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What new card(s) should I consider?

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BluePoodle
Valued Contributor

What new card(s) should I consider?

I have been gardening since Feb.  I plan to close my Chase Slate in Feb 2016.  I would like to get a couple of decent travel cards. I need for one to be another Chase card to move my Slate CL to.  I am considering the Sapphire or the Marriot card.  Any thoughts or suggestions?

 

I would like to possibly apply for another card. Perhaps the Freedom? Or other American Express?  I wouldn't mind diversitying so I am wondering about a decent Bank of America or Citi card? Open to suggestions....

 

Would like for at least one of them to be a travel card. I don't mind the AF if I get decent returns like free room with Marriot is worth the AF to me.  I would really like something that offered a decent starting bonus for a possible international trip next summer.  

 

I have clean credit report at this point. Only one 90 day late that is 4 or 5 years old (I don't recall which) i'll have to check. I have some CC debt (all on 0% interest) and will be paying that down pretty significantly over the next few months. So my current Fico around 684 should be in the 710's or 20's by then.

 

Thanks for any suggestions. 

CapOne $7500 | Discover $8500 | Amex ED $25K | Barclay SM $5700 | Chase Disney $500 | Chase Slate $5K | Target $3K | Hilton Amex $2K
Gardening Since 4/3/2017
Message 1 of 10
9 REPLIES 9
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: What new card(s) should I consider?

The Freedom card is by Chase also.  Do do you mean, Sapphire, Marriot and Freedom?  The Marriot card is a hotel card. So if you are looking for travel, Sapphire would be best.

 

Also, Amex has some good travel cards but annual fees are high.  But whatever you do, pay you debt down before appying.

Message 2 of 10
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: What new card(s) should I consider?

How much do you spend a month and in which categories?

Message 3 of 10
BluePoodle
Valued Contributor

Re: What new card(s) should I consider?


@Anonymous wrote:

How much do you spend a month and in which categories?



It's just me. And I don't think college tuition counts as a category (I wish it did!) But standard gas, groceries, utilities. I do have plans to move from my apartment to a rental house in Feb 2016 which will mean I plan to buy some bigger furnishings next year but I mostly do my own vintage restoration so that will be limited. I would like to buy a small vintage trailer to restore so I guess home improvements (lowe's, I don't care for home depot) will be a larger spend category. I like to dine out quite a bit too. I guess $2-3K spend monthly. 

CapOne $7500 | Discover $8500 | Amex ED $25K | Barclay SM $5700 | Chase Disney $500 | Chase Slate $5K | Target $3K | Hilton Amex $2K
Gardening Since 4/3/2017
Message 4 of 10
BluePoodle
Valued Contributor

Re: What new card(s) should I consider?


@Anonymous wrote:

The Freedom card is by Chase also.  Do do you mean, Sapphire, Marriot and Freedom?  The Marriot card is a hotel card. So if you are looking for travel, Sapphire would be best.

 

Also, Amex has some good travel cards but annual fees are high.  But whatever you do, pay you debt down before appying.


Only two cards. One replacing my slate and one additional one. I don't need more than 8 and I don't even need all of those honesly, LOL. I mostly use my Amex Everyday card. But I like my Cap One QS too for 2% on everything. I am not a really big fan of revolving categories but I really lke my Discover card.   And as I stated, I do plan to pay down significantly my CC balances before I ap

CapOne $7500 | Discover $8500 | Amex ED $25K | Barclay SM $5700 | Chase Disney $500 | Chase Slate $5K | Target $3K | Hilton Amex $2K
Gardening Since 4/3/2017
Message 5 of 10
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: What new card(s) should I consider?


@BluePoodle wrote:

@Anonymous wrote:

How much do you spend a month and in which categories?



It's just me. And I don't think college tuition counts as a category (I wish it did!) But standard gas, groceries, utilities. I do have plans to move from my apartment to a rental house in Feb 2016 which will mean I plan to buy some bigger furnishings next year but I mostly do my own vintage restoration so that will be limited. I would like to buy a small vintage trailer to restore so I guess home improvements (lowe's, I don't care for home depot) will be a larger spend category. I like to dine out quite a bit too. I guess $2-3K spend monthly. 


actually if you are paying tuition out of pocket it may behoove u to see if they take credit cards. that would be great for a citi double cash card or your qs you already have.

 

for everything else you are 24-36k yearly spend, that is significant, you might benefit from an Amex BCP, or a Wells Fargo Propel 365. Click the link in my signature and see which spending pattern aligns most with you.

 

Your home furnishings hopefully can get during home improvement quarter on your disco.

 

Do you want cash back, or do you want points for traveling?

Message 6 of 10
NRB525
Super Contributor

Re: What new card(s) should I consider?

When you go to the Citi web site, and run their credit card prequalification tool, looking for Travel cards, what sort of result do you get?

Is it an indefinite offer? An offer with a range of APR? A specific, single APR?

 

Hearing about a trailer makes me think travel is going to include gasoline and hotel stays. The Citi Premier is a good travel card for earning points on travel, hotels, airfare, and gasoline, and 2 points on dining and other types of entertainment.

 

Your ED will of course earn points on groceries.

 

Both the TY and MR points can be transferred to Flying Blue, Virgin Atlantic, or Singapore Airlines, so effectively you can combine the points from both programs through one of those FF programs. For various types of trips, these can then be used for redemptions. For example, Flying Blue is a partner with Delta, so it's a way to combine TY + MR --> Flying Blue --> Delta domestic flights for better redemption options than Delta alone. Or use them on Flying Blue for a good redemption rate to Amsterdam or Paris.

 

The CSP (and Chase UR points from Freedom) would transfer to Singapore or Virgina Atlantic, but other than that is a little more difficult to combine with the other points earners.

 

Are you stockpiling your ED points? Not wasting them on cash back?

High Bal Jan 2009 $116k on $146k limits 80% Util.
Oct 2014 $46k on $127k 36% util EQ 722 TU 727 EX 727
April 2018 $18k on $344k 5% util EQ 806 TU 810 EX 812
Jan 2019 $7.6k on $360k EQ 832 TU 839 EX 831
March 2021 $33k on $312k EQ 796 TU 798 EX 801
May 2021 Paid all Installments and Mortgages, one new Mortgage EQ 761 TY 774 EX 777
April 2022 EQ=811 TU=807 EX=805 - TU VS 3.0 765
Message 7 of 10
BluePoodle
Valued Contributor

Re: What new card(s) should I consider?


@Anonymous wrote:

@BluePoodle wrote:

@Anonymous wrote:

How much do you spend a month and in which categories?



It's just me. And I don't think college tuition counts as a category (I wish it did!) But standard gas, groceries, utilities. I do have plans to move from my apartment to a rental house in Feb 2016 which will mean I plan to buy some bigger furnishings next year but I mostly do my own vintage restoration so that will be limited. I would like to buy a small vintage trailer to restore so I guess home improvements (lowe's, I don't care for home depot) will be a larger spend category. I like to dine out quite a bit too. I guess $2-3K spend monthly. 


actually if you are paying tuition out of pocket it may behoove u to see if they take credit cards. that would be great for a citi double cash card or your qs you already have.

 

for everything else you are 24-36k yearly spend, that is significant, you might benefit from an Amex BCP, or a Wells Fargo Propel 365. Click the link in my signature and see which spending pattern aligns most with you.

 

Your home furnishings hopefully can get during home improvement quarter on your disco.

 

Do you want cash back, or do you want points for traveling?


Sadly, my daughter's university charges 2.7% on on CC payments wiping out any cash earnings. 

CapOne $7500 | Discover $8500 | Amex ED $25K | Barclay SM $5700 | Chase Disney $500 | Chase Slate $5K | Target $3K | Hilton Amex $2K
Gardening Since 4/3/2017
Message 8 of 10
BluePoodle
Valued Contributor

Re: What new card(s) should I consider?


@NRB525 wrote:

When you go to the Citi web site, and run their credit card prequalification tool, looking for Travel cards, what sort of result do you get?

Is it an indefinite offer? An offer with a range of APR? A specific, single APR?

 

Hearing about a trailer makes me think travel is going to include gasoline and hotel stays. The Citi Premier is a good travel card for earning points on travel, hotels, airfare, and gasoline, and 2 points on dining and other types of entertainment.

 

Your ED will of course earn points on groceries.

 

Both the TY and MR points can be transferred to Flying Blue, Virgin Atlantic, or Singapore Airlines, so effectively you can combine the points from both programs through one of those FF programs. For various types of trips, these can then be used for redemptions. For example, Flying Blue is a partner with Delta, so it's a way to combine TY + MR --> Flying Blue --> Delta domestic flights for better redemption options than Delta alone. Or use them on Flying Blue for a good redemption rate to Amsterdam or Paris.

 

The CSP (and Chase UR points from Freedom) would transfer to Singapore or Virgina Atlantic, but other than that is a little more difficult to combine with the other points earners.

 

Are you stockpiling your ED points? Not wasting them on cash back?


I am stockpiling my ED points. I haven't used any of them since I aquired the card. I am hoping to use them for airlines for international trip next year. At the very least I will be researching for my daughter who may be doing a summer class with her school somewhere in Africa and I can hopefully use them then. 

 

I guess the CSP might not be the best option to work with ED.  I'll take a look at Citi Premier. Thanks

CapOne $7500 | Discover $8500 | Amex ED $25K | Barclay SM $5700 | Chase Disney $500 | Chase Slate $5K | Target $3K | Hilton Amex $2K
Gardening Since 4/3/2017
Message 9 of 10
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: What new card(s) should I consider?

I have the Marriott card and I love it (I was able to get the 70k bonus, so I got a lot of points right out of the gate), but I believe they discontinued the free night on signup. I believe it's just a free annual night on your account anniversary now. Not bad, but you don't get the free night the first year now (unless you've gotten a targeted offer!).

Message 10 of 10
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