Credit Card Reviews

Review: American Express Gold (2024)

⭐⭐⭐⭐, Credit Card Reviews /

The American Express Gold Card was refreshed in August 2024 with a few changes. It remains a mid-to-high tier card centered around restaurants and groceries. It may not be the best option for most people, but the card is flexible enough to be worth looking into, particularly for high spenders. The annual fee has been raised by $75 in exchange for up to $184 in new credits. Whether this is a great value depends on each person.

FEATURES AT A GLANCE

  • $325 annual fee (previously $250)
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • 4x points on dining (restaurants, takeout, and delivery including UberEats) (up to $50,000 spent annually, then 1x)
  • 4x points on groceries (up to $25,000 spent at U.S. grocery stores each year, then 1x)
  • 3x points on flights
  • 2x points on hotels booked through AmexTravel.com (with potential bonus perks for booking something from The Hotel Collection)
  • 1x points on everything else
  • Metal card (choose from 3 color options: Gold, Rose Gold, or limited-edition White Gold)

…

Review: American Express Gold (2024)Read More »

Review: Redstone Federal Credit Union Visa Signature

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐, Credit Card Reviews /

Redstone Federal Credit Union (RFCU) is based out of Northern Alabama. Their Visa Signature card offers high cash back rates for restaurant and gas spending, plus a decent amount of cash back in other categories. This obscure no-fee credit card offers a lot to consider. The main downside is that it’s no longer possible to join the credit union if you don’t live within their area of service (AL/TN).

FEATURES AT A GLANCE

  • No annual fee
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • No balance transfer or cash advance fees
  • 5% cash back for restaurants ($7,000 annual spending limit)
  • 5% cash back for gas ($7,000 annual spending limit)
  • 3% cash back for groceries, discount stores, wholesale clubs, utilities, phone and streaming services ($7,000 annual spending limit each)
  • 1.5% cash back on everything else

…

Review: Redstone Federal Credit Union Visa SignatureRead More »

Review: USAA Eagle Navigator Visa Signature

⭐⭐⭐, Credit Card Reviews /

The USAA Eagle Navigator Visa Signature began a trial rollout in September 2023 before being officially launched later. It’s a travel-centric card which doubles as an everyday card. It can earn at least 2% cash back on every purchase, and it’s not difficult to offset the small annual fee. It’s not a one-size-fits-all solution, however.

FEATURES AT A GLANCE

  • $95 annual fee
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • 3x points on travel
  • 2x points on everything else
  • $100 credit towards Global Entry or TSA PreCheck (once every 4 years)

…

Review: USAA Eagle Navigator Visa SignatureRead More »

Review: Wells Fargo Autograph Journey

⭐⭐⭐, Credit Card Reviews /

In March 2024, Wells Fargo launched their new “Autograph Journey” Visa Signature credit card, meant as a more premium version of their no-fee Wells Fargo Autograph card. Which in turn was based on the old Wells Fargo Propel card (since discontinued). Unfortunately, the Autograph Journey doesn’t have a clear value proposition compared to other credit cards. It can be okay for some people, but most people will either (1) prefer an actual premium travel card, or (2) prefer the no-fee Autograph card.

FEATURES AT A GLANCE

  • $95 annual fee
  • No foreign transaction fee
  • 5x points on hotels
  • 4x points on flights
  • 3x points at restaurants
  • 3x points on other travel (auto rentals, cruise lines, travel agencies, and campgrounds)
  • 1x points on everything else
  • $50 annual credit with your first airline purchase (per cardmember year)

…

Review: Wells Fargo Autograph JourneyRead More »

Review: Ritz-Carlton Visa Infinite

⭐⭐⭐⭐, Credit Card Reviews /

The Chase Ritz-Carlton Visa Infinite has been unavailable for new sign-ups since 2018. You can, however, contact Chase to upgrade an existing Marriott Bonvoy card. Unfortunately, there isn’t any sign-up bonus available for the Ritz-Carlton card, but its strong suite of benefits may still be of interest. AwardWallet calls it “Bonvoy’s best-kept secret.”

FEATURES AT A GLANCE

  • $450 annual fee
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • 6x points at the Ritz-Carlton & other Marriott hotels (4.8%) (not including points earned as a Bonvoy member; Chase’s site says you can earn up to 18.5x points on hotel stays as a Gold Elite member)
  • 3x points for airline tickets, car rentals, and restaurants (2.4%)
  • 2x points on everything else (equivalent to 1.6% cash back)

…

Review: Ritz-Carlton Visa InfiniteRead More »

Review: United Explorer Visa Signature

⭐⭐⭐⭐, Credit Card Reviews /

Credit cards for United Airlines are issued by Chase Bank. In this review, we’ll focus on the United Explorer Card, which has a small annual fee. Although a wide range of benefits are attached to the card, it should only be considered by travelers who fly United often enough to use those benefits. Infrequent fliers won’t want to keep this card longer than one or two years.

FEATURES AT A GLANCE

  • $95 annual fee (waived the first year)
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • 2x points on United purchases (including tickets, in-flight food/drinks, and events)
  • 2x points on dining (including delivery)
  • 2x points on hotel stays (when booked directly with the hotel)
  • 1x points on everything else

…

Review: United Explorer Visa SignatureRead More »

Review: Hudson Valley Credit Union (HVCU) Visa Signature

⭐⭐⭐, Credit Card Reviews /

The Hudson Valley Credit Union (HVCU) Visa Signature credit card appears at first glance to be a relatively straightforward card for everyday spending. However, the value of the points it earns will vary widely, and there are different types of non-credit accounts that you can have. The value of this credit card can change a lot depending on your personal preferences.

Hudson Valley Credit Union is a small credit union based in New York’s Hudson Valley region, founded in Dutchess County in 1963. You must live in or around southeastern New York to open an account with the bank, with a presence in at least one of the 12 counties they serve (listed below).

FEATURES AT A GLANCE

  • No annual fee
  • No foreign transaction fee
  • 2x points on everything

…

Review: Hudson Valley Credit Union (HVCU) Visa SignatureRead More »

Review: Fidelity Rewards Visa Signature

⭐⭐⭐⭐, Credit Card Reviews /

The Fidelity Rewards Visa Signature is a straightforward card for earning cash back on everyday purchases. It gets an unlimited 2% back on everything, without category restrictions or fees. The card is offered in partnership with Elan Financial Services. As of September 2023, the card no longer has a foreign transaction fee (previously 1%).

FEATURES AT A GLANCE

  • No annual fee
  • No foreign transaction fee
  • 2% cash back on everything

…

Review: Fidelity Rewards Visa SignatureRead More »

Review: SoFi Mastercard

⭐⭐⭐⭐, Credit Card Reviews /

The SoFi Credit Card is a straightforward card for everyday purchases. There are zero fees, and you can get 2.2% cash back on everything, which makes it an attractive general-use card.

In early 2023, they added an extra 1% back for certain travel-related purchases. And as of 4/1/24, customers can get a 10% bonus on points earned, giving 2.2% or 3.3% cash back on everything (previously 2% or 3%). Note that Direct Deposit is required for the best rates.

FEATURES AT A GLANCE

  • No annual fee
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • 3x points for trips booked through SoFi Travel (powered by Expedia)
  • 2x points on everything else
  • 10% points bonus with Direct Deposit enabled

…

Review: SoFi MastercardRead More »

Review: Elan Travel Rewards+ Visa Signature

⭐⭐⭐, Credit Card Reviews /

The Elan Travel Rewards+ Visa Signature is a mid-tier card for travel and vacationing. Issued by Elan Financial Services, it was released around mid-2023.

This credit card is available at dozens of credit unions, including Spectra and Valley Bank. Card details are the same regardless of which bank you work with. Other Elan cards include the Max Cash Preferred and Everyday Rewards+.

FEATURES AT A GLANCE

  • $99 annual fee (waived the first year)
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • 4x points on travel
  • 4x points on gas (and electric vehicle charging stations)
  • 4x points on entertainment and recreation
  • 1.5x points on everything else

…

Review: Elan Travel Rewards+ Visa SignatureRead More »