Alex Merrick

There really is such thing as free money — in the form of $1.99 small-balance credits

I’ll start off by saying that this is maybe one of my all-time favorite schemes. While it won’t make you rich, it is a really pretty simple, so long as you can plan and execute accurately. In full disclosure, I have done this primarily at Discover after stumbling upon this a number of years ago.

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Flying for Xmas? Don’t skip on TSA Pre-Check, you probably have it for free!

Ho ho ho! Merry Christmas to all, and hope Santa was extra generous and maybe even left some cookies for the adults. Flying is full of uncomfortable experiences, general hassles, and lots of waiting. There are some simple steps folks can take to help make the overall experience a little smoother and less disruptive. TSA

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Burrrr It’s Cold Outside – so stay in and get Instacart+ and some free credits from Chase

This is the perfect no-nonsense partnership. Effectively every Chase card has a combined free trial of Instacart+ and a monthly credit. While I don’t love using delivery (or pickup) for orders in general, I’m all for it if it’s actually cheaper. This is. Instacart+ is effectively a no-fee (really, reduced-fee) delivery. Typically it’s $99/year or

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2.625% everywhere, no gotchas* (with an asterisk) BofA Premium Rewards Card

Alas, there is often an asterisk. This one comes in the form of “Preferred Rewards” relationship requirements with Bank of America. This relationship bonus is notable, bumping the rewards earn from 1.5% to 2.625% on all spend. No joke. Link to the product itself (not a referral link) The base product itself is perfectly fine

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Wronged by the banks? The CFPB is here to help (for now)

As one might expect of me, I push my relationships with every financial institution and expect perfection in delivery. Unsurprisingly, this often leaves me disappointed and escalating for attention with limited results. Cue the CFPB (Consumer Financial Protection Bureau). While they were chartered for bigger and better things (read: enforcement and regulation to protect consumers)

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