Category: Credit Help and Tips

Nowadays, credit card applications always seem to say something like “instant approval,” or “get a decision in just 30 seconds.” That excites you, and before you know it, you’re involuntarily filling out the form, seemingly losing control of your own fingers. Then you hit the submit button, only to get the dreaded, “Your application is… Continue reading If Your Credit Card Application Is Being Reviewed, Call the Reconsideration Line

Recently, I wrote about how the old Blue Cash card from American Express can be a big winner, and that it’s still available, though no longer advertised. The huge caveat associated with the card is that you need to spend $6,500 before the 5% cash back categories actually get triggered. The first $6,500 in spending… Continue reading How the $6,500 Spending Requirement Works on the Amex Blue Cash Credit Card

If you’re not into the rotating bonus categories, and/or take a more casual approach to earning rebates with your credit cards, you might be interested in credit cards with bonus year-round earnings potential. So I’ve decided to single out three credit cards that come with 2% cash/points back on all spending all year long. Consider… Continue reading Five Credit Cards That Offer 2% Cash Back or Double Points on Every Purchase 365 Days a Year

If you’re like a lot of people, you love Starbucks coffee. In fact, you probably go to Starbucks most mornings before work. It’s no doubt one of the few things you look forward to. But the problem with Starbucks is that it’s super expensive. Their drinks range in price anywhere from $2-$5, depending on what… Continue reading How to Maximize Rewards and Cash Back on Starbucks Purchases

When Do Those Three Months Actually Start? I recently applied for the Chase Ink Bold charge card, which comes with 60,000 bonus points if I spend $5,000 during the first three months from account opening. This was a no-brainer application for me, given the fact that no one else is offering such a handsome sign-up… Continue reading How Chase Defines the First Three Months from Account Opening

There are plenty of people out there who are against using plastic. I understand that it can get you into debt and cause you to overspend. But with so many discounts available for using a credit card, it’s hard not to use one instead of cash when making purchases you’d make regardless. In fact, it’s… Continue reading Get at Least 5% Cash Back on Virtually Everything You Buy with a Credit Card All Year

You may have heard news lately regarding chip and PIN technology. Come October 2015, credit card issuers in the United States will migrate to smart chip technology in an effort to combat fraud that is so prevalent with magnetic stripe cards. In the rest of the world, these smart chip credit cards are already widely… Continue reading Why Do Credit Cards Have PINs?

There seems to be a lot of confusion about credit card expiration dates, mainly because credit card issuers only list the month and year on the card, as opposed to the day in most cases. So I decided to go straight to the source to get to the bottom of this once and for all.… Continue reading When Do Credit Cards Actually Expire?

Yesterday, the sixth-place ranked San Diego Chargers knocked off the Cincinnati Bengals, who happened to be undefeated at home all season long. In fact, the Chargers didn’t just beat the Bengals, they wiped the floor with them, beating the turnover-prone team by an impressive 27-10 score line. As I watched the game, I couldn’t help… Continue reading How the San Diego Chargers Got Their Name

File this one under: Credit Card Nerdisms When you happen upon a credit card advertisement, there’s often a fake name and made-up sequence of numbers emblazoned on the card. This is done to give consumers a real-life vision of the card they’re applying for. Many credit card issuers put monikers like “John M. Cardholder,” or… Continue reading Who Is C F Frost of American Express Credit Card Fame?