I love credit cards so much! v2.0 (see first page for add'l details)

[palhockeymomof2]

I posted on here a few days ago asking for feedback on my plan to ease into churning, and I just wanted to thank you for the suggestions. It had never occurred to me to think about a business card, but last night I applied for a CIP based on your suggestions. It went to pending, but when I called the status line first thing this morning (a thing I didn't know existed), I was approved. I requested to speak to someone and asked them to expedite my card--yet another thing I didn't know I could do.

So now we'll get through this push through this minimum spend in a month or two and start looking at getting my wife a CSR or CSP. I think we dine out enough to justify the annual fee, and will easily use up the $300 travel credit, so I'm leaning toward the Reserve. We're both sitting at 3/24 now, with one card falling off in a few months. (And 1 of my wife's is a store charge card, it seems unclear if it will count--but I'm assuming it does).

Anyway, thank you all for the ideas. And thanks so much for the invite to the reddit group--it makes it much easier to stay on top of this thread.

Congrats

 

[disneymagicgirl]

Just saw on the news that Fico and Experian are looking to add how we pay utilities etc and our bank acct balance and if it's been overdrawn etc to our credit score. For some I can see it helping but at the same time I find this more invasive than what they already do. It's only in a pilot program you have to opt into right now, but I don't like it.

I don't understand how they can do that...they are CREDIT reporting agencies. My bank account nor my utilities are on credit.

 

[Judique]

funny... I use a variety of rice here,and except for the full on whole grain brown which takes 45 mins to cook, every other type I do exactly the same every time(rice cooker slightly different from IP) it's ALWAYS 2c rice-3.5c water,takes 15-20 mins rice cooker. on the rare occasion I do rice in IP(it's always busy with the main course) it's 1/1 rice to water no checking needed. -in the past I did stove top rice the same as rice cooker, with the exception that as soon as it hits boil, reduce heat to low,place a paper towel between pot and lid,and cover tightly and do no touch. turn off heat at 15 mins. Perfect every time,all 3 ways. the rice cooker is my fave b/c I don't have to pay attention once I hit the on button. (PR gramma taught me to make this years ago)

I did a lot of stovetop, but also have an old zojurusi rice cooker and use it mostly now - cant spell this! I've never had a problem. Not going to buy an instant pot. Daughter has one and I haven't seen her use it.

 

[platamama]

So yesterday was not a great day...my dear dog1 (the bulldog who looks a lot like my avatar) has a torn ACL and her surgery (if she gets it--DH is being so weird) will be about $4500 (est). Insult to injury-the vet specialist does not take Amex. NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

So a 4 figure surgery (during which my beloved pet might die since she has a pretty significant cardiac condition) without making Amex happy? Lose/lose/lose. That's my reality right now. I'm so mad at Chase for not approving DH's CIP right now--and worried sick about my furry child.

A "like" in support, hugs to you and your furbaby. Both of my previous dogs each had ACL surgeries (TPLO) when they were around 10-12 years old, and they both went on to live a few more good years afterwards. With a cardiac condition, though, I can see how your worries increase about anesthesia. Definitely have pre-anesthetic bloodwork run beforehand. If this place is worth their salt, they will have a blood pressure monitoring system, ECG, pulse ox, IV fluids, a good perioperative pain management protocol, and a technician there during the surgery who will be actively checking on your doggo throughout the entire procedure. Post-surgery, there is the recovery time at home where you'll need to have your house set up to keep her quiet and away from the other dogs because she needs to have very controlled activity for weeks afterwards (although you might be doing that already?).

Not an easy decision, I totally get it.

Open up a Barclays Arrival+?

Other ideas - Discover checking gives you 1% cash back on up to $3000/mo. Will the vet will take Discover debit cards? It would take some time for the debit card to get to you if you opened an account today, but ACL surgeries aren't emergency situations and are often scheduled weeks out in advance. I personally MS my Amex Gold some, but don't know if this is an option for you.

 

[alryan]

-

 

[disneymagicgirl]

Are there any lounge options in Columbus, OH or Nashville with the AmEx Platinum? I see there are no PP options. They are the cheapest options to get to Orlando from BWI for Spring Break.

Nashville has nothing. BNA posted an update about all the airport expansions constructions about a month ago on FB and I commented we need PP.

 

[Happy814]

I had read an article a few days ago about the changes in credit monitoring. I don't like this for me personally. However, I feel like this can be a great tool for those with bad/limited credit to help improve their score to purchase a home or car down the road. Maybe I'm wrong, but I feel better about it when I consider it from that perspective.

 

[disneymagicgirl]

No, you just haven't had your rebirth yet, where age doesn't matter to you and it's only other people who think you are old or young or young looking or whatever. Look at your family and you will see that you will basically be young even when you are a grandma, like me. I had my last baby in 1992, but there's a lot more than 7 years that separate that dynamic, until I look at your youngest and then I can identify, because my oldest was born in 1978 and my youngest in 1992, with one also in the middle. Kids somehow keep you young and transitional. Embrace your beauty and power!

thank you

 

[platamama]

Thanks for posting that breakdown. I'm always looking for ways to capture more spend for cards. Too many of my expenses don't accept credit cards.

• Mortgage doesn't accept CC
• Auto lease ditto
• Business copier ditto
• I have my home insurance and taxes escrowed, but I could stop that and pay via CC I think.
• I forgot about auto insurance, I need to move that from ECH to CC.
• You can pay year end taxes via CC? Is there a fee?
• I mentioned private school, bad news is it's $12k a year, good news if we go that route they accept CC!
• Life insurance policies for some reason don't accept CC (just tried the other day).
• I'll have to dig through our bank transactions to see what else I can find and convert.

They may not accept credit cards outright, but there are work-arounds like Plastiq (more on that in our Dischurners group, plus the support links over there can get you some discounted Plastiq fees) I'm paying my property taxes that way. I pay my mortgage with walmart billpay and wrote about that over on Dischurners. Paying federal income taxes is very easy online, check out pay1040 .com which has the lowest fees for tax payments (1.87% on credit cards).

 

[disneymagicgirl]

I had read an article a few days ago about the changes in credit monitoring. I don't like this for me personally. However, I feel like this can be a great tool for those with bad/limited credit to help improve their score to purchase a home or car down the road. Maybe I'm wrong, but I feel better about it when I consider it from that perspective.

All the people with limited credit have to do is go to somewhere like Churchill mortgage where they have manual underwriting...endorsed by Dave Ramsey...and they take these things into consideration already. They are very thorough...annoyingly so if you have a good income and credit and just want the mortgage process to be quick. When we built in 2013 they were the preferred lender for our builder so we used them for the discounts.
And since banks accounts and utilities aren't credit, I don't really think they are a good indicator of how someone with bad credit will manage future credit.

 

[disneymagicgirl]

They may not accept credit cards outright, but there are work-arounds like Plastiq (more on that in our Dischurners group, plus the support links over there can get you some discounted Plastiq fees) I'm paying my property taxes that way. I pay my mortgage with walmart billpay and wrote about that over on Dischurners. Paying federal income taxes is very easy online, check out pay1040 .com which has the lowest fees for tax payments (1.87% on credit cards).

I'm going to check this out...never heard of it

ETA: I read about this...thx for the write up. So this is beneficial all the time or just for MSR? I am a tad confused about all the various fees. You have the GC fees and the bill pay fees right?

 

[chattadisser]

Do the citi email offers work the same way as the mailers? My dd got a 9-digit code that says non transferable for a AA personal card. 50k/2.5k.

I'm wondering this as well. I just got one of these. My DH and I have some of the personal fliers to apply for each other with but if this is really non-transferrable I might use this email offer first.

 

[wendow]

Congratulations!

​

Does this take some of the sting away from the Barclays denial?

No, I’m still salty about that! I want those 60k miles for 1k msr!!

 

[amalone1013]

Conversation on the way home last night:

Me: So we're still planning on paying extra towards your car, right?
DH: Yeah.
Me: I already contacted the credit union to make sure we could mail them a check... or Plastiq can mail them a check.
DH: *holds up hand for high five*

 

[pillow]

LOL, that wasn't too helpful! I'll just wait and see if they respond in the next couple days and then do the late-night chat. SM'ed citi and Barclay both two days ago and neither has replied

I'm basically doing exactly what you are. Still waiting to hear from both. Good news about the Citi chat.

 

[Happytogoagain]

You are aware of the automated status line to check the status on that CIP, correct?

Yep - called this morning and was approved! Plan is for P2 to get SW Biz next and P1 to get SW Biz in June. CP's here we come!

 

[wendow]

I'm basically doing exactly what you are. Still waiting to hear from both. Good news about the Citi chat.

My barclay one is gone from the system, afaik, but the citi one still shows up. No status update or anything like that so

 

[pillow]

Has anyone SM'ed Barclay through the biz site? I sent them one asking for a match two days ago. Checked last night and it said it was 'pending'. Tonight it's just gone. No pending or denied or anything

Are you looking under "service requests?" I just checked and mine says completed. But it looks like all they did was forward my request to another department. It says: "We have completed your request to forward your account for review on your AAdvantage Aviator Business Card account. We appreciate your business and look forward to continuing to service your financial needs. Should you have any questions, we are available at www.AviatorBusinessCard.com or at (866) 383-0361 from 7:00 AM - 10:00 PM ET, Monday through Saturday. Thank you, Business Card Services"

Regarding Citi, I can still see my message to them. I go to Services/Statements & Documents/View Secure Message Center. I can see the message I sent there.

 

[platamama]

I'm going to check this out...never heard of it

ETA: I read about this...thx for the write up. So this is beneficial all the time or just for MSR? I am a tad confused about all the various fees. You have the GC fees and the bill pay fees right?

Yes, GC fees ($5.95/card) + $1.50 next day billpay fee. Definitely beneficial for MSR (like Plastiq) but cheaper. Still, beneficial all the time because of the disc debit. Of course like all forms of MS it's YMMV depending on where you live, you need a cooperative WM that's convenient for you.

 

[Natgridenergy]

Fellow New Englanders. Sorry it’s TPG.

https://thepointsguy.com/deals/flights-us-cities-to-ireland-99-one-way-norwegian-sale/