chase

Review: Chase Freedom Unlimited

⭐⭐⭐⭐, Credit Card Reviews /

Chase Freedom Unlimited (CFU) is a general-use no-fee credit card with extra opportunities for rewards. Although the card is advertised as a cash back card, it really earns points (Chase Ultimate Rewards, or “UR” for short). This is important because of the “Chase Trifecta” rewards strategy. CFU earns at least 1.5% cash back on all purchases and can earn much more.

FEATURES AT A GLANCE

  • No annual fee
  • 3% foreign transaction fee
  • 5x points on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards (flights, hotels, car rentals)
  • 3x points at restaurants (including takeout and delivery)
  • 3x points at drugstores and pharmacies
  • 1.5x points on everything else
  • Chase Offers

…

Review: Chase Freedom UnlimitedRead More »

The Top 5+ Cards For Cell Phone Insurance Protection

Credit Card Roundups /

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:

 

…

The Top 5+ Cards For Cell Phone Insurance ProtectionRead More »

The Top 5 Credit Cards For Priority Pass Lounge Access

Credit Card Roundups /

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.
…

The Top 5 Credit Cards For Priority Pass Lounge AccessRead More »

The Top 15 Credit Cards For 0% APR

Credit Card Roundups, Reference /

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.

…

The Top 15 Credit Cards For 0% APRRead More »

Explaining The Chase Trifecta And How To Maximize It

Reference /

The “Chase Trifecta” is combining three specific Chase cards to gain more value than using just one of those cards.

Although Chase advertises its two Freedom cards as earning cash back, these cards actually earn points (Chase Ultimate Rewards). These points can be redeemed for cash back at $0.01 each (1 Cent Per Point, or 1 cpp). However, we can increase the value after transferring UR to a Sapphire Preferred or Sapphire Reserve card.

The Preferred makes each point worth $0.0125 each (1.25 cpp or 25% more) and the Reserve makes each point worth $0.015 (1.5 cpp or 50% more) when redeeming points against certain purchases or travel expenses. It might not sound like much, but this quickly adds up. And in some cases, the points can be transferred to Chase’s travel partners for even more value.
…

Explaining The Chase Trifecta And How To Maximize ItRead More »

Anti-Churning Rules and Chase 5/24 Explained

Reference /

“Churners” seek sign-up bonuses and other rewards by opening lots of credit cards. In most cases, they’re legitimate customers who want extra cash back or free travel. A lot of credit cards offer great rewards and bonuses. As people become more educated about credit cards (CCs) some inevitably want to maximize (or abuse) the system, despite risks to their credit scores.

As a result, banks have implemented rules (sometimes unofficially) to deter churners. They naturally aim for a positive ROI on customers. Here’s a compilation of the most important things to keep in mind. Keep in mind that this isn’t a comprehensive list of all rules/guidelines, and things are subject to change.

As a side note, some banks might shut you down if you go too hard and fast. They can take away points or close your cards. We recommend applying for 1 new card every 3-4 months, to start. If you have higher risk tolerance, maybe apply for a new card every 2-3 months, once your credit history is pretty well-established. Don’t go overboard. Start with credit cards that you’re likely to use on a regular basis, and pay your balance in full every month.

…

Anti-Churning Rules and Chase 5/24 ExplainedRead More »

New Features And Bonuses For Chase Southwest Credit Cards

News /

Chase Southwest credit cards received a bunch of positive changes, including increases to the sign-up bonus and referral bonuses. All 3 personal cards now have the same welcome bonus: “Earn 50,000 points after you spend $2,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Earn an additional 50,000 points after you spend $12,000 on purchases in the first 12 months from account opening” Offer expires 12/1/2021. At this time, 100k points is the highest-ever bonus for Southwest credit cards.

Link to Press Release

Chase has a handy comparison chart to check all the details of each card. Note that all of the options have an annual fee (not waived the first year). And as always, Chase’s 5/24 rule applies.

…

New Features And Bonuses For Chase Southwest Credit CardsRead More »

Review: Chase Sapphire Reserve

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐, Credit Card Reviews /

The Chase Sapphire Reserve (CSR) is a luxury credit card for travelers which offers many perks. It’s also an integral part of the “Chase Trifecta” rewards strategy, which significantly boosts earnings. The Sapphire Reserve excels in the travel and dining categories, and has some of the best travel insurance protections on any card.

FEATURES AT A GLANCE

  • $550 annual fee
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • 10x points on hotels and car rentals (booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards)
  • 10x points on Chase Dining prepaid reservations (through Chase Ultimate Rewards)
  • 5x points on flights (booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards)
  • 3x points on dining
  • 3x points on travel
  • 1x points on everything else
  • $300 annual travel credit
  • $100 credit towards Global Entry or TSA PreCheck (once every 4 years)
  • Chase Offers

…

Review: Chase Sapphire ReserveRead More »