I love credit cards so much!

[wendow]

Gift of College Card? Ha Ha. I don't get it. My kids 529 allows friends and family to contribute directly (no extra fees). What's the benefit of the card?

I looked at the website: https://www.giftofcollege.com/

I still don't see the benefit.

From reading @tink1970 's post, she is buying and getting 5x UR on them so that is definitely a benefit I can understand I'm trying to figure out why to buy these also.

 

[NinaBella]

I can pay my dd's tuition with a CC and no fees. Is there any reason then to do these GOC cards other than just using them to meet MSR's?

Perhaps their kid isn't actually in college yet? So perhaps they are purchasing these cards and just transferring into a 529?

 

[pillow]

With the right financial institution, there is no need for these type of accounts.

ETA: I see some are buying the Gift of College to meet minimum spend limits on a new credit card. Okay, I get that, but you are still paying extra to put money into a 529, but to each their own.

With a 2% cash back credit card, you would get $10.12 back. The fee on a $500 card is $5.95, so you make $4 and change with each card. If one contributes 10K to their 529 per year, thats $83 profit. Its barely worth the effort, but I would do it just cause I'm frugal. I do think, as you mentioned, that most are meeting min spend.

 

[platamama]

I can pay my dd's tuition with a CC and no fees. Is there any reason then to do these GOC cards other than just using them to meet MSR's?

I think you're in a good spot since you can pay tuition for no fee with a CC and get your rewards that way. I use GoC for funding DD's 529 with the extra rewards on CC, e.g. how @tink1970 is doing. Last year, I had lots of grocery category spend left on my AX BCP, so I bought VGC at Krogers, then used the VGC to buy GoC. Yes, I paid fees twice, but still profited because of the 6% category bonus (net ~$19 cash back per every $500).

ETA: At the Kroger store I usually shop at, the VGC listed purchase price is $5.95, but for some reason at the register it only rings up at $4.95. I keep my mouth shut and don't question it. Also, sometimes Safeway runs promos on VGC (like $10 back on a $150+ VGC [I just buy the $500 one and get the $10 off]) thru their Just4U loyalty program, and I'll make a little money on buying the VGC there.

 

[pillow]

I can pay my dd's tuition with a CC and no fees. Is there any reason then to do these GOC cards other than just using them to meet MSR's?

Do you get a State tax deduction for contributions to your State's 529 plan? My state tax rate is 5.75%, so I save that much on 529 contributions. Instead of paying the school directly, I dump funds into the 529 account to get the State tax deduction and then pay the school from the 529. I typically try to let funds sit in the 529 for a week or so before paying the school.

 

[platamama]

Do you get a State tax deduction for contributions to your State's 529 plan? My state tax rate is 5.75%, so I save that much on 529 contributions. Instead of paying the school directly, I dump funds into the 529 account to get the State tax deduction and then pay the school from the 529. I typically try to let funds sit in the 529 for a week or so before paying the school.

Excellent point! I can answer for CO, yes, it is 4.63%.

 

[tink1970]

Gift of College Card? Ha Ha. I don't get it. My kids 529 allows friends and family to contribute directly (no extra fees). What's the benefit of the card?

I believe most 529 accounts allow direct contributions. However, I have 2 Chase Freedom cards and this quarter is 5% back (or when I transfer to my Chase Sapphire Preferred, 5X UR). So if I buy two GOC for $505.95 on each card ($505.95 X 4), that's 10,119 points (or $101.19 cash back or 10119 UR which can be valued at as much as $212 [some value UR at 2.1 cents]). For my purposes, I get a minimum of $77 ($101-$23.8 in fees) dollars, which, when looking at college costs is a drop in the bucket. However, I doubt most universities to which my DD is applying will give any sort of discount. So, that's why I'm doing it!

From reading @tink1970 's post, she is buying and getting 5x UR on them so that is definitely a benefit I can understand I'm trying to figure out why to buy these also.

Exactly, as I explained above. If I were working towards a minimum spend, it would be a much bigger bang for buck potentially (something to remember for my next MS ).

Trust me, if this didn't make any sort of sense my DH would not go along with it...he is very frugal (to the point of our being able to buy our house and cars with cash).

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

FYI, I was checking my links on DISChurners Reddit and noticed the Disney offer has changed. It's no longer a GC but a statement credit Had hubby generate a new link off his card and the text still says GC but when you go to the link it's showing statement credit for the offer. We both have the no AF cards.

Was checking my links on Dischurners and see that my Disney card is sending to a page for $200 statement credit now. Also my Marriott personal link sends to the new 75k points and waived fee offer.

I had a thought yesterday that perhaps I am thinking small for an anniversary trip... why go to Disney World again when we could try Disneyland Paris...?

It looks like for anybody using a "referyourchasecard" link - the link has updated to the $200 statement credit. If you had posted an old "applynow.chase" link it still shows the $200 gift card. I guess it's really personal preference for which offer you like better. I'd say eventually the $200 Gift Card offers will cease to exist but for now both seem to actually be available depending on which link you choose.

 

[disneymagicgirl]

Only got 1000 pts from Marriott

me too

 

[disneymagicgirl]

I have about decided that the SPG site is run by Disney IT. It is constantly giving me fits...have tried both safari and chrome on my MacBook.

 

[jujubiee4]

Anyone actually use the Chase travel Portal to look at or book flights out of the country?
I was looking to maybe transfer points to an airline but noticed even when using miles
I'm getting these crappy fuel surcharges.


When i look through Chase portal they are not there when booking on points. Can this be true?
I tried to call but was put on hold for a while so i will call back later when they aren't busy..

I took a flight to Europe now granted it was a few years ago but don't remember fuel charges
being so high!!

 

[wendow]

Do you get a State tax deduction for contributions to your State's 529 plan? My state tax rate is 5.75%, so I save that much on 529 contributions. Instead of paying the school directly, I dump funds into the 529 account to get the State tax deduction and then pay the school from the 529. I typically try to let funds sit in the 529 for a week or so before paying the school.

I see @platamama answered for CO but I'm embarrassed to say that I have never looked into this! I will be though

 

[pillow]

I see @platamama answered for CO but I'm embarrassed to say that I have never looked into this! I will be though

One thing to note - if you are eligible for the American Opportunity Tax Credit, you must pay $4K out of pocket (not from 529) to take that credit. So if you do end up contributing to the 529, make sure you hold that amount back to pay directly.

 

[havaneselover]

One thing to note - if you are eligible for the American Opportunity Tax Credit, you must pay $4K out of pocket (not from 529) to take that credit. So if you do end up contributing to the 529, make sure you hold that amount back to pay directly.

So it makes sense to have $16k per child outside a 529? I need to adjust my plans.

 

[pillow]

So it makes sense to have $16k per child outside a 529? I need to adjust my plans.

Yes! But books count towards the $4K out of pocket too - as well as a required computer and things like that. Best to look up AOTC and see what counts.

I believe but don't know for certain, that the new tax law raised the income ceiling for this credit - which means higher income folks will be able to take advantage. I know that was being discussed at one point but not sure if it made it into the new tax law or not.

 

[Calfan]

Anyone actually use the Chase travel Portal to look at or book flights out of the country?
I was looking to maybe transfer points to an airline but noticed even when using miles
I'm getting these crappy fuel surcharges.


When i look through Chase portal they are not there when booking on points. Can this be true?
I tried to call but was put on hold for a while so i will call back later when they aren't busy..

I took a flight to Europe now granted it was a few years ago but don't remember fuel charges
being so high!!

I almost always transfer my UR to United to book flights on the United site using miles, but I just recently purchased our flights for a Peru trip this summer from the Chase travel portal using UR directly. I was not finding any saver awards on United, so four roundtrip coach flights would have been 400,000 miles. I played chicken for a while to see if saver awards would pop up, but there were a couple of specific flights that were far preferable for us from an elapsed time, layover and arrival/departure time standpoint, so I ended up pulling the trigger on the Chase portal when these same flights were bookable for just slightly over 90,000 points per roundtrip, so just over 360,000 for all of us. I know I will be kicking myself if saver awards do pop up on United, but my solution to that is just not to check, lol.

ETA: And there were no taxes owing with the booking. Just the UR.

 

[Calfan]

I only received two "You go it" replies from Marriott for the Superbowl Twitter promotion, but my Marriott account was credited for the full 1,500 bonus points.

 

[pillow]

I almost always transfer my UR to United to book flights on the United site using miles, but I just recently purchased our flights for a Peru trip this summer from the Chase travel portal using UR directly. I was not finding any saver awards on United, so four roundtrip coach flights would have been 400,000 miles. I played chicken for a while to see if saver awards would pop up, but there were a couple of specific flights that were far preferable for us from an elapsed time, layover and arrival/departure time standpoint, so I ended up pulling the trigger on the Chase portal when these same flights were bookable for just slightly over 90,000 points per roundtrip, so just over 360,000 for all of us. I know I will be kicking myself if saver awards do pop up on United, but my solution to that is just not to check, lol.

ETA: And there were no taxes owing with the booking. Just the UR.

And by doing it that way, you'll earn United miles from flying. If you had transferred points directly to United and booked with points on their site, you wouldn't earn miles.

 

[gottalovepluto]

Just got my last 500 from Marriott. While there I saw "silver elite status" due to a match from SPG Preferred Guest Plus. Cool, happened automatically didn't even realize Preferred Guest was slightly different from Preferred Guest Plus with SPG. Not that I currently have plans to utilize my silver status with Marriott but it's the first time I've ever had "status" anywhere

 

[Albort]

Me too! My husband only got 1500. Wonder if they'll take the extras back? Or if there was s reason we got them?

Marriott's system is pretty bad. So i doubt they would claw it back. I did the Marriott More, i accidentally used the wrong Credit card so i cancel. my bonus point and my regular points still posted. This was in Oct 2017 and i still have the points in my account.
on the last game day(of 2017), i got 2000 points instead of 1000. its still in my account. I did however miss 1 tweet so i guess this makes it up! lol

Only got 1000 pts from Marriott

best thing to do is DM Marriott with your Marriott Number on twitter and then tweet them asking for help. That probably the quickest way.