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

[wendow]

Now I feel better I thought it came from the brand but I don't understand why or how. I don't feel that old and I'm not where I thought I'd be at this age but there's still time and I don't have regrets just what if's which is better and what I suppose we all strive for.

Well, you could be totally right! I've not seen it written. Just hear it all the time...
I don't feel old either. Not at all. I think having some regrets and some 'what ifs' is completely normal. You would not be human if you didn't have those thoughts.

 

[wendow]

I’ve never done a money order before lol

Me either! I am not sure why Clark Howard would say to use cash to buy a MO and deposit it into your bank...? I am clearly missing something here.

 

[afan]

Me either! I am not sure why Clark Howard would say to use cash to buy a MO and deposit it into your bank...? I am clearly missing something here.

If you don't have a branch near you but have cash you need to deposit. If your bank allows MO to be deposited through the app it works. Not sure all banks allow it though.

 

[wendow]

If you don't have a branch near you but have cash you need to deposit. If your bank allows MO to be deposited through the app it works. Not sure all banks allow it though.

Ah, I see. Yeah, my Chase branch is as close as any place I'd buy a MO. SO, cash is easily deposited but I get what he's saying.

 

[Haley R]

Ah, I see. Yeah, my Chase branch is as close as any place I'd buy a MO. SO, cash is easily deposited but I get what he's saying.

Yeah we already decided we will be going with chase. We are getting our house loan with them too. They offered us the best interest rate. I feel like my whole life revolves around them now lol.

 

[wendow]

Yeah we already decided we will be going with chase. We are getting our house loan with them too. They offered us the best interest rate. I feel like my whole life revolves around them now lol.

We'd banked with Wells Fargo since we moved to CO (so about 18 years) and then switched to Chase 3 years ago or so. I was nervous thinking we'd feel lost in this super big bank but it's been just the opposite. Hopefully you have a good experience too. Are you getting extra UR's for doing your mortgage with them also? I know they sometimes offer that.

 

[Haley R]

We'd banked with Wells Fargo since we moved to CO (so about 18 years) and then switched to Chase 3 years ago or so. I was nervous thinking we'd feel lost in this super big bank but it's been just the opposite. Hopefully you have a good experience too. Are you getting extra UR's for doing your mortgage with them also? I know they sometimes offer that.

They didn’t mention anything about URs for our mortgage. I’m gonna have Dh ask them because he’s been the one in contact with them. Thanks for mentioning that!

 

[mmmears]

I can't answer your question, but the best resource I've found regarding Choice hotels/points in Norway etc is Ric on this blog https://loyaltytraveler.boardingarea.com/ He stays at them and has posts about their points, good ways to earn them, whether buying them in daily deals is good, mattress what's it (when you check in but don't stay to earn the points cause it's so cheap) etc.

Thanks. I'll check out the blog and try to learn a few things.

 

[Lain]

Yeah we already decided we will be going with chase. We are getting our house loan with them too. They offered us the best interest rate. I feel like my whole life revolves around them now lol.

Are you getting extra UR's for doing your mortgage with them also? I know they sometimes offer that.

They didn’t mention anything about URs for our mortgage. I’m gonna have Dh ask them because he’s been the one in contact with them. Thanks for mentioning that!

https://www.chase.com/personal/mortgage/sapphire-reserve

 

[Lain]

Actual churning question/comment. I closed my CIP after referring DH and having his card be approved. (Closure/approval within a couple days). I did it so quickly because I was coming up on 30 days for the AF. My problem now is that I think my 20,000 referral bonus is in limbo. It shows as pending and that will “post at close at end of next statement.” But the account is closed! Don’t the referral bonus points usually post immediately not related to statement close? Did I screw up?

This is the closest DP I’ve found in a quick search to your situation: https://www.reddit.com/r/churning/comments/alo181/question_thread_january_31_2019/efgaff2/ It doesn’t look good. Chase support points go pending on Tuesday afternoons, but always post with statement close. (You might’ve been thinking of Amex support points that post a few days after approval, independent of statement close.) If your card is closed, Chase may take away any pending UR. @SouthFayetteFan, any thoughts? If it’s not too late (usually within 30 days), you can ask Chase if they would reopen your CIP account and hope those URs are still there. I think what you could’ve done in a time crunch to avoid the AF is PC your CIP to a no fee CIC/CIU, wait for the support points to post, then close out the card. Good luck!

 

[kidsfirsttrip]

Dosh - I have a ton of staples around me. I didn’t get the offer on my app. DH got it in his. I linked my CIC - did x3 trips and nothing credited. So annoying!!!!!

@afan and @wendow 40’s are totally the new 30’s (I’m 43)!!!

 

[Judique]

@miztressuz - my free night (Marriott SPG card) has finally posted - dated 5/2 - I see it this morning 5/3.

 

[have2getaway]

No you can’t combine Disney rewards with Chase URs...only cards that earn URs..(CIP, CIC, CIU, CF, CFU, CSR, CSP)....can be combined

I discovered this, but quickly learned my Disney Visa rewards wasn’t nearly as rewarding as I thought it was. I have earned more with Chase UR points in less than a year than I earned in over 2 years using just the Disney Visa rewards cards.

 

[have2getaway]

Our IHG $49 AFs posted yesterday. Guess I'm calling to cancel those. End of an era. We've had them for 4 years now. Also DW's SW Biz $99 AF posted, I'll see if I can get a retention

Is 4 years the rule of thumb for closing out a card while churning?

 

[have2getaway]

What is a considered good utilization rate?

 

[have2getaway]

Congrats

Thank you!!!

 

[3 DD love princesses]

@GlamMistress hope all is ok with your DH. As for planning I know we will do myrtle beach and Disney in 2021. We do MB every May. Not sure yet on when we will go to Disney. Really would like to do two trips but we will see.

There's a piece of cheerio's box inside each ear I think because the bottom of the ears were a tiny bit thinner where I glued them after I sewed them was my problem. I can see why just gluing them is easier. Is the hot glue secure enough for them to stay on through multiple wears and packing etc?

Kids wore theirs 4 trips so far. I also made the bows detachable so they could wear just the bows if they didn’t want the ears. It’s worked well so far. I need to make new ears as they need wider headbands now that they are getting bigger. Another trick I’ve learned is to make the bottom of the ear extra long and you can wrap it under the headband that way it might stand up better.

 

[Alexle2007]

@wendow How far in advance do you have Plastiq send your mortgage? I believe you use Provident also. I think I might need to move my CIU to a CIP if it’s coding as 3x again.

 

[striker1064]

I was surprised this place is "only" 35k - https://www.holidayinnresorts.com/hotels/us/en/orlando/disfs/hoteldetail

I was looking around for somewhere with a quick/cheap flight to use up our last nights and then after reading all about it realized we could go there with a restricted cert Unless people have been and it's not a good as is looks? And there's a bunch of nicer properties that are still around 40k... just not in NYC.

I know! That looks pretty cool. I'd definitely give it a whirl next year when our 40k night is loaded. Yeah, it looks like it won't be of any use in NYC. But as long as I can use the FN cert easily DLR or WDW then it's a keeper. We are in WDW nearly every month and in DLR at least once a year but I can see us going more often. Last I checked none of the properties were less than $49 a night. Granted this will likely prevent DH from picking up a small DVC contract at Grand California but that's ok too.

Yeah, I'm just not interested in having yet another restricted annual free night where I have to plan around how to use the cert. We have 3 Marriott cards between us, and it seems like the value is better at the 35k Marriott level - for now, anyway, until they devalue again. On the subject of NYC, given that's where we vacation most often I've already been digging. The one IHG hotel I've found that's 40k/night is the Holiday Inn Long Island City - Manhattan View in Long Island City/Astoria, Queens. I can remember walking by that hotel, both during construction and more recently, and it looks really nice. I wouldn't have any qualms about staying there - but again with limited travel time I would pick, say, the Marriott Midtown East first.

We've stayed in LIC before and it's a pretty great place to stay for the budget-oriented traveler, or if you're just looking for something different. LIC is quiet and industrial, but there are several subway stops and good restaurants, plus the awesome Museum of the Moving Image. It's also closer to Flushing if you want to really branch out.

If you don't have a branch near you but have cash you need to deposit. If your bank allows MO to be deposited through the app it works. Not sure all banks allow it though.

It is surprisingly difficult to find a bank that will allow MO deposits through their app. At one point last year I had 8-10 checking/savings accounts open for bonuses, and not a single one allowed mobile MO deposits. I ended up walking to a SunTrust branch and deposited it there. I think Wells Fargo allows it though.

Is 4 years the rule of thumb for closing out a card while churning?

Haha, nah. It's just the IHG card on its own was rarely worth churning because IHG points aren't worth much, but for the longest time it was the best ongoing value around. Cardholders got an unrestricted free night certificate usable at any IHG property anywhere in the world for only a $49 annual fee. In a weird way, the IHG card was the one and only card where the value of keeping it open annually and paying the fee provided a better rate of return than churning the card. Unfortunately, the free night certificate is now only up to 40k points per night.

 

[palhockeymomof2]

I discovered this, but quickly learned my Disney Visa rewards wasn’t nearly as rewarding as I thought it was. I have earned more with Chase UR points in less than a year than I earned in over 2 years using just the Disney Visa rewards cards.

Agree....I was putting everything on either my Disney or SW cards...before finding this group last May.....