I love credit cards so much! v3.0 (see first page for add'l details)

[amcc]

This will sound super grim... but at times I try to picture a very old version of me... laying in a bed, unable to do anything: And I think about what that version of me will regret... I try to use that picture to fuel myself to do things that in the moment I might not want to do. I'm not perfect at it, but I hope that it helps me prioritize the girls at this age just a little bit.

What immediately came to mind for me is to say to you that it is okay to be selfish sometimes and to think of yourself. You should not feel guilty setting aside a bit of time for just you, even on vacation. This can even send a message to your girls to be tolerant of other peoples needs as well as their own. We don't live in a perfect world, and it's best to be somewhat prepared for that in life.

Goodness, I am super late to this conversation but I think both are right. We are dedicated to our kids and doing stuff for and with them but we take our kids to things we enjoy too. They are veterans of monorail bar crawls, food and wine fest, museums, cathedrals, you name it. But we do most of it together. I’m struggling now because I have 17, 15, and 13 year olds and I realize that it’s getting harder and harder to do trips together but I absolutely love to be with them. I have a 7 year old so he’s keeping me from full blown early onset of empty nest weepy syndrome.

A Fireside Chat on EARNING, BURNING and HOARDING...
This seems to be a topic of interest to a lot of people lately in light of a lot of doom and gloom of 2019 that brought us clawbacks and shutdowns galore! I'm going to attempt to organize some thoughts around this subject that hopefully will be helpful to a lot of you here and also spark some discussion (I'd love to hear from you all on this topic too!!)

Should I participate in [insert name here] advanced strategy (a.k.a. loophole)?

• First off...I prefer to call them "advanced strategies" instead of loopholes. I don't really like the undertones that come with the word loophole!
• "Advanced Strategies" are a part of the churning game, and we are always looking for new ways to bolster our points earning potential!
• Even back in the days before 5/24, churners would find and implement advanced strategies that allowed them to earn more points than appeared possible on the surface.

It is very important that you understand the risks of implementing any advanced strategy. Card issuers and rewards programs have been known to take the following actions in response to this: closing specific cards that were opened as a result of the strategy; closing ALL cards with that issuer; clawing back points (even if that leaves you with a negative balance); denying bonus points or future card bonuses; shutting off the ability to generate support links; cancelling award travel (flights/hotels/etc) booked using points or methods deemed illegitimate.

This sounds super scary...maybe I should avoid all Advanced Strategies???

• Well...first off...yeah, maybe you should...but that could severely limit your ability to earn enough points to travel for free all the time.
• The banks, rewards programs and card issuers will continue to find ways to restrict the ability to earn multiple SUBs. This is inevitable! Churners are not profitable...so if you aren't willing to push the envelope, you're going to find that your churning results are closer to that of a non-churner vs. a hardcore churner.

So it all comes down to risk vs. reward and knowing your risk tolerance. Each issuer and program is different as well...

• AMERICAN EXPRESS: notably the most hardcore when it comes to taking adverse action against churners retroactively. Shutdowns are more rare with them, but claw-backs are their favorite. And they will put you on a list as a "gamer"...and it's hard to get off that list!
• CHASE: most commonly noted as the issuer that will shut you down...but it's pretty easy to avoid this fate. Don't get cards too fast, don't attempt to get cards if you're well over 5/24, don't apply for multiple cards with them on the same day... Chase is also known for rarely (never?) clawing back points and they frequently have issued warnings in the past to people who have done something that they feel was an abuse of their programs.
• AMERICAN AIRLINES: the new sheriff in town who will shutdown your miles, your hopes, and your dreams... enough said there...

So you've decided to implement one of the numerous advanced strategies...what should I be thinking about now?

• If you're playing in a fairly safe space...(i.e. you did 1 MDD)...don't panic. As the saying goes: "Act like you've been there before!"
• Hoarding points earned in a legitimate fashion brings with it the risks of devaluation but the risks of losing your points to a claw-back are far less and if you have a specific redemption in mind, then by all means hoard away until you get there!
• That said...IF you are in deep, and you are PRINTING points faster than you can use them using some of our favorite advanced strategies...you gotta do something about it!
• Hoarding points earned in this fashion is NOT a good plan! First off, your large points balance could put a clear target on your account when they come for the "abusers"... Secondly, as long as said strategy continues, you can replace the points you have today in a mere number of months! So stop looking for the optimal redemption, stop waiting for the perfect trip to pop up...find a way to convert those points into something of value in your pocket and just do it!
• I'm not saying you should cash out to $0 every month, but don't be the person who gets shutdown with 2 million miles and you never used a single one of them!
• If you're earning more points than you can use, and you don't see a clear path on how to cash them out or convert them to some cash-like value, it might be time to move in a different direction and diversify your points.

So should I "Earn and Burn" like everybody says?
Oh yes, the old r/churning mantra "Earn and Burn"... look, don't let ANYBODY (even me) tell you what you should or should not do with your points!!

I had this crazy stupid goal of having a million URs last year...and so I went for it... and in retrospect it was stupid because I should've been cashing them out...BUT it made me happy to see it once and I don't regret it!

I have a stash of over a million Marriott points, I attempt to keep my Southwest stash above 500k at all times: I'm certainly not earning and burning those currencies.

• Marriott is my safety stash, I totally acknowledge it will be devalued over time and I'm ok with that - I like knowing that in any circumstance (random stop-over trip, long weekend trip, wedding hotel needed, unfortunate death of a loved one, etc.) that I can get a convenient free hotel! That is what it's there for and it serves me well! I never earned those points hoping for some aspirational safari in the jungles of Africa...they are doing exactly what I want them to do!
• Southwest is my ticket to all of my travel dreams! They fly exactly where I want to go, non-stop! Have I lost some value over the years with devaluations...sure! But keeping a significant stash of SW points ensures that I will have MANY years of free flights at my disposal even if all of my SW points earning strategies dry up!
• Some of you might be chasing something aspirational...maybe an awesome trip to Hawaii! Well, you aren't going to earn all of those points overnight... so you're going to have to hoard some until you get there...and that's ok!!

So there are two examples of where my points strategy flies in the face of "earn and burn" and a third strategy where hoarding might be required. But to my earlier comment, if you are hoarding points that you are earning using one of the more dangerous "advanced strategies" you might be playing with fire...

So what does this all mean @SouthFayetteFan?? You know what...I truthfully don't know!

These are just the ramblings of a crazy churner guy who has been at this game for almost 7 years...

What I can tell you is that if you are in this game deep enough to implement an "advanced strategy" then you better be able to think for yourself!! Nobody here can tell you if "you're safe"... Nobody here can tell you if you should pull the trigger on that next card. They can tell you what THEY did...they can tell you WHY they did it... but they can't tell YOU what YOU should do! So earn and burn my friends...or earn and hoard...do whatever you think is best! But understand your risks, understand your goals, and make logical decisions!

I think this could be an awesome discussion point for our thread in the next few days. I'd really love to hear what others think on this topic. How are you earning, burning and hoarding in this strange churning world we operate in here in 2020...

I'll also mention as a side note that the days of openly bragging of your "advanced strategy conquests" on the internet should probably be over...those types of comments are probably best left to DISchurners and other more private settings.

Thanks in advance to anybody willing to share some thoughts on this important topic!!

This. Is. Amazing. The amount of information and solid advice that is handed out here (by so many!) is priceless - and people are so nice to boot!!!!

Wait a minute...did you give your baby a churning related name... I love it!!!!! Please tell me the middle name isn't "Chase" though...

Do you mean...Chaser? Gosh, I love babies. My youngest is Max. If I would have been a churner when he was born, his middle name could have been Value or Redemption

 

[elgerber]

Are there any resorts in your state? We stayed one night at a resort 10 minutes from our house and used the resort credit for a $200 dinner and room service.

Nope. Not a single one in the state

 

[Haley R]

Goodness, I am super late to this conversation but I think both are right. We are dedicated to our kids and doing stuff for and with them but we take our kids to things we enjoy too. They are veterans of monorail bar crawls, food and wine fest, museums, cathedrals, you name it. But we do most of it together. I’m struggling now because I have 17, 15, and 13 year olds and I realize that it’s getting harder and harder to do trips together but I absolutely love to be with them. I have a 7 year old so he’s keeping me from full blown early onset of empty nest weepy syndrome.


This. Is. Amazing. The amount of information and solid advice that is handed out here (by so many!) is priceless - and people are so nice to boot!!!!

Do you mean...Chaser? Gosh, I love babies. My youngest is Max. If I would have been a churner when he was born, his middle name could have been Value or Redemption

Our cat’s name is Max. It’s short for Maximum Von Cuteness

 

[Artygal90]

Can someone more experienced than I help me figure out the best way to redeem a Free Night Certificate with the upcoming Bonblah category changes? I have a Marriott 35k FNC that I have been saving it for use at one specific hotel in downtown Houston that is currently a Category 5. It's going to a Category 6 on March 3rd. I could book it for Valentine's Day (points cost for an upgraded room that weekend is is 28k), but the weather here probably won't be warm enough to make full use of the Texas-shaped lazy river on the roof. Right now if I wanted to book after March 3rd the cost is showing as 35k for a standard room on the weekend. Am I understanding correctly that I could use my FNC now to book a room in, say, April, that would be 40-45k points if I booked after March 3rd (and therefore ineligible for the FNC)?

I hope this question makes sense....my brain is kind of spinning with all the available redemption options and upcoming changes.

Edited to add: oh, and I need to come up with something awesome to surprise DH for Valentine's Day this year, which is why I'm considering booking for next week anyway despite the chilly weather...he planned our anniversary celebration in January and says it's my turn for Valentines Day

 

[becauseimnew]

Can someone more experienced than I help me figure out the best way to redeem a Free Night Certificate with the upcoming Bonblah category changes? I have a Marriott 35k FNC that I have been saving it for use at one specific hotel in downtown Houston that is currently a Category 5. It's going to a Category 6 on March 3rd. I could book it for Valentine's Day (points cost for an upgraded room that weekend is is 28k), but the weather here probably won't be warm enough to make full use of the Texas-shaped lazy river on the roof. Right now if I wanted to book after March 3rd the cost is showing as 35k for a standard room on the weekend. Am I understanding correctly that I could use my FNC now to book a room in, say, April, that would be 40-45k points if I booked after March 3rd (and therefore ineligible for the FNC)?

I hope this question makes sense....my brain is kind of spinning with all the available redemption options and upcoming changes.

When you go to book it should allow you to select the certificate, once you apply it you should be locked in. Take screenshots of the applied certificate, some Marriotts have been canceling reservations and charging a higher rate.

 

[DaveL]

An Announcement of our "new" membership policy

Anybody wishing to join the DISchurners reddit group must have made at least 1 recent comment on our DISboards "I Love Credit Cards So Much" thread.

HAH! I thought you were going to add something like anyone who made a comment about you while you were with your other family was banned for life. You know, in the spirt of AA.

 

[wisconsinmom]

I have so many trips planned and so few points! Ack! I need help with a 6-9 month churning plan. I have a SW CP so DD and I are trying to take full advantage of having the summer off. I think we have a trip planned for every month other than November between now and the end of the year.

Trips planned that I still need points for:
June - Palm Springs, need 13,061 SW points for flight home
July- Puerto Vallarta, need 30,000 SW points
August - Disney, need 40,000 SW points
Labor Day - NYC need points for SW plane ticket, hotel is booked on UR points
October - Disney, need estimated 20,000 SW points, using DVC for stay
Christmas - want to go somewhere. Maybe Paris? I'd like points for 4 nights in a hotel.

My Stats- 12/18 SW Bus, 1/19 SW Plus, CIP 6/19, CIU 1/20, Delta Am Ex Bus 1/20 1
So 1/24

DH's Stats- SPG Bus 4/18, CIP 5/18, Venture 7/18, Barclay 9/18, CIU 2/19, SW Personal 1/20
So he's at 3/24

Need:
1. 120,000 SW points. DH will be getting 75,000 when he finishes his MSR + 10,000 referral to me. That leaves me 35,000 points short.

2. Some sort of hotel points for 4-5 nights in Paris between Christmas and New Years

3. More UR points for flexibility

4. Possibly a card that will cover transportation costs in Italy like a Venture card.

Here are the next cards I'm considering:

SW bus for DH at the 3 month mark so April. This should give us enough SW points and he'd earn a CP.

Would an IHG card be a good option for the hotel in Paris? It isn't something I've considered before, the 140,000 offer seems like it would get us 4 nights.

I'd like both DH and I to get a CIC at some point to replenish UR points.

A Venture Card for me and use the travel bonus to pay for train tickets in Italy.

I've finished the MSR on my CIU and Delta Am Ex. We are working on finishing the $5,000 MSR on DH's SW card.

What should we do next? I'm thinking we should both wait until April for new cards because that will be the 3 month mark. Is that the right thinking? SW bus card for him and what for me?

If anyone has read this far then kudos to you! Any help would be appreciated

 

[becauseimnew]

I have so many trips planned and so few points! Ack! I need help with a 6-9 month churning plan. I have a SW CP so DD and I are trying to take full advantage of having the summer off. I think we have a trip planned for every month other than November between now and the end of the year.

Trips planned that I still need points for:
June - Palm Springs, need 13,061 SW points for flight home
July- Puerto Vallarta, need 30,000 SW points
August - Disney, need 40,000 SW points
Labor Day - NYC need points for SW plan ticket, hotel is booked on UR points
October - Disney, need estimated 20,000 SW points, using DVC for stay
Christmas - want to go somewhere. Maybe Paris? I'd like points for 4 nights in a hotel.

My Stats- 12/18 SW Bus, 1/19 SW Plus, CIP 6/19, CIU 1/20, Delta Am Ex Bus 1/20 1
So 1/24

DH's Stats- SPG Bus 4/18, CIP 5/18, Venture 7/18, Barclay 9/18, CIU 2/19, SW Personal 1/20
So he's at 3/24

Need:
1. 120,000 SW points. DH will be getting 75,000 when he finishes his MSR + 10,000 referral to me. That leaves me 35,000 points short.

2. Some sort of hotel points for 4-5 nights in Paris between Christmas and New Years

3. More UR points for flexibility

4. Possibly a card that will cover transportation costs in Italy like a Venture card.

Here are the next cards I'm considering:

SW bus for DH at the 3 month mark so April. This should give us enough SW points and he'd earn a CP.

Would an IHG card be a good option for the hotel in Paris? It isn't something I've considered before, the 140,000 offer seems like it would get us 4 nights.

I'd like both DH and I to get a CIC at some point to replenish UR points.

A Venture Card for me and use the travel bonus to pay for train tickets in Italy.

I've finished the MSR on my CIU and Delta Am Ex. We are working on finishing the $5,000 MSR on DH's SW card.

What should we do next? I'm thinking we should both wait until April for new cards because that will be the 3 month mark. Is that the right thinking? SW bus card for him and what for me?

If anyone has read this far then kudos to you! Any help would be appreciated

Looks like both of you need to go for the CIPs 4/20.

 

[wendow]

I need them to keep the boarding groups until this summer, preferably July/August when we can take our son to the parks lol

I love how you already use 'our son' so much. It makes me smile and I cannot wait for this little baby boy to be here for you to enjoy even more than you already do!

 

[wisconsinmom]

Looks like both of you need to go for the CIPs 4/20.

I'm nervous to go for another CIP. I'm a cautious churner

 

[Haley R]

I love how you already use 'our son' so much. It makes me smile and I cannot wait for this little baby boy to be here for you to enjoy even more than you already do!

It just feels natural to say it that way lol. I’m so excited for him to come. I feel like I’m just sitting around most days waiting. I’ve already washed all of his clothes, blankets, sheets because I couldn’t wait. We’re gonna make and freeze some meals here soon. I just need him here!! Lol

 

[becauseimnew]

I'm nervous to go for another CIP. I'm a cautious churner

In that case you could get a SW Biz, your last one was 12/18 and he could get a CIP since his last one was 5/18.

Or you could both get the CICs.

 

[mgarbowski]

My 1987 card is a Sears card. Our Sears stores all closed a year ago. I haven’t used in a while. I guess I need to remember to use on something so it doesnt get closed.

If we’re doing this my Amex Platinum dates to 1986 when I got the basic American Express card which I upgraded by invitation only back then to the Gold Card and eventually the Platinum. The bureaus date it to 1986 even with the changes. My Discover is from 1989 and I have an AT&T Universal from 1990.

 

[bernina]

CSR AF just posted. Still $450 but I’m just not feeling it. $300 credit doesn’t reset until October. I did just book a few hundred $ of stuff for our Spring Break trip but our other trips are covered. Only thing I’ll use it for is Lyft on the 3 trips we have planned in March and June.

If I PC to CSP in June, will they still refund a prorated amount? (And why can’t I remember this stuff). Should I just PC now? I’m thinking I just need another sip

Do you have any trips booked using that card (reward or otherwise) where the travel insurance could come in handy? This didn't used to be a big consideration for me but will now likely be enough for me to keep the card even though when I reach my anniversary I'll be paying the higher AF.

I've been meaning to post an update on our insurance story so I suppose now is a good time.

We had a quick trip to Florida for Universal with SIL and family friends from Jan 1 - Jan 5. I bought our spirit airfare using the CSR (can't use points for Spirit so had to pay cash). On the morning of the 5th, the day we were supposed to fly home, DH woke up with what we'd later learn was the flu. He couldn't keep anything down, couldn't even leave the room. He was miserable and in no shape to travel. Long story short, we missed our flight, took a trip to urgent care where he tested positive for the flu, and ended up buying new return flight tickets for the next day. Thank goodness the Hyatt Grand Cypress in Orlando was amazing and made our extended stay effortless. They even gave us free club level and left lots of extra water.

I contacted the number for Chase insurance (thanks to @calypso726 for quickly getting me the link to the insurance terms and claims process, I was a bit rattled at the time trying to process it all) and they walked me through my options. I ended up filing 2 claims. The first was for emergency medical. The claim was just approved and covered the urgent care visit and tamiflu prescription minus a $50 copay. This came out to around $180. The second was for trip interruption and I requested a refund for our non refundable airfare that we were unable to use. I don't believe I'll end up getting anything on this claim but that is only because Spirit airlines totally stepped up and provided a future travel credit on three quarters of our round trip airfare as a one time courtesy. They even credited bag and seat selection fees. If Spirit had not paid out I do believe Chase would have covered.

A few things I learned in no particular order:

• Keep all receipts
• If your claim is medical related, contact Chase and have them send you a physicians statement form. I printed it at the hotel and brought with us to the urgent care visit. The dr had no issue completing while we were there. Who wants to hassle with getting these things filled out via fax at a later date.
• Pay even a small amount of your travel with CSR. Pay taxes on an award flight, make a down payment for a cruise or all inclusive. There are tons of exclusions of course and stipulations (it's insurance after all) but you won't be covered at all if you didn't use your card or points for part of the purchase.
• Read the benefits guide and pay attention to the time limits for initiating the claim (you don't need all documents to begin the claim process) as well as the fact that you must provide proof you notified the travel provider (airline, cruise, hotel, etc) when it was determined you could not travel within a certain timeframe. Each claim is unique so my examples will not apply to all but this last one almost tripped me up.
• While the insurance offered through CSR is a great backup, it's really not a substitute for travel insurance tailored for your specific trip and needs. After this experience I will likely be purchasing stand alone insurance for our international trips. This was a minor inconvenience in the big scheme of things but it really does show how quickly things can take a turn.

 

[snugglebug]

Yep. This makes it really hard. I just looked and had a $20 off of $50 deal, so of course I had to use it. Until I started using these deals I had no idea how few items Amazon sells are actually sold/fulfilled by Amazon. Now I struggle to find enough to hit the minimum. We generally just get to the total with a Whole Foods GC since that works, but I know that won't help lots of people on the thread.

Whole Foods is my go to as well. I love, love, love our WF 365 store, which I guess is now just a Whole Foods. I don't know why they stopped opening them. It's small and uncrowded so not stressful shopping like HEB.

 

[miztressuz]

HAH! I thought you were going to add something like anyone who made a comment about you while you were with your other family was banned for life. You know, in the spirt of AA.

Well he does attempt to keep up his "benevolent" title

 

[snugglebug]

Our cat’s name is Max. It’s short for Maximum Von Cuteness

My kitty is named Max as well. He was my daughter's and when I suggested Max, I had Goofy's son in mind. She was more along the lines of Baymax. Then he stayed with me when she went to college and is now mine, he won't leave my side. I sometimes call him Maxine Marie now because he looks like Marie (Aristocats) and is a total diva princess. He'll even wear a crown lol

 

[wendow]

SOOOOO, I am OBVIOUSLY back!!! I've been posting but wanted to post a real update. I left my most precious cargo in WDW for the next 6 mos. My super sweet dd19 is there for her dcp. I miss her desperately! She is not only one of my dd's, she is one of my best friends. I am blessed to be able to say that!

We flew in last wednesday and used a FNC for a springhill suites off Palm Pkwy. This hotel is so, so nice! It was 10 mins to Disney property. Our room slept 6 but we were only provided bedding for 5. Since we were only a party of 4, that was fine. Breakfast was great and included Mickey waffle making stations. My only complaint was the bathroom could have been a tad bit cleaner (hair in the shower when we hadn't used it yet...) but otherwise, so nice. We did have to pay a $14 parking fee.

Next three nights were at ASMo. I have zero complaints. Comfortable and I love the refurbed rooms. All was great there.

DD is settling in. She already has a lot of friends and is making more. She will be at BOG for breakfast and/or lunch. If you see this cutie, tell her that her momma misses her!

 

[mgarbowski]

This is sort of related to points and free money.....
A couple of weeks ago a work friend mentioned that he got funds from the NY State Unclaimed Funds office. So I checked and it turned out there was something under my name and I submitted the claim. They don't tell you how much until you get the check. Mine was $66.22, and came from a subsidiary of the Bank of Montreal group. I honestly don't remember doing business with them but, hey, it's even better than finding a $20 bill in the pocket of a jacket you haven't worn in two years. Anyways, it is worth checking yourself and your family members. If you are not in NY, I'm pretty sure every state has a similar program.

 

[PolyRob]

SOOOOO, I am OBVIOUSLY back!!! I've been posting but wanted to post a real update. I left my most precious cargo in WDW for the next 6 mos. My super sweet dd19 is there for her dcp. I miss her desperately! She is not only one of my dd's, she is one of my best friends. I am blessed to be able to say that!

We flew in last wednesday and used a FNC for a springhill suites off Palm Pkwy. This hotel is so, so nice! It was 10 mins to Disney property. Our room slept 6 but we were only provided bedding for 5. Since we were only a party of 4, that was fine. Breakfast was great and included Mickey waffle making stations. My only complaint was the bathroom could have been a tad bit cleaner (hair in the shower when we hadn't used it yet...) but otherwise, so nice. We did have to pay a $14 parking fee.

Next three nights were at ASMo. I have zero complaints. Comfortable and I love the refurbed rooms. All was great there.

DD is settling in. She already has a lot of friends and is making more. She will be at BOG for breakfast and/or lunch. If you see this cutie, tell her that her momma misses her!
View attachment 471893

How exciting! It seems like just yesterday you were talking about the interview process. Congrats to your DD!