Category: Credit Help and Tips

I’ve been working on some minimum spend lately, thanks to a new Chase Ink card and the Chase Sapphire Reserve. Those two cards mean I have to spend $9,000 in the span of 90 days, which can be a bit harrowing for some and a breeze for others. Once I was approved, and had yet… Continue reading Are You Better Off Paying Fees to Meet Minimum Credit Card Spend?

It seems everyone wants things instantly, including approval for their newly applied for credit cards. But we aren’t always told right away if we’ve been approved or not, even if it’s a so-called pre-approved offer. While it’s frustrating not to receive the “Congratulations!” e-mail in your inbox within seconds of applying for a credit card,… Continue reading Why Aren’t Credit Cards Instantly Approved?

There are plenty of folks out there who are down on credit cards, and even more who are down on credit cards with annual fees, for obvious reasons. But one perhaps lesser known fact about credit card annual fees is that they’re often refundable. Like other fees you might pay in advance, such as insurance… Continue reading How to Get Your Credit Card Annual Fee Refunded

There are a variety of reasons why a credit cardholder would want to add an authorized user. For some, it’s a means to a better credit score thanks to the piggybacking that takes place if the person authorizing the user has good credit. For others, an authorized user could open the door to more cash… Continue reading Can You Can Add Someone as an Authorized User Who Already Has the Same Credit Card?

Go State! Sure, maybe while you’re attending university and watching their football games on the weekend. But when it comes to your precious financials, you might want to keep them out of your wallet for good. Don’t be fooled. When we’re talking about money, loyalty generally doesn’t pay. And secondly, you graduated. It’s time to… Continue reading Please Don’t Get an Alumni Credit Card

Some more credit card Q&A, this time concerning the number of credit cards you can apply for in a certain period of time (and hold) successfully. This question certainly depends on the card issuer, but some new rules are preventing approvals even if you’ve never applied with a given bank. Have you heard of 5/24,… Continue reading Is There a Limit to How Many Credit Cards You Can Get Approved For?

Several years ago I ranted about the tip section on credit card receipts. I actually can’t find the post because I think I deleted it while doing some spring-cleaning on this site. But the gist was that every time you paid for something with a credit card there was that annoying little tip section. You… Continue reading Credit Card Tipping Is Getting Out of Control

I recently came back from a nice little trip to Europe, relying on my handy Charles Schwab Visa Platinum Debit Card to get me through my vacation ATM-fee free. After all, none of the banks I do business with here in the United States have ATMs in far out places like Greece, Turkey, Italy, or… Continue reading A Cautionary Tale: Using the Schwab Visa Platinum Debit Card Abroad

So you’ve accrued your credit card points and now plan to transfer them to a certain airline to get a free trip. Sounds great! Though maybe you don’t want to use ALL your miles to book a first or business class flight, but still want the possibility of getting upgraded. This is a pretty common… Continue reading Sign Up for That Frequent Flyer Program for Free Seat Upgrades