Shortlist Recommendations?

[851]

Looking for these things:

• cashback
• no foreign exchange fees
• airline/hotel status
• airport lounge access
• global entry / tsa pre benefits

The first 2 are my main interest, everything else is gravy to tip the scale in favor of one card or another.  

Other info to help:

• I could do personal or business accounts
• don't carry a balance
• don't like point systems
• annual fees are fine
• credit scores are excellent

thank you!

[Anonymous]

https://frequentmiler.boardingarea.com/best-credit-card-sign-up-offers/

They list all the major issuers and their perks 

[851]

Thanks, that site is new to me.

Based on the past 24 hours of looking around, it appears the Captial One Quicksilver is the best one for my top 2 criteria (cashback and no forex fees).  Going to keep looking for status/lounge perks at that site you linked.

[Anonymous]

PayPal Cashback is a 2% card with no FTF or AF too. And it’s Synchrony so the credit limit can grow very quickly compared to the QuickSilver.

[zerofire]

I second the PayPal 2% Cashback card.

Also I would like to add the PenFed Pathfinder card for the other benefits.

3%-4% On travel

No FTF or Annual

Global Entry credit

$100 air travel credit

[Anonymous]

You are talking about airline / hotel status. As far as I know, only hotel cards and the Amex plat will give you status for hotels. No card I know apart from the Amex Centurion do offer any airline status (although they may offer perks equivalent to some status such as priority boarding, lounge access and free additional luggage). Many premium cards will offer Priority Pass / LoungeKey.

To be able to better assist you, are you looking towards any specific airline / hotel brands you want status / benefits with?

[wasCB14]

Do you have $100k in IRA/cash/taxable investments to park at BofA?

If so, and even maybe at a lesser amount, BofA Premium Rewards could be worth a look.

[851]

Thanks, that idea with BofA/Merill for pref rewards is on my list.

Actually, didn’t know that airline status wasn’t a thing, but it does seem like the amex platinum gets much of the travel perks I’m looking for.

And I couldn’t help but notice the Schwab Amex Platinum in @wasCB14 signature. Looked it up and if I read it right, that $200 statement credit makes the annual fee that much less. Plus, I already have a login at Schwab and I like seeing things in one place.

Are there any other places like Schwab offering amex in this way? And is there anything different for better/worse about schwab amex plat vs just via amex?

Edit:
Found this amex platinum version comparison
https://frequentmiler.boardingarea.com/which-is-the-best-amex-platinum-card/

Happen to be looking for a new advisor and would want 2 cards, so morgan looks interesting. Schwab still looks interesting too

[851]

As far as which airlines and hotels, its not super important and I would let the carrier with the better card sway me.

But I usually stay Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt in that order when I travel for work.

And I usually fly United, Southwest or JetBlue in that order. Never American Airlines

[wasCB14]

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@851 wrote:
Thanks, that idea with BofA/Merill for pref rewards is on my list.

Actually, didn’t know that airline status wasn’t a thing, but it does seem like the amex platinum gets much of the travel perks I’m looking for.

And I couldn’t help but notice the Schwab Amex Platinum in @wasCB14 signature. Looked it up and if I read it right, that $200 statement credit makes the annual fee that much less. Plus, I already have a login at Schwab and I like seeing things in one place.

Are there any other places like Schwab offering amex in this way? And is there anything different for better/worse about schwab amex plat vs just via amex?

Edit:
Found this amex platinum version comparison
https://frequentmiler.boardingarea.com/which-is-the-best-amex-platinum-card/

Happen to be looking for a new advisor and would want 2 cards, so morgan looks interesting. Schwab still looks interesting too

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At the $1M asset level (and if you're also looking at JP Morgan and the JPM Reserve Visa, I'm assuming that's no obstacle), it's $200 for the Schwab account, $200 for airfare extras ($200 in Delta checked bags, lounge guests, and egift certificates to me), and ~$185 for Uber credits (adjusting for the fact I can get Uber cash on CSR more cheaply). So the $550 Platinum card is basically free for me with ~$585 in credits. Then add in lounges, perks, Saks credit, concierge, roadside assistance etc.

I used to jump around between brokerages and chase promotions but lost my taste for the delays and having to keep my own basis records. Fidelity and Schwab were the ones I liked, so the Schwab Platinum fit in nicely.

The Schwab Platinum also has what I call "point value insurance". You can redeem MR points for cash at 1.25 cents per point as Schwab deposits. The downside of Schwab Platinum is that it has sometimes offered a smaller point bonus than the regular Platinum.

I try to get better value with airline miles, but if for some reason my travel slows I can fall back on that 1.25 cpp for cash. It makes BBP a 2.5%+ card, though that is capped at $50k spend per calendar year. CFU has no spend cap for 1.5x URs so I earn MRs and URs.

Airline status only comes AFAIK on the Amex Centurion as Delta Platinum. These days an invitation usually requires low 7 figure annual spend.

Amex also has Platinum Card partnerships with Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, and Ameriprise.