Deals & Offers — Page 2

Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card Review: 3 Free Night Awards Welcome Offer

Posted on March 13, 2025 // 2 Comments

New offer. The card_name is the re-branded business credit card of the Marriott Bonvoy program. This card offers unique perks for Marriott customers, along with a generous new customer incentive. Here are the highlights:

Welcome Offer: 3 Free Night Awards after you use your new Card to make $6,000 in eligible purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership. Each Free Night Award has a redemption level up to 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy(R) points, for a total potential value of up to 150,000 points, at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy(R). Certain hotels have resort fees. Terms apply.
New award night top-off option: Marriott now allows you to supplement your free night certificates with up to 15,000 points of your own. For example, the 50k Award can be used to book a hotel at 65,000 points level if you spend 15,000 points of your own. This opens up the number of potential hotels available in expensive areas.
Room rate discount: 7% discount on eligible Marriott Bonvoy hotel bookings as a benefit of being both a Marriott Bonvoy(R) member & a Marriott Bonvoy Business(R) American Express(R) Card Member when you book directly with Marriott through an eligible channel for a participating property under the Amex Business Card Rate.
6X Marriott Bonvoy points at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy(R) program.
4X Marriott Bonvoy points at restaurants worldwide, at U.S. gas stations, on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers and on U.S. purchases for shipping.
2X points on all other eligible purchases.
Receive a Free Night Award every year after your Card renewal month. Plus, earn an additional Free Night Award after you spend $60k in purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Award can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 35,000 Marriott Bonvoy(R) points) at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy(R). Certain hotels have resort fees.
Complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite Status with this card.
Elite Night Credits: Receive credit for 15 nights towards the next level of Marriott Bonvoy Elite status, each calendar year.
Annual fee is $125.
See Rates and Fees

Keep in mind the following terms and conditions:

Welcome offer not available to applicants who (i) have or have had the Marriott Bonvoy™ Premier Plus Business Credit Card from Chase, the Marriott Rewards® Premier Plus Business Credit Card from Chase, the Marriott Bonvoy Business™ Credit Card from Chase, or the Marriott Rewards® Business Credit Card from Chase in the last 30 days, (ii) have acquired the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless™ Credit Card from Chase, the Marriott Rewards® Premier Plus Credit Card from Chase, the Marriott Bonvoy Bold™ Credit Card from Chase, the Marriott Bonvoy™ Premier Credit Card from Chase or the Marriott Rewards® Premier Credit Card from Chase in the last 90 days, or (iii) received a new Card Member bonus offer in the last 24 months on the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless™ Credit Card from Chase, the Marriott Rewards® Premier Plus Credit Card from Chase, the Marriott Bonvoy Bold™ Credit Card from Chase, the Marriott Bonvoy™ Premier Plus Credit Card from Chase or the Marriott Rewards® Premier Credit Card from Chase.

This is more specific than before, note the different 30-day, 90-day, and 24-month waiting periods that may now include consumer cards. American Express usually gives you a pop-up warning during the application process if you are ineligible based on their records. This is why you should be looking to get the best possible bonus (like a limited-time offer) when you do apply.

Many people aren’t aware of the fact that they can apply for business credit cards, even if they are not a corporation or LLC. The business type is called a sole proprietorship, and these days many people are full-time or part-time consultants, freelancers, eBay/Amazon/Etsy sellers, Uber/Lyft drivers, or other one-person business owners. This is the simplest business entity, but it is fully legit and recognized by the IRS. On a business credit card application, you should use your own legal name as the business name, and your Social Security Number as the Tax ID.

NEW: Certificates can be combined with up to 15,000 points for nicer hotels. Marriott now allows you to supplement your free night certificates with up to 15,000 points of your own. In other words, if your certificate is worth 35,000 points, the maximum hotel value you can redeem for is 50,000 points after adding 15,000 points of your own. if your certificate is worth 50,000 points, the maximum hotel value you can redeem for is 65,000 points after adding 15,000 points of your own.

You can use the Marriott free night search tool to price out some sample hotels for yourself. Also, here are details on the Free Night Award Top Off option.

What is a reasonable estimate for the value of a Marriott Bonvoy point? Based on multiple real-world searches of redeemable properties, I choose to use a conservative estimate of 0.70 cents per Bonvoy point. That means 50,000 Bonvoy points = estimated $350 redeemable value, and 100,000 Bonvoy points = estimated $700 redeemable hotel night value. However, I almost always get closer to 1 cent per point value when I actually choose to redeem. Remember to compare the full price of the hotel price with all taxes, as that is what you would have to pay instead of just points.

50k Free Night Award (Welcome Offer). Based on a few quick searches (log in and try to book with points), the following premium hotels can potentially be booked for 65,000 points or less. (* Marriott no longer publishes a fixed point award chart):

The Westin Hapuna Beach Resort, Big Island, Hawaii
The Royal Hawaiian in Waikiki, Oahu, Hawaii
The Ritz-Carlton, Bali
Le Meridien Maldives Resort & Spa
JW Marriott Venice Resort & Spa
Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld®
Walt Disney World Swan Reserve
The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes

35k Free Night Award (Anniversary). At your card anniversary, you will receive a Free Night Award that is good for one night (redemption level at or under 35,000 Marriott Bonvoy points) at a participating hotel. This excludes the very top properties, but for regular travelers it will be very easy to get your $95 or even $125 value. Many W Hotels, Westin, and even some Ritz-Carltons worldwide are included. Here are some sample hotels that may qualify under the 35,000 point limit (* Marriott no longer publishes a fixed point award chart):

Sheraton Kona Resort (Big Island, Hawaii)
Courtyard Waikiki Beach (Honolulu, Oahu)
Sheraton Kauai Resort (Kauai, Hawaii)
W Atlanta
New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge
Chicago Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile
W Chicago
The Ritz-Carlton, Beijing, China
The S. Regis Bangkok, Thailand

You can expand this even further if you use the top-off option and look for hotels at up to 50,000 Bonvoy points.

Bottom line. The card_name is the co-branded business card between Marriott hotels and American Express. You also get a Free Night Award at card anniversary, which can be worth much more than the annual fee. Check out the current welcome offer, which can be redeemed for multiple free nights at hotels around the world.

Also see: Top 10 Best Small Business Card Bonus Offers.

(See Rates and Fees)

Filed Under: Credit Cards, Deals & Offers, General //

Last updated: March 13, 2025

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Southwest Becomes Just Another Commodity Airline (Basic Economy, No Checked Bags, Less Legroom, Paid Seating)

Posted on March 13, 2025 // 12 Comments

The big news in travel is that Southwest Airlines has basically given up their unique “We are different!” corporate identity and become just another commodity airline that tries to look as cheap as possible upfront (only $200!) while adding multiple fees on the backend for all the things that used to be included (want to sit next to each other? checked bags? decent legroom? ok sure it’s really $500). As educated consumers, our job is to understand the changes to their value proposition and adjust accordingly. Here’s a list of the new Southwest realities:

Basic Economy has arrived to Southwest. The cheapest fare tier is now called “Basic”, not “Wanna Get Away”. You can no longer make free changes; you only get a non-transferrable credit that expires after only 6 months. Earns only 2X points, down from 6X points (elite status-holders get a little more). They are stripping everything possible because Southwest believes that people just pick the lowest fare regardless of features when listed on a comparison site like Google Flights or Expedia.
No more free bags. Starting 5/29, on most fares you’ll no longer get two free bags included and they’ll start charging you like everyone else. Business Select fares and A-List Preferred elites will get 2 free checked bags. A-List elites and co-branded credit cardholders will get 1 free checked bag.
No more open seating. Must pay for seat choice. Southwest is moving to assigned seats as well, which means Basic fares will have to pay up to pick their seats or be stuck in the worst middle seats or in the back.
No more reasonable legroom for everyone. Southwest used to be known for decent seat width and legroom in all its seats. Southwest is now adding “premium” extra-legroom seats if you pay extra $$$. This usually means the rest of Economy loses a few inches in return (right now it looks like seat pitch will go down to 31″ from 32″, similar to Basic Economy for other major airlines).
Changes to Rapid Rewards points redemptions. When redeeming Rapid Rewards points for flights, it will not longer be directly linked to the current cash fare. Basically, they want to be able to charge whatever amount they want, and limit the number of award tickets available on certain flights.

I wouldn’t actually read this Southwest press release because it has so much PR-spin that it is quite trifficult to understand what they are actually doing, but this attached graphic is useful:

It’s almost funny because you can still look up their old talking points and interviews on why open seating is better, why keeping free checked bags is better, why the fact that Southwest treats everyone well is important, but now it’s just the exact opposite. Your unique brand was around for 50 years, but now you’ve traded it all for a temporary bump in share price.

Well, Southwest, if you want us to just judge you on price, that’s fine with me. Selling a commodity product is usually a tough business, though. Prediction: The next step is to be merged away with another major airline soon.

In the meantime, I’m not sure if this makes their co-branded credit card more desirable or not. The card has basically added a free checked bag benefit that can be valuable, and some of them offer seating choice perks, but if you were a loyal Southwest flier, these new changes may cause you to not fly them as much anymore and now try out other airlines.

Filed Under: Credit Cards, Deals & Offers //

Last updated: March 13, 2025

Wyndham Rewards Earner Cards: Up to 90,000 Bonus Points (Valid at Vacasa Home Rentals)

Posted on March 10, 2025 // 3 Comments

Updated with limited-time offers. The Wyndham Rewards Earner credit cards currently all have increased bonuses of up to 90,000 points. While these are not the highest amounts offered ever, they are above the normal bonuses. This hotel-chain co-branded card earns rewards that redeemable towards the Wyndham chain of hotels and Vacasa-managed vacation home rentals.

Wyndham Rewards Earner Card highlights:

60,000 bonus points after $2,000 in purchases in the first 90 days.
5X points per $1 spent on Hotels by Wyndham and qualifying gas purchases.
2X points per $1 spent on dining and grocery store purchases (excluding Target® and Walmart®).
1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases (excluding Wyndham Timeshare resort down payments).
Automatic upgrade to Wyndham Rewards Gold status.
10% fewer Wyndham Rewards points required for go free® awards.
7,500 bonus points each anniversary year if you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases.
No annual fee.

Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus Card highlights:

90,000 bonus points after $2,000 in purchases in the first 90 days.
6X points per $1 spent on Hotels by Wyndham and gas purchasess.
4X points per $1 spent on dining and grocery store purchases (excluding Target and Walmart).
1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases (excluding Wyndham Timeshare resort down payments).
Automatic upgrade to Wyndham Rewards Platinum status.
10% fewer Wyndham Rewards points required for go free® awards.
7,500 bonus points each anniversary year after annual fee renewal.
$75 annual fee.

Wyndham Rewards Earner Business Card highlights:

75,000 bonus points total. 50,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases and paying the annual fee in full, both within the first 90 days. Also, earn 25,000 bonus points after spending $12,000 on purchases within the first 365 days.
8X points per $1 spent on Hotels by Wyndham and gas purchasess.
5X points per $1 spent on eligible marketing, advertising, and utilities purchases.
1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases (excluding Wyndham Timeshare resort down payments).
Automatic upgrade to Wyndham Rewards Diamond status.
10% fewer Wyndham Rewards points required for go free® awards.
15,000 bonus points each anniversary year after annual fee renewal.
$95 annual fee.

Wyndham hotels have a relatively simple system that charges 7,500, 15,000, or 30,000 points for a “Go Free” award hotel night with no blackout dates (as long as a standard room is available for cash, you can book it with points). You can also redeem toward a discounted “Go Fast” cash and points rate. Resort fees may apply and cannot be paid with points. Note that when you have one of these credit cards, you get a 10% discount, so for example the 15,000 points tier would be actually be reduced down to 13,500 points.

You can also use the points for Vacasa vacation home rentals (like Airbnb or VRBO). Starting 3/26/24, it will cost 15,000 points *per bedroom* per night if the cash cost (including all taxes and fees!) is up to $250 *per bedroom* per night, or 30,000 points per bedroom per night if the cash cost is up to $500 per bedroom per night. More details at here and here.

That means your family likes to stay at Airbnbs, then 90,000 points can get you 3 nights at a 1-bedroom Vacasa-managed property that would otherwise cost up to $500 per night when including all taxes and fees, or at a 2-bedroom Vacasa property that would otherwise cost up to $250 *per bedroom* per night when including all taxes and fees. You can browse Vacasa properties here and book by calling 800-441-1034.

Wyndham points expiration – Important!

Wyndham Rewards points will expire if you have no activity on your account for a period of 18 months.
In addition, all Wyndham Rewards points expire 4 years after being earned — regardless of account activity.

From the official Terms & Conditions:

Except as may otherwise be required under applicable law, Wyndham Rewards points expire four (4) years after the checkout date of the stay for which the applicable points are posted to the Member’s account (the “Four Year Rule”), unless the points are forfeited or cancelled earlier due to membership inactivity (as more particularly described below), or otherwise in accordance with these Terms and Conditions. All accrued points in a Member’s Wyndham Rewards account may be cancelled or forfeited if the Member has no Account Activity (as defined below) for a period of approximately, but never less than, eighteen (18) consecutive months. For purposes of these Terms and Conditions, “Account Activity” means any (i) point earning, (ii) stay posted to a Member’s Wyndham Rewards account, regardless of whether or not such stay earns Wyndham Rewards points, and (iii) redemption or transfer activity involving a change in the Member’s Wyndham Rewards point balance, in each case, conducted in accordance with these Terms and Conditions.

For example, earning points via this credit card will only reset the 18-month inactivity clock. Look for the exact date in your online account page.

Wyndham Rewards includes over 9,000 hotels worldwide – from Days Inn motels to Wyndham Grand hotels. You can use this link to filter locations easily by country, state, and/or point level. Participating hotel chains include:

AmericInn by Wyndham®
Dolce Hotels and Resorts® by Wyndham
Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham®
Howard Johnson by Wyndham®
La Quinta by Wyndham®
Ramada by Wyndham®
Days Inn by Wyndham®
Super 8 by Wyndham®
Travelodge by Wyndham®
Wingate by Wyndham®
Wyndham Grand®
Wyndham Hotels and Resorts®
Wyndham Garden®

Depending on the hotel, you might get over 1 cent per point value (i.e. $300 cash hotel night for 30,000 points), but you might also get closer to 0.5 cent per point value (i.e. a $75 hotel night might require 15,000 points).

Bottom line. The Wyndham Rewards Earner credit cards earns rewards that can get you free nights at Wyndham hotels and Vacasa vacation home rentals. However, know that you must redeem the points within 4 years at the longest, even with regular account activity. This is somewhat of a niche card, but if you’ve got all the popular ones, there is still good potential value here if you put in some legwork.

Also see: Top 10 Best Credit Card Bonus Offers and Top 10 Best Business Card Offers.

Filed Under: Credit Cards, Deals & Offers //

Last updated: March 10, 2025

Best Interest Rates Survey: Savings Accounts, Treasuries, CDs, ETFs – March 2025

Posted on March 10, 2025 // 8 Comments

Here’s my monthly survey of the best interest rates on cash as of March, roughly sorted from shortest to longest maturities. Banks love taking advantage of our idle cash, and you can often earning more money while keeping the same level of safety by moving to another FDIC-insured bank or NCUA-insured credit union. Check out my Ultimate Rate-Chaser Calculator to see how much extra interest you could earn from switching. Rates listed are available to everyone nationwide. Rates checked as of 3/9/2024.

TL;DR: Short-term savings accounts dropped very slightly overall, with top rates varying widely from 3.7% to 5% APY. Short-term T-Bill rates at around 4.3%. Top 5-year CD rates are ~4.30% APY, while 5-year Treasury rate is ~4.1%.

High-yield savings accounts*
Since the huge megabanks still pay essentially no interest, everyone should at least have a separate, no-fee online savings account to piggy-back onto your existing checking account. The interest rates on savings accounts can drop at any time, so I list the top rates as well as competitive rates from banks with a history of competitive rates and solid user experience. Some banks will bait you with a temporary top rate and then lower the rates in the hopes that you are too lazy to leave.

The top saving rate at the moment: Roger.bank is at 5.00% APY (no min), but does require an additional companion checking account. CIT Platinum Savings is now at 4.30% APY with $5,000+ balance, but also has a $225/$300 deposit bonus you can stack on top.
SoFi Bank is at 3.80% APY + up to $325 new account bonus with direct deposit. You must maintain a direct deposit of any amount (even $1) each month for the higher APY. SoFi has historically competitive rates and full banking features. See details at $25 + $300 SoFi Money new account and deposit bonus.
Here is a limited survey of high-yield savings accounts. They aren’t the top rates, but a group that have historically kept it relatively competitive such that I like to track their history.

Short-term guaranteed rates (1 year and under)
A common question is what to do with a big pile of cash that you’re waiting to deploy shortly (plan to buy a house soon, just sold your house, just sold your business, legal settlement, inheritance). My usual advice is to keep things simple and take your time. If not a savings account, then put it in a flexible short-term CD under the FDIC limits until you have a plan.

No Penalty CDs offer a fixed interest rate that can never go down, but you can still take out your money (once) without any fees if you want to use it elsewhere. Marcus has a 13mo No Penalty CD at 4.15% APY ($500 minimum deposit). Farmer’s Insurance FCU has 9-month No Penalty CD at 4.25% APY ($1,000 minimum deposit). Credit Human has 12-month Liquid CD at 4.26% APY ($5,000 minimum) that allows unlimited deposits and two allowed withdrawals. Consider opening multiple CDs in smaller increments for more flexibility.
Security State Bank has a 12-month certificate special at 4.65% APY ($25,000 min). Early withdrawal penalty is 180 days of interest.

Money market mutual funds
Many brokerage firms that pay out very little interest on their default cash sweep funds (and keep the difference for themselves). Note: Money market mutual funds are highly-regulated, but ultimately not FDIC-insured, so I would still stick with highly reputable firms.

Vanguard Federal Money Market Fund (VMFXX) is the default sweep option for Vanguard brokerage accounts, which has an SEC yield of 4.24% (changes daily, but also works out to a compound yield of 4.32%, which is better for comparing against APY). Odds are this is much higher than your own broker’s default cash sweep interest rate.
Vanguard Treasury Money Market Fund (VUSXX) is an alternative money market fund which you must manually purchase, but the interest will be mostly (100% for 2024 tax year) exempt from state and local income taxes because it comes from qualifying US government obligations. Current SEC yield of 4.25% (compound yield of 4.33%).

Treasury Bills and Ultra-short Treasury ETFs
Another option is to buy individual Treasury bills which come in a variety of maturities from 4-weeks to 52-weeks and are fully backed by the US government. You can also invest in ETFs that hold a rotating basket of short-term Treasury Bills for you, while charging a small management fee for doing so. T-bill interest is exempt from state and local income taxes, which can make a significant difference in your effective yield.

You can build your own T-Bill ladder at TreasuryDirect.gov or via a brokerage account with a bond desk like Vanguard and Fidelity. Here are the current Treasury Bill rates. As of 3/7/25, a new 4-week T-Bill had the equivalent of 4.31% annualized interest and a 52-week T-Bill had the equivalent of 4.06% annualized interest.
The iShares 0-3 Month Treasury Bond ETF (SGOV) has a 4.20% SEC yield (0.09% expense ratio) and effective duration of 0.09 years. SPDR Bloomberg Barclays 1-3 Month T-Bill ETF (BIL) has a 4.13% SEC yield (0.136% expense ratio) and effective duration of 0.15 years. The Vanguard 0-3 Month Treasury Bill ETF (VBIL) hasn’t been around long enough to generate an SEC yield (0.07% expense ratio).

US Savings Bonds
Series I Savings Bonds offer rates that are linked to inflation and backed by the US government. You must hold them for at least a year. If you redeem them within 5 years there is a penalty of the last 3 months of interest. The annual purchase limit for electronic I bonds is $10,000 per Social Security Number, available online at TreasuryDirect.gov.

“I Bonds” bought between November 2024 and April 2025 will earn a 3.11% rate for the first six months. The rate of the subsequent 6-month period will be based on inflation again. More on Savings Bonds here.
In mid-April 2025, the CPI will be announced and you will have a short period where you will have a very close estimate of the rate for the next 12 months. I will have another post up at that time.

Rewards checking accounts
These unique checking accounts pay above-average interest rates, but with unique risks. You have to jump through certain hoops which usually involve 10+ debit card purchases each cycle, a certain number of ACH/direct deposits, and/or a certain number of logins per month. If you make a mistake (or they judge that you did) you risk earning zero interest for that month. Some folks don’t mind the extra work and attention required, while others would rather not bother. Rates can also drop suddenly, leaving a “bait-and-switch” feeling.

OnPath Federal Credit Union (my review) pays 7.00% APY on up to $10,000 if you make 15 debit card purchases, opt into online statements, and login to online or mobile banking once per statement cycle. Anyone can join this credit union via $5 membership fee to join partner organization. You can also get a $100 Visa Reward card when you open a new account and make qualifying transactions.
Genisys Credit Union pays 6.75% APY on up to $7,500 if you make 10 debit card purchases of $5+ each per statement cycle, and opt into online statements. Anyone can join this credit union via $5 membership fee to join partner organization.
La Capitol Federal Credit Union pays 5.75% APY (down from 6.25%) on up to $10,000 if you make 15 debit card purchases of at least $5 each per statement cycle. Anyone can join this credit union via partner organization, Louisiana Association for Personal Financial Achievement ($20).
(new) First Southern Bank pays 5.50% APY on up to $25,000 if you make at least 15 debit card purchases, 1 ACH credit or payment transaction, and enroll in online statements.
Credit Union of New Jersey pays 6.00% APY on up to $25,000 if you make 12 debit card purchases, opt into online statements, and make at least 1 direct deposit, online bill payment, or automatic payment (ACH) per statement cycle. Anyone can join this credit union via $5 membership fee to join partner organization.
Andrews Federal Credit Union pays 6.00% APY on up to $25,000 if you make 15 debit card purchases, opt into online statements, and make at least 1 direct deposit or ACH transaction per statement cycle. Anyone can join this credit union via partner organization.
Find a locally-restricted rewards checking account at DepositAccounts.

Certificates of deposit (greater than 1 year)
CDs offer higher rates, but come with an early withdrawal penalty. By finding a bank CD with a reasonable early withdrawal penalty, you can enjoy higher rates but maintain access in a true emergency. Alternatively, consider building a CD ladder of different maturity lengths (ex. 1/2/3/4/5-years) such that you have access to part of the ladder each year, but your blended interest rate is higher than a savings account. When one CD matures, use that money to buy another 5-year CD to keep the ladder going. Some CDs also offer “add-ons” where you can deposit more funds if rates drop.

KS State Bank has a 5-year certificate at 4.30% APY ($500 minimum), 4-year at 4.30% APY, 3-year at 4.30% APY, 2-year at 4.25% APY, and 1-year at 4.30% APY. $500 minimum. The early withdrawal penalty (EWP) for the 5-year is a huge 540 days of interest.
Mountain America Credit Union (MACU) has a 5-year certificate at 4.25% APY ($500 minimum), 4-year at 4.25% APY, 3-year at 4.25% APY, 2-year at 3.95% APY, and 1-year at 4.25% APY. Early withdrawal penalty for the 4-year and 5-year is 365 days of interest. Anyone can join this credit union via partner organization American Consumer Council for a one-time $5 fee (or try promo code “consumer”).
Lafayette Federal Credit Union (LFCU) has a 5/4/3/2/1-year certificates at 4.28% APY ($500 min). Slightly higher rates with jumbo $100,000+ balances. Note that the early withdrawal penalty for the 5-year is a relatively large 600 days of interest. Anyone nationwide can join LFCU by joining the Home Ownership Financial Literacy Council (HOFLC) for a one-time $10 fee.
You can buy certificates of deposit via the bond desks of Vanguard and Fidelity. You may need an account to see the rates. These “brokered CDs” offer FDIC insurance and easy laddering, but they don’t come with predictable early withdrawal penalties. Right now, I see a 5-year non-callable CD at 4.10% APY (callable: no, call protection: yes). Be warned that both Vanguard and Fidelity will list higher rates from callable CDs, which importantly means they can call back your CD if rates drop later. (Issuers have indeed started calling some of their old 5%+ CDs during 2024.)

Longer-term Instruments
I’d use these with caution due to increased interest rate risk (tbh, I don’t use them at all), but I still track them to see the rest of the current yield curve.

Willing to lock up your money for 10 years? You can buy long-term certificates of deposit via the bond desks of Vanguard and Fidelity. These “brokered CDs” offer FDIC insurance, but they don’t come with predictable early withdrawal penalties. You might find something that pays more than your other brokerage cash and Treasury options. Right now, I see a 10-year CDs at [n/a] (non-callable) vs. 4.32% for a 10-year Treasury. Watch out for higher rates from callable CDs where they can call your CD back if interest rates drop.

All rates were checked as of 3/9/25.

* I no longer recommend fintech companies due to the possibility of loss due to poor recordkeeping and lack of government regulation. (Ex. Evergreen Wealth at 5% APY is a fintech.)

Photo by insung yoon on Unsplash

Filed Under: Banking, Deals & Offers, Investing // Tagged: monthlyrateupdate

Last updated: March 10, 2025

Top 10 Best Small Business Credit Card Bonus Offers – April 2025

Posted on March 7, 2025 // 23 Comments

Updated March 2025. Do you have small business income or work as an independent contractor? Freelance, Uber/Lyft, DoorDash, Amazon, eBay, Etsy, Airbnb? A small business credit card separates your personal and business expenses and can build up your business credit profile. If you are not a corporation or LLC, you can apply as a sole proprietorship, with your name as the business name and your Social Security number as the Tax ID number. These are the top 10 credit card offers that I would personally apply for right now (or have already). Recent changes:

Added Marriott 3FreeNights, Hilton 175k, United 100k, Alaska 70k, Spark $2,000, Amex Gold 100k, Platinum 150k.
Removed Delta Gold 90k, Marriott 125k, Hyatt 60k+FreeNightAward, JetBlue 60k, Citi AA 75k, Ink Unlimited $900

This is a companion post to my Top 10 Best Credit Card Bonus Offers for personal cards. Notice that small business bonuses are on average even higher than those on consumer cards.

Capital One Spark Cash Plus Card

$2,000 cash bonus after $30,000 in the first 3 months. Additional $2,000 cash bonus for every $500K spent during the first year. See link for details.
Unlimited 2% cash back spent on all purchases with no limit.
$150 annual fee; Spend $150,000 annually and Capital One will refund this fee every year.

The Business Platinum® Card from American Express

150,000 Membership Rewards points after $20,000 on eligible purchases in the first 3 months. See link for details.
American Express Global Lounge Collection® provides complimentary access to more than 1,400 airport lounges across 140 countries and counting, including their exclusive Centurion lounges.
$1,000+ in value per year via statement credits on select purchases, including tech, recruiting and wireless. Enrollment required.
$695 annual fee.
See Rates and Fees

American Express® Business Gold Card

100,000 Membership Rewards points after $15,000 in eligible purchases in the first 3 months. See link for details.
Up to $240 Annual Flexible Business Credit. Earn up to $20 in statement credits monthly after you use the Business Gold Card for eligible U.S. purchases at FedEx, Grubhub, and Office Supply Stores. Enrollment is required.
Up to $155 Annual Walmart+ Credit. Get up to $12.95 back in statement credits each month when you pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) with your Business Gold Card. Enrollment is required.
Annual fee is $375.
See Rates and Fees

United^SM Business Card

100,000 bonus United miles after $5,000 in purchases in the first 3 months. Limited-time offer. See link for details.
Free first checked bag for both you and a companion (a savings of up to $160 per roundtrip).
5,000-mile “better together” bonus each anniversary when you have both the United^SM Business Card and personal Chase United credit card.
Primary rental car coverage when renting for business purposes.
$99 Annual Fee.
Subject to 5/24 rule.*

Capital One Venture X Business Card

150,000 Miles (worth $1,500 towards travel) after spending $30,000 in the first 3 months. See link for details.
$300 annual travel credit. Get up to $300 in statement credits when booking through Capital One Travel.
Additional 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary.
Capital One Lounges, Priority Pass(TM) and Plaza Premium Group lounges access.
Up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck(R).
$395 annual fee.

Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

90,000 Ultimate Rewards points (worth $900 straight cash back or $1,125 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Travel) after $8,000 in purchases in the first 3 months. See link for details.
3X points on the first $150,000 spent on travel, shipping purchases, internet/cable/phone services, and advertising purchases with social media sites and search engines.
Primary rental car coverage when renting for business purposes.
$95 annual fee.
Subject to 5/24 rule.*

Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card

$750 bonus cash back. (75,000 Ultimate Rewards points) after $6,000 in purchases in the first 3 months. See link for details.
Flat 1.5% cash back on all purchases with no limit.
No annual fee.
Subject to 5/24 rule.*

The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card

175,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after $8,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership. Limited-time offer ends 4/29/2025. See link for details.
Up to $240 in Annual Hilton Credits. Get up to $240 back each year on eligible Hilton purchases made on your Hilton Honors American Express Business Card, with up to $60 in statement credits per quarter.
$195 annual fee.
See Rates and Fees

World of Hyatt Business Credit Card

60,000 Bonus Points after $5,000 in purchases in first 3 months.
Up to $100 in Hyatt statement credits – spend $50 or more at any Hyatt property and earn $50 statement credits up to two times each anniversary year.
$199 annual fee.
Subject to 5/24 rule.

CitiBusiness / AAdvantage Platinum Select Mastercard

65,000 American Airlines miles after $4,000 in purchases in first the 4 months. Limited-time offer. See link for details.
First checked bag free on domestic AA flights for you and up to 4 companions (Up to $80 value per roundtrip, per person).
$0 annual fee for the first year, then $99.

Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card

3 Free Night Awards after $6,000 in eligible purchases within the first 6 months. Each Free Night Award has a redemption level up to 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy(R) points, for a total potential value of up to 150,000 points, at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy(R). Certain hotels have resort fees. Terms apply. See link for details.
New award night top-off option: Marriott now allows you to supplement your free night certificates with up to 15,000 points of your own. For example, the 50k Award can be used to book a hotel at 65,000 points level if you spend 15,000 points of your own. This opens up the number of potential hotels available in expensive areas.
Additional Free Night Award upon card anniversary (worth up to 35,000 Bonvoy points). Earn another additional Free Night Award after spending $60K in purchases on your Card in a calendar year.
Annual fee is $125.
See Rates and Fees

Ink Business Cash® Credit Card

Up to $750 bonus cash back total (75,000 Ultimate Rewards points). Earn $350 when you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months and an additional $400 when you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first six months. See link for details.
5% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services each account anniversary year.
No annual fee.
Subject to 5/24 rule.*

Hawaiian Airlines Business MasterCard

50,000 Hawaiian miles after $4,000 in purchases in first 90 days. See link for details.
Receive a one-time 50% off companion discount for roundtrip coach travel between Hawaii and The Mainland on Hawaiian Airlines.
$99 annual fee.

BofA Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards card

$500 statement credit after $5,000 in purchases in the first 90 days. See link for details.
1.5% cash back on all purchases, which can be increased to 2.62% cash back when combined with the Preferred Rewards program.
No annual fee.

US Bank Business Leverage Card

75,000 bonus points after $7,500 in purchases (on the Account Owner’s Card only) in first the 120 days. 75,000 bonus points can be redeemed for $750 in cash back. See link for details.
Availability may be restricted to certain states.
$0 annual fee for the first year, then $95.

JetBlue Business Card

50,000 TrueBlue points total. 50,000 points after $4,000 in purchases in first 90 days. See link for details.
First checked bag free for the primary cardmember and up to 3 companions when tickets are purchased with your JetBlue Plus Card.
$99 annual fee.

Alaska Airlines Visa Business Card (Bank of America)

70,000 Alaska miles + Companion Fare Voucher after $4,000 in purchase within 90 days. See link for details.
Companion fare voucher is “Buy one ticket, get one for $122” ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from just $23).
Free checked bag on Alaska flights for you and up to six other passengers on the same reservation (worth $70 roundtrip per person).
$70 annual fee for company, plus $25 per card.

Capital One Spark Cash Select Card

$500 cash bonus after $4,500 in purchases in the first 3 months. See link for details.
Unlimited 1.5% cash back spent on all purchases with no limit.
No annual fee.

Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card

60,000 Southwest points after $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. See link for details.
Southwest still gives everyone two free checked bags.
$99 annual fee.
Subject to 5/24 rule.*

Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card

60,000 Bonus Miles after $4,000 in purchases in the first 6 months. See link for details.
60,000 Skymiles are worth at least $600 in Delta airfare with “Pay with Miles” option.
First checked bag free on Delta flights ($70 value per roundtrip, per person).
$200 Delta flight credit. Get a $200 credit to use toward future Delta travel after $10,000 in purchases within a calendar year.
$0 introductory Annual Fee for the first year, then $150.
See Rates and Fees

* Note: Certain Chase cards have a “5/24 rule” which is an unofficial rule that they will automatically deny approval on new credit cards if you have 5 or more new credit cards on your credit report within the past 2 years. This rule applies on a per-person basis, so if you are new, you might want to start with those Chase cards.

American Express(R) Business Gold Card: See Rates and Fees. The Business Platinum(R) Card from American Express: See Rates and Fees. The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card: See Rates and Fees. Marriott Bonvoy Business(TM) Card from American Express(R): See Rates and Fees. Delta SkyMiles(R) Gold Business American Express Card: See Rates and Fees

Filed Under: Credit Cards, Deals & Offers //

Last updated: April 3, 2025

Top 10 Best Credit Card Bonus Offers – April 2025 (Updated)

Posted on March 6, 2025 // 45 Comments

Updated April 2025. That space in your wallet or purse is valuable, and you should be the one to get that value. By being smart and picky, you can find offers worth $500+ for a single card, all to encourage you to apply and try it out. This adds up to thousands of dollars in extra income (over $5,000 in 2023). These are the top 10 credit card offers that I would personally apply for right now (or have already). Notable recent changes:

Added Sapphire Preferred 100k, AA 70k, Marriott 185k, Hilton 70k+FreeNight, JetBlue 70k, Venture 75k+$250, Southwest Companion Pass, CitiAA 75k, IHG 100k/170k, Air Canada 70k, BarcAA 70k, Alaska 75k
Removed Delta 80k, United 60k, British Airways 85k, CitiAA 75k, Sapphire 60k+$300, Amex Gold 60k+$100

This is a companion post to my Top 10 Best Business Card Offers. Small business bonuses are on average even higher than those on consumer cards.

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

100,000 Ultimate Rewards points (worth $1,250 towards travel or transferrable to miles/points) after $5,000 in purchases within the first 3 months. See link for details.
$50 annual Ultimate Rewards Hotel Credit, 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel^SM, 3x on dining and 2x on all other travel purchases.
$95 annual fee.
Subject to 5/24 rule.*
Upgrade pick: Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card. Higher travel perks including airport lounge access, higher annual fee.

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Limited-time offer bonus of $1,000 value towards travel. 75,000 Miles after $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months (worth $750 to offset travel purchases, or transferrable to miles), plus a one-time $250 Capital One Travel credit valid towards hotels and flights booked through Capital One Travel. See link for details.
2 Miles per dollar on all purchases.
Up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck(R).
$95 annual fee.

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card

185,000 Marriott Bonvoy(R) bonus points after $6,000 in purchases within the first 6 months. See link for details.
$300 in Annual Dining Credits, valid at restaurants worldwide.
Priority Pass™ Select airport lounge membership.
Automatic Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite status.
Free Night Award upon card anniversary (worth up to 85,000 Bonvoy points).
$650 annual fee.
See Rates and Fees

Hilton Honors American Express Card

70,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points plus a Free Night Reward after $2,000 in purchases in the first 6 months. Limited-time offer ends 4/29/2025. See link for details.
No annual fee.
See Rates and Fees

Barclays AAdvantage Aviator Red Mastercard

70,000 American Airlines miles after any single purchase and paying the $99 annual fee in full, both within the first 90 days. See link for details.
First checked bag free on domestic AA flights ($80 value per roundtrip, per person).
$99 annual fee.

Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card

Limited-time offer: Earn a Companion Pass(R) good through 2/28/26 plus 30,000 points after $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. See link for details.
Southwest still gives everyone two free checked bags.
Timing for Companion Pass. If you can sign up for this one and perhaps also the small business version, and time the points to post in 2025, you can qualify for a Companion Pass for 2025 and 2026.
$69 annual fee.
Subject to 5/24 rule.*

British Airways Visa Signature® Card

75,000 Avios after $5,000 in purchases within first 3 months. See link for details and redemption tips.
10% off British Airways flights starting in the US when you book through the website provided in your welcome materials.
Free Travel Together companion ticket when you spend $30,000 in a calendar year.
$95 annual fee.

Aeroplan® Credit Card

Up to 70,000 bonus points. 60,000 bonus points after $3,000 on purchases in first 3 months. Plus, 10,000 bonus points after annual fee renewal payment posts and is paid in full. 70,000 points are redeemable for $875 against any travel purchased with Pay Yourself Back. See link for details.
Free first checked bags on Air Canada flights: one free checked bag for the primary cardmember and up to eight other travelers on the same itinerary.
Aeroplan 25K Elite Status benefits for the remainder of the first calendar year, plus the following calendar year.
Up to $120 Global Entry, TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS fee credit.
$95 annual fee.
Subject to 5/24 rule.

Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select Card

75,000 American Airlines miles after $3,500 in purchases in first 4 months. See link for details.
First checked bag free on domestic AA flights ($80 value per roundtrip, per person).
$0 annual fee for the first year, then $99.

IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card

170,000 Bonus Points after $4,000 in purchases in the first 3 months. See link for details.
Free Night after each account anniversary year (valued up to 40,000 IHG points).
$99 annual fee.
Subject to 5/24 rule.
Don’t like annual fees? The no-annual fee Traveler version also has a competitive offer with no annual fee.

IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card

100,000 IHG Rewards club points after $2,000 in purchases within the first 3 months. See link for details.
4th Award Night Free (Book 3 nights in a row with points, 4th is free)
No annual fee.
Subject to 5/24 rule.*

The Platinum Card® from American Express

80,000 Membership Rewards(R) points after $8,000 in purchases in the first 6 months.
Up to $200 Hotel Credits, up to $240 Streaming Credits, $200 Airline Fee Credits, $200 Uber Cash, $199 CLEAR Plus credit, $300 Equinox credit, up to $155 Walmart+ credit and more annually! Enrollment is required.
Up to $120 Global Entry or $85 TSA PreCheck fee credit.
Premium airport lounge access through the American Express Global Lounge Collection®.
$695 annual fee.
See Rates and Fees

Capital One Venture X Rewards Card

75,000 miles (worth $750 to offset travel purchases, or transferrable to miles) after $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months. See link for details.
$300 annual travel credit. Get up to $300 in statement credits when booking through Capital One Travel.
Additional 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary.
Priority Pass + Capital One airport lounge access. Additional cardholders are free, and also get their own Priority Pass!
Up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck(R).
$395 annual fee.

Citi Strata Premier Card

75,000 points (worth $750 in gift cards, or transferrable to miles/points) after $4,000 in purchases in the first 3 months. See link for details.
3X points for every $1 spent on Hotel purchases, Air Travel, Restaurants, Supermarkets, Gas Stations, EV Charging.
Must not have gotten bonus from or closed a Citi Premier or Strata Premier card in the past 48 months.
$95 annual fee.

Bank of America Premium Rewards Card

60,000 points (worth $600) after $4,000 in purchases within the first 90 days. See link for details.
$100 annual Airline Incidental Statement Credit.
Up to $100 credit towards TSA PreCheck or Global Entry application fee.
$95 annual fee.

Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Card

60,000 points (worth $600 towards travel) after $4,000 in purchases within the first 90 days. See link for details.
$50 annual statement credit with $50 minimum airline purchase.
$95 annual fee.

Alaska Airlines Visa Card (Bank of America)

75,000 bonus miles + Companion Fare voucher after $3,000 in purchases within first 90 days. See link for details.
Companion fare voucher is “Buy one ticket, get one from $23” ($0 fare plus taxes and fees from just $23).
Free first checked bag on Alaska flights for you and up to six other passengers on the same reservation (worth $70 roundtrip per person).
$95 annual fee.

Hawaiian Airlines MasterCard

70,000 Hawaiian miles after any purchase (of any amount) within the first 90 days. Try various 6-digit codes, like “000111”. The normal offer has a higher spending requirement. See link for details.
Two free checked bags for primary cardmember when you use your card to purchase tickets directly from Hawaiian Airlines.
One-time 50% off companion discount for roundtrip coach travel between Hawaii and The Mainland on Hawaiian Airlines.
$99 annual fee.

JetBlue Plus Card

70,000 bonus TrueBlue points after $1,000 on purchases and paying the $99 annual fee in full, both within the first 90 days. See link for details.
First checked bag free for the primary cardmember and up to 3 companions when tickets are purchased with your JetBlue Plus Card.
$99 annual fee.

American Express® Gold Card

60,000 Membership Rewards(R) points after $6,000 in purchases in the first 6 months. See link for details.
$84 Dunkin’ Credit. Up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express(R) Gold Card at US Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment is required.
$100 Resy Credit. Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express(R) Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. Broken down into up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment is required.
$120 in Uber Cash annually (good towards Uber Eats or Uber rides in the US).
Up to $120 in annual dining credit at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment is required.
4X points at restaurants worldwide on up to $50,000 per calendar year.
4X points at US supermarkets on up to $25,000 per calendar year.
$325 annual fee.
See Rates and Fees

Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card

50,000 Bonus Miles after $2,000 in purchases within the first 6 months. See link for details.
50,000 Skymiles are worth at least $500 in Delta airfare with “Pay with Miles” option.
$200 Delta flight credit after $10,000 in purchases on your card in a calendar year.
First checked bag free on Delta flights ($70 value per roundtrip, per person).
$0 annual fee for the first year, then $150.
See Rates and Fees

United^SM Explorer Card

50,000 miles after $3,000 in purchases within 3 months. See link for details.
Free first checked bag for both you and a companion (a savings of up to $160 per roundtrip) when you use your Card to purchase your United ticket.
Up to $120 Global Entry, TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS fee credit.
$0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95.
Subject to 5/24 rule.

If you pay off your balances every month, then you can join me and many others in funding a huge chunk of your annual travel budget with cash credits, points, and miles. I mostly use my rewards points on family trips – domestic economy flights, mid-range hotels, and cheap car rentals. If you have credit card debt, you should focus on paying that off first as the interest charges could offset most of the perks.

* 5/24 Rule? Certain Chase cards have a “5/24 rule” which is an unofficial rule that they will automatically deny approval on new credit cards if you have 5 or more new credit cards from any issuer on your credit report within the past 24 months (2 years). This rule applies on a per-person basis, so if you are new, you might want to start with those Chase cards.

Delta SkyMiles(R) Gold American Express Card: See Rates and Fees

American Express(R) Gold Card: See Rates and Fees

The Platinum Card(R) from American Express: See Rates and Fees

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant(R) American Express(R) Card: See Rates and Fees

Hilton Honors Card from American Express: See Rates and Fees

Filed Under: Credit Cards, Deals & Offers // Tagged: monthlyccbonusupdate

Last updated: April 7, 2025

Raisin Marketplace: Up to $400 Deposit Bonus (and Why I’m Skipping It)

Posted on March 5, 2025 // Leave a Comment

Raisin is a financial marketplace that allows you to access high-interest certificates of deposit and savings accounts from multiple different banks and credit unions without having to open up a new account at each one. Right now, they have some new deposit bonuses that are pretty solid based on the bonus-to-deposit ratios and minimum holding periods. However, I will personally not be taking advantage of them due to their use of custodial FBO accounts. I think it’s most useful to both point out the existence of these bonuses and explain my take on them. Details below.

Here are the new bonuses:

New customer $250 bonus. Open a new account with promo code GET250, deposit $25,000 within 14 days, and maintain for 90 days for the $250 bonus.
Existing customer deposit bonus, up to $400. Must deposit $50,000 in new money. $200 on a 3–6 month CD. $300 on a 7–11 month CD. $400 for a 12+ month CD. Must maintain for full CD maturity period.

How Raisin works. The benefit of Raisin is that you can easily access aggressively high rates at a new bank or credit union without having to open yet another new account (and endure credit checks, identify verification hurdles, join partner organizations, leave funds in share savings accounts, etc). The price is added complexity, higher risk for miscommunication and errors, and a place in a regulatory shadow zone.

Instead of opening a direct account at a new partner bank, there are at least three different parties.

Raisin, which is the overall business (“financial technology company”) and not a bank and not a credit union. (Source #1)
There are the middlemen, Custodial Bank(s) and Service Bank. The Custodial Bank opens up FBO (For Benefit Of) accounts at each of the Partner Banks/Credit Unions in THEIR names. These FBO accounts are basically big pooled accounts, and the Custodial Bank is supposed to keep track of all the money going in and out for all the individual Raisin customers in their own virtual ledger. The Service Bank is in charge of moving your funds amongst the various banks. Central Bank of Kansas City (CBKC), Member FDIC, is the Service Bank. CBKC, Lewis & Clark Bank and Starion Bank, each Member FDIC, are the Custodial Banks. (Source #2)
There are the partner banks. These banks and credit unions are looking to grow deposits, but they have no idea who you are as an individual. They come and go on the Raisin platform. They only see that they opened a single, huge FBO account for the Custodial Bank. (Source #3)

While this setup appears to be perfectly legal (as far I can tell, I am not a lawyer), that doesn’t mean that there is someone to clean up the mess if something goes wrong. It’s like if someone steals your wallet and the cops are too busy with violent crime to track them down, it doesn’t matter if it’s illegal, you’re still not getting your money back.

The real-world example is what happened with Juno, Yotta, Synapse, and Evolve Bank & Trust. They had major disagreements about the ledger tracking all the deposits and withdrawals. They all blamed each other for the missing funds (~$50 million). Since no bank actually failed, the FDIC did not step in. No other regulatory agency stepped in. I was surprised. It was all left to a severely-underfunded bankruptcy court, and the mess still isn’t figured out. Someone ran off with tens of millions of dollars, and innocent individuals were left holding the bag.

Source #1:

Raisin is not a bank and your money is always handled by a federally regulated financial institution — whether in transit, stored in the Cash Account, or in an account at a partner bank. The Custodial Bank keeps records of all funds deposited through the Raisin platform for added security.

Source #2

Custodial accounts are accounts held on for the benefit of Raisin customers by a custodial bank at the banks and credit unions where customers deposit their money through Raisin. When a customer makes a deposit through the Raisin platform into a savings product offered by a given financial institution, the funds move from the customer’s external bank account (also referred to as their reference account) to a custodial account held by one of Raisin’s partner custodial banks at the financial institution offering the savings product. Central Bank of Kansas City (CBKC), Lewis & Clark Bank and Starion Bank, each Member FDIC, are the Custodial Banks.

Source #3:

An FDIC-supervised custodial bank opens the “For Benefit Of” account for each customer and agrees directly with Raisin’s customers to act as the custodian of their funds. This custodial bank is authorized by Raisin customers, as their agent, to hold their deposits at federally regulated banks and credit unions on their behalf in a custodial capacity. Customer funds are never co-mingled with Raisin funds.

Again, if everyone does what they say they will, then it’s all good. The problem is what happens when they don’t. If it happens with Raisin (or any of the parties involved, all relatively small institutions), it has the potential to be a complete mess that could take years to untangle. In today’s regulatory environment, I have zero interest in putting my cash into any sort of regulatory grey area.

In contrast, the CIT Bank $225/$300 deposit offer involves a simple, direct relationship with CIT Bank, an FDIC-insured bank, where you have an individual/joint account directly held in your name. There is a single system. There is no potential pointing of figures between multiple parties. There is a long, established history of the FDIC stepping in resolve a bank failure within days. It’s about as safe as it gets.

Bottom line. I’m doing the CIT bank offer, but not the Raisin offer.

Filed Under: Banking, Deals & Offers //

Last updated: March 5, 2025

SGOV, STIP, TIP iShares ETFs: Claim Your State Income Tax Exemption (2024/2025)

Posted on March 5, 2025 // 1 Comment

As a follow-up to my posts for Vanguard and Fidelity money market funds, iShares ETFs (Blackrock) has also recently released their US GOI percentages for 2024 tax year. US Government Obligation Interest (US GOI) like Treasury bills and bonds are generally exempt from state and local income taxes. However, in order to claim this exemption, you’ll likely have to manually enter it on your tax return after digging up a few extra details.

The tax document has a pretty good summary of the situation for all brokers:

The Form 1099-DIV (or substitute form) you received from your financial advisor or brokerage firm may include income derived from U.S. Government and agency obligations. This income may be excluded from state income tax (although in many states, only the income from Treasury obligations is exempt from personal state income tax). The information below is provided to assist with the completion of shareholder state income tax returns. The amount in Box 1a of 2024 IRS Form 1099-DIV should be multiplied by the applicable percentages below to obtain the dollar amount of income derived from the sources categorized below. Because the qualifications for exclusion vary by state (some states have investment threshold requirements), please consult your tax advisor for details.

It’s notable that even things like the iShares iBonds 20XX Term TIPS ETFs are not 100% US government obligations, so it’s important to reference this document and not assume. For iShares TIPS Bond ETF (TIP) and iShares 0-5 Year TIPS Bond ETF (STIP) the USGOI percentage for 2024 was indeed at 100.00%.

For iShares 0-3 Month Treasury Bond ETF (SGOV), the USGOI percentage for 2024 was 97.53%. This is pretty good and why SGOV is my default cash position at most brokers. The tax document also confirms that at least 50% of the assets of the fund were invested in Federal Obligations at the end of each quarter of the fiscal year. That means that SGOV met the minimum criteria for the dividend income to be exempt in the states of California, Connecticut, and New York.

Filed Under: Banking, Deals & Offers, Investing //

Last updated: March 5, 2025

Virgin Red Rewards Credit Card: 60,000 Bonus Points (Limited-Time Offer)

Posted on March 3, 2025 // Leave a Comment

The Virgin Red Rewards credit card is the co-branded card for Virgin Red, the loyalty program for Virgin Atlantic flights, Virgin Hotels and Virgin Voyages. In addition, Virgin points can be used for other things like Delta Airlines flights, Legoland tickers, all the way down to a bag of AMC movie popcorn. Right now, there is a limited-time offer, so let’s take a closer look.

60,000 Virgin Points when you open an account between 2/18/25-3/31/25 and spend $3,000 in the first 90 days.
3X Virgin Points per $1 spent on Virgin Atlantic, Virgin Hotels and Virgin Voyages.
2X Virgin Points per $1 spent at grocery stores, on dining out, select streaming services and EV charging.
1 Virgin Point per $1 spent on everything else.
Spend $15,000 in a year to choose one Personal Perk, or $30,000 to?choose two. Options include Flying Club reward voucher for a companion seat or cabin upgrade (Virgin Atlantic), a free night stay or priority upgrade (Virgin Hotel), or a $150/$300 Bar Tab credit or Blue Extras perk package (Virgin Voyages).
Book two nights at a Virgin Hotel, get your third night free with this card.
Add an authorized user and earn 2,500 Virgin Points. Maximum of 10,000 Virgin Points.
Earn Tier Points with Virgin Atlantic Flying Club. Earn 25 Tier Points for $2,500 of qualifying spend, up to 50 Tier Points a month.
Anniversary bonus: 5,000 Virgin Points every year you renew.
$99 annual fee.

This card is currently a Mastercard issued by Synchrony Bank. While Synchrony is not my favorite issuer, that can actually be a good thing once if you’ve already gotten many of the other popular rewards cards and they start to turn you away…

What can you redeem Virgin Points for? First, a quick reminder that there are both Virgin Red points and Virgin Flying Club points. Although they are separate programs, you can link your accounts together and use your points across both programs.

You can redeem Virgin points for free flights on Virgin Atlantic Airlines, including Economy, Premium Economy, and Upper (First) Class. There is no fixed award chart, but you can use this Reward Seat Checker tool to see what is available. Here are the best case scenarios for a Saver reward, which are very limited. You’ll also have to watch out for carrier-imposed surcharges, which are not included.

The US partner airlines include Delta Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines. There are also a variety of international partner airlines including both SkyTeam (Air France/KLM) and non-SkyTeam (like ANA), which I won’t go into detail here.

For Hawaiian Airlines, here are the roundtrip costs, excluding taxes, fees and carrier-imposed surcharges.

For Delta Airlines, here are the one-way costs for domestic flights within the US, excluding taxes, fees and carrier-imposed surcharges. The cost is based on distance, so it can be a relatively better deal for shorter Delta flights within the US.

Lots of incoming transfer partners. Even if you rarely/never fly Virgin, a positive feature is that there are many ways to get Virgin points if you need some extra to meet a redemption. These are all the programs that transfer into Virgin Red points at a 1:1 ratio:

American Express Membership Rewards
Chase Ultimate Rewards
Bilt Rewards
Capital One Miles
Citi ThankYou Rewards
Wells Fargo

You can also transfer from Marriott Bonvoy at a different 3:1 ratio (plus possible 5,000 bonus miles for every 60,000 points transferred).

Like most co-branded credit cards, the value depends a lot on how often you already use Virgin products. As someone who has never used any Virgin product, my plan for this card would be instead to use the bonus points within the first year on economy Delta flights for my entire family. I’d transfer enough points over from another program to top off the account and use them all at once. I’ll have to see if Delta flies to where we want to go and calculate the cost based on distance.

Bottom line. The Virgin Red Rewards credit card is the co-branded card for Virgin Atlantic flights, Virgin Hotels and Virgin Voyages. Right now, there is a limited-time offer of 60,000 bonus Virgin points, which are can be redeemed towards airfare on Virgin Atlantic or Delta Airlines, along with some other partner airlines.

I do believe it is reasonably easy to get $600+ of flight value out of 60,000 Virgin points, so I will be adding this card to my list of Top 10 Best Credit Card Bonus Offers.

The information for the Virgin Red Rewards credit card has been collected independently by My Money Blog. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Filed Under: Credit Cards, Deals & Offers //

Last updated: March 3, 2025

Hilton Honors American Express Cards: 70k Points + Free Night Award (Limited-Time Offer)

Posted on February 27, 2025 // 9 Comments

Hilton Hotels and American Express have co-branded credit cards with special perks for Hilton customers. Each person can only get one welcome offer, per card in your entire lifetime, so it’s best to apply during a temporary bump-up and/or limited-time offer.

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70,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points plus a Free Night Reward after you spend $2,000 in purchases on the Hilton Honors American Express Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer Ends 4/29/2025.
7X Hilton points per dollar on purchases directly with hotels and resorts within the Hilton portfolio.
5X Hilton points per dollar on purchases at US restaurants, US supermarkets, and US gas stations.
3X Hilton points for all other eligible purchases.
Hilton Honors(TM) Silver status comes with this card. Spend $20,000 on eligible purchases on this card within a calendar year and upgrade this benefit to Hilton Honors(TM) Gold status through the end of the next calendar year.
No foreign transaction fees.
No annual fee.
See Rates and Fees

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Limited Time Offer: 175,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $8,000 in purchases on the Hilton Honors Business Card within the first six months of Card Membership. Offer Ends 4/29/2025.
12X Hilton points on eligible Hilton purchases.
5X Hilton points on other purchases on the first $100,000 in purchases each calendar year, 3X points thereafter.
Up to $240 in Hilton credits annually (Up to $60 per quarter). Get up to $60 in statement credits each quarter for purchases made with this card directly with a Hilton portfolio property.
Complimentary Hilton Honors(TM) Gold Status (free breakfast, room upgrades based on availability, 5th standard reward night free).
Upgrade this benefit to Hilton Honors Diamond status through the end of the calendar year if the total eligible purchases on your Card Account during a calendar year reach $40,000 or more.
Complimentary National Car Rental(R) Emerald Club Executive(R) status. Enrollment is required through the link on your American Express online account. Terms apply.
$195 annual fee.
See Rates and Fees

What are Hilton Honor points worth? The best value is from booking free hotel nights or using their “Points & Money” option where you pay with a combination of Hilton points and cash. Hilton has some really nice properties, but the value varies from hotel to hotel. I just ran a search and for the same 60,000 Hilton points, I could book rooms that cost $320 or $532 cash. I’ve seen some valuations around 0.6 cents per point, which I think is fair on average, but I would be more conservative at 0.5 cents a point. That would make 150,000 points = $750 value and 100,000 points = $500 value towards Hilton hotel stays.

The good part of Hilton points is that they have so many different hotel brands, from business-class DoubleTree to luxury Waldorf Astoria. Hilton also lets you transfer and pool points with other with other family or household members. As long as you keep them active (once every 12 months), I do like to keep some around. These credit cards are handy for creating activity.

Free Night Award details. When it is offered (not all the time), the Free Night Award is valid for a one-night standard room at eligible Hilton properties, and also covers resort fees and taxes. There are many great and valuable options to redeem, but importantly read about the property exclusions here. Here are the full terms. To redeem the Free Night Reward, you must call 1-800-446-6677 (1-800-HHONORS). It’s quite easy and I’ve found the agents to be very helpful if you want to combine multiple certificates, combine a paid stay and a Free Night Award, etc. Free Night Rewards will expire 12 months from date of issuance.

I’ve used this Free Night Award at the Grand Wailea in Maui, and that standard room would have cost 110,000 Hilton Points otherwise. Other fancy possibilities include Conrad New York, Conrad London, Waldorf Astoria Park City, and Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills.

Bottom line. Hilton American Express cards offer regular Hilton customers a good opportunity to earn additional points towards free Hilton hotel stays as well as additional perks like status upgrades. The best time to apply for a Hilton co-branded American Express card is during a limited-time increase to their welcome offers. This is because American Express has changed their policy to only allow each person to get a welcome offer once per card.

Also see: Top 10 Best Credit Card Bonus Offers and Top 10 Best Business Card Offers.

Hilton Honors Card from American Express: See Rates and Fees

The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card: See Rates and Fees

Filed Under: Credit Cards, Deals & Offers, General //

Last updated: February 27, 2025

TastyTrade Referral (Important Correction!)

Posted on February 25, 2025 //

Update: I’m very sorry, I was in a rush and read the offer wrong. There is no $500 for the referred person. Please don’t open and fund. If I end up getting a $500 reward for referring you, I will send you the $500. However, I don’t have a way of tracking this, so please contact me now if you opened an account with my referral code and have already funded. My recommendation is to not fund – especially due to the long 6-month holding period.

~~TastyTrade brokerage is offering a $500 double referral offer. However, it is only for the referring person, not the referred.~~

Filed Under: Deals & Offers, Investing //

Last updated: March 2, 2025

Fidelity Money Market Funds: Claim Your State Income Tax Exemption (Updated 2025)

Posted on February 20, 2025 // 13 Comments

Updated. As the brokerage 1099 forms for the 2024 Tax Year are coming out, here is a quick reminder for those subject to state and/or local income taxes. If you earned interest from a money market fund, a significant portion of this interest may have come from “US Government Obligations” like Treasury bills and bonds, which are generally exempt from state and local income taxes. However, in order to claim this exemption, you’ll likely have to manually enter it on your tax return after digging up a few extra details.

(Note: California, Connecticut, and New York exempt dividend income only when the mutual fund has met certain minimum investments in U.S. government securities. They require that 50% of a mutual fund’s assets at each quarter-end within the tax year consist of U.S. government obligations.)

Fidelity has released US GOI percentages for 2024 on their institutional website, but it’s a little hard to read since it includes a lot of funds and share classes that are used by Fidelity-affiliated financial advisors and institutional portfolios. Their tax document page still says “Expected mid February” – Update 2/22: 2024 Percentage of Income from
U.S. Government Securities now available. The numbers from both sources are the same, although rounded off differently for some reason.

Here are the results for the most popular core Fidelity money market funds:

Fidelity® Treasury Only Money Market Fund (FDLXX, CUSIP 31617H300) – 97.0032%.
Fidelity® Government Money Market Fund (SPAXX, CUSIP 31617H102) – 55.0877%.
Fidelity® Government Cash Reserves (FDRXX, CUSIP 316067107) – 57.1917%.
Fidelity® Treasury Money Market Fund* (FZFXX, CUSIP 316341304) – 50.5640%. *FZFXX did not meet the minimum investment in U.S. Government securities required to exempt the distribution from tax in California, Connecticut, and New York.
Fidelity® Government Money Market Fund Premium Class (FZCXX, CUSIP 31617H706) – 55.0877%. This fund has a $100,000 minimum, but also a lower expense ratio than SPAXX, which means it earns about 0.10% more yield annually as of this writing 2/20/25.

To find the portion of Fidelity dividends that may be exempt from your state income tax, multiply the amount of “ordinary dividends” reported in Box 1a of your Form 1099-DIV by the percentage listed in the PDF. For example, if you earned $1,000 in total interest from Fidelity Treasury Only Money Market Fund (FDLXX) in 2024, then $970.03 could possibly be exempt from state and local income taxes. If your marginal state income tax rate was 10% that would be a ~$97 tax savings for every $1,000 in total interest earned.

On a net after-tax basis, folks with a ~10% state income tax rate will likely find that FDLXX earns more interest than the default core holdings of SPAXX/FZFXX, even though the gross yield of SPAXX/FZFXX is higher than that of FDLXX.

To obtain these tax savings, you’ll have to manually adjust your state/local income tax return. I don’t believe that TurboTax, H&R Block, and other tax software will do this automatically for you, as they won’t have the required information on their own. (I’m also not sure if they ask about it in their interview process.) If you use an accountant, you should also double-check to make sure they use this information. Here is some information on how to enter this into TurboTax:

When you are entering the 1099-DIV Box 1a, 1b, and 2a – click the “My form has info in other boxes (this is uncommon)” checkbox.
Next, click on the option “A portion of these dividends is U.S. Government interest.”
On the next screen enter the Government interest amount. This will be subtracted from your state return.

Standard disclosure: Check with your state or local tax office or with your tax advisor to determine whether your state allows you to exclude some or all of the income you earn from mutual funds that invest in U.S. government obligations.

[Image credit – Tax Foundation]

Filed Under: Banking, Deals & Offers, Investing, Taxes //

Last updated: February 23, 2025

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Fidelity Money Market Funds: Claim Your State Income Tax Exemption (Updated 2025)

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