In May 2023, TD Bank “revamped” their line of consumer credit cards. In general, there isn’t any reason to consider TD Bank; their credit cards have been worse than competing options for a long time. These cards are still among the worst in the industry even after their updates. Let’s look into why they’re bad and what the alternatives are.
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Americans spend more on pharmaceuticals than any other country. More people could also benefit heavily from consistently going to the gym. As such, let’s explore some credit cards to maximize rewards in these health-related categories. What’s best?
Both cards earn 3% cash back at drug stores, pharmacies, and restaurants. Unfortunately, gyms and fitness clubs aren’t included here.
They have the potential to earn more through The Chase Trifecta. This can easily become 4.5% cash back (or more) when combined with a Chase Sapphire Reserve. The Sapphire Reserve is also one of the only known cards to include some health/medical insurance when traveling (100+ miles from home). It’s not much, but it’s something, in case insurance doesn’t cover all your expenses. (Or if you have zero insurance.) The Chase Sapphire Preferred can also increase the value of points, but it’s inferior to the Sapphire Reserve in this case. The downside is that annual fees become involved with this strategy, so you’ll have to do the math and see if it makes sense beyond a year or so.
AHCU Cash Reward gets an unlimited 3% back at pharmacies, home improvement stores, gas, and groceries. Earning cash back in four categories is always a good deal. Anyone can join this credit union with a $5 donation during the member application process. Gyms and fitness clubs don’t seem to be under the 3% umbrella here.
Venmo earns 3% cash back in your top spending category each billing period. One of the valid categories is “Health and Beauty” which includes “Drug stores and pharmacies… and cosmetic stores that sell beauty products. This category also includes sports and recreation facilities that require membership such as health clubs, tennis, golf and swimming clubs.” This may not cover all gym memberships. It’s still a fairly flexible category.
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The Top 10+ No-Fee Cards For Health: Pharmacies, Drugstores, Gym MembershipsRead More »
The US government has five “trusted traveler” programs. They expedite border crossings and airport customs. If you travel at least once a year, this might be worth considering. Even occasional travelers can save a lot of time.
The programs (Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, SENTRI, NEXUS, FAST) are “risk-based programs to facilitate the entry of pre-approved travelers.” After applying for membership to one, the government can look into your background and interview you. It’s a simple process and doesn’t take much time, although it may take a while for the government to process your paperwork. Memberships are valid for 5 years once approved.
A private option is CLEAR. They use biometric data (your face and eyes) to create a touch-free ID pass, which can be used at airports to quickly go through airport security. It can be combined with TSA PreCheck for extra speed. It’s available in 34 cities as of early 2022, and costs up to $180 per year. (It’s free or discounted through Delta, United, or the American Express Platinum card.)
The best one depends on where and how you travel. Eligibility also varies between programs.
SENTRI and FAST don’t apply to most people, and they don’t have their fees covered by credit cards, so we won’t discuss those options here.
If in doubt, apply for Global Entry. It’s the most comprehensive option, and it includes TSA PreCheck. But if you never travel outside of North America, it might be better to get NEXUS or SENTRI (which also include TSA PreCheck).
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The 10 Best Credit Cards for Global Entry or TSA PreCheckRead More »
Credit cards with high annual fees usually get attention for their points-earning potential and travel/lifestyle perks like lounge access. But they tend to include great benefits which can be overlooked. If you want peace of mind while traveling and making retail purchases, the below list is for you.
These metal cards all include features such as trip cancellation or interruption insurance, trip delay reimbursement, lost luggage reimbursement, rental vehicle insurance, travel and emergency assistance, purchase security, extended warranty service, and return protection. They also have variations of Priority Pass access and Global Entry reimbursement.
Most Visa Infinite cards have similar benefits. It does vary by issuer though. Some benefits are listed below as “N/A” to show that similar cards may offer that benefit. It’s a quick comparison tool. As of February 2021, most Visa cards should include free NortonLifeLock ID Navigator. This service has dark web monitoring and more, similar to existing free services through issuers like Discover and Capital One. Visa Infinite cardholders also get special discounts/offers with companies like Shipt, Sofar Sounds, and Skillshare. These perks were added around the same time.
Note: Details here are current as of early 2022 and are subject to change.
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Travel Insurance and Purchase Protections On Top Premium Credit CardsRead More »
The United Nations Federal Credit Union (UNFCU) is a New York based cooperative which is somewhat open to everyone. Membership is primarily for United Nations employees or volunteers and their families, but unaffiliated people can join UNFCU by simultaneously joining an affiliate organization. As of 2021-2022, there are two options:
You can join during the UNFCU application process or do it on your own. We haven’t verified yet if UNA/KI membership can be a one-time cost or must be maintained indefinitely to retain UNFCU membership.
UNFCU’s checking account has no significant fees or minimum balance requirements, and can earn up to 1% APY. There’s an inactivity fee for accounts that have 2+ years of zero transactions.
The main benefit we’ll explore here is their two credit cards. Both have a $100 sign-up bonus (SUB) after spending $2,000 in 4 months, plus 0% APR for 6-12 months.
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United Nations Federal Credit Union (UNFCU): Credit Cards and How To JoinRead More »
Upgrade is a California-based fintech company launched in 2017. They offer personal loans, a free checking account, and four credit cards. Sign-up bonuses are rare but may be possible from time to time. Otherwise, none of their cards have annual fees or sign-up bonuses. All of them say “No fees and set payoffs bring your balance down faster so you pay less interest” and “Combine the flexibility of a credit card with the low cost and predictability of a personal loan.“ Autopay is required for lower credit lines. All credit cards have the potential to be Visa Signature cards. Credit limit will typically be between $500 and $25,000 although Upgrade says they’ll go up to $50,000 in rare cases.
In general, Upgrade appears to be a company for people who’ve had some financial difficulties. You can qualify for their credit cards even with below-average FICO scores. Low fees or APR aren’t especially compelling for rewards-seekers and credit card churners. These groups never pay interest on credit cards and maximize their spending for cash back. It’s a different demographic than most banks, although Upgrade has potential benefits for most people.
You can check to see if you’re prequalified for a card without any impacts to your credit score.
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SunTrust (now Truist) is a bank based out of Atlanta. They became Truist after merging with BB&T (Branch Banking and Trust Company). It’s one of the 10 largest U.S. banks, and they offer three credit cards plus a private credit card option. All four cards are unimpressive, but may be worth considering for a year or two.
The three public cards have a “loyalty bonus” of “10%, 25% or 50%, based on your deposit relationship with SunTrust when you redeem rewards directly to a SunTrust Checking, Savings or Money Market account.” Program enrollment requires a checking account. It’s not as good as Bank of America’s Preferred Rewards program.
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Credit Card Issuers: SunTrust / Truist (4 Cards Reviewed)Read More »
A relatively new feature for credit cards is free cell phone insurance (or it’s called cell phone protection). Several cards currently have it, mostly World Elite Mastercards. Enrollment is easy: just pay your eligible monthly cell phone bill with an eligible credit card.
Most types of major damage, or theft, are covered by this insurance. Phones which become lost or “mysteriously disappear” are not covered. Other exceptions may apply, such as limits to how many phones are covered. Plan details vary, so you’ll have to read the terms and conditions of your card of choice. Some secured cards or student cards may also offer this benefit. Shop around to see which card might be best for you.
Cell phone manufacturers, retailers, and telecommunications providers may offer their own protection plans or warranties. However, they usually come with fees. Google for example offers “protection plans” ranging from $3 to $15 per month, with fees and deductibles ranging from $39 to $199 on top of that. (Plus, some devices aren’t eligible for their plan, and services aren’t available in every state.) If insurance/protection is included in your credit card benefits instead, it’s 100% free and coverage is automatic. You’ll save money while earning cash back from paying your phone bill.
The top 5 personal credit or charge cards, as of 2022, are currently:
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The Top 5+ Cards For Cell Phone Insurance ProtectionRead More »
Priority Pass is a membership program which allows access to select airport lounges, and potential airport restaurant/spa/shopping discounts. Lounges include Wi-fi, charging stations, free food and drinks, TVs, and more. Upscale options may include perks like sleeping suites or showers. If you’re interested in Priority Pass membership, you don’t need to buy it. Several credit cards offer free access. Note that each card may have different “tiers” of benefits and exclusions may apply.
The value of Priority Pass depends on how often you’d use airport lounges. Getting Priority Pass separately has a minimum annual cost of $99. This general membership costs $32 per visit, per person ($291 for one person to have six visits in one year). At the next tier up, it’s $299 for 10 “free” lounge visits. The last membership tier is $429 for unlimited lounge visits. Costing $130 more than the middle tier, you’d need at least 4-5 extra visits (32*4=$128) to justify the price.
The value of lounges themselves will vary a lot by location. Some are great while others don’t offer enough benefits to assign a significant cash value. On the other hand, Priority Pass restaurants can always be a fair deal, with a $28-30 discount per visit (more with a guest or two). There are 20 U.S. airports (and 19 non-U.S. airports) with this benefit as of late 2021. Adding select restaurants to the mix increases the value of Priority Pass membership.
Most of the 5 metal cards below have flexible point redemptions (hotel cards aren’t included here) and Priority Pass Restaurant access, plus 2+ free guests. Although other credit cards offer Priority Pass benefits, this list has what we believe are the best overall options.
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The Top 5 Credit Cards For Priority Pass Lounge AccessRead More »
0% APR can have a variety of applications. Sometimes you need more than 30 days to pay for something, or need to increase the amount of cash on hand. This is usually the best way to solve that problem while avoiding interest. Credit cards normally have 15-20% APR, and it’s rarely worthwhile to pay interest on card purchases. One of the downsides here is that most of the below cards require a minimum credit score of 650+. People who really need 0% APR often have lower credit scores. If you fall into this category, check to see if you’re prequalified before applying. Most banks have this option. Search “[bank name] prequalification” and their website should pop right up.
Most of the below cards also have 0% APR on balance transfers, but balance transfers almost always have a fee associated with them. It’s better to put new purchases on a 0% APR card instead of trying to do a balance transfer. Note: This list is current as of December 2021 and is subject to change.
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