everyday

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)

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Review: Hudson Valley Credit Union (HVCU) Visa Signature

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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

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Review: Fidelity Rewards Visa Signature

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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

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Review: SoFi Mastercard

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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

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Review: Elan Reserve Rewards+ Visa Infinite

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The Elan Reserve Rewards+ Visa Infinite credit card is aimed at being a relatively high-end all-in-one card. It’s a newer Visa Infinite, issued by Elan Financial Services, 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+.

Considering the high annual fee, people will wonder if this card is right for them, and if the benefits outweigh the costs. It’s very subjective in this case.

FEATURES AT A GLANCE

  • $390 annual fee
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • 6x points on travel booked through their Rewards Center (flights, hotels, car rentals)
  • 2x points on everything else
  • $100 credit towards Global Entry or TSA PreCheck (usually once every 4-5 years)

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Review: Signature Federal Credit Union Visa Signature

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The Signature Federal Credit Union Visa Signature is an obscure yet powerful everyday card which beats most competitors. It has good cash back rates, no fees, and a host of Visa perks which are normally only found on high-fee Visa Infinite cards. Few credit cards offer superior cash back on non-category purchases or superior non-cashback perks. Side note: this is unrelated to Signature Bank of New York. Signature FCU is its own entity.

FEATURES AT A GLANCE

  • No annual fee
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • 6% cash back on streaming (up to $10 per month)
  • 2% cash back on everything else

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Review: Ness Wellness Card

⭐⭐⭐, Credit Card Reviews /

UPDATE for 11/15/2023: The card is shutting down. Rewards can be redeemed through 11/22/23 and balances must be paid by 12/19/23. According to a new message on their home page, “…the short answer is we’ve simply run out of money. We’re a venture backed startup and always anticipated raising more funding… but haven’t been successful there.”

***

Initial review from April 2023:

The Ness Wellness Card (issued by The Bank of Missouri) is a health-focused charge card running on the Mastercard network. It’s a complex program with a lot going on here, so let’s take a deep dive to check out the potential of this card.

First, you need an iPhone or iPad to be eligible, running iOS 14 or greater. This unfortunately limits the pool of people who can apply for the card by about half. Ness notes that “We may not be able to award you points if we are unable to obtain your Health Information from Apple HealthKit.”

FEATURES AT A GLANCE

  • $349 annual fee
  • No foreign transaction fee
  • 5x points on “health and wellness” which includes grocery stores, select restaurants, meal kits, vitamins, pharmacies, healthcare services, athletic apparel, and more.
  • 2x points on everything else
  • $200 annual health and wellness credit (applies to purchases earning 5x points)
  • $200 annual “healthy activity” credit, awarded as “up to 56 points per day”
    • 14 points for 30+ active minutes per day
    • 14 points for 10+ “mindful” minutes per day
    • 14 points for 7+ hours of sleep per day
    • 14 points for 6,000+ steps per day (ideally you want to get 10,000 daily)
  • Up to $360 in annual Sweetgreen credits: spend $75 in a month to get a $15 credit (can do this twice per month—Ness advertises this as “Every 5th & 10th Salad Free at sweetgreen each month“). The $75 can include the $10/month cost for Sweetpass+.
  • Various other credits and discounts

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The Top 5 Credit Cards For Retail Purchases or Mobile Wallets

Credit Card Roundups /

In some cases, a store-brand card can help save money. They typically offer 5% back year-round (as a discount or cash back) on transactions at that store. But store cards aren’t always good options, and they’re limited to only one store at a time. It’s often a better idea to get a credit card which can work at multiple stores. Cards with flexible usage and flexible rewards usually beat narrow-use cards.

Two of the below options are even more flexible due to earning cash back on any mobile wallet transactions (Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay, etc). This is good not just for retail stores, but categories like groceries and gas too.

This is a list of credit cards which can work at multiple stores and earn decent cash back. Outside of these top options, view our list of the best cards for everyday spending.

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Review: U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve Visa Infinite

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The U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve (USBAR) is a premium travel card which also works well for everyday usage. It closely competes with the the Chase Sapphire Reserve, Capital One Venture X, and other luxury cards. The USBAR might have lower earning potential than certain competitors, but it’s often easier to use and more convenient. This is a card worth exploring even if it can potentially be tough to get U.S. Bank credit cards.

FEATURES AT A GLANCE

    • $400 annual fee
    • Zero foreign transaction fees
    • 5x points on hotels and car rentals booked through U.S. Bank’s website
    • 3x points on travel
    • 3x points on mobile wallet transactions
    • 1x points on everything else
    • $325 annual credit (for travel or restaurants)
    • $100 credit towards Global Entry or TSA PreCheck (once every 4 years)
    • Metal card

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