Credit Cards

Get ready for more merchant surcharges — Visa/Mastercard Merchant Settlement

A few months back there was some big news, Visa/Mastercard and a broad group of suing merchants agreed upon terms that would see a range of restricted actions on the part of networks (Visa, Mastercard) and fewer restrictions for merchants (surcharges, ability to decline certain card types). Anything impacting transactions (restrictions, fees, surcharges, etc.) has

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Don’t be afraid to close credit card accounts you don’t need or want to manage

I closed three accounts in 2025. Each for a varying reason. Each for an account with a $20,000 limit or more. Those closures did not destroy my credit score, damage my credit history, or have any meaningful impact whatsoever. It is also true that I have many, many accounts, so in the balance of other

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That beefy AMEX Platinum $895 annual fee just posted. Somehow, remarkably, it’s actually worth paying.

I don’t like paying fees. I don’t like paying small fees. I ABSOLUTELY don’t love paying big fees. That said, I have found there are many cards where the annual fees are worth the slew of rewards and benefits that come with the membership. American Express Platinum is one of those, despite the outrageous, marketplace-topping

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“Would you like the car rental supplemental damage waiver?” — Absolutely not

We had a lovely MLK weekend trip up in New York City and Connecticut this past weekend. While we didn’t need (or want) a car in the city itself, we did need one to visit the family in more rural Connecticut. The internet helped find a reasonably cheap booking (<$100 for a one-way, one-day rental),

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Sometimes too good to be true really is too good – Origins Card 6% Everywhere Card

The past few weeks I’ve been targeted for a few Facebook and Instagram ads. I’m a sucker for a deal, and so I like to humor what comes across because occasionally there’s something to take advantage of. Fancy marketing copy. Bold value claims. Big headlines. However, just because you can make something pretty and make

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Capping credit card interest rates at 10% sure may sound good, on the surface…

…but there’s always more to the story. I’ll keep this focused on the the cap, and avoid the challenges associated with the…politicization at play. If the question were around affordability and predatory industry behavior, there would be a wide range of other administration focus, like…not gutting the CFPB. With that said, let’s get into it.

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How about a quick and easy discount on all utilities? (US Bank Cash+ 5% category)

Why leave money on the table when paying the pesky utility bill? Everyone uses some combination of electricity, gas, water, and trash. For more than five years, I’ve had the luxury of a very healthy 5% discount on utilities simply for using my US Bank Cash+ card. This has added up to many, many hundreds

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Turns out that there IS such thing as a free lunch, courtesy of AMEX & Resy

Is it still impossible to get something for nothing? Perhaps, as the Cards here do have some pretty hefty annual fees. That said, having a delicious meal for two, and the next day having pending statement credits for the full purchase price is pretty sweet. Let me break it down. Firstly, what is Resy? Resy

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2025 Credit Cards Wrapped — Somehow five new cards is a “light” year of card gaming

I’d be lying if I said every time I enter my information in an application and press “apply” I didn’t secretly have a little rush of adrenaline and anticipation of the hopefully-quick (and positive) outcome. There’s some moderate level of validation I get from banks making the outrageously poor business decision to give me new

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