I love credit cards so much!

[DisneyMandC]

Great news!!

I am actually about to call our vet for an appt. Our cat has had a lump on his chin since Aug. Vet did a fine needle aspirate back then. She said the matter drawn was yellow and looked like fat. Lab results were that it was fatty cyst. No cancer cells detected.

But then.... Last night I found a 2nd lump next to it. I'm hoping it's just another fatty cyst, but still your stomach churns with worry. Wondering if the initial lab study was accurate.... and all that.

I haven't been on DIS for a while so I couldn't help responding when one of the first posts I read was your happy report!

Once cats or dogs get one fatty cyst, it's very common for them to get multiple of them! I'm sure you are still worried, as I would be, but I have had that happen with more than one pet and they've always lived very long lives, just with a few extra "friends" along for the ride

 

[peel]

They allow families to board before general boarding. I wouldn't pay for the EB.

Families board between groups A and B. I've only seen isolated stories of families being allowed to board before the A group. There will still be plenty of seats together, just further back.

 

[pillow]

The "best" time to open an Amex card with an "airline fee credit" like the Platinum ($200/calendar yr.), Premier Rewards Gold ($100/calendar yr.), and Hilton Aspire ($250/calendar yr.) is in late-November to December. Because the airline fee credit is a calendar year benefit, you can potentially "triple dip" this benefit on just one annual fee. (Any other time of year, you can still double dip the benefit.) You can successfully trigger the credit by purchasing gift cards in specific denominations to Southwest, AA, and Delta. On the Platinum, that's as much as $600 worth of airline gift cards on a $550 AF.

So say you get one of these cards in late November 2018, you'd use up this year's credit right when you get the card; then you'd use up the credit a second time on or after January 1, 2019; then you'd use up the credit a third time on or after January 1, 2020. Your first year annual fee would post at the end of your first statement, in or around late December 2018. Your second year's annual fee would post around late December 2019 with a due date in January 2020, and you won't actually have to pay the annual fee until you've had a chance to use up the credit a third time. If you don't want to pay a second year annual fee, you can cancel the card after you've triple dipped the airline credit benefit. (I'll also add that you get $35 of Uber credits in December vs. $15 all other months.)

Question is if you can pull up the 100k MR (or even 75k MR) offer at the right time.

Lastly, Amex isn't concerned about your limits with Chase. The Platinum is a charge card with no hard credit limit. For credit cards, Amex may even readjust the credit limits on your cards with them if they feel like you're overextended and they need to reallocate lines.

This is terrific advice! Makes me want to dip my toe into the Amex MR world. However, I will promptly forget this strategy within about 24 hours - lol. Could you make a note on your spreadsheet to remind us of this in November???

 

[crazymomof4]

Once cats or dogs get one fatty cyst, it's very common for them to get multiple of them! I'm sure you are still worried, as I would be, but I have had that happen with more than one pet and they've always lived very long lives, just with a few extra "friends" along for the ride

Thanks sooo much for this!! I did read online last night that they can occur in clusters but hearing it first hand from someone who has experienced it helps so much more! This cat is 9 yrs old and he is, personality-wise, like a clone of one I had who got cancer from the rabies vaccine.... at age 9. So I'm probably more sensitive to this worry bc of that.
Thanks again. The time you took to post made me feel better!

 

[hsmamato2]

Question on cardmatch...if I see an offer in my name, does that mean I actually qualify? It doesn't seem accurate,since I hold a CSR and it says I can go for the CSP...I also have a FR and FU which are on there..... or is it just stuff they want me to try for (which will get shot down?)

 

[hsmamato2]

DH's Hilton biz came today. I know a bunch of people applied in the next few days after I did, so yours should be here soon!

i'm waiting anxiously,since the 'temp' number they gave me doesn't work!!! I want to start spending

 

[disneymagicgirl]

This is terrific advice! Makes me want to dip my toe into the Amex MR world. However, I will promptly forget this strategy within about 24 hours - lol. Could you make a note on your spreadsheet to remind us of this in November???

I was thinking the same thing.
However, since I always ask permission here before I do anything, I figured I would be reminded at that time.

 

[disneymagicgirl]

i'm waiting anxiously,since the 'temp' number they gave me doesn't work!!! I want to start spending

I just read on reddit I think, or somewhere, that the temp number is for that brand only. That makes sense because my spg temp # wouldn't work...thats because could only use it to book spg hotel. Same for hilton. I didn't read the fine print on that screen.

 

[disneymagicgirl]

Has anyone here actually completed the Citibank bonus? This part of the fine print is throwing me off. I have no clue what it means and we have no branches here so if they need me to bring it in, I can't.
I can't do chase next because I have no direct deposit method as I don't work.

 

[elgerber]

I am ready to get the CIP after I have wavered back and forth for so long. If some of you may remember, we applied for a HELOC and I was worried this would count against my 5/24 status. I am currently at 4/24 - 2/6 my sapphire double dip will fall off mid June) Many convinced me it would not, so I am going to go for it. My dilemma is that while we have been approved for the HELOC it has not actually been completed yet. The loan officer was hoping to get everything in last week before my DH went out of town but that didn't happen. I have no idea what the hold up is. I know that if this was a mortgage then getting anything credit related before the closing would be a big no no. Is that the same case for a Heloc? I was thinking I could squeeze in the app before the Heloc came on my credit report. I know the bank already pulled our credit. I certainly don't want to mess up our application though. Should I wait till it is complete? I just want the CIP now! Hoping to use Plastiq for college tuition with the CIP, stupid University takes no credit card at all, even with a fee.

I work in mortgage, and yes, we do pull a credit refresh right before closing. It's not a huge issue, but the problem is we would have to have the new account added to your credit report, and verify the new balance/payment, which wouldn't be able to be done yet if you didn't have your account number yet.

I cannot translate reddit lol but I posted here before that I am sending my mortgage through Amex using 'utilities' as my category

Who is your mortgage company? Mine is Chase, I am thinking now way no how could I possibly get that through Plastiq LOL.

 

[peel]

Thanks sooo much for this!! I did read online last night that they can occur in clusters but hearing it first hand from someone who has experienced it helps so much more! This cat is 9 yrs old and he is, personality-wise, like a clone of one I had who got cancer from the rabies vaccine.... at age 9. So I'm probably more sensitive to this worry bc of that.
Thanks again. The time you took to post made me feel better!

Sending positive vibes for your cat! I'm sure it will be fine.
As an aside, I had 2 cats (mother and daughter) develop cancer from the rabies vaccine. I had never heard of it happening before that. Totally devastating.

 

[SBWB48]

OMG!! Congratulations!!!



The Amex Platinum is a seriously beautiful metal card; and since it has a terrible earn rate after meeting MSR, I keep it pretty by sock drawering the actual card when not traveling. I'm glad you jumped on the 100k MR offer! A big bonus like 100k MR makes this card worth it, at least for the first year. (Be sure to redeem your airline fee credits this year and next!) And it gives you access to some of the best airport lounges domestically. I really hope you enjoy the Centurion Lounge at SFO and the Escape Lounge at OAK next month. Lounge entry after arrival shouldn't be an issue at Escape, although there was a story today that Amex has started imposing some restrictions, including no entry upon arrival, at their SEA Centurion Lounge.

Sadly, I haven't been able to pull up the 100k MR offer for my wife despite word that Cardmatch is targeting this offer again. I think I'm more upset about it than her. She's fine trying for the Air France/KLM (PP) Lounge in the International Terminal before her Japan work trip. Ah well... frees up some spend to put on a Hilton Biz or Amex BBP.

I'm excited to actually have it in hand. Think someone on reddit actually had a post that lists exactly how much heavier the Plat was relative to other metals

I'll definitely be double dipping the credits, would have liked to go for a triple, but timing is everything in this game, so who knows 6 months down the line. I am excited to visit the lounge at SFO after hearing about your experience and good to know entry after arrival at Escape shouldn't be an issue; think I read everything is "airside"? I heard about the SEA lounge situation, but here's to hoping it's a result of such a small space and a good amount of people flying through OAK seems to have less of this issue according to FT, but I couldn't find many DPs on whether entry upon arrival is allowed lol.

Good luck to your ongoing attempts to pull it for the wife! It's a rush when it does show

Has anyone here actually completed the Citibank bonus? This part of the fine print is throwing me off. I have no clue what it means and we have no branches here so if they need me to bring it in, I can't.View attachment 325819
I can't do chase next because I have no direct deposit method as I don't work.

A W-9 is simply a request for your taxpayer identification (TIN). Requested sometimes for things like mortgages or employment, but generally speaking, it's for identity verification to prove you have a SSN or some tax paying form of identification since bank bonuses are taxable income. No need to worry about that line. I'll be doing the Citi bonus soon, but haven't gotten to it yet between Memory Bank, PNC, and a few cards recently lol.

 

[elgerber]

I know I should pay more attention, but this thread flies sooooooooooo fast. Do we have a bank account bonus primer or cheat sheet somewhere?

 

[crazymomof4]

Sending positive vibes for your cat! I'm sure it will be fine.
As an aside, I had 2 cats (mother and daughter) develop cancer from the rabies vaccine. I had never heard of it happening before that. Totally devastating.

Thank you for your kind words. I didn't know about it either. I now take my cats to a vet that uses the PureVax vaccine. They also titer to check for antibodies to see if your pet really needs the next scheduled vaccine.

 

[DisneyMandC]

Thanks sooo much for this!! I did read online last night that they can occur in clusters but hearing it first hand from someone who has experienced it helps so much more! This cat is 9 yrs old and he is, personality-wise, like a clone of one I had who got cancer from the rabies vaccine.... at age 9. So I'm probably more sensitive to this worry bc of that.
Thanks again. The time you took to post made me feel better!

I completely understand! My mom's 12 year old dachshund (AKA her third child) developed one on his stomach last year, and I have a 10 year old cat who also has one near her rib cage. We had one poor sweet mutt growing up who had clusters of them and her nickname ended up being Fatty! She lived to the ripe old age of 14.

Boy, this makes me sound like I live in the shadow of a nuclear power plant... I swear I don't, we have just have always had a farm so have taken in A LOT of strays and rescues over the years

 

[DisneyMandC]

They also titer to check for antibodies to see if your pet really needs the next scheduled vaccine.

I do this as well. I'm not by any means an anti-vaxxer, but if it's something we can pull titers for then I always like to do that! Especially since I have a golden retriever and know firsthand the high rates of cancer in those dogs. I do titers on my horse as well since he gets very sick whenever we do have to vaccinate him.

 

[wendow]

@elgerber
i have mine with provident funding.

 

[peel]

Thank you for your kind words. I didn't know about it either. I now take my cats to a vet that uses the PureVax vaccine. They also titer to check for antibodies to see if your pet really needs the next scheduled vaccine.

We only use the PureVax now too. I never want to go through that again. We took extensive measures to try to save them both but the cancer was just too aggressive. That's really interesting about testing for the antibodies, I hadn't heard of that. Thank you for the info! I'm going to look into having our vet do that for our 1 year old little monster siblings.

Please let us know how you make out with your little friend!

 

[disneymagicgirl]

A W-9 is simply a request for your taxpayer identification (TIN). Requested something for things like mortgages or employment, but generally speaking, it's for identity verification to prove you have a SSN or some tax paying form of identification since bank bonuses are taxable income. No need to worry about that line. I'll be doing the Citi bonus soon, but haven't gotten to it yet between Memory Bank, PNC, and a few cards recently lol.

Ok, thanks.

 

[1st*toright]

The "best" time to open an Amex card with an "airline fee credit" like the Platinum ($200/calendar yr.), Premier Rewards Gold ($100/calendar yr.), and Hilton Aspire ($250/calendar yr.) is in late-November to December. Because the airline fee credit is a calendar year benefit, you can potentially "triple dip" this benefit on just one annual fee. (Any other time of year, you can still double dip the benefit.) You can successfully trigger the credit by purchasing gift cards in specific denominations to Southwest, AA, and Delta. On the Platinum, that's as much as $600 worth of airline gift cards on a $550 AF.

So say you get one of these cards in late November 2018, you'd use up this year's credit right when you get the card; then you'd use up the credit a second time on or after January 1, 2019; then you'd use up the credit a third time on or after January 1, 2020. Your first year annual fee would post at the end of your first statement, in or around late December 2018. Your second year's annual fee would post around late December 2019 with a due date in January 2020, and you won't actually have to pay the annual fee until you've had a chance to use up the credit a third time. If you don't want to pay a second year annual fee, you can cancel the card after you've triple dipped the airline credit benefit. (I'll also add that you get $35 of Uber credits in December vs. $15 all other months.)

Question is if you can pull up the 100k MR (or even 75k MR) offer at the right time.

Lastly, Amex isn't concerned about your limits with Chase. The Platinum is a charge card with no hard credit limit. For credit cards, Amex may even readjust the credit limits on your cards with them if they feel like you're overextended and they need to reallocate lines.

I second the genius comment! This one is on my list- I've been trying to decide whether to go for this one or the Marriott premier next (likely in July when I think we'll be through our CSR/CSP double dip spend). This explanation makes me more likely to hold off on the Amex Plat until close to year end, and do the Marriott as my next card! I haven't tried to pull up the 100k Amex offer - WAY too tempting if I do pull it!