If you just turned 18, congratulations! Now that you can legally get a credit card under your name, it’s time to consider getting your first credit card. While it’s not as simple as going online and finding whatever credit card you want and getting approved for it, here’s a simple, no-nonsense path. People may claim […]
Category: Credit Cards
Why I applied for the Bilt Rewards Card
I just dipped below 5/24 this month. Two years ago, in October 2020, I had applied for the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa and the Apple Card (a Mastercard). I was looking forward to potentially applying for another Chase card, like the Chase Ink or maybe a cobranded card such as the United Explorer or perhaps […]
Want to use Mastercard at Costco instead of Visa?
Fun fact: Yes, it is possible to use Mastercards at some Costcos. What’s the catch? It has to be at a Costco in Canada. Did you know that your Costco membership, no matter where it is purchased, gets you access to any Costco in the entire world? In Canada, only Mastercards can be used at […]
Why you should never cancel a credit card
Ever think a credit card has no more use for you? While it may seem like canceling or closing that credit card is a great way to close that chapter of your life, it actually causes more harm than good. In short, credit cards should never be canceled because the longer a credit card is […]
Pre-booking flights for weekend trips
After a recent long weekend trip to San Francisco, I’ve become quite amenable to taking more trips on weekends. As I live in Seattle, Alaska Airlines has become my primary go-to airline, since this is their primary hub. Combined with my AAdvantage Platinum status, which is oneworld Sapphire, I get comfortable benefits when flying on […]
Discover it® Cash Back Card finally becomes useful again for 3 months
For the last 3 months of 2022, those of you with the Discover it® Cash Back Card that gives 5% back on rotating quarterly categories will find the cash back category finally widely applicable and generally useful. From October to December 2022, in addition to 5% back on Amazon purchases, all purchases made with Apple […]
Why you should apply for a new credit card every six months if you’re building credit
Want to build credit? The best way is probably going to be by applying for one new card every six months (give or take a few months—it doesn’t need to be precisely this long). While this may seem excessive, it actually is a great rule of thumb to live by because of how credit scores […]
Why you should never use a debit card ever again
After I got my first credit card, I started saving money on my transactions because I got at least 1% cash back on each purchase. Once you get your first rewards credit card, in general, you should never use a debit card ever again. Why? By using a debit card, you are essentially throwing away […]
My most useful credit cards
While I have 7 credit cards as of June 2022, I only use 4 credit cards on a day-to-day basis. The 4 cards I consider to be most useful for me (and the 4 I use the most) are, in no particular order: Chase Sapphire Preferred Chase Freedom Unlimited Chase Freedom Flex American Express Platinum […]
How I’m earning 9% cash back on gas from July-September 2022
In June, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to apply for the Capital One Venture X card. Since I would hit Chase’s 5/24 rule by getting approved for this card, I decided to go ahead and hit 5/24 by completing the Chase trifecta: Chase Sapphire Preferred, Chase Freedom Unlimited, and Chase Freedom Flex. This way, […]