You earned the welcome bonus, maybe a few of them! Now you’re staring at a huge American Express Membership Rewards balance wondering: “Okay… what am I actually supposed to do with these?” In 2025, the biggest mistake people made was redeeming points poorly. After redeeming hundreds of thousands of Membership Rewards points myself, I’ve learnedContinue reading “Help! I’m Drowning in Amex Points — What Do I Do Now? (2026 Guide)”
Tag Archives: AnnualFees
How to Take Your First Step Into the “Points Game” (2026 Edition)
If you’ve ever wondered how people earn free flights or hotel stays without obsessing over credit cards, the answer usually starts with one simple step: choosing the right first card. The good news?You don’t need to turn this into a hobby. In this post, we’re focusing on what I call “Level 1 spenders”: people whoContinue reading “How to Take Your First Step Into the “Points Game” (2026 Edition)”
Expecting A Tax Bill? Open A New Credit Card!
It’s everyone’s favorite or least favorite time of year again… Tax preparation season! For most small businesses and individual’s who elect to have less taxes taken out of their paychecks, January 15th is your final quarterly payment due date for the 2021 tax year. These large payments are often one of the easiest ways toContinue reading “Expecting A Tax Bill? Open A New Credit Card!”
Annual Fee Renewal?
The dreaded annual fee renewal… Do I keep the card? Do I downgrade to a no annual fee card? This post is going to look at a few of your options and discuss whether it is a good idea to renew, downgrade to a no annual fee, or my personal favorite… beg for a retentionContinue reading “Annual Fee Renewal?”
Best Credit Card for Groceries and Dining
As the holiday season is approaching, studies have shown that food and dining are the second greatest expense during the holiday season(November- December). If we add in Halloween candy, that number is surely to increase dramatically… especially in our neighborhood! With all of this spending, you should be looking to maximize your return on investmentContinue reading “Best Credit Card for Groceries and Dining”
First Steps After Getting Your New American Express Card
You were just approved for your new American Express Card… Congratulations! As with any new credit/charge card, there are often benefits that you need to enroll in in order to maximize their potential. For this post, we are going to focus on the American Express Platinum and its outsized intro bonus and benefits! Enroll inContinue reading “First Steps After Getting Your New American Express Card”
Own A Business? You Should Have A Business Credit Card!
If you own a business you should ABSOLUTELY have a business credit or charge card. Whether that business is building houses or selling them, you would be amazed at what truly qualifies you as a business in the eyes of issuers. Keep in mind that in Florida you must actually be registered as a businessContinue reading “Own A Business? You Should Have A Business Credit Card!”
Top Mistakes People Make With Credit Cards
It goes without saying that credit card debt is bad, however that doesn’t mean that credit cards themselves are bad. There are however several mistakes that the majority of folks find themselves making when they are entering the points game. Let’s take a look at some of these mistakes and how you can avoid them!Continue reading “Top Mistakes People Make With Credit Cards”
The “Other” American Express Benefits
When you read most credit card game blogs, the authors typically focus on the highly publicized benefits such as hotel status, airline credits, travel credits, and how to maximize your points earning. I am certainly guilty of this, however I wanted to post about the “other benefits” that often get overlooked and rarely used. TheseContinue reading “The “Other” American Express Benefits”
The “New” American Express Platinum
Effective today, July 1st 2021, the American Express Platinum will have an increased annual fee of $695, however it comes with several new benefits! Although the annual fee increases by $145 a year, it is easily offset by the new 125K American Express Membership Reward Point intro offer + benefits, a $1400 value. Let’s takeContinue reading “The “New” American Express Platinum”
The Points Authority: Mastering The Points Game 