Travel hacking in weak periods of manufactured spend
Sometimes it feels like the travel hacking community only has two speeds: greed and panic. It’s always either the golden age of manufactured spend or its funeral. Worse yet, it’s
Ep. 125 – 2020 Predictions
Episode Description
Trevor and Joe ring in the new year with some predictions for 2020. What do we think lies in store for the major airlines and banks? Will Hyatt stop
Direct indexing and shareholder democracy
The late Paul Volcker is famously said to have quipped that he hadn’t seen a worthwhile financial innovation since the ATM, which makes him slightly more cynical than even I
Prosperity, precarity, anxiety, and solidarity
Become a Patron!As we plunge into a second decade of economic and employment growth since the global financial crisis, I’ve noticed an interesting divide open between different m..
How to think about the Spousal IRA deduction gap
Become a Patron!With the end of the year in sight and tax season around the corner, I’ve been brushing up on the rules for IRA contributions and deductions. Remember IRA
Ep. 124 – Festivus the Fourth
Episode Description
Sam Simon from Milenomics is back for Festivus the Fourth. We air grievances, celebrate feats of strength, and marvel at Festivus miracles in miles and points..
The SECURE Act is headed into law; small employers get a few handouts
Become a Patron!I’ve written extensively about the hilariously-named SECURE Act, which sailed through the House but was frozen in the Senate while Ted Cruz extorted his colleague..
Donor-advised funds are in the news, here’s why it matters
Become a Patron!Attributing quotes to famous dead people is, as the great Greek poet Homer is said to have once remarked, one of mankind’s oldest storytelling traditions. In that..
Q1 2020 5x Bonus Categories
Chase Freedom Gas stations Internet, cable, and phone services Streaming services Discover Grocery stores Walgreens CVS Citi Dividend ($6,000 annual bonused spend for $300 back c..
Airline Portal Holiday Bonuses for December 2019
A new wave of airline portal holiday bonuses have appeared. AA and Southwest look to be the most compelling of the bunch this time, but they can all be worth
Ep. 123 – Avianca, AA Web Specials and Newfoundland w/ Mark Ostermann of Miles to Memories
Episode Description
Mark Ostermann of Miles to Memories (and co-host of the Miles to Memories podcast) joins the Observation Deck for a wide ranging, tangent filled discussion ab..
Strategies to pay for an early retirement
Become a Patron!Last month I got to spend some time with a relation who recently left a high-powered tech job, and who asked for some advice about financing a more
Cool – Instant retro mileage credit at United
Hello and happy Thanksgiving to those in/from the US. It’s the day to reflect on how lucky many of us are to have what we have – be it loved ones, stockpiled mileage balances, o..
Ep. 122 – Getting that Last Passport Stamp! w/ Stefan from Rapid Travel Chai
Episode Description
He did it! Stefan from Rapid Travel Chai and the Every Passport Stamp Facebook group visited his (not last) country and joins the podcast to talk about it. We
Less than 2 weeks to Toys for Tots Happy Hour! Here are some toy recommendations!
We’re excited! We are inside of 2 weeks to the Frequent Traveler Toys for Tots Happy Hour! This is a great opportunity to give back, and as I’ll show in
What the media can’t get right about retirement, and why
A long-time reader passed along an article from the World Economic Forum’s blog (yes, for some reason the World Economic Forum has a blog) titled “To retire at 65, American
All Domestic Flights As Low As 5,000 AA Miles
I was just looking at AA domestic flights and every route I’ve searched for so far has many days available for 5,000 AA miles. This goes as far as Oct
Finding the Best Priority Pass Membership for my Family
Priority Pass has always been one of those things that has been nice to have but hasn’t felt essential in my travel hacking experience. But maybe I just have been
Reminder: restrictions do differ between different shopping portals
Starting online purchases at a shopping portal is one of the simplest techniques travel hackers use, and it’s also one of the most reminiscent of extreme couponing: click through..
Quick Hits: Delink Chase business and personal account online logins
Three years (has it been that long?) ago the Travel Sisters posted about how “Just for You” credit card sign up offers in your Chase online account bypass the 5/24
Quick Hits: Calculate Spending on Jetblue Plus Mastercard
I love my Jetblue Mosaic status but this time every year I’m always trying to figure out whether I’ve spent the $50,000 on the Jetblue Plus card. As a reminder,
Ep. 121 – Europe and Award Alerts with Spencer Howard
Episode Description
Spencer Howard of Straight to the Points and the best award newsletter going drops by to talk his recent trip to Europe, paying with points, EVA air, and much
American Elite Status – laughable push or cashgrab?
It was last year, or perhaps the year before, that we first started seeing American Airlines offer elites that looked to be missing re-qualification, an opportunity to buy status..