Category: credit

Using Amex Reward Points For A Blu-Ray Player & A Television.

Remember a few weeks ago when I wrote about cashing in my American Express points and closing the account? Well, I redeemed my first batch of reward points this morning for a $200 Dell gift certificate, which I promptly turned around and used to buy a new Samsung Blu-Ray DVD player. Since in 2 weeks when I move (I promise, I will get to the “why” soon) I am about to be without a TV and a DVD player, I decided that this would be a good use of some of the AMEX points I had accumulated. And because I planned carefully before I bought the DVD player, I did a few things to make sure I received the maximum benefit from my purchase:

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By David

American Express Launches Premier Rewards Card With 3X Points On Airlines, 2X On Gas & Groceries

American Express just launched a new Premier Rewards Gold Card that pays triple Membership Rewards points on airfare purchases, double points on gas and grocery purchases, and one point for all other purchases that you make. Card members can also earn 15,000 bonus points when they spend $30,000 on the Card per calendar year, an average of $2,500 per month. The new Card is available for an annual fee of $175, which is waived for new Card members the first year.

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By David

Going Against Popular Opinion And Closing A Credit Card Account.

Why? The $125 yearly fee, that’s why. I have been an American Express Business Gold customer for a few years now, and while they have been very good to me and I have collected many, many rewards points that I plan on cashing in any day now, I will be closing my account. The annual fee is just not worth what I actually use the card for each month, which is currently only my web hosting bill. It was worth it when I was charging everything each month to the card, as the rewards really added up, but now that I charge everything to my Amtrak Rewards Chase card each month, that $125 a year is looking pretty steep. Don’t you think?

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By David

Credit Is A Tool Not To Be Scared Of.

Used correctly, credit can be an incredible asset to your financial stability. Used incorrectly, it can be your downfall. The keys are knowing what to do with it, how and when to use it, and how to maintain it. While carrying debt can get you in to all sorts of trouble, using credit in the right way can actually open all sorts of doors and save you a ton of cash. Years ago, I was had over $20K in credit card debt, all of which was accumulated by purchasing stuff like CD’s, stereo equipment, vacations, and expensive dinners. On top of the debt I had, my credit score also took a nosedive, meaning I had to pay more for any borrowed money. It took me a very long time to pay that balance off, so since then I have been diligent about keeping card balances to a minimum. However, I do still use credit every month, and here is why:

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