Search found 1670 matches

by FedGuy
Wed Mar 13, 2024 7:18 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Bank of America/Merrill Edge - Preferred Rewards
Replies: 7041
Views: 879062

Re: Bank of America/Merrill Edge - Preferred Rewards

For those that held the Blackrock MM Funds in the Merrill account, USGO percentages are out for 2023. . TTTXX was at 94.07% and TFFXX was at 98.65%. It looks like the URL is the same as last year, so it might be a good idea to save a copy with your tax records since I'm not sure where the 2022 information can be accessed anymore. Sorry if this is a dumb question, but my (out of state) accountant thinks, even after reviewing the above link, that the Treasury portion of TTTXX is exempt from state taxes only in New York and California. Is that the case? If not, where can I find evidence that it's tax exempt elsewhere? I'm currently living in Washington, DC, and couldn't find anything online about whether Treasuries (or funds with earnings att...
by FedGuy
Mon Mar 04, 2024 5:59 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Bank of America/Merrill Edge - Preferred Rewards
Replies: 7041
Views: 879062

Re: Bank of America/Merrill Edge - Preferred Rewards

I'm not sure I'm following. Are you all saying you can purchase American Airlines eGift Cards for $100, and have that qualify as the airline incidental fee credit of $100? My reading of the terms of the card specifically say gift cards from affiliated airlines do NOT qualify as an incidental credit. What am I failing to understand? Thanks for any help!! Yes. I don't know if it's supported by the fine print, but this--and it has to be American Airlines gift cards, not other airlines (although the United Travel Bank also qualifies, I'm told)--is a well-known way to use the credit without actually traveling. If you plan to fly AA at some point, it works great; otherwise, the work-around is to sell the card, but the sites that buy gift cards o...
by FedGuy
Tue Feb 27, 2024 10:04 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Possible to automate ETF investing in HSA at Schwab?
Replies: 4
Views: 689

Re: Possible to automate ETF investing in HSA at Schwab?

nps wrote: Sun Feb 25, 2024 5:27 pm You can automate biweeky investing in mutual funds, if you're ok with those
I'm okay with those. How do you do that?
by FedGuy
Mon Feb 19, 2024 11:53 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Capital One [is/is considering] buying Discover
Replies: 29
Views: 3469

Capital One [is/is considering] buying Discover

I've seen multiple news stories in the last hour or so, most hidden behind paywalls, that report either that Capital One is considering buying Discover, or that Capital One actually is buying Discover.

I have savings accounts at, and credit cards from, both Capital One and Discover. I've generally been disappointed by Capital One and impressed by Discover, so I suspect that Capital One taking over Discover can't lead anywhere good.

To make this thread actionable: is it worth closing/moving accounts in the meantime? I plan to wait and see myself, but this will be something I'll be watching carefully.
by FedGuy
Mon Feb 19, 2024 11:24 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What email address is "okay/acceptable" to use then?
Replies: 168
Views: 18039

Re: What email address is "okay/acceptable" to use then?

Raymond wrote: Mon Feb 19, 2024 9:43 amI give my Hotmail address to people and companies who don't need my real (my own domain) e-mail address.
Me too. Well, I don't have my own domain, but I use an old Hotmail account as my public-facing email address for businesses and so on that I'm okay getting email from but don't want having my primary (gmail) address.
by FedGuy
Sun Feb 18, 2024 5:38 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What email address is "okay/acceptable" to use then?
Replies: 168
Views: 18039

Re: What email address is "okay/acceptable" to use then?

It's not even just the kids doing this. The coach in charge of my daughter's main extracurricular activity in high school refused to use anything other than iMessage to communicate with the team. So there was essentially no choice but for every student on it to have an iPhone. I mentioned to the coach that there are plenty of good cross-platform messaging apps, such as WhatsApp, but got stupid excuses in reply. Faced with that and the peer pressure, there didn't seem to be much choice but to capitulate and get her an iPhone. Yikes. I probably would have gone over the coach's head and tried to get a higher power to intervene, or moved my daughter to another group/activity if possible. A few years ago I was looking to hire a small firm for a...
by FedGuy
Sun Feb 11, 2024 6:02 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: What's Your Credit Card Rewards Strategy?
Replies: 7203
Views: 1413847

Re: What's Your Credit Card Rewards Strategy?

Anyone using the Kroger/Smith's card from US Bank? Saw an ad for it and it looks interesting: 5% on $3000 groceries if you pay via their app (which you need because half their sales are app only). [snip] To clarify, the 5% on "groceries if you pay via their app" means, in this case, 5% on groceries at Kroger if you pay through the Kroger app. (Not the US Bank app.) US Bank has similar cards for numerous Kroger brands, like Ralph's or Frys, in case those brands are more prevalent in your area. I've looked into this card--well, the one for my local Kroger affiliate--and am holding off pending developments on the proposed Kroger/Albertson's merger. In my market, the local Kroger brand has few locations and is almost a non-factor, wh...
by FedGuy
Sat Feb 10, 2024 12:10 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Best banking/brokerage options for 8-figure portfolio
Replies: 18
Views: 2452

Re: Best banking/brokerage options for 8-figure portfolio

afan wrote: Fri Feb 09, 2024 6:41 pm Agree with above comments.
Not that it is any better, but I put Schwab in with Vanguard and Fidelity.
And at that level of assets, Schwab will (essentially) give you a Schwab-branded American Express Platinum card for free!

https://www.schwab.com/credit-cards/platinum-card
by FedGuy
Sat Feb 03, 2024 1:15 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Bank of America/Merrill Edge - Preferred Rewards
Replies: 7041
Views: 879062

Re: Bank of America/Merrill Edge - Preferred Rewards

sycamore wrote: Sat Feb 03, 2024 12:24 pmJust in case... Is your amount in 1099-DIV box 1a only from TTTXX? That box reports all dividends from all holdings in that account.
I think so. The only other asset I have in the account is Preferred Deposit, which seems to show up in the 1099-INT box.
by FedGuy
Sat Feb 03, 2024 11:43 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Bank of America/Merrill Edge - Preferred Rewards
Replies: 7041
Views: 879062

Re: Bank of America/Merrill Edge - Preferred Rewards

Thanks, Tier1Capital and Lyrrad. So you're saying that I should use 100% of the number listed on the 1099-DIV for my federal taxes, but only 5.93% of the number listed on my 1099-DIV for my state taxes?

Tj, now that I know the number to look for I can find it in the form, but I do not find the form intuitive or easy to understand and couldn't figure this out without guidance. I spent some time trying to figure out the relevance of "MuniCash," for example, and since I don't see the ticker symbol "TTTXX" I wasn't sure that "Treasury Trust Fund" was what I was looking for.
by FedGuy
Sat Feb 03, 2024 10:59 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Bank of America/Merrill Edge - Preferred Rewards
Replies: 7041
Views: 879062

Re: Bank of America/Merrill Edge - Preferred Rewards

I have a question about the 1099-INT and 1099-DIV I've received from Merrill Lynch. Like many in this thread, I use a Merrill Lynch account invested primarily in TTTXX to take advantage of BoA's Preferred Rewards program (Platinum Honors), as well as to get a decent fixed income return. A sliver (currently less than 1%, but it was somewhat higher earlier in 2022) of my Merrill Lynch account is invested in the Preferred Deposit product. I know that investing in TTTXX has certain tax advantages, but I don't see that reflected on the 1099-INT and 1099-DIV. I see a previous post in this thread that refers me to a Blackrock page, but I can't make heads or tails of what it says and have no idea how to figure out how much of my reported dividend a...
by FedGuy
Thu Feb 01, 2024 6:58 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Bank of America/Merrill Edge - Preferred Rewards
Replies: 7041
Views: 879062

Re: Bank of America/Merrill Edge - Preferred Rewards

I'm very pleased to report that Card Cash has resumed buying American Airlines gift cards. I was able to sell the $100 gift card I bought nearly a year ago to use the "airline incidental" credit on the BoA Premium Rewards card. Since I have no plans to fly in the foreseeable future and since American Airlines might not be the best option for where I want to go, I was eager to sell the gift card to recoup most of the annual fee on the PR. The fact that I was unable to sell for nearly a year, with no guarantees of being able to sell going forward, was an important factor in my decision to get rid of the PR card. If this easy way to recoup most of the annual fee had been consistently available, I probably would have held on to the PR.
by FedGuy
Sun Jan 28, 2024 1:16 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Bank of America/Merrill Edge - Preferred Rewards
Replies: 7041
Views: 879062

Re: Bank of America/Merrill Edge - Preferred Rewards

CSP update: The email from Chase read the denial was b/c I hold a Chase Sapphire plain ol’ vanilla card. Guess unlike BofA they won’t let me hold another. It stated I could convert but wouldn’t be able to get the bonuses. Options then: 1) Skip it 2) Cancel my first longest held card the Chase Sapphire (which I haven’t used in years except when notified they’ll close the account if no activity). However, how adverse is it on one’s credit to close their card with longest credit hx? 3) if do option 2, then apply again I had a similar issue (although I was aware of Chase's "one Sapphire" limitation and didn't try to apply for a second while I still held the first). I simply product changed the Chase Sapphire to a Chase Freedom Unlimi...
by FedGuy
Sat Jan 13, 2024 9:17 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Bank of America/Merrill Edge - Preferred Rewards
Replies: 7041
Views: 879062

Re: Bank of America/Merrill Edge - Preferred Rewards

Okoboji, the fund most people seem to like is TTTXX, a Blackrock Treasury fund currently paying 5.22% interest.
by FedGuy
Tue Jan 09, 2024 6:03 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Bank of America/Merrill Edge - Preferred Rewards
Replies: 7041
Views: 879062

Re: Bank of America/Merrill Edge - Preferred Rewards

What? I never heard of having to keep an amount in the PD account...is this correct? I thought what matters is that the total amount in ME is => 100K... Preferred Deposit is not necessary for the Platinum Honors or similar benefits. Preferred Deposit is simply an investment available at Merrill Lynch. Opening a Preferred Deposit account requires you to deposit $100,000 into the account, but once you've done so you can withdraw most of that money without the account being closed. The discussion you were responding to simply noted that if you bring your Preferred Deposit balance down to zero, you'd need to deposit $100,000 into Preferred Deposit to re-open it. Do you know if and for how long we can take any of the 100K funds in the ME accoun...
by FedGuy
Tue Jan 09, 2024 5:36 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Bank of America/Merrill Edge - Preferred Rewards
Replies: 7041
Views: 879062

Re: Bank of America/Merrill Edge - Preferred Rewards

KingofRMDtorpedo wrote: Tue Jan 09, 2024 4:07 pm What? I never heard of having to keep an amount in the PD account...is this correct? I thought what matters is that the total amount in ME is => 100K...
Preferred Deposit is not necessary for the Platinum Honors or similar benefits. Preferred Deposit is simply an investment available at Merrill Lynch. Opening a Preferred Deposit account requires you to deposit $100,000 into the account, but once you've done so you can withdraw most of that money without the account being closed. The discussion you were responding to simply noted that if you bring your Preferred Deposit balance down to zero, you'd need to deposit $100,000 into Preferred Deposit to re-open it.
by FedGuy
Sun Jan 07, 2024 7:58 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Bank of America/Merrill Edge - Preferred Rewards
Replies: 7041
Views: 879062

Re: Bank of America/Merrill Edge - Preferred Rewards

I have 5 BoA credit cards: one Unlimited Cash Rewards, three "vanilla" Customized Cash Rewards, and one affinity card. When I applied for and received my last two cards, BoA did not extend me additional credit but instead reallocated credit from my existing cards.

I actually called BoA yesterday to reallocate my credit limits. When I asked the customer service representative, she said that my 5 cards wasn't a particularly high number and that she routinely helps people with 9 or 10.
by FedGuy
Sat Dec 30, 2023 6:35 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: How often do you redeem your credit card cash rewards?
Replies: 102
Views: 12445

Re: How often do you redeem your credit card cash rewards?

Several reasons not to use auto redeem in every case: 1) Not every card supports it 2) More record keeping (if you keep such records...I do in Quicken) 3) If you have a Citi Double Cash it is more beneficial to transfer the money to your bank account than get a statement credit (due to the way rewards are calculated). 4) Discover has deals and you need points for them. For example, they've had many with Amazon like pay with points and get 20% off. If you don't have the points, you can't use the promo. They also had a discounted gift card deal recently that I took advantage of. Another reason that applies at least to the BoA Customized Cash Rewards card (of which I have several): autoredemptions only happen if you have $10.00 or more in rew...
by FedGuy
Fri Dec 29, 2023 4:53 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Bank of America/Merrill Edge - Preferred Rewards
Replies: 7041
Views: 879062

Re: Bank of America/Merrill Edge - Preferred Rewards

FrugalProfessor wrote: Thu Dec 28, 2023 7:38 pmWhy not just get another CCR card (or many over time)? There are a bazillion "partner" versions of the card, and you don't need to be affiliated: https://www.reddit.com/r/CreditCards/co ... ner_cards/
There aren't a bazillion anymore. BoA has been quietly killing these cards off for a few years now. One of the reasons I applied for one when I did (earlier this year) was because I was afraid that all of them would be gone by the time I got around to it.
by FedGuy
Wed Dec 27, 2023 5:30 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: What is Your Biggest "Good Problem to Have"? [Financial]
Replies: 97
Views: 13686

Re: What is Your Biggest "Good Problem to Have"? [Financial]

I can't move to a new place because I refinanced my mortgage about two years ago, at close to market lows, and am earning a higher interest rate on my savings account than I'm paying on my mortgage.
by FedGuy
Sun Dec 24, 2023 11:29 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: How many brokerage accounts do you have?
Replies: 164
Views: 16348

Re: How many brokerage accounts do you have?

I have a brokerage account and Roth IRA at Schwab, as well as a brokerage account at Merrill Lynch that I use to maintain Platinum Honors status at Bank of America.
by FedGuy
Sat Dec 23, 2023 11:51 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Ally Online Savings/Money Market Rate Increases
Replies: 745
Views: 124453

Re: Ally Online Savings/Money Market Rate Increases

Yeah, I thought kind of the same thing, or maybe "Why didn't you do this 6 months ago?" I guess they've been slowly losing deposits and need to stem the flow? Unfortunately for them, now that people like me have seen how easy it is to buy T-Bills for ~5.3% plus no state tax, it would take a lot for us to move back. I was hoping they might have another special offer on new money like they did at the end of 2022. That would probably convince me to move my funds back over for at least a few months, but it didn't happen this year. I took advantage of that special offer on new money (I got the maximum, $500 if I remember correctly), and that's actually what soured me on Ally. Some of the terms of that offer were unclear (I remember a ...
by FedGuy
Sat Dec 23, 2023 11:15 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Wordle [Anyone playing Wordle?]
Replies: 393
Views: 43407

Re: Wordle [Anyone playing Wordle?]

Wow. I stopped playing Wordle and its variants when I got a new phone a year or two ago, had repeated problems with it, and kept losing my Wordle-oriented (and other) bookmarks to factory resets and an exchange for a new phone and finally gave up on resetting them. I stopped hearing about Wordle around the same time and thought the fad was over. I'm (pleasantly) surprised to see that it's still a thing.
by FedGuy
Fri Dec 22, 2023 1:25 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Bank of America/Merrill Edge - Preferred Rewards
Replies: 7041
Views: 879062

Re: Bank of America/Merrill Edge - Preferred Rewards

tj wrote: Fri Dec 22, 2023 1:11 pm Uh, my PR card definitely isn't metal.
Mine is. And I product changed it to a CCR when BoA discontinued my old Better Balance Rewards card and turned it into a UCR. So, now I have a canceled metal card that I probably shouldn't stick in my shredder. Any ideas on how I can destroy it?
by FedGuy
Fri Dec 15, 2023 5:13 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Favorite suitcase?
Replies: 56
Views: 7569

Re: Favorite suitcase?

Has anyone here tried Monos? My brother has a few Monos suitcases and loves them. I've been planning to buy some based on his recommendation, but I was curious to hear if anyone here had any experience with them.
by FedGuy
Fri Dec 15, 2023 5:10 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Food related travel
Replies: 108
Views: 19709

Re: Food related travel

OP mentioned Philly -- did you try the Reading Terminal? Lots of good choices, mostly not too expensive. Fine dining near Rittenhouse Square. Cape May at the southern tip of the NJ shore has wonderful restaurants. Stay for a few days and try 410 Bank, Ebbitt Room, Washington Inn, Peter Sheilds, Hemmingways, and Lobster House. It's also a charming town to walk around with the "painted ladies" houses to look at. Summers are busy but May and September are good. Nice biking in town and in the wildlife preserve or down to the ferry or even a brew tour! I'm in Md & VA a lot. I like Captain Billy's crabcakes in Newburg, MD. They have a great deck with tables overlooking the water. While in FL, any seafood is terrific, but try conch ...
by FedGuy
Tue Dec 12, 2023 6:33 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Bank of America/Merrill Edge - Preferred Rewards
Replies: 7041
Views: 879062

Re: Bank of America/Merrill Edge - Preferred Rewards

rustlers wrote: Tue Dec 12, 2023 3:45 pm1 Because I put pretty much everything on my cards, $50k+ annual, I am thinking that getting PRE or USBAR will get me more cash back, since I don't live the miles/points route for award travel. Also maybe the perks for these high AF cards maybe useful. With PRE cash back, I could get 3.3% redemption cash, and with USBAR 4.5%, agreed with more hoops.
Just to make sure you're aware of the option, the BoA Unlimited Cash Rewards card would get you 2.625% cash back on everything with no annual fee. There is a foreign transaction fee, though.
by FedGuy
Sun Nov 26, 2023 11:51 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Hulu (with Ads) Black Friday Deal - $0.99/mo for a year
Replies: 4
Views: 1463

Re: Hulu (with Ads) Black Friday Deal - $0.99/mo for a year

For those of us with an American Express Blue Cash Everyday or Blue Cash Preferred card, is there any advantage to enrolling in the Black Friday deal relative to simply signing up to the Hulu and Disney+ "duo," with ads, and paying with the Amex and using the "Disney Bundle" benefit?

I have no interest in ESPN+ and don't mind commercials.
by FedGuy
Sat Nov 18, 2023 9:50 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Security Hardware for Vanguard, Fidelity, and Schwab Accounts - Harry Sit
Replies: 63
Views: 11360

Re: Security Hardware for Vanguard, Fidelity, and Schwab Accounts - Harry Sit

EvelynTroy wrote: Sat Nov 18, 2023 7:31 amQuestion: Is it better to have the physical Symantec VIP token considering I don't use my phone for anything financial? Or just download the app?
I'm like you: I refuse to use financial apps on my phone due to privacy and security concerns.

But I use the app for 2FA at Schwab. It's simple: you open the app, and it displays a 6 digit code. The code changes every 30 seconds. All you do is type the code into the Schwab 2FA challenge window when you log in.

The app does not include your Schwab account information, not even your name, user ID, or password. As paranoid as I am about these things, I see no security concerns here. All the app does is display a 6 digit code. That's it.
by FedGuy
Fri Nov 17, 2023 5:43 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Bank of America/Merrill Edge - Preferred Rewards
Replies: 7041
Views: 879062

Re: Bank of America/Merrill Edge - Preferred Rewards

spammagnet wrote: Fri Nov 17, 2023 5:37 pmI don't think you can change a travel card (PR/TR) to a cash card (CCR/SGK/UCR). Ask.
I recently product changed a Premium Rewards card to a Customized Cash Rewards.
spammagnet wrote: Fri Nov 17, 2023 5:37 pm(As to the last point, multiple CCRs, I'm unclear.)
I have three CCRs plus an affinity card. I got the first two CCRs years ago, years apart. The third was the one I referred to above, which I recently converted from a PR.
by FedGuy
Fri Nov 17, 2023 5:24 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: White elephant (gag) gift ideas
Replies: 34
Views: 17206

Re: White elephant (gag) gift ideas

We do a "white elephant" at work, but over the years we've had several younger, more eco-conscious people join our team who, shall we say, were not comfortable buying a product they knew would go to waste. That dovetailed with a growing sense of "Why are we throwing money away to watch people roll their eyes when they unwrap a useless gift?" As a result, even though we still call it a "white elephant," most people now try to get thoughtful and useful gifts.
by FedGuy
Sat Nov 11, 2023 11:44 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Bank of America promo: extra 2%/2x credit card rewards [Updated later in thread for Nov 9, 2023]
Replies: 268
Views: 30156

Re: Bank of America promo: extra 2%/2x credit card rewards [Updated later in thread for Nov 9, 2023]

Every one of my purchases, both online and in person, correctly coded as a November 9 purchase. My account is showing that I've received the extra 2% on each one.
by FedGuy
Fri Nov 10, 2023 5:58 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Washington DC trip
Replies: 23
Views: 3280

Re: Washington DC trip

es2705 wrote: Sat Nov 04, 2023 8:34 am An early breakfast at Founding Farmers is tasty. Rasika is an excellent restaurant, as are Estadio and Barcelona.
FYI, Estadio closed a while ago.
by FedGuy
Thu Nov 09, 2023 5:10 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Bank of America promo: extra 2%/2x credit card rewards [Updated later in thread for Nov 9, 2023]
Replies: 268
Views: 30156

Re: Bank of America promo: extra 2%/2x credit card rewards [Updated later in thread for Nov 9, 2023]

I made some charitable contributions, paid my quarterly estimated taxes, bought some restaurant gift cards (taking advantage of both a sale by the restaurant and a Bank of America "offer"), and finally took some stuff to the drycleaner.
by FedGuy
Thu Nov 09, 2023 5:23 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Bank of America promo: extra 2%/2x credit card rewards [Updated later in thread for Nov 9, 2023]
Replies: 268
Views: 30156

Re: Bank of America promo: extra 2%/2x credit card rewards [Updated later in thread for Nov 9, 2023]

alexbogle wrote: Thu Nov 09, 2023 3:02 am
FedGuy wrote: Wed Nov 08, 2023 10:11 pm
frugalor wrote: Wed Nov 08, 2023 10:05 pm Does anyone know if paying estimated taxes is a qualifying spending?
I did it last year, and got the extra 2%.
What site did you use?
Whichever one was the cheapest last year. It might have been Pay1040, but I can't recall for sure.

Just to clarify, I'm talking only about the extra 2% from today's promotion (or its equivalent last year). If you're asking about getting credit for the "online shopping" category for the Customized Cash Rewards, tax payments are explicitly excluded from that category.
by FedGuy
Wed Nov 08, 2023 10:11 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Bank of America promo: extra 2%/2x credit card rewards [Updated later in thread for Nov 9, 2023]
Replies: 268
Views: 30156

Re: Bank of America promo: extra 2%/2x credit card rewards [Updated later in thread for Nov 9, 2023]

frugalor wrote: Wed Nov 08, 2023 10:05 pm Does anyone know if paying estimated taxes is a qualifying spending?
I did it last year, and got the extra 2%.
by FedGuy
Sun Nov 05, 2023 10:15 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: What's Your Credit Card Rewards Strategy?
Replies: 7203
Views: 1413847

Re: What's Your Credit Card Rewards Strategy?

I just unfreeze all three. I don't think it takes much more time, if any, than calling and asking which credit bureau they use. And the one time I actually did call, the person was wrong, so I don't think it's worth the effort to call and possibly get the wrong answer.
by FedGuy
Wed Nov 01, 2023 10:59 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Bank of America/Merrill Edge - Preferred Rewards
Replies: 7041
Views: 879062

Re: Bank of America/Merrill Edge - Preferred Rewards

The issue is that, until recently, you were able to buy a gift card for $100 to trigger the credit, then sell the card online to recoup most of the annual fee. That route is now closed, at least for the time being, and if you don't set foot on an airplane you can't realistically use the credit. I will not reveal the way I obtain the credit, but I can safely say this is not correct I'm not really sure how to respond to someone who says "You're wrong, but I won't explain how." The 2 common gift card resale websites that used purchased AA eGCs no longer buy them. I plan just stock pile AA eGCs to use one day or gift them to close family. I now use United travel Bank. Super easy. https://www.united.com/en/us/fly/account/travelbank.ht...
by FedGuy
Wed Nov 01, 2023 10:07 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Bank of America/Merrill Edge - Preferred Rewards
Replies: 7041
Views: 879062

Re: Bank of America/Merrill Edge - Preferred Rewards

The Premium Rewards is a better card (3.5 dining/travel). The $100 airline credit offsets the $95 annual fee. As long as you use it, there is no reason to downgrade. It’s hard to use. You can always use it for baggage, seat fees, WiFi, etc. If you scavenge the internet there are tips and tricks for using it. The issue is that, until recently, you were able to buy a gift card for $100 to trigger the credit, then sell the card online to recoup most of the annual fee. That route is now closed, at least for the time being, and if you don't set foot on an airplane you can't realistically use the credit. I will not reveal the way I obtain the credit, but I can safely say this is not correct I'm not really sure how to respond to someone who says ...
by FedGuy
Sun Oct 29, 2023 5:54 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Bank of America/Merrill Edge - Preferred Rewards
Replies: 7041
Views: 879062

Re: Bank of America/Merrill Edge - Preferred Rewards

Honestly, I am trying to be sympathetic to the non-flyer folks struggling with the Premium Rewards fee on here, but I would just move spending on the 3.5% categories to the BoFA CCR affinity cards, and if that does not work, heck, my daughter has a 3% no annual fee, no FTF, no hoops, no caps Wells Fargo Autograph Card that she gets 3% on travel, dining, gas, bars, transit, parking, streaming, and cell phone plans. I think most people with the Premium Rewards, at least those of us on this board, already have multiple CCR cards. I've generally only used the PR for spending categories not covered on other cards, like tax, insurance, and medical payments. I recently got the Unlimited Cash Rewards card so I can stop paying the $95 PR annual fee...
by FedGuy
Sun Oct 29, 2023 2:46 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Credit card disputes: what company is best at handling? (awful BoA experience)
Replies: 60
Views: 5722

Re: Credit card disputes: what company is best at handling? (awful BoA experience)

I had to file two related disputes with BoA about a year ago. I shared the surprise that they wanted me to fax documents in and had no system for uploading documents electronically. Eventually, though, they told me that I could bring the documents to a BoA branch instead of faxing or mailing them. I walked them to a BoA branch, they took them in the back for a couple of minutes, gave them back to me, and a short time later I received confirmation that the correct office had received my paperwork and was reviewing my claim. One of my two disputes was resolved in my favor within a couple of days; the other took several weeks but was resolved in my favor as well. Overall, it was more trouble than it should have been, but not too bad in the gra...
by FedGuy
Sun Oct 29, 2023 1:30 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Bank of America/Merrill Edge - Preferred Rewards
Replies: 7041
Views: 879062

Re: Bank of America/Merrill Edge - Preferred Rewards

cowbman wrote: Sun Oct 29, 2023 12:11 pm
Leesbro63 wrote: Sun Oct 29, 2023 7:22 am
cowbman wrote: Sun Oct 29, 2023 12:12 am The Premium Rewards is a better card (3.5 dining/travel). The $100 airline credit offsets the $95 annual fee. As long as you use it, there is no reason to downgrade.
It’s hard to use.
You can always use it for baggage, seat fees, WiFi, etc. If you scavenge the internet there are tips and tricks for using it.
The issue is that, until recently, you were able to buy a gift card for $100 to trigger the credit, then sell the card online to recoup most of the annual fee. That route is now closed, at least for the time being, and if you don't set foot on an airplane you can't realistically use the credit.
by FedGuy
Sat Oct 28, 2023 12:41 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Bank of America/Merrill Edge - Preferred Rewards
Replies: 7041
Views: 879062

Re: Bank of America/Merrill Edge - Preferred Rewards

Right, I don't have the Travel Rewards card, but I've read that instead of cashing out the points you're supposed to log in and use your accrued points to redeem against a travel or restaurant purchase. I THINK that means that you can use the points to credit against a recent travel or restaurant purchase for full value, but if you redeem it for cash you get penalized.
by FedGuy
Fri Oct 27, 2023 7:22 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Bank of America promo: extra 2%/2x credit card rewards [Updated later in thread for Nov 9, 2023]
Replies: 268
Views: 30156

Re: Bank of America promo: extra 2%/2x credit card rewards [Updated later in thread for Nov 9, 2023]

Last year, everything I charged on the relevant date got the extra credit even if it didn't post until the next day. It's not clear to me if BoA is doing it differently this year or not.
by FedGuy
Sat Oct 21, 2023 11:09 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Do You Keep Your Schwab Checking Balance at Zero?
Replies: 30
Views: 3419

Re: Do You Keep Your Schwab Checking Balance at Zero?

I used to keep my Schwab checking account balance at zero. Then Schwab closed my account for lack of use. I had them re-open it and now keep my balance at $100.
by FedGuy
Fri Oct 20, 2023 7:12 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: What's Your Credit Card Rewards Strategy?
Replies: 7203
Views: 1413847

Re: What's Your Credit Card Rewards Strategy?

cheesepep wrote: Fri Oct 20, 2023 6:57 pmMost recommend and use the Amex Platinum and Gold card, for reasons which still befuddle me.
I've always assumed that they're compensated by Amex.
by FedGuy
Fri Oct 13, 2023 6:02 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: TD Ameritrade to Schwab
Replies: 161
Views: 13599

Re: TD Ameritrade to Schwab transition - how was it for you?

Leesbro63 wrote: Thu Oct 12, 2023 10:34 am I thought Schwab moved everyone over in September and TDAmeritrade is no more. ??
Schwab has been moving accounts over in tranches since, I think, the beginning of the year. They tend to move people over holiday weekends so they have 3 consecutive days in which the market is closed in case there are issues. Some TD Ameritrade accounts remain and will be transferred over in the coming months or so.
by FedGuy
Sat Oct 07, 2023 12:19 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: [What TV Show Have You Recently Watched?]
Replies: 5973
Views: 690202

Re: [What TV Show Have You Recently Watched?]

We finally made it through Ahsoka on Disney+. What a boring show. Disney has really laid a ton of eggs this past year with their SW and MCU content. We likely wont renew our subscription. That said, we just finished S2E1 of Loki and it was fantastic. Really hoping this show is as good as the first season. We've also been glad to have back our faux news opinion shows like Bill Maher and John Oliver on HBO. The Circus also returns to Showtime this Sunday and I think its the most balanced of the group. Ahsoka was a good show but suffered from being a continuation of "Star Wars: Rebels." If you didn't watch "Rebels," I can't imagine that you would have liked Ahsoka. I disliked season 1 of Loki and decided to skip season 2. ...
by FedGuy
Wed Sep 27, 2023 7:59 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Bank of America/Merrill Edge - Preferred Rewards
Replies: 7041
Views: 879062

Re: Bank of America/Merrill Edge - Preferred Rewards

anon_investor wrote: Wed Sep 27, 2023 2:35 pmI wonder if they have some contract period with BoA and they choose to renew or not. A few of the affinity CCRs have disappeared over the years.
More than a few, I think. I don't know if BoA has a plan to wind down the entire program, but many of them have disappeared in recent years and I'm unaware of any new ones being added recently.

I went ahead and applied for one a month or so ago on the theory that it might be my last chance.