Tag Archives: Barclays Bank

More Info Regarding Chime Card Loads After October 8 and my App-O-Rama Planning

Chime Logo

More Info Regarding Chime Card Loads After October 8 and my App-O-Rama Planning

Literally a few minutes before writing this post, I received the following email from Chime regarding the previously announced changes to debit card loads (link). Starting October 8, you will be able to load up to $200 per day, with a minimum load amount of $25.  If you use a debit card from Chase, Wells Fargo, Bank of America, U.S. Bank, Comerica Bank, or USAA, your debit card loads will remain free.  If you use a different debit card (including the PayPal Business Debit Card), you will *most likely* get hit with a “fee of up to 3%” per load.  We still need to wait and see what Chime does regarding the PayPal Business Debit Card.  If you use a debit card from one of the previously mentioned banks, the October 8 change will benefit you.

Chime Debit Card Updated Terms

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Don’t Close your Credit Card! Downgrade or Convert to these Credit Cards

Which Credit Card

Downgrade or Convert to these Credit Cards

This post is a combination of my recommendations and the recommendations from readers.  Thank you for contributing to this post.  The big question is, why should you downgrade or convert a credit card instead of closing it outright?

Pros of downgrading or converting a credit card:

  • Downgrading/converting your credit card lengthens the average age of your credit card accounts and improves your credit score (learn more about your credit score here).
  • Downgrading/converting your credit card keeps your credit utilization ratio lower, which is good for your credit score (see link above).
  • Downgrading/converting your credit card keeps your miles/points from expiring or being forfeited back to the credit card company.
  • Downgrading/converting your credit card results in no hard pull of your credit report.
  • Downgrading/converting your credit card is sometimes easier than outright applying.
  • Downgrading/converting your credit card makes it possible to get the same credit card multiple times (like 2 Chase Freedom or Bank of America Better Balance Reward cards).
  • Downgrading/converting your credit card may result in a sign up bonus on the new card (sometimes not, see cons below).

Cons of downgrading or converting a credit card:

  • Downgrading/converting your credit card may result in not get a sign up bonus for the new credit card.
  • Downgrading/converting your credit card may take a long time for the conversion process (Citi takes 60+ days).
  • Downgrading/converting your credit card may cause you to have “too much available credit” and may make it harder to be approved for future credit cards (mostly Barclays, but you can do recon calls to reverse their decision).
  • Downgrading/converting your credit card may interfere with the “churnability” of the credit card.

To read the full article, please click here.  Gotta go watch the Little League World Series now.

Weekend TWG Homework Assignment: What are the Best Credit Cards for Downgrades or Conversions?

Which Credit Card

Weekend TWG Homework Assignment: What are the Best Credit Cards for Downgrades or Conversions?

Good evening everyone, TGI (Thank Grant It’s) Thursday.  I will be flying up to San Francisco Friday night and coming home early Monday morning from Oakland.  I will not be blogging this weekend, but I will bring my phone so I can respond to emails and blog comments.  Since the collective knowledge of TWG readers is far superior than just my knowledge, I need your help.  I am working on compiling a page on best credit cards for downgrades or conversions.  For every annual fee credit card from a bank, there is a related no annual fee credit card.

Do you remember that kid in school who always asked the teacher if there was any homework due next week when the teacher clearly forgot to assign any?  Well, you can all thank Dan P for the suggestion (link):

I think a blog post about all the “good downgrading cards” would be great. Include the BoA Better Balance Rewards and the Citizens Bank Green$ense (pays you $0.25 per transaction, up to $20 per month; great for purchases under $5) in addition to other cards. Although other than those two I haven’t found any really useful, zero annual fee cards.

Steven got the ball rolling with this comment:

Best practice is to convert the Alaska card to a Better Balance card which will award $100 a year for minimal spending. I have 6 of them. :)

Followed by Jivepicnic’s comment:

I only have one Better Balance Card, so I have some work to do to catch up to Steven! I purchase an Amazon eGC for $0.50 each month, so I spend $6 per year to get $100. Actually for me it’s $120 because you get a $5 bonus per quarter if you have a BofA checking account as well.

Clearly, I have been living under a rock since I was unaware of this card until a few days ago.  I have closed several Bank of American credit card in the last 2 years to avoid the annual fee, when I could have earned $100 a year for keeping a credit card open (link).

BofA Better Balance Rewards

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Random News: Hyatt Hawaiian Timeshare Deal, Targeted US Airways 20% Bonus, and a New Serve Card Verification Process

Hyatt Card

Random News: Hyatt Hawaiian Timeshare Deal, Targeted US Airways 20% Bonus, and a New Serve Card Verification Process

Good evening everyone, another late night post just for you.

The targeted emails and letters in the mail continue to come in.  This time, I received a very interesting email from Hyatt regarding a Hyatt timeshare presentation in Maui, Hawaii.  For $299, you can stay 6 days and 5 nights at the Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa on Ka’Anapali Beach.  If that wasn’t good enough, you will also get 10,000 Hyatt Gold Passport Points (worth at least $150 in my book).

Hyatt HA Timeshare Letter

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Barclays Card Trick and New Citi Dividend 3rd Quarter Category Bonuses (Rental Cars, Theme Parks, Hilton Properties, and Movie Theaters)

Which Credit Card

Barclays Card Trick and New Citi Dividend 3rd Quarter Category Bonuses (Rental Cars, Theme Parks, Hilton Properties, and Movie Theaters)

Greetings from the American Airlines lounge at LAX.  I am about to board my Air Berlin flight to Dusseldorf, Germany, continuing onto Barcelona, Spain.  My Air Berlin flight leaves from Tom Bradley International Terminal, but the American Airlines lounge is in Terminal 4.  So… I have to make this quick to I can go back out to the street then walk over to the international terminal, go through TSA security, no TSA Precheck for Air Berlin :(

A reader of mine sent me an email that there is a way to get 0% APR financing on your Barclays Arrival Plus credit card, but first, here is the standard terms of the offer:

Standard Barclays APRs

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