PSECU Level Up Promo: Up to $300 Checking Bonus

June 5, 2023 By Jonathan Ping 3 Comments
My Money Blog has partnered with CardRatings and Credit-Land for selected credit cards and may receive a commission. All opinions expressed are the author’s alone, and has not been provided nor approved by any of the companies mentioned.

Pennsylvania State Employees Credit Union (PSECU) has a $300 new checking account bonus that is broken up into three “levels” of $100 each. That is also my referral link as I am also doing this deal. PSECU is a digital-first credit union with a very open membership. In fact, they will cover your dues to join the required partner organization in order to qualify for membership. It’s all part of the sign-up process.

In order to take advantage of PSECU’s products and services, you must be a member of PSECU. Pennsylvania Recreation and Park Society (PRPS) members are eligible for PSECU membership. You have the option to join PRPS at the Friend level. PSECU will cover the $20 dues. To continue your relationship with PSECU, you do not need to maintain PRPS membership.

They will even cover the required $5 initial deposit into a share savings account. I did however experience a hard credit check on Experian, which is (unfortunately) common amongst credit unions. Here are the details on the bonus requirements:

$100 Checking Bonus (Level 1)

  • Become a PSECU member using promo link and promo code LEVELUP (should be automatically applied) and add a free checking account with debit card.
  • Log into digital banking (online or mobile).
  • Activate your PSECU debit card.
  • Must be completed in the first 30 days of establishing your membership.

$100 Checking Bonus (Level 2)

  • Do the above, and establish one or more qualifying payroll direct deposits that together total $200 per calendar month.
  • Must be completed within 90 days of establishing your membership.

$100 Checking Bonus (Level 3)

  • Do the above, and maintain the qualifying payroll direct deposit(s) for 90 days after initial deposit.

Full terms and conditions:

From 1/1/2023 to 12/31/2023, PSECU is running a new member incentive bonus. To receive up to $300, new members must sign up with a promotional code and satisfy each of the requirements listed below. PSECU will deposit member incentive bonus into the Regular share within 45 days after the requirements are satisfied. Promotion open to U.S. Residents who are 18 years of age or older at the time the account is opened. Limit one (1) new member Level Up bonus per tax identification number used to open a new PSECU account. You will not be eligible for the Level Up bonus if you are a current PSECU member, have closed an account within the past 12 months, or have received a previous new member incentive bonus within the past 12 months. Members who open accounts and/or loans by fraudulent, suspicious, or illegal means, including but not limited to providing PSECU with fraudulent or fabricated information, are not eligible to participate in this bonus offer. PSECU may adjust the deposited bonus or remove the deposited bonus at any time if PSECU suspects accounts and/or loans were opened by fraudulent, suspicious, or illegal means, including but not limited to providing PSECU with fraudulent or fabricated information. $5 is required to open and maintain a Regular share account. This $5 share deposit is also required to be eligible to receive the $300, and the member must be in good standing as defined by PSECU’s Bylaws Article II, Section 1. A $5 minimum share purchase will be made on behalf of the new member by PSECU. If the member account is closed within the first year of membership, the initial $5 share will be retained by PSECU. The Annual Percentage Yield on PSECU’s Regular share account is 0.50%. This variable rate is current as of 2.1.23 and may change. Withdrawals and fees may reduce earnings on the account. The recipient of the bonus (up to $300) is solely responsible for payment of applicable taxes on that amount. If you have any questions, please seek the advice of a qualified tax professional. All decisions of PSECU regarding this promotion are final. PSECU may terminate or change the terms and conditions of this promotion without notice. Subject to all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations.

My application process went smoothly and similar to other credit unions. I did have to upload a scan of the front and back of my driver’s license to help verify my identity (which is a good thing in my opinion) as well as answer some identity verification questions based on my credit report. The application took a couple days to process but I was able to get my account information and online access without any phone call or paperwork required. I did have to call them briefly to get my checking account number (didn’t want to wait on the free checks to arrive) in order to set up my direct deposit.

*PRPS
If you do not wish to join PRPS, call us at 800.237.7328, extension 3133, so we may help you with PSECU eligibility.

Filed Under: Banking, Deals & Offers
Last updated: June 4, 2023
My Money Blog has partnered with CardRatings and Credit-Land for selected credit cards, and may receive a commission from card issuers. All opinions expressed are the author’s alone, and has not been provided nor approved by any of the companies mentioned. MyMoneyBlog.com is also a member of the Amazon Associate Program, and if you click through to Amazon and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission. Thank you for your support.

Andrews FCU 7.5-Month Certificate at 5.75% APY

June 4, 2023 By Jonathan Ping 2 Comments
My Money Blog has partnered with CardRatings and Credit-Land for selected credit cards and may receive a commission. All opinions expressed are the author’s alone, and has not been provided nor approved by any of the companies mentioned.

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Andrews FCU is celebrating their 75th anniversary with a special 7.5 month certificate at a very competitive 5.75% APY. $1,000 minimum opening deposit, $250,000 maximum. Limit one certificate per membership. Early withdrawal penalty is 90 days of interest, per their Truth in Savings disclosure.

Previous short-term special term certificates have automatically been set to renew at the 12-Month share certificate rate and term upon maturity. You must manually tell them if you want to simply withdraw, be sure to do so within the grace period of 10 days after the date of maturity.

Credit union membership eligibility. From their page on membership eligibility:

Our field of membership includes Washington, DC, civilian and military personnel of Joint Base Andrews, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, and military installations in central Germany, Belgium, and The Netherlands; as well as over 200 employer groups throughout Maryland, Virginia and New Jersey. We also have nationwide membership eligibility through the American Consumer Council.

As I do not live the in DC area and do not qualify otherwise, I joined the American Consumer Council (ACC), a non-profit organization dedicated to consumer education, advocacy and financial literacy. Sounds like something worth supporting! You can join through the website. I believe the cost is a one-time $8, although there is a promo code “consumer” that has worked in the past to get the membership fee waived. They will send you an e-mail shortly with your ACC membership number, which you can use to join Andrews FCU.

Note that applying for this credit union will result in a hard credit inquiry. Andrews FCU has useful promos from time to time and you may find their other financial loan products useful. I am already a member from a previous promotion.

Filed Under: Banking, Deals & Offers
Last updated: June 4, 2023
My Money Blog has partnered with CardRatings and Credit-Land for selected credit cards, and may receive a commission from card issuers. All opinions expressed are the author’s alone, and has not been provided nor approved by any of the companies mentioned. MyMoneyBlog.com is also a member of the Amazon Associate Program, and if you click through to Amazon and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission. Thank you for your support.

Target: Buy $100 in Choice Gift Cards, Get $10 Target Gift Card

June 4, 2023 By Jonathan Ping Leave a Comment
My Money Blog has partnered with CardRatings and Credit-Land for selected credit cards and may receive a commission. All opinions expressed are the author’s alone, and has not been provided nor approved by any of the companies mentioned.

Target is running a promotion where if you get a $10 Target GiftCard with $100 “Choice” gift card purchase, in-store or online. Promo ends June 10th.

I’m guessing this is related to Father’s Day. (The Mother’s Day promo was better, what’s up?!) There are many eligible retailers to choose from: Regal/AMC Theaters to REI to Lowe’s/Home Depot.

Filed Under: Deals & Offers
Last updated: June 4, 2023
My Money Blog has partnered with CardRatings and Credit-Land for selected credit cards, and may receive a commission from card issuers. All opinions expressed are the author’s alone, and has not been provided nor approved by any of the companies mentioned. MyMoneyBlog.com is also a member of the Amazon Associate Program, and if you click through to Amazon and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission. Thank you for your support.

Barclays AAdvantage Aviator Red Mastercard Review: 70,000 AA Miles w/ Single Purchase, $99 Annual Fee

June 4, 2023 By Jonathan Ping 11 Comments
My Money Blog has partnered with CardRatings and Credit-Land for selected credit cards and may receive a commission. All opinions expressed are the author’s alone, and has not been provided nor approved by any of the companies mentioned.

The Barclays AAdvantage Aviator Red Mastercard is a co-branded American Airlines credit card from Barclays. (Citi also offers their own set of co-branded AA cards). This offer is notable because the bonus can be triggered by a single purchase of any amount (no spending hurdle). Various perks for AA fliers are also included. Here are the card highlights:

  • 70,000 bonus miles after making your first purchase (of any amount) and paying the $99 annual fee in the first 90 days. Please allow 4-6 weeks for bonus AAdvantage® miles to be deposited into your AAdvantage® Account after the qualifying purchase(s) have posted to your Card Account.
  • First checked bag free on domestic American Airlines itineraries for the primary cardmember and up to 4 companions traveling with you on the same reservation.
  • Preferred boarding (Group 5) for the primary cardmember and up to 4 companions on the same reservation for all American Airlines operated flights.
  • Up to $25 back in inflight Wi-Fi statement credits every anniversary year on American Airlines operated flights.2
  • Anniversary Companion Certificate each anniversary year; earn a Companion Certificate good for 1 guest at $99 (plus taxes and fees) if you spend $20,000 on purchases and your account remains open for 45 days after your anniversary date.
  • 2X AAdvantage® miles for every $1 spent on eligible American Airlines purchases.
  • 1X AAdvantage® miles for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees
  • $99 annual fee.

Anniversary Companion Certificate details. From the fine print:

At each card anniversary, you will be eligible to earn 1 domestic economy fare companion certificate redeemable for 1 companion ticket at $99 (plus taxes and fees) if you spend $20,000 or more on eligible Net Purchases with your Card Account that have a transaction date within your cardmembership year (each 12-month period through and including your Card Account anniversary month) and your Card Account remains open for at least 45 days after your anniversary date. After the companion certificate is earned, please allow 1-2 weeks for it to be deposited to the primary cardmember’s AAdvantage® account.

When the companion certificate is used according to its terms, you will pay a $99 companion ticket fee plus government taxes and fees, the amount of which will depend on the itinerary (as of the date of these Card Account Reward Rules government taxes and fees range between $21.60 and $43.20), for a round-trip qualifying domestic economy fare ticket for a companion when an individual round-trip qualifying domestic economy fare ticket is purchased and redeemed through American Airlines Meeting Services. Companion certificate eligible travel must be booked and purchased from select economy inventory. The Companion certificate will be valid one year from the issue date. Companion certificate eligible travel is defined as travel on flights within the 48 contiguous United States, on flights marketed and operated by American Airlines, or on flights marketed by American Airlines and operated by Envoy Air Inc., Republic Airline Inc., SkyWest Airlines, Inc., Mesa Airlines, Inc., PSA Airlines, Inc., or Piedmont Airlines, Inc. This is not available for travel on codeshare flights booked with an American Airlines flight number but operated by another airline. For residents of Alaska and Hawaii, companion certificate eligible travel is defined as round-trip travel originating in either of those two states and continuing to the 48 contiguous United States. Applicable terms and conditions are subject to change without notice. Details, terms and conditions, certain restrictions, and restricted dates apply and will be disclosed on the companion certificate.

Additional bonus details. Note the following language if you have had this card previously. However, I have been able to get a new Barclays card in the past, as long as my old account was closed for at least roughly a year.

From time to time, we may offer bonuses of AAdvantage® miles or other incentives to new American Airlines AAdvantage® Aviator® Red Mastercard cardmembers in connection with an application for a new card account. These bonuses and/or incentives are intended for applicants who are not and have not previously been American Airlines AAdvantage® Aviator® Red Mastercard cardmembers. You understand and agree that you may no longer be eligible for any bonuses and/or incentives in connection with a new American Airlines AAdvantage® Aviator® Red Mastercard account after this Card Account is opened. If you receive a bonus or incentive for which you are not eligible due to your status as a current or former American Airlines AAdvantage® Aviator® Red Mastercard cardmember, we may revoke the bonus or incentive, or reduce your AAdvantage® miles by the amount of the bonus or incentive, or charge your Card Account for the fair value of the bonus or incentive, in our sole discretion.

Bottom line. The Barclays AAdvantage Aviator Red Mastercard is a co-branded American Airlines credit card that offers a relatively simple and straightforward sign-up bonus and handy American Airlines perks like a free checked bag for you and up to 4 travel companions. The $99 companion certificate also has potential value, but you’ll have to spend $20,000 on the card within a year (and then wait for your next card anniversary and thus pay the $99 annual fee) to get it.

I will be adding this offer to Top 10 Best Credit Card Bonus Offers.

Filed Under: Credit Cards, Deals & Offers
Last updated: June 4, 2023
My Money Blog has partnered with CardRatings and Credit-Land for selected credit cards, and may receive a commission from card issuers. All opinions expressed are the author’s alone, and has not been provided nor approved by any of the companies mentioned. MyMoneyBlog.com is also a member of the Amazon Associate Program, and if you click through to Amazon and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission. Thank you for your support.

United Quest Card Review: 70,000 Bonus Miles + 500 PQP (Limited-Time Offer)

June 2, 2023 By Jonathan Ping Leave a Comment
My Money Blog has partnered with CardRatings and Credit-Land for selected credit cards and may receive a commission. All opinions expressed are the author’s alone, and has not been provided nor approved by any of the companies mentioned.

Limited-time offer boost. The relatively new United Quest Card is a new premium travel card that offers a lot of added perks on United Airlines for a higher annual fee. Here are the highlights:

  • Earn 70,000 bonus miles + 500 Premier qualifying points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.
  • First AND second checked bags are free for both you and a companion (a savings of up to $320 per roundtrip) when you use your Card to purchase your ticket.
  • Each year, receive up to a $125 United(R) purchase credit and two 5K-mile anniversary award flight credits. Terms apply.
  • Earn 500 Premier qualifying points for every $12K you spend on purchases, up to 6,000 PQP in a calendar year.
  • Up to $100 Global Entry, TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS fee credit.
  • Priority boarding.
  • Expanded award availability and free upgrades. Having this card makes it easier to find that saver award economy ticket. No blackout dates for MileagePlus members booking award flights on United.
  • $250 annual fee.

Here are the ongoing rewards on purchases:

  • 3X miles on United(R) purchases
  • 2X miles on all other travel.
  • 2X miles on dining.
  • 2X miles on select streaming services.
  • 1X mile per dollar spent on all other purchases.
  • No foreign transaction fees.
  • 25% Back on United inflight purchases (Wi-Fi, Food and Drinks).

The United Quest card is considered a new product, which means you can get this new bonus even if you’ve had other United card flavors in the past 24 months:

This product is not available to either (i) current Cardmembers of this credit card, or (ii) previous Cardmembers of this credit card who received a new Cardmember bonus for this credit card within the last 24 months.

This card is very focused on making it a better experience for regular United customers. You have the first and second checked bag for free on United flights, both for your and a companion traveling on the same reservation. The bag fees are $35 + $45 per person, each way, so that adds up to $320 each roundtrip.

After each card anniversary, you automatically get $125 back on United purchases charged to your card, which already covers half the $250 annual fee. You save another 5,000 points (up to twice a year) when you book an award ticket with miles. You also get Priority Boarding, and while onboard, you get 25% back on your inflight purchases of WiFi, food, and drinks.

If you are trying to make Premier status on United, this card offers the ability to earn up to 3,000 Premier qualifying points (PQP) per year by just spending on your card.

Expanded award seat availability. You earn United miles for all your purchases, but then they also make it easier for you to redeem those miles on Saver level tickets with no blackout dates. No blackout dates for MileagePlus members booking award flights on United. Expanded award seat availability is another of the top perks from this card, and I’ve found a very significant difference when searching. If you’re constantly trying to find economy tickets for the entire family like me, this is a big deal. Saver Award ticket redemptions start at 12,500 miles one-way within the continental U.S. and Canada.

If you are a Premier® status member and traveling on an award ticket, with this card you can take advantage of Premier Upgrades on United-operated flights.

Another unique feature of this card is that it offers primary coverage on the Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver. On most other consumer cards, this coverage is offered as secondary coverage, meaning it only kicks in after your personal auto insurance has been exhausted.

Bottom line. The United Quest Card offers a long list of special perks for folks that fly United on a regular basis. For the right person, the benefits can be worth much more than the annual fee.

Also see: Top 10 Best Credit Card Bonus Offers.

Filed Under: Credit Cards, Deals & Offers, General
Last updated: June 2, 2023
My Money Blog has partnered with CardRatings and Credit-Land for selected credit cards, and may receive a commission from card issuers. All opinions expressed are the author’s alone, and has not been provided nor approved by any of the companies mentioned. MyMoneyBlog.com is also a member of the Amazon Associate Program, and if you click through to Amazon and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission. Thank you for your support.

Chase United Explorer Card Review – 60,000 Miles Offer + Annual Fee Waived First Year

June 2, 2023 By Jonathan Ping Leave a Comment
My Money Blog has partnered with CardRatings and Credit-Land for selected credit cards and may receive a commission. All opinions expressed are the author’s alone, and has not been provided nor approved by any of the companies mentioned.

Improved offer. The United Explorer Card is a Chase-issued credit card that offers unique perks on United Airlines including free checked bags and expanded award seat availability for redeeming miles. Here are the highlights:

  • Earn 60,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.
  • Free first checked bag for both you and a companion (a savings of up to $140 per roundtrip) when you use your Card to purchase your ticket. Terms Apply.
  • Expanded award availability. Having this card makes it easier to find that saver award economy ticket.
  • Up to $100 Global Entry, TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS fee credit
  • Priority boarding + 2 United Club(SM) one-time passes every year for your anniversary.
  • 2X miles on dining, on hotel stays, and on United(R) purchases.
  • 25% back as a statement credit on purchases of food, beverages and Wi-Fi on board United-operated flights and on Club premium drinks when you pay with your Explorer Card
  • No foreign transaction fees.
  • Your miles don’t expire as long as your credit card account is open, with no limit to the number of miles you can earn.
  • Use your miles for any seat, any time, on any United flight.
  • $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $95.

Keep in mind the following terms and conditions:

This product is available to you if you do not have this Card and have not received a new Cardmember bonus for this Card in the past 24 months.

This card is very focused on making it a better experience to fly on United. You have the first checked bag for free on United flights, both for your and a companion traveling on the same reservation. The bag fee is usually $35 per person, each way, so that adds up to $140 each roundtrip. Before you board, you might use one of your free United Club lounge passes. You also get Priority Boarding, which helps you find space for your carry-on. While onboard, you get 25% back on your inflight purchases of WiFi, food, and drinks.

Expanded award seat availability. You earn United miles for all your purchases (double miles on restaurants and hotel stays), but then they also make it easier for you to redeem those miles on Saver level tickets with no blackout dates. Expanded award seat availability is another of the top perks from this card, and I’ve found a very significant difference when searching. If you’re constantly trying to find economy tickets for the entire family like me, this is a big deal. Saver Award ticket redemptions start at 12,500 miles one-way within the continental U.S. and Canada.

Another unique feature of this card is that it offers primary coverage on the Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver. On most other consumer cards, this coverage is offered as secondary coverage, meaning it only kicks in after your personal auto insurance has been exhausted.

Bottom line. The United Explorer Card offers great perks for folks that fly United even just once or twice a year. The card provides lounge passes, a free checked bag, priority boarding, and inflight discounts. There are bonus categories to earn more miles, and special expanded award seat inventory for credit card holders to make it easier to actually redeem those miles for flights.

Also see: Top 10 Best Credit Card Bonus Offers.

Filed Under: Credit Cards, Deals & Offers, General
Last updated: June 2, 2023
My Money Blog has partnered with CardRatings and Credit-Land for selected credit cards, and may receive a commission from card issuers. All opinions expressed are the author’s alone, and has not been provided nor approved by any of the companies mentioned. MyMoneyBlog.com is also a member of the Amazon Associate Program, and if you click through to Amazon and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission. Thank you for your support.

Bilt Mastercard: Earn Rewards For Paying Rent w/ Any Landlord (June 1st Promo)

June 1, 2023 By Jonathan Ping 5 Comments
My Money Blog has partnered with CardRatings and Credit-Land for selected credit cards and may receive a commission. All opinions expressed are the author’s alone, and has not been provided nor approved by any of the companies mentioned.

June 1st Bilt Rent Day reminder. The Bilt Mastercard is great for all renters, but especially if you wait until their special promos on the first of every month (“Rent Day”). There are some big potential prizes for solving the special word puzzle on June 1st (although I only got 50 points) plus the easy Trivia points (got the full 250 points this time!), so don’t forget to check your app to enter. Plus the usual Double Points on Rent Day:

List of Free Bilt Points opportunities (any day). Bilt lets you earn bonus points for a variety of different small activities, which can add up to 1,000+ easy points. I don’t know if these are officially listed anywhere, but I got them.

  • After I first got approved for the Bilt card, they offered me 5X Bilt points on all purchases (except rent) for a limited period of time (a week?). This is a good opportunity to earn 5X points for everyday larger purchases like insurance, tax payment, charitable giving, or utility bills. Max 50,000 points.
  • 100 points for linking each transfer partner. Link Hyatt? 100 points. Link Air Canada Aeroplan? 100 points. Link them all! 10+ partners = 1,000+ points.
  • 500 points for Amazon Shop with Points. Link your Amazon account and you can buy stuff with Bilt points at the usual mediocre 0.7 cents per points value. Linking gets you 250 points, and using the program (spend at least 1 Bilt point) and get another 250 Bilt points.
  • 100 points for each credit card linked to Bilt Dining (up to 300 points). Bilt Dining lets you earn 5X points per dollar when you pay at an eligible restaurant using a linked credit card. Link three different credit cards, get 300 Bilt points.

Full review:

The updated Bilt Mastercard is a unique credit card that earns rewards on rent payments to any landlord. Bilt is a rent payment platform and they will send your landlord a check or ACH bank transfer so that your landlord will not have to do anything. In addition, the credit card has bonus categories and a variety of points redemption options like many other rewards credit cards. Here are the highlights:

  • Up to 1X points spent on rent payments without the transaction fee, up to 50,000 points each calendar year.
  • 3X points on dining.
  • 2X points on travel including hotels, rental cars, and cruises when booked directly with airlines, hotels, and car rental agencies.
  • 1X points on other purchases.
  • Earn points when you make 5 transactions that post each statement period.
  • When renting at a Bilt Alliance property, you can choose to have your rent payments automatically reported by Bilt to the three major credit bureaus each month; Experian(TM), TransUnion(TM), and Equifax(TM).
  • No annual fee.
  • World Elite Mastercard perks like cell phone insurance and purchase protection.

That means your rent can be up to $50,000 per year ($4,166 per month) and you would still be able to take full advantage of the 1X points per dollar spent on rent payments. They do require you to make at least 5 transactions per month (rent can be one), otherwise too many people might just put their rent on the card and not use the card otherwise.

Bilt has partnered with the owners of over 2,000,000 apartment units to create the Bilt Rewards Alliance. The easiest way is find out if you live in a qualifying property is to simply type in your address into the Bilt app.

Bilt also offers Double Points on “Rent Day”, aka the 1st of every month. This means that on the 1st day of every month, you can get 6X on dining, 4X on travel, and 2X on other purchases(except rent). They also offer other promos on this day. For example on 12/1/2022, you can transfer 1 Bilt point into 2 IHG points (1:2 instead of 1:1).

Bilt Rewards Points redemption options

Travel partners. Bilt Rewards points transfer on a 1:1 basis to the following hotel and airline partners. You can also get 100 bonus points for every loyalty program you link to Bilt.

  • American Airlines AAdvantage
  • Air Canada Aeroplan
  • United Airlines
  • Hawaiian Airlines
  • FlyingBlue (Air France/KLM)
  • Miles & Smiles (Turkish Airlines)
  • Emirates Skywards
  • Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
  • British Airways Executive Club
  • Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
  • Aer Lingus Aer Club
  • Turkish Miles & Smiles
  • Iberia Plus
  • World of Hyatt
  • IHG One

Hyatt hotel points, American, United, and Hawaiian miles are likely the most useful points for the average US traveler. I am conservative when valuing points and miles due to their redemption hassles and steady threat of devaluation, so I would place the value here a 1 cent a point even though I definitely plan to exceed that. You may wish to use a different value.

Home Downpayment? Bilt says that your points can be redeemed at 1.5 cents per point when used towards a home downpayment. This seems like it might be rather complicated to actually redeem, so I would keep it mind but wouldn’t count on it. If you racked up 100,000 points over time, it would be nice to have $1,500 via this method.

Shop with Points at Amazon. You can link your Bilt Rewards points to Amazon and pay for your purchases at rate of 0.70 cents per point.

Rent. Bilt will let you convert points towards your next rent payment at 0.55 cents per point. This is not a good redemption rate when compared to the miles/Hyatt option. It’s too bad there is no easy, decent cash-out option.

Other options include fitness classes or physical items like “limited-edition” home decor or art in the “Bilt Collection” catalog. Personally, I like being able to add to my Hyatt and Canada Aeroplan stash.

Possibly help your credit score? When renting at a Bilt Alliance property, your on-time payment activity can be automatically reported to the three major credit bureaus. In addition, with the optional “BiltProtect” feature, your rent payments will be immediately withdrawn from a linked bank account so your credit limit is not decreased (and ideally your rent won’t contribute to your credit card debt).

How do I pay my landlord or property manager? They don’t take credit cards due to the transaction fees. Bilt will provide you with a bank ACH routing number and account number that you can use to perform an ACH transfer, or they will simply send a paper check on your behalf. You don’t actually pay with the credit card, nor do you or your landlord have to pay any credit card transaction fees.

Free cell phone protection. Pay your monthly cell phone bill with your Bilt Mastercard and get up to $800 of protection (subject to $25 deductible) against covered damage or theft. For complete coverage details, visit wellsfargo.com/biltbenefits. To file a claim, call 1-800-316-8051 or visit mycardbenefits.assurant.com.

Bottom line. The Bilt Mastercard offers a unique rewards structure targeted specifically at all renters with any landlord. At $2,000 a month in rent, the 1X rewards would add up to 24,000 points per year in rewards = 24,000 American/United/Hawaiian miles or 24,000 Hyatt points with no additional transaction fees and no credit card annual fee. You may even do better if you wait for a “Rent Day” promo on the first of the month. Something to consider if you already have to pay rent anyway.

Filed Under: Credit Cards, Deals & Offers
Last updated: June 1, 2023
My Money Blog has partnered with CardRatings and Credit-Land for selected credit cards, and may receive a commission from card issuers. All opinions expressed are the author’s alone, and has not been provided nor approved by any of the companies mentioned. MyMoneyBlog.com is also a member of the Amazon Associate Program, and if you click through to Amazon and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission. Thank you for your support.

M1 Finance Review: Free Custom Robo-Advisor: 5.00% APY w/ M1 Plus, Up to $15,000 ACAT Transfer Bonus

May 30, 2023 By Jonathan Ping 48 Comments
My Money Blog has partnered with CardRatings and Credit-Land for selected credit cards and may receive a commission. All opinions expressed are the author’s alone, and has not been provided nor approved by any of the companies mentioned.

New 5.00% APY savings account w/ M1 Plus membership, up to $500 deposit and $15,000 ACAT promos updated. I’ve tried out my share of robo-advisors, which always sounded nice in theory but I eventually became disillusioned as they kept generating lot of unnecessary taxes every time they change their model portfolios to chase the latest and hottest trends. My favorite option is where I can pick my own custom target portfolio, but the robo still does the hard work: M1 Finance. Here’s a quick rundown of what makes them different:

  • Fully customizable. You pick your own target asset allocation “pie”. (You can add ETFs or individual stocks.) You can simply copy one of the many model portfolios out there, or make your own custom pie as you like. You have full control! M1 handles the tedious stuff, like rebalancing or dividing a $100 contribution across 8 different ETFs.
  • No commissions. Free stock/ETF trades with a low $100 minimum for taxable accounts and a $500 minimum for retirement accounts.
  • 0.00% management fee! Most robo-advisors charge an annual management fee of 0.25% to 0.50% of assets, or force you to own something bad, like artificially low-interest cash. (Looking at you, Schwab…)
  • Free dynamic rebalancing. All new deposits (and withdrawals) will be invested (or sold) dynamically to bring your portfolio back toward your target asset allocation. M1 will also rebalance your entire portfolio back to the target allocation for you automatically (for free) whenever you chose, on demand. You don’t need to do any math or maintain any spreadsheets.
  • Fractional shares (dollar-based). For example, you can just set it to automatically invest $100 a month, and your full amount will be spread across multiple ETFs. Dollar-based transactions were one of the advantages of buying a mutual fund, but fractional shares solve this problem. ETFs are also usually more tax-efficient than mutual funds.
  • Real brokerage account with off-the-shelf investments that you can move out. Some robo-advisors hold special, proprietary funds that you have to sell if you ever leave, possibly creating a big tax bill. (Looking at you, Fidelity…) M1 is built on a regular brokerage account, so you can move your Vanguard/iShares/Schwab ETFs and stock shares out to another broker whenever you want.

M1 Finance investment minimums:

A minimum account balance of $100 is necessary to get started on M1. Once the $100 account minimum has been reached, deposits can be any amount above $10. Retirement accounts require an initial investment of $500.

M1 Finance checks off nearly all the boxes of my brokerage wish list. They do all the managing for me, but according to MY rules. I don’t like it when robo-advisors keep changing their portfolios to match up with whatever is trendy (private equity, crypto, etc). But since I can choose the exact ETFs that they purchase, if I decide to stop their service down the line, I just end up with a brokerage account filled with ETFs that I can easily move elsewhere. I suppose the only thing they could add would be to have the high availability of knowledgeable customer service of a huge company like Fidelity or Schwab. Otherwise, I really like their feature set and I have been putting my recent annual IRA contributions into M1.

If you want to invest in newer factor ETFs that focus on Small-Cap, Value, Momentum, or Quality factors like those from DFA and Avantis, their service makes it much easier to set up a portfolio with lots of ETFs.

How does M1 make money? They have a variety of income streams:

  • Interest on idle cash (can be minimized as you can auto-invest all idle cash in the investment account)
  • M1 Borrow (you take out a loan, they charge interest)
  • M1 Checking (debit card generates fees for them)
  • Payment for order flow (same as Robinhood and TD Ameritrade)
  • M1 Plus (subscription fee that gets you higher interest rates and other additional perks).
  • M1 Credit Card (transaction fees and interest)

M1 Plus. M1 has been aggressively adding features and pushing their premium M1 Plus membership, which costs $10/month or $95/ year after an initial 3 month free trial. Essentially, it makes everything a little bit better, including access to their new high-yield savings account.

  • Access to high-yield savings (currently 5.00% APY as of 5/27/23). FDIC-insured up to $5 million.
  • Access to M1 credit card (2.5%, 5%, or 10% cash back at 70+ brands, no annual fee).
  • Lower rates on margin borrowing (1.5% rate discount).
  • Custodial accounts for kids.
  • Extra PM trade window.
  • Automated “smart” transfers.

Up to $500 New User deposit bonus. Deposit $10,000 or more within two weeks of opening your new M1 Brokerage Account and get a cash bonus of $75 – $500 deposited to that account. See deposit bonus promotion link for full details.

Up to $15,000 ACAT Transfer bonus. You can get up to $15,000 to invest when you
transfer a brokerage account to M1 by June 17, 2023. See ACAT transer promotion link for full details.

Bottom line. M1 Finance is a brokerage account that acts like a free, customizable robo-advisor with automatic rebalancing into a target portfolio. You control the model portfolio, and they do the tedious work. Great for implementation of a low-cost, index or passive ETF portfolio. I deposited part of my Roth IRA contribution with them.

Disclosure: I am now an affiliate of M1 Finance, and may be compensated if you click through my link and open a new account.

Also see: Big List of Free Stocks For New Commission-Free Brokerage Apps

Filed Under: Deals & Offers, Investing
Last updated: May 30, 2023
My Money Blog has partnered with CardRatings and Credit-Land for selected credit cards, and may receive a commission from card issuers. All opinions expressed are the author’s alone, and has not been provided nor approved by any of the companies mentioned. MyMoneyBlog.com is also a member of the Amazon Associate Program, and if you click through to Amazon and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission. Thank you for your support.

Top 10 Best Credit Card Bonus Offers – June 2023 (Updated)

May 24, 2023 By Jonathan Ping 27 Comments
My Money Blog has partnered with CardRatings and Credit-Land for selected credit cards and may receive a commission. All opinions expressed are the author’s alone, and has not been provided nor approved by any of the companies mentioned.

Updated and checked June 2023. That space in your wallet or purse is valuable, and you should be the one to get that value. By being smart and picky, you can find offers worth $500+ for a single card, all to encourage you to apply and try it out. This adds up to thousands of dollars in extra income (over $5,000 in 2021). These are the top 10 credit card offers that I would personally apply for right now (or have already). Notable recent changes:

  • Added AA Red 70k, United 60k+NoAF, BA 75k, Southwest 60k+30%off, AmEx Green 60k+200, AA 75k, Aeroplan 100k, Alaska 70k+$100
  • Removed Citi 75k, Sapphire 80k, IHG 120k w/ no AF, Hilton 100k, Marriott 100k, Delta 70k, Premier 80k, JetBlue 80k.

This is a companion post to my Top 10 Best Business Card Offers. Small business bonuses are on average even higher than those on consumer cards.

American Express® Green Card

  • 60,000 Membership Rewards points after $3,000 in purchases in first 6 months. Plus, earn 20% back on eligible travel and transit purchases made during your first 6 months of Card Membership, up to $200 back in the form of a statement credit. See link for details.
  • $189 CLEAR Plus credit annually.
  • $100 LoungeBuddy credit annually.
  • 3X points on travel, transit, and restaurants.
  • $150 annual fee.

British Airways Visa Signature Card

  • 75,000 Avios after $5,000 in purchases within first 3 months. See link for details and redemption tips.
  • 10% off British Airways flights starting in the US when you book through the website provided in your welcome materials.
  • Free Travel Together companion ticket when you spend $30,000 in calendar year.
  • $95 annual fee.

Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Card

  • Earn 60,000 Rapid Rewards points plus a 30% off promo code after $3,000 in purchases in the first 3 months 60,000 points can be redeemed for over $750 in “Wanna Get Away” airfare with no blackout dates. See link for details on promo code
  • Southwest still gives everyone two free checked bags.
  • More than halfway to Companion Pass. If you can sign up for this one and also the small business version, you can qualify for a Companion Pass in 2023/2024.
  • $69 annual fee.
  • Subject to 5/24 rule.

The Platinum Card from American Express

  • 80,000 Membership Rewards(R) points after $6,000 in purchases in the first 6 months.
  • $200 Hotel Credits, $240 Streaming Credits, $200 Airline Fee Credits, $200 Uber Cash, $189 CLEAR Credit, $300 Equinox credit, $155 Walmart+ credit and more annually!
  • $100 Global Entry or $85 TSA PreCheck fee credit.
  • Premium airport lounge access through the American Express Global Lounge Collection®.
  • $695 annual fee.

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

  • 60,000 Ultimate Rewards points (worth $750 towards travel or transferrable to miles/points) after $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months. See link for details.
  • $50 annual Ultimate Rewards Hotel Credit, 5x on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards(R), 3x on dining and 2x on all other travel purchases.
  • $95 annual fee.
  • Subject to 5/24 rule.*
  • Upgrade pick: Chase Sapphire Reserve Card. Higher travel perks including airport lounge access, higher annual fee.

Chase United Explorer Card

  • 60,000 miles after $3,000 in purchases within 3 months. See link for details.
  • Free first checked bag for both you and a companion (a savings of up to $140 per roundtrip) when you use your Card to purchase your United ticket.
  • Expanded award availability. Having this card makes it easier to find that saver award economy ticket.
  • $0 annual fee for the first year, then $95.
  • Subject to 5/24 rule.

Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Mastercard

  • 60,000 American Airlines miles after $3,000 in purchases in the first 3 months. See link for details.
  • First checked bag free on domestic AA flights ($60 value per roundtrip, per person).
  • $0 annual fee for the first year, then $99.

Citi Premier Card

  • 75,000 points (worth $750 in gift cards, or transferrable to miles/points) after $4,000 in purchases in the first 3 months. See link for details.
  • 3X points for every $1 spent on restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, air travel and hotels.
  • Must not have gotten bonus from or closed a Citi Rewards+, ThankYou Preferred, Premier, or Prestige card in the past 24 months.
  • $95 annual fee.

Capital One Venture Rewards Card

  • 75,000 miles (worth $500 towards travel, or transferrable to miles) after $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months. See link for details.
  • 2% cash back on ALL purchases.
  • Up to $100 credit towards TSA PreCheck or Global Entry application fee.
  • $95 annual fee.

IHG Rewards Club Premier Card

  • 140,000 IHG Rewards club points after $3,000 in purchases within the first 3 months. See link for details.
  • Free Night after each account anniversary year (valued up to 40,000 IHG points).
  • $89 annual fee.
  • Subject to 5/24 rule.
  • Don’t like annual fees? The no-annual fee Traveler version is now offering 80,000 IHG bonus points.

Alaska Airlines Visa Card (Bank of America)

  • 70,000 bonus miles + $100 statement credit + Companion Fare voucher after $3,000 in purchases within first 90 days. See link for details.
  • Companion fare voucher is “Buy one ticket, get one from $121” ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from just $22).
  • Free checked bag on Alaska flights for you and up to six other passengers on the same reservation (worth $60 roundtrip per person).
  • $95 annual fee.

Chase Aeroplan Credit Card

  • 50,000 points after $3,000 in purchases in the first 3 months. 50,000 points is worth $625 in travel value with Pay Yourself Back®. See link for details.
  • Free first checked bags on Air Canada flights: one free checked bag for the primary cardmember and up to eight other travelers on the same itinerary.
  • Aeroplan 25K Elite Status benefits for the remainder of the first calendar year, plus the following calendar year.
  • $100 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit.
  • $95 annual fee.
  • Subject to 5/24 rule.

Barclays AAdvantage Aviator Red Mastercard

  • 70,000 American Airlines miles after any purchase in the first 90 days. See link for details.
  • First checked bag free on domestic AA flights ($60 value per roundtrip, per person).
  • $99 annual fee.

Capital One Venture X Rewards Card

  • 75,000 miles (worth $750 towards travel, or transferrable to miles) after $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months. See link for details.
  • $300 annual travel credit. Get up to $300 in statement credits when booking through Capital One Travel.
  • Priority Pass airport lounge access. Additional cardholders are free, and also get their own Priority Pass!
  • Up to $100 credit towards TSA PreCheck or Global Entry application fee.
  • $395 annual fee.

U.S. Bank Altitude Connect Visa Signature Card

  • 50,000 bonus points (worth $500 in statement credits) after $2,000 in purchases within 120 days. See link for details.
  • 4X points on travel and gas stations, 2X points on dining and grocery stores.
  • Up to $100 statement credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck.
  • $30 annual streaming bonus.
  • $0 annual fee the first year, $95/year thereafter.

Hawaiian Airlines MasterCard

  • 70,000 Hawaiian miles after $2,000 in purchases within the first 90 days. See link for details.
  • Free first checked bag for primary cardmember.
  • One-time 50% off companion discount for roundtrip coach travel between Hawaii and The Mainland on Hawaiian Airlines.
  • $99 annual fee.

American Express® Gold Card

  • 60,000 Membership Rewards points after $4,000 in purchases in first 6 months. Limited-time offer. See link for details.
  • $120 in Uber Cash annually (good towards Uber Eats or Uber rides in the US).
  • $120 in annual dining credit at Grubhub, Seamless, and more.
  • 4X points at restaurants.
  • 4X points at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 per year.
  • $250 annual fee.

Bank of America Premium Rewards Card

  • 50,000 points (worth $500 towards travel) after $3,000 in purchases within the first 90 days. See link for details.
  • 2 points for every $1 spent on travel and dining purchases and 1.5 points for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
  • $100 annual Airline Incidental Statement Credit.
  • Up to $100 credit towards TSA PreCheck or Global Entry application fee.
  • $95 annual fee.

If you pay off your balances every month, then you can join me and many others in funding a huge chunk of your annual travel budget with cash credits, points, and miles. I mostly use my rewards points on family trips – domestic economy flights, mid-range hotels, and cheap car rentals. If you have credit card debt, you should focus on paying that off first as the interest charges could offset most of the perks.

* 5/24 Rule? Certain Chase cards have a “5/24 rule” which is an unofficial rule that they will automatically deny approval on new credit cards if you have 5 or more new credit cards from any issuer on your credit report within the past 24 months (2 years). This rule applies on a per-person basis, so if you are new, you might want to start with those Chase cards.

Filed Under: Credit Cards, Deals & Offers Tagged With:
Last updated: June 4, 2023
My Money Blog has partnered with CardRatings and Credit-Land for selected credit cards, and may receive a commission from card issuers. All opinions expressed are the author’s alone, and has not been provided nor approved by any of the companies mentioned. MyMoneyBlog.com is also a member of the Amazon Associate Program, and if you click through to Amazon and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission. Thank you for your support.

Southwest Airlines Credit Cards: 60,000 Bonus Points + 30% Off Promo Code + Companion Pass Details

May 23, 2023 By Jonathan Ping 14 Comments
My Money Blog has partnered with CardRatings and Credit-Land for selected credit cards and may receive a commission. All opinions expressed are the author’s alone, and has not been provided nor approved by any of the companies mentioned.

Southwest Airlines lets you use points to book basically any seat that they sell for cash. A very reasonable approximation from my experience is 1.3 cents in Wanna Get Away airfare in per point. That works out to roughly $780+ in Wanna Get Away airfare for 60,000 Rapid Rewards points. Plus, they still offer two free checked bags on all flights.

Their Companion Pass lets you pick one person to fly with free when you book both paid AND award flights (including to Hawaii!) on Southwest. Once you qualify by earning 135,000 points in a calendar year, you earn the Companion Pass for both the rest of the year in which you earn it AND all of the next year (ex. rest of 2023 + all of 2024). Importantly, all points earned from credit cards count toward the requirement, and each card also offers a 10,000 point boost toward the Companion Pass requirement. Many times if you get both a personal and a business card in the same year, you can meet this requirement with the new cardmember bonuses alone.

Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus credit card

  • Earn 60,000 bonus points plus a 30% off promo code after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
  • Receive 3,000 anniversary points each year.
  • 10,000 Companion Pass® qualifying points boost each year.
  • 2X points on Southwest(R) purchases.
  • 2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare.
  • 2X points on internet, cable, and phone services, and select streaming.
  • 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.
  • 2 EarlyBird Check-In(R) each year
  • 25% back on inflight purchases
  • All points earned count towards Companion Pass(R).
  • $69 annual fee.

Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier card

  • Earn 60,000 bonus points plus a 30% off promo code after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
  • Receive 6,000 anniversary points each year.
  • 10,000 Companion Pass® qualifying points boost each year.
  • 3X points on Southwest(R) purchases.
  • 2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare.
  • 2X points on internet, cable, phone services, and select streaming.
  • 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.
  • 2 EarlyBird Check-In(R) each year
  • 25% back on inflight purchases
  • All points earned count towards Companion Pass(R).
  • $99 annual fee.

Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority card

  • Earn 60,000 bonus points plus a 30% off promo code after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
  • Receive 7,500 anniversary points and a $75 Southwest® travel credit each year.
  • 10,000 Companion Pass® qualifying points boost each year.
  • 3X points on Southwest(R) purchases.
  • 2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare.
  • 2X points on internet, cable, and phone services, and select streaming.
  • 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.
  • 2 EarlyBird Check-In(R) each year
  • 25% back on inflight purchases
  • 1,500 Tier Qualifying Points towards A-List Status for every $10,000 in spend
  • 4 Upgraded Boardings per year when available.
  • $75 Southwest annual travel credit.
  • $149 annual fee.

The following are business credit cards:

Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business card

  • 80,000 points after $5,000 in purchases within the first 3 months.
  • 9,000 bonus points after each Cardmember anniversary.
  • NEW: 4X points on Southwest(R) purchases.
  • 3X points on Rapid Rewards® hotel and car partners.
  • NEW: 2X points on rideshare.
  • 2X points on social media and search engine advertising, Internet, cable and phone services and 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.
  • 4 Upgraded Boardings per year when available.
  • Inflight WiFi Credits (up to 365 x $8 credits per year).
  • Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® Fee Credit in the form of a statement credit of up to $100 every four years.
  • $199 annual fee.

Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business card

  • 60,000 Rapid Rewards points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months.
  • 6,000 bonus points after each Cardmember anniversary.
  • NEW: 3X points on Southwest(R) purchases.
  • 2X points and Rapid Rewards® hotel and car rental partners.
  • NEW: 2X points on rideshare.
  • 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.
  • NEW: 2 EarlyBird Check-In(R) each year
  • $99 annual fee.

30% Off promo code details. The 30% off promo code will appear directly in the cardmember Southwest.com account after meeting the qualifications. The 30% promo code discount is on base fare applied before taxes and fees and available for use until October 31, 2024.

Value of Rapid Rewards points. Redeeming Southwest points for flights varies in a narrow range, but a very reasonable approximation from my experience is 1.3 cents in Wanna Get Away airfare in per point. That works out to $650+ in Wanna Get Away airfare for every 50,000 points or $1,300+ in Wanna Get Away airfare from 100,000 points (you are still liable for taxes and fees from $5.60 one-way). Importantly, Southwest does NOT have blackout dates or seat restrictions when you redeem with points. This means that Southwest points are much easier to use than a “saver award” on traditional airlines.

Now, if you manage to qualify for the the Companion Pass on every trip that you book with those points, that doubles the potential value of each award redemption. In other words, 125,000 Rapid Rewards, would usually get you $1,850 in Wanna Get Away airfare, but with the Companion Pass you’d get an extra companion ticket for every flight booked.

There may be other options like gift cards, but the redemption value is less than half the value you could get from redeeming for flights.

Southwest points expiration policy, per Southwest.com:

Do the points I earn expire?

No, your Rapid Rewards points do not expire. However, if you choose to close your account, the points in your account will be terminated.

Southwest still includes two free checked bags per person. The fees on the other airlines have crept up to $30 per bag, each-way. That adds up.

Our family policy is to not try out a new credit card unless it offers us $500 in total value. Just the free award flights from the points are enough to satisfy that rule, and then you can add on the potential value of the companion tickets.

Card restrictions. All of these Southwest credit cards are subject to “5/24” restrictions, which means that your application will be automatically denied if you have opened 5 or more credit cards in the last 24 months (check your credit reports). Our household strategy is to have one person only apply for Chase 5/24 cards, and the other person applies for everything else. There is also this language on the consumer card:

The product is not available to either (i) current Cardmembers of any Southwest Rapid Rewards® Credit Card, or (ii) previous Cardmembers of any Southwest Rapid Rewards Credit Card who received a new Cardmember bonus within the last 24 months. This does not apply to Cardmembers of the Southwest Rapid Rewards Business Card and Employee Credit Card products.

Basically, you can get one sign-up bonus from a Southwest consumer card once every 24 months. You can also get one sign-up bonus from a Southwest business card once every 24 months.

Stack your Companion Pass with Chase Ultimate Rewards points. If you have the Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Sapphire Reserve, you can transfer Ultimate Rewards points to Southwest points on a 1:1 basis. If you book an award flight with those Southwest points while you have the Companion Pass, you can double the value of your Ultimate Rewards points as well.

Bottom line. Southwest credit cards offer new cardholders the opportunity to earn hundreds of dollars worth of Wanna Get Away airfare, but if you time things right and maybe combine a personal and business card, you can also grab the Southwest Companion pass, which provides a free companion ticket on every flight bought with cash or points booked both during the rest of the year in which you earned it, AND the full next calendar year. Finally, Southwest still includes two free checked bags per person on every flight.

Also see: Top 10 Best Credit Card Bonus Offers and the Top 10 Best Business Card Offers.

Filed Under: Credit Cards, Deals & Offers, General
Last updated: May 23, 2023
My Money Blog has partnered with CardRatings and Credit-Land for selected credit cards, and may receive a commission from card issuers. All opinions expressed are the author’s alone, and has not been provided nor approved by any of the companies mentioned. MyMoneyBlog.com is also a member of the Amazon Associate Program, and if you click through to Amazon and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission. Thank you for your support.

British Airways Visa Signature Credit Card Review: 75,000 Avios Point Bonus

May 23, 2023 By Jonathan Ping 108 Comments
My Money Blog has partnered with CardRatings and Credit-Land for selected credit cards and may receive a commission. All opinions expressed are the author’s alone, and has not been provided nor approved by any of the companies mentioned.

The British Airways Visa Signature Card is a Chase co-branded travel card with a bonus offer of 75,000 Avios points. The Avios program offers a distance-based award system in the US (including Hawaii), allowing you to fly for less points than you might think. You can also book partner awards on American Airlines. Another good use of Avios can be to fly business class to Europe. Here are the highlights:

  • Earn 75,000 Avios after you spend $5,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening.
  • Every calendar year you make $30,000 in purchases on your British Airways Visa card, you’ll earn a Travel Together Ticket good for two years.
  • 10% off British Airways flights starting in the US when you book through the website provided in your welcome materials.
  • Earn 3 Avios per $1 spent on purchases with British Airways, Aer Lingus, Iberia, and LEVEL.
  • Earn 2 Avios per $1 spent on hotel accommodations when purchased directly with the hotel. Plus earn 1 Avios per $1 spent on all other purchases.
  • No foreign transaction fees.
  • $95 annual fee.

The Avios reward chart is now based on how far you want to travel in terms of miles. So what can you do with all those points?

Redeem awards domestically on partner American Airlines. Within the US, it’s usually easiest to find flights on partner American Airlines. There are no fuel surcharges when booking with American. Seating availability will be limited, but if you are flexible there is decent inventory.

  • Los Angeles to Honolulu, Hawaii using only 13,000 Avios one-way and 26,000 Avios points roundtrip. I ran a quote and it cost $659 broken down to $621 fare and only $38 in taxes. So in this case you could save $621 in exchange for 26,000 points, which is 2.4 cents per point. This also works from Hawaii to Phoenix, Portland, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, and Seattle. You can also do JFK to LAX for 25k points roundtrip.
  • Shorter-distance flights can be a good deal as well. Roundtrip from Chicago to New York City is only 18,000 Avios points + about $30 in taxes. Charlotte, NC to New York City is only 12,000 Avios roundtrip. Los Angeles to Las Vegas is also 12,000 Avios roundtrip. Los Angeles to Portland, Oregon is 18,000 Avios roundtrip.

Finding partner awards on BA.com is better than is was in the past, so try it first. Type in your to/from cities within the US, choose to book flights with Avios points (“Book” then “Book a flight with Avios”). As usual, it helps to book far ahead (or last-minute) and to be flexible with dates. Here’s a quick screenshot of a one-way flight booking from LAX to HNL for 13,000 points and $5.60 in taxes. Families can take note that there were 7 seats available at this price on the flight when I looked.

Use the American Airlines AA.com website and look the cheapest level awards. Record the exact flight dates and numbers, and then call at British Airways at 1-800-452-1201 to book them. If you can’t find the same flight on BA.com, they should waive the phone book fee (they did for me). Don’t be discouraged if you have to use this method, especially if you aren’t flying nonstop. Also, call back and talk with a different agent if they aren’t helpful initially.

Beware of fuel surcharges on British Airways flights. Don’t use Avios for a economy British Airways flight from USA to Europe, because you’ll still be subject to taxes and fees on award redemptions, which are often half the entire cost of the ticket. I ran a quick search for a random New York City (JFK) to London (LHR) flight that cost $1,050, the taxes and fees alone were $650. You can get the $400 “fare” for 40,000 Avios points, but that’s only 1 cent a point value.

Bottom line. The British Airways Visa credit card has an updated bonus that offers enough Avios for two roundtrip tickets from the mainland US to Hawaii. It’s a keeper card if you can take advantage of their companion ticket.

Filed Under: Credit Cards, Deals & Offers, General
Last updated: May 23, 2023
My Money Blog has partnered with CardRatings and Credit-Land for selected credit cards, and may receive a commission from card issuers. All opinions expressed are the author’s alone, and has not been provided nor approved by any of the companies mentioned. MyMoneyBlog.com is also a member of the Amazon Associate Program, and if you click through to Amazon and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission. Thank you for your support.

AllAmerica and Redneck Bank: 5.05% APY Money Market (up to $100k), 5.30% APY Rewards Checking (up to $15k)

May 23, 2023 By Jonathan Ping 6 Comments
My Money Blog has partnered with CardRatings and Credit-Land for selected credit cards and may receive a commission. All opinions expressed are the author’s alone, and has not been provided nor approved by any of the companies mentioned.

Update 5/23/23: Rates increased to 5.05% APY on up to $100,000 for Mega Money Market and 5.30% APY on up to $15,000 for Rewards Checking (debit card usage and other requirements apply). Details below.

All America Bank and Redneck Bank are sister internet banks that offer the same types of accounts (with different marketing shtick). Looking back in my archives, I actually opened an account with them way back in 2009 (later closed), as they offer a simple product lineup and have intermittent periods where they are very competitive with interest rates. (There are also some periods where they choose to lag.) Looks like they are looking to attract deposits again, recently raising both their interest rates and their balance caps.

Mega Money Market

  • 5.05% APY on up to $100,000. Amounts over $100,000 earn 0.50% APY.
  • No debit card transactions required.
  • $500 minimum to open an account. No ongoing minimum balance requirement.
  • Must agree to receive online statements only.
  • Limit of one Mega Money market account allowed per individual. (I believe you can have one account at each bank, though.)
  • Technically a money market checking account which means it includes a debit card (you can pay for checks too) but is still limited to six withdrawals per month. This limits its functionality to more like a savings account.

Rewards Checking

  • 5.30% APY on up to $15,000. Amounts over $15,000 earn 0.50% APY.
  • 10 debit card transactions required per monthly statement cycle. Monthly statement cycle ends on the 20th of each month. If the 20th falls on a Saturday, the cycle will end on Friday the 19th. If the 20th falls on a Sunday, the cycle will end on Monday the 21st. ATM and ACH transfers don’t count.
  • $500 minimum to open an account online. No ongoing minimum balance requirement.
  • Must agree to receive online statements only.
  • Limit of two (2) Rewards Checking Accounts allowed per individual. (I believe you can have two accounts at each bank.)
  • A full-featured checking account with online billpay, ATM rebates (up to $25 per month), and mobile check deposit abilities.

Note that both are under the FDIC insurance certificate of All America Bank (#20093), so you should be careful not to exceed the $250,000 limit across both banks (a reminder that the $250k limit is per depositor, per insured bank, for each account ownership category).

Filed Under: Banking, Deals & Offers
Last updated: May 23, 2023
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