Strategies & tactics to get ahead financially & in life
Store-branded credit cards are a funny bunch. Some store-branded credit cards are regular credit cards that you can use anywhere, they just have the retailer’s logo on it. Others are cards that can only be used within the store itself. They’re commonly referred to as open-loop (usable anywhere) and closed-loop (only in that family of […]
For some people, paying an annual fee for a credit card is an assault on their sensibilities. For others, it’s simply pre-paying for benefits you know you want. If you’re in the second camp, and I suspect you are since you’re reading an article comparing two of the most expensive travel credit cards designed for […]
Years ago, the idea of a debit rewards card was rare. If you want cashback, you needed to use a credit card. The economics were better. Whenever you use a credit card at a store, it charges the store a fee to process that transaction. The fee starts at 30ยข + 2.9%. Credit cards can […]
I love credit cards and how aggressively they compete with one another for our business. If you aren’t carrying any credit card debt and have a pretty good credit score, you can be taking advantage of the cut-throat competition and researching a credit card that will reward you for your business. Your mix of optimal […]
I remember when I proposed to my lovely wife. I was nervous, we were hiking to a summit that was nearly 10,000 feet, and I fought to catch my breath because the air was so thin up there. I was hiking with a massive pack that included our tent and other supplies because our plan […]
Did you hear the news that Chase has added a forced arbitration clause to some of their credit cards? I first read about it in a Fast Company article by Cale Weissman and the first group to get this notification were Chase Slate credit card holders: According to Chase, the new agreement includes a new […]
Chase has some of the best credit cards on the market right now. But there’s just one catch – you need to have pretty good credit. Technically, you need good or excellent credit to get it. Experian says a good credit score is a credit score above 700. An excellent credit score is when your […]
If you’re looking for a new cash back credit card, you’re in the right place. When it comes to the perks of a credit card, cash back is king. Years ago, 1% was the standard offer. As competition has intensified, you’re now seeing more and more cards that offer 1.5% cash back on all purchases […]
A short time ago, my lovely wife and I were out at an afternoon event with our kids at home with babysitters. We’d set them up with a lunch and some afternoon snacks, but we anticipated being home before dinner and didn’t make plans for them. We love our main babysitters (they’re a couple) because […]
Earlier last year, we replaced our clothes washer and dryer. Both appliances were old, nearing the end of their useful lives, and, more importantly, we were renovating our pantry area after a burst pipe and flooding incident. We were only a few years from replacing them and, using a small surplus of insurance money, we […]