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CategoryEpisode 31: The Hotel Status Loyalty Trap
0:42 Bank of America $300 Personal Checking Bonus (HT DoC) Requires $4,000 Direct Deposit in 3 months You need to have a checking account with BofA to quality for their
The Fidelity “dead accounts” study is fake, not wrong
Become a Patron!I’ve noticed an interesting phenomenon, which I call “common knowledge about common knowledge” (doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, I know). It’s when some piece..
What will the Social Security funding “crisis” look like?
Become a Patron!When ignorant people want to sound serious, they start solemnly intoning about the Social Security funding crisis and the need for a “long-term” “fix” to the “pro..
How to Rent DVC Points and Save Money on Your Disney Stays
For years I’ve been hearing about the magic of renting Disney Vacation Club points to save money on your Disney stays. I finally got the chance to rent DVC points
What do the wealthy need from their financial advisors?
I’ve had two conversations lately that got me thinking about a question which, for obvious reasons, doesn’t come up in most people’s lives: what do you do after you’ve exhausted
No, you don't need to buy fixed-value gift cards for the Giant/Stop & Shop/Martin's grocery promotion
Doctor of Credit is one of my favorite resources for news about promotions (although they post so much stuff the website is almost unusable; I prefer their Twitter and RSS
Why I just changed my 529 asset allocation
Become a Patron!I’ve written before about what I consider the two best 529 college savings plans: the Nevada-sponsored Vanguard 529 plan and the Utah-sponsored my529 (formerly UE..
Episode 30: 5 Irrational Fears Around Points & Miles
Today we’re back with what turns out to be a meaty review of core Milenomics philosophies, but first the news… 0:30 Citi Double Cash to Earn TYP? (HT DoC) Coming
How To Get Free Travel With Car/RV Relocation
I’ve recently been intrigued by the idea of car/RV rental relocation as a way to get cheap (or even free) trips.
That’s right. You can get a rental of an RV
Do this now: activate 3rd quarter bonus categories and register for hotel promotions, plus double Flexpoints on dining
With the third quarter already upon us, it’s time to make sure you’ve activated your third quarter bonus categories. In addition, there are a slew of hotel promotions currently a..
Book review: “Maid” and the problem of the undeserving poor
Become a Patron!I just finished a fascinating and important book called “Maid,” by Stephanie Land, which seems to have been shepherded to publication by Barbara Ehrenreich, the a..
Map of Choice Hotels [with Choice Points]
Finally, here is the map of Choice Hotels by points price. This is one of the last hotel chains as part of the Complete Map series (which can also be
The return of free+ groceries at Giant/Stop & Shop/Martin's
One of the most lucrative, most annoying grocery store promotions returns this week, just in time for folks who have been waiting to max out their Freedom second quarter bonus
The SECURE Act and the defects of the centrist mind
Become a Patron!I’ve written previously about the SECURE Act, the House version of a measure designed to encourage employers to allow employees to gamble their retirement savings..
How much adventure did I want right after First Class?
A while ago, I saved money in Chicago by sleeping in a Korean spa. I was pretty close to replicating this adventure in Vancouver.
A lot of us got in on the Cathay Pacific First C..
Episode 29: Qantas Devaluation, Grocery Promos, and 5x Opportunities
On this week’s No Annual Fee Edition of the podcast we discuss: 0:30 Q3 5x Categories Announced Chase Freedom: Gas and streaming services Discover: PayPal and restaurants Citi Di..
Best Use of Virgin Atlantic Miles [by Partner]
Like Alaska miles, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club has a unique set of mileage redemptions that varies by partner, some of which are amazing deals.
In truth, I made a note to
Master List Of Airlines To Bid On Business Class Upgrades
Many airlines offer last minute upgrades as an auction / bidding system, and some offer them on sale at check in, or on the app.
Below I made a list of
13 Great Low Category Hotel Redemptions I Used
A few days ago I posted ~30 low-category hotels I’ve redeemed points at, all of which have gone up in points requirement since I stayed. Today I am posting my favorites from thi..
Episode 28: Award Travel Questions From Those Just Starting Out
Today we’re answering questions posed by ‘future’ listeners of this very podcast. These are questions from those of you new to points & miles, and maybe you haven’t yet found
(Almost) Every Low Category Hotel I Stayed at Has Devaluated
Given the latest no-notice Hilton devaluation (the predecessors of which I covered), I just went through every low category hotel I ever stayed at on points, and all but 3 have e..
Cheapest Miles To Hawaii
Continuing my reborn “cheapest miles” series is the cheapest miles to Hawaii post where I’ll list all the best airline miles deals to Hawaii, and break down some of the
Roth 401(k)’s are different, but they’re not special
The other day I got into a very frustrating argument with a popular anonymous Finance Twitter account about the epistemology of 401(k) savings vehicles. The frustration arose fro..