Credit Card Tips Archives

Category: Credit Card Tips

holding an American Express Gold card in front of a table of food

How to Maximize All of the American Express Gold Card Credits

One of the most often-used cards in my wallet is the American Express Gold Card. Like its "big brother" the Platinum Card, the Amex Gold card commands a sizeable annual fee but attempts to offset that expense by including monthly credits. Of course, the card also includes some lucrative rewards categories and redemption options that further give it value. Having recently explored the best ways to maximize the Platinum card's...
stack of credit cards

My Personal Credit Card Strategy for 2024

Over the past seven years, I've gone from having one credit card to having more than half a dozen. In fact, as someone who regularly writes about reward cards, I'm occasionally tempted to add even more to my collection. Yet, I mostly refrain from this as I want each card in my wallet to serve a purpose. To that point, while I didn't actually add to my overall number of...
credit cards spread out

5 Steps to Evaluate Rewards Credit Cards

Have you ever felt the inclination to Google a phrase as generic as "best rewards credit card?" If so, I'm guessing you were pretty disappointed with the results. That's because, contrary to whatever you may read elsewhere, there's really no such thing as a "best rewards card" for everyone. Instead, it's up to each consumer to weigh the pros and cons of various options while also considering their specific needs....
A globe and two travel tickets

Points and Miles Primer: The Pros and Cons of Credit Card Travel Rewards

Following a multi-year pause, travel has been booming this past year as we all make up for lost time. With the summer season really heating up, millions of Americans are likely looking to take a vacation. Meanwhile, some may be contemplating how they can make those excursions more affordable… or perhaps wondering how they can experience some of the luxury travels they’ve seen on Instagram. This is where points and...
credit card

Miss a Credit Card Payment Due Date? Do This Now

Even as someone who writes about personal finance for a living, I'm not immune to making money mistakes. Case in point: this past week, I nearly cost myself more than $70 by making a forgetful error. Let me explain. When I checked my Bilt Mastercard to see when my monthly payment was due, I was surprised (and horrified) to learn that it was actually due two days prior. Ouch. Before...
reviewing credit card bills on a computer

Why I Don't Autopay My Credit Cards

One of the best features of personal finance in 2023 is the ability to automate several aspects of your financial life. In fact, some have said that doing so is one of the keys to mastering money. For the most part, I agree with this as I've seen the benefits of automated savings, investing, etc. Furthermore, nearly all of my regular recurring bills are set to autopay. Well, that is...
illustration of rewards credit cards

Money at 30: The Top Credit Cards I'd Recommend to Beginners

Over the past five years or so, I've written a lot about credit cards. This includes covering new and interesting credit card products, showcasing the best options in a given category, and of course highlighting what's in my wallet. But, today, I wanted to go back to basics and talk about what credit cards I'd recommend to newbies. Below are a few credit cards that I find myself repeatedly recommending...
stack of credit cards

Money at 30: My Personal Credit Card Strategy for 2023

Over the past six years, I've gone from having one credit card to having more than half a dozen. With every card I add, I often pick up an extra perk, multiplier on a useful category, or some other benefit. Meanwhile, as my portfolio evolves and as issuers update their products, there are also some instances where a card no longer becomes useful to me. With all of that in...
The "Email" field is empty, you must enter some text to proceed.The text you entered in the "Email" field appears to be invalid, please edit it and try again
Get the Latest News Delivered to Your Inbox

A Guide to Building Credit and Increasing Your Credit Scores

When it comes to credit, there’s some good news. The average credit score in the United States has been steadily rising in recent years, coming in at 715 in 2023. That may be because, today, consumers not only have more ways to access their credit reports and scores than ever before but also because there are an increasing number of options that Americans have for building credit in the first...

2024 SoFi Checking and Savings Review

Ever since I started taking an interest in the FinTech sector, one company whose name I’ve seen pop up over and over again is SoFi. Lately it seems as though that theme has been sent into overdrive as the company has not only become a household name thanks to its stadium naming rights deal but also because of the company’s continued product expansions. The most interesting development in my mind...
Chase Freedom Flex card

Chase Reveals Q2 2024 Freedom 5%(+) Bonus Categories

Chase has announced its bonus category picks for the second quarter of 2024 — including some interesting twists. About the categories: As April approaches, Chase has revealed what categories Freedom and Freedom Flex cardholders can earn bonuses on. From April 1st through June 30th, customers can earn 5% (or more) in three categories: Amazon.com, Hotels, and Restaurants. Similar to how Chase embraced a "New Year, New Me" theme last quarter,...

FedEx Announces Winners of 11th Annual 2023 Small Business Grant Contest

Nearly three months after the entry period ended, FedEx has announced the winners of its 11th annual Small Business Grant Content. This year's event saw more than $300,000 in funds going to a variety of small businesses across the nation. Last month, the company revealed 100 finalists, with that list now being narrowed down to just 10 winners. This year's grand prize winners included KindVR, The Cupcake Collection, Up In...
H-E-B and Central Market  credit cards

Imprint Launches Credit Cards from H-E-B and Central Market 

The FinTech Imprint is partnering with the popular Texas-based grocery chain H-E-B for a pair of new rewards credit cards. This week saw the launch of the H-E-B Visa Signature Credit Card as well as the Central Market Visa Signature Credit Card. With these two (nearly identical) options, customers will be able to earn rewards on groceries and beyond. First, both versions of the card earn up to 5% back on select...