For a limited time, all three Southwest consumer credit cards are altering their welcome offers for new cardholders. NerdWallet values Southwest miles at 1.5 cents, which means this new bonus is worth around $1,000, including the $400 statement credit, which can help holders reduce the balance they owe. Overall, this limited-time offer is worth more than what each card generally offers, although it does require a higher spending threshold. Previously, for example, new holders of each card could earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first three months.Apart from this new sign-up bonus, all other benefits…

The Healthcare Spending Visa Card — offered by financial technology company Lane Health and issued by Lead Bank — can be useful for those who need to finance a medical-related expense not covered by insurance. The $0-annual-fee card allows holders to link their Healthcare Savings Account (HSA) to pay for medical expenses over time and doesn’t charge interest on hospital and health care-related spending.However, holders can potentially incur hefty fees if they don’t meet repayment time frames. Plus, the card can only be used for health care-related spending and doesn’t earn rewards. If you don’t have a pending medical bill…

Consumers broke up with cash during the COVID-19 pandemic, and it doesn’t appear that they’re rushing to reconcile. Before the pandemic, Steffen Kaplan, a social media and visual consultant in the New York area, preferred using cash to credit cards. When we spoke in September 2020, he said cash helped him avoid overspending, but the coronavirus changed his spending habits.“I don’t carry cash around with me anymore,” Kaplan said at the time. “Given that we have to remember to wear a mask, not touch anything, and go home and wash our hands every two minutes, it just seems easier to…

The Holiday Inn Club Vacations timeshare program offers access to more than two-dozen resorts in the U.S. and Mexico if you participate in its “points-based vacation ownership.” That basically means you pay for a real estate interest and in return, you get points you can spend on vacation rentals.The Holiday Inn Club Vacations World Mastercard — issued by First Electronic Bank and managed by financial technology company Imprint — is a co-branded credit card for the Holiday Inn Club Vacations timeshare program. It earns rewards on vacation bookings and other costs associated with timeshare ownership and use. And while there’s…

» This page is out of date Offers described in this article are no longer available, so this page is out of date. For current information, see NerdWallet’s review of the World of Hyatt Credit Card.The World of Hyatt Credit Card has a limited-time welcome offer for new cardholders that could help with travel goals in the next year.Those who apply and are approved for the card through Oct. 31, 2024, get this sign-up bonus: Earn five category 1-4 Free Night Awards to use at Hyatt hotels after spending $4,000 in the first three months of opening the account. This…

For a limited time, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card has increased its sign-up bonus, its biggest offer since June 2021. If the card has been on your wish list, now may be an opportune time to apply.Starting Oct. 3, 2024, new Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card holders can earn the following two-part welcome offer:A one-time $300 credit that can be used to book travel through Chase’s travel portal. The credit expires 12 months after account opening.60,000 bonus points worth $750 in travel after spending $4,000 within the first three months of account opening.If you hit the $4,000 spending requirement for the…

High feesThe Imagine® Visa® Credit Card charges not just an annual fee, but it also charges a monthly account maintenance fee after the first year. Fee amounts differ depending on the credit limit you qualify for.Account maintenance fee (billed after the first year)$175 for the first year, then $49 per year.$180 annually, billed at $15 per month.$175 for the first year, then $49 per year.$180 annually, billed at $15 per month.$125 for the first year, then $49 per year.$180 annually, billed at $15 per month.$99 for the first year, then $49 per year.$180 annually, billed at $15 per month.Let’s say…

Smart Spending Tips on how to lower your credit utilization ratio. A credit card is an easy way to buy almost anything at any time. Impulse purchases, going out to dinner with friends, an extra drink at the bar, airline tickets and many other things that you must repay when you receive your credit card bill. Maxing out your credit cards and carrying high balances can affect your credit score. Why? Because using too much of the credit available to you, called credit utilization, is a big factor in setting credit scores. Too high of a utilization rate and your…

If you or someone in your life is a radio-controlled (RC) models hobbyist, then the no-annual-fee Horizon Hobby credit card might pique your interest. The card rewards holders for all kinds of purchases, including those made with Horizon Hobby, a radio control and model train manufacturer and distributor. But the company also offers a tiered loyalty program, independent of its co-branded credit card, that already rewards members for shopping with Horizon Hobby and its partners — and the card itself doesn’t add much in the way of value or benefits. Rewards can be redeemed solely toward purchases made with the…

Smart Spending Tips discusses credit card fraud, steps to avoid it and what to do if it happens to you. In the Apple TV+ show “The Big Door Prize,” a mysterious machine offers residents of a small town a chance to learn their true life potential for a few quarters. Once inside the booth, they’re also asked for their fingerprints and Social Security number. “Scam alert!” my brain yells as actor Chris O’Dowd and others enter their SSN and put their hands on the blue, glowing screen without questioning why. Identity theft and credit card fraud are next, I warn…