I love credit cards so much!

[Angrose]

Cashing out is definitely an option. I'm also interested in maybe transferring to Starriott...? We just don't travel int'l at this point and that seems to be where MR's really shine!

Glad you got all the referrals taken care of for the BGR and Biz Green cards! It's such a great deal!

I'm doing the Schwab cashout deal right now. So far I have cashed out for $2,696, minus the $550 AF for the Schwab Plat, so that's $2,146 in my pocket so far. I'll have another 25K pts to cashout in Sept so that will bring it up to $2,458. I've been using all the cash to buy discounted gift cards for our big Disneyland trip that's coming up in a few weeks. We are staying at the Grand, and there's no way I could do this if it weren't for the AMEX/Schwab cashout! Unfortunately, I've depleted all my URs and we are both LOL/24 so we won't be able to replenish those for at least another year.

I'm the only one with the Schwab account, so we're amassing DH's MRs to transfer to flight or hotel partners. As you know, we go to Europe every summer to see DH's family in the UK, so we'll definitely use them for that. However, you can very easily transfer the MRs to airlines that operate in the US. I think you just need to be a little more creative with the MRs and figure out how the partners can be used in ways you never thought of before.

@Lain, hope your MIL is OK. I know having a stash of points is a godsend when these emergencies come up. Glad you were there to swoop in and save the day! I know my DH was so appreciative of having the points earlier this year when he had to unexpectedly fly to the UK. He is now starting to realize how helpful his SSN and income can be, lol!

 

[miztressuz]

...
DH and I have no joint bank accounts. We married late (40 and 43) and never saw the need to change what we already had, so I have all of my banking, cards, etc in my name only and so does he. He has a large family trust that doesn't include me but does include the kids, and I have a smaller family trust that is the same, and we have a family trust together. We are both on the mortgage and own our vehicles and property jointly. I honestly don't know how this works with credit agencies; if I open an account in my name for instance (I have my own income), does it affect his credit score and vice versa? We both have excellent credit and have no vehicle payments and just a small mortgage.
...

Just a quicky response on this bit, the only time your stuff would affect his credit score is if you make him an Authorized User (AU) on your credit card. Then it'll show up on his report and be factored into his score. Because Chase looks at all credit opened in the last 24 months to determine your 5/24 status, whether it's an AU account or not, the general recommendation here has been to not put your partner (sometimes known as Player 2 ) as an AU on your cards. That way you can get more cards Either double up on the sign up bonuses or alternate who gets what to spread things out.

You can use just your own income when applying or you can use your household income. I believe the criteria is whatever you reasonably have access to, to be able to repay the obligation. So it's up to you if you want to use personal only or use household. But either way what you do doesn't affect him, and vice versa.

 

[GlamMistress]

Why did you know this would be the case? Already have a sapphire or over 5/24?

Oh I'm way LOL/24

DH and I are completely locked out of Chase. We do have a Freedom I keep but we don't use it anymore. We are 100% MR at this point.

 

[palhockeymomof2]

Wow, thanks so much for the many quick replies!

More info for you:
We live in Northern California and are about 1 1/2 hours from the nearest airport (Sacramento), which isn't huge. I often fly to Disneyland with my friends, so SW has been great for me. I never pay for a flight and I never drive there. DD is now going to be attending school near Disneyland so more SW flights for us. I have an AP to DL and usually pay very little to go there, but dh doesn't like DL very much.

We want to do more international travel, some with the kids and some without as they get older. We went to England last year and had a blast, but it was expensive and I would like to find a way to get some free flights next time. We're planning another trip to Europe next summer, destination as yet undecided.

SW works well for us and we're looking forward to the upcoming Hawaii flights, which isn't bad from the west coast. However, I would like to have a card that earns rewards I can use for other airlines/hotels/etc.

My dh teaches math and I'm a retired English/science teacher. I also have a knitting business; I don't make a ton of money but it's nice to get paid for your hobby. I retired early to care for my dad, who had cancer and Alzheimer's. He lived with us but passed away in January.

We belong to several hotel loyalty programs but we don't often use them. With 5 of us, we usually use something like Airbnb or VRBO. When I go to DL, I generally stay in a Disney hotel (no loyalty program, sadly).

We are an active family and we like to hike, bike, walk, swim, etc. My family would be very bored just sitting around somewhere. We rented an RV this summer and went up the coast of Oregon and Washington and stayed several nights on San Juan island. I have to tell you I do not intend to rent an RV again--definitely not my cup of tea. Loved the trip, didn't love the RV.

DH and I have no joint bank accounts. We married late (40 and 43) and never saw the need to change what we already had, so I have all of my banking, cards, etc in my name only and so does he. He has a large family trust that doesn't include me but does include the kids, and I have a smaller family trust that is the same, and we have a family trust together. We are both on the mortgage and own our vehicles and property jointly. I honestly don't know how this works with credit agencies; if I open an account in my name for instance (I have my own income), does it affect his credit score and vice versa? We both have excellent credit and have no vehicle payments and just a small mortgage.

Since we are both getting older and our family and work obligations are diminishing, I would like to do a lot more traveling while we're in good shape.

I hope I didn't overload you with my personal info! I'll definitely look into the Plastic and Ink cards. Any recommendations greatly appreciated.

So sorry to hear about your Dad

I’m on the east coast...Long Island NY so I’m not sure what airlines you would fly internationally....there are other CA people here who I’m sure can help with that.

When you apply for a personal card in your name and don’t put your husband on as an authorized user it does not affect your husbands credit score at all......and my score has actually going up a few points since May

I fly SW a lot too and my reason for starting with the CIP was the UR points can be transferred 1-1 to my SW RR account if I got low on points and the UR points can be used for lots of things hotels, airfare ...etc...

I’d recommend the CIP business card first for the 80,000UR ..make sure you use your name as the business name and your SS number as the business EIN.......they also ask business income and total household income...so you can include your husbands income in that number

 

[SBWB48]

He is now starting to realize how helpful his SSN and income can be, lol!

Well said. I may have to steal that line to keep in my back pocket.

 

[miztressuz]

...

@Lain, hope your MIL is OK. I know having a stash of points is a godsend when these emergencies come up. Glad you were there to swoop in and save the day! I know my DH was so appreciative of having the points earlier this year when he had to unexpectedly fly to the UK. He is now starting to realize how helpful his SSN and income can be, lol!

Just like to echo this sentiment completely. Well wishes for your MIL @Lain and good thoughts to your DW who I'm sure is worrying. But @Angrose, I agree, this is exactly why I don't like to deplete our stashes totally. Hubby has the "it's just points, we'll make more. what's the point of having them if we don't use them?" and I get that. But if something pops up unexpectedly, I'd rather use the points and not have to worry about where the money is coming from to just drop everything and take care of it. It's happened at least once to us already and "fortunately" the family member required longer in the hospital than anticipated so hubby stayed at their house while prepping it for their return on the initial trip. If not I really didn't want to see what kind of crazy bill we'd get for a last minute stay. Having points and cashback available was so helpful when that happened. It was a rough couple weeks but not worrying how to financially manage it allowed us to figure out just how to physically manage it.

 

[Lain]

@Lain, hope your MIL is OK. I know having a stash of points is a godsend when these emergencies come up. Glad you were there to swoop in and save the day! I know my DH was so appreciative of having the points earlier this year when he had to unexpectedly fly to the UK. He is now starting to realize how helpful his SSN and income can be, lol!

Thank you. I remember your DH needing to fly home to the UK for a family emergency earlier this year, and I was actually thinking of that when I was booking my wife's ticket. My wife was so distraught at the suddenness of it all, but super relieved to find out that it would only cost us $5.60 out of pocket. Unfortunately, my dear MIL has been in declining health for some time, but I swear she hangs on as tough as she does so she can see her daughter and granddaughter come to visit again. I really admire MIL and hope she pulls through.

 

[wendow]

Glad you got all the referrals taken care of for the BGR and Biz Green cards! It's such a great deal!

I'm doing the Schwab cashout deal right now. So far I have cashed out for $2,696, minus the $550 AF for the Schwab Plat, so that's $2,146 in my pocket so far. I'll have another 25K pts to cashout in Sept so that will bring it up to $2,458.

really excited to get that done too!

What cards have you opened to earn that much in MR's? I'm just curious where I go after the ones I have already opened. I only have the BGR, BBP and now the Bix Green.

 

[wendow]

I really admire MIL and hope she pulls through.

Me too! You seem like an great SIL.

 

[Angrose]

Thank you. I remember your DH needing to fly home to the UK for a family emergency earlier this year, and I was actually thinking of that when I was booking my wife's ticket. My wife was so distraught at the suddenness of it all, but super relieved to find out that it would only cost us $5.60 out of pocket. Unfortunately, my dear MIL has been in declining health for some time, but I swear she hangs on as tough as she does so she can see her daughter and granddaughter come to visit again. I really admire MIL and hope she pulls through.

Family is so important!! I always tell DH that you can't put a price on visiting family, so that's why we travel so far each year to see them. They won't come here, so we go there, no questions asked. Your MIL sounds like a wonderful, loving lady. I hope she is able to see her granddaughter again soon!

 

[speedyfishy]

I found out the secret to MS... go to Giant after 3PM and no one cares to look at your card when buying MOs. This is the second time after 3PM that the cashier didn’t check my card. (Two different kids.) I went so many times in the AM and early afternoon and they would always check my cards lol

SO got approved for the BGR. So I’m at 22.5k MSR for the next three months. I went to refer myself for another Biz Green and got a pending review decision. Maybe 3 Amex apps in a day wasn’t a good idea lol. I’ll discuss with SO tonight and see if we want to get him a Plat too.

 

[elgerber]

I can refer both myself and dh from my Amex BGR right? As long as I don't max out the referrals, which is 55k correct?

 

[amalone1013]

but when I pulled the 100K personal plat offer, I had to use a 5/24 slot.

If I could get this I'd go for it. I'm wavering for 75k

I'm the only one with the Schwab account, so we're amassing DH's MRs to transfer to flight or hotel partners. As you know, we go to Europe every summer to see DH's family in the UK, so we'll definitely use them for that.

I like that you've got one to cashout and one to use for flights. I was feeling very one track minded and this hadn't occurred to me.

 

[Angrose]

really excited to get that done too!

What cards have you opened to earn that much in MR's? I'm just curious where I go after the ones I have already opened. I only have the BGR, BBP and now the Bix Green.

Since January, I have gotten:

• Biz Gold 75K
• EveryDay 15K
• Schwab Platinum 60K
• Ameriprise Gold 25K
• Green Card 25K
• Biz Green 10K

I also have received a few referrals and the special 30K offer for the extra spend on the Biz Gold, so I'm working on that right now. I consulted with @SouthFayetteFan about getting so many cards in quick succession but he said it was no problem. And he's right, AMEX really does give out cards like they are candy, lol!

 

[Lain]

Family is so important!! I always tell DH that you can't put a price on visiting family, so that's why we travel so far each year to see them. They won't come here, so we go there, no questions asked. Your MIL sounds like a wonderful, loving lady. I hope she is able to see her granddaughter again soon!

Similar situation here. My MIL is in no condition to travel very far, so we fly to Hawaii every year to visit family during the holidays. Hawaii is a pricey destination, and we're traveling at the most expensive time of the year. But family is the most important, and time together is something you can't put off. MIL loves seeing her granddaughter (her only grandchild), but my wife didn't want our kiddo coming along on this trip and seeing or having a memory of her grandma in the hospital. Really hoping for MIL to get better.

 

[Lain]

I found out the secret to MS... go to Giant after 3PM and no one cares to look at your card when buying MOs. This is the second time after 3PM that the cashier didn’t check my card. (Two different kids.) I went so many times in the AM and early afternoon and they would always check my cards lol

SO got approved for the BGR. So I’m at 22.5k MSR for the next three months. I went to refer myself for another Biz Green and got a pending review decision. Maybe 3 Amex apps in a day wasn’t a good idea lol. I’ll discuss with SO tonight and see if we want to get him a Plat too.

Maybe the secret is to MS with the kid cashiers?

 

[CoP Luv]

I *think* I might be ready to apply for the CIP. I have been selling a few items (Disney pins, clothes, jewelry) on ebay/Poshmark in the last few months and would like to increase my sales.

I just wanted to run this all by the experts to make sure I don't mess up. Is the best offer 80k UR through support/public?

Legal Name of business: My Name
Type of Business: Sole Prop
EIN: SSN
Business Category: Retail: Books, Hobbies, Music, Sports, General, Nonstore Retail (????)
Business Type: ?? Nothing seems like "internet retail"

3/24:
1/17: CSR
7/17: Disney Visa
3/18: IHG

 

[Angrose]

Maybe the secret is to MS with the kid cashiers?

@speedyfishy could be onto something there. I've found a great young cashier at Safeway who doesn't bat an eyelid when I hand her my Safeway giftcards to pay for Disney giftcards, lol!

 

[Albort]

Maybe the secret is to MS with the kid cashiers?

haha, ive always told my friend to do this... im like... fudge the #s around, and then use the correct numbers at the very end and blame the kid.
should work... LOL.

edit: oops, totally didnt get the correct message.
i am the opposite, most young cashiers remember the $999.30(back then). I get the best luck with older generation because they dont connect the dots.

 

[wendow]

I *think* I might be ready to apply for the CIP. I have been selling a few items (Disney pins, clothes, jewelry) on ebay/Poshmark in the last few months and would like to increase my sales.

I just wanted to run this all by the experts to make sure I don't mess up. Is the best offer 80k UR through support/public?

Legal Name of business: My Name
Type of Business: Sole Prop
EIN: SSN
Business Category: Retail: Books, Hobbies, Music, Sports, General, Nonstore Retail (????)
Business Type: ?? Nothing seems like "internet retail"

3/24:
1/17: CSR
7/17: Disney Visa
3/18: IHG

Everything looks like what I used also. That last 'Business Type' always trips me up also cause what I am expecting to be there, isn't there lol. I can't remember what I end up choosing but I just choose whichever option seems the closest.

There was a 100k UR offer in-branch. I know there were rumors it would be ending soon but if you are close to a branch and are comfortable 'selling' your business to them, that would be a higher offer. Otherwise, yes, the public/support link offer of 80k is the best it gets.

Good luck!!

ETA: the 100k offer ends aug 25 according to DoC:
https://www.doctorofcredit.com/chas...usiness-relationship-bonuses-still-available/