDIC, as of Oct. 25, 2025.
**Gainbridge®: Annuity rates are subject to change at any time, and the rate mentioned may no longer be current. Please visit Gainbridge.io for current rates, full product disclosures and disclaimer. Withdrawals above the 10% free withdrawal amount are subject to a withdrawal charge and market-value adjustment. FastBreak™ is issued by Gainbridge Life Insurance Company in Zionsville, Indiana. FastBreak™ is not a tax-deferred annuity; instead, it is taxed annually.
*Wiser Advisor: Americans with a financial advisor expect to retire two years earlier according to Northwestern Mutual’s Planning & Progress Study
*SoFi: Probability of Member receiving $1,000 is a probability of 0.026%; If you don’t make a selection in 45 days, you’ll no longer qualify for the promo. Customer must fund their account with a minimum of $50.00 to qualify. Probability percentage is subject to decrease.
Other fees, such as exchange fees, may apply. Please view SoFi’s fee disclosure to view a full listing of fees
There are limitations with fractional shares to consider before investing. During market hours fractional share orders are transmitted immediately in the order received. There may be system delays from receipt of your order until execution and market conditions may adversely impact execution prices. Outside of market hours orders are received on a not held basis and will be aggregated for each security then executed in the morning trade window of the next business day at market open. Share will be delivered at an average price received for executing the securities through a single batched order. Fractional shares may not be transferred to another firm. Fractional shares will be sold when a transfer or closure request is initiated. Please consider that selling securities is a taxable event.
INVESTMENTS ARE NOT FDIC INSURED • ARE NOT BANK GUARANTEED • MAY LOSE VALUE
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