Ryan Smith Latest Posts

Bank of America is offering an improved bonus on the Alaska Airlines Visa® credit card of 60,000 Bonus Miles + Alaska’s Famous Companion Fare™ (from $122) after you meet the minimum spending requirements. What can you do with that bonus, and how valuable is it? Let's take a look.

You might be more familiar with Amex Offers and Chase Offers, but Citi Merchant Offers can provide great rebates on travel purchases. They're available on most personal credit cards, and Citi Merchant Offers provide cash back as a flat amount or a percentage of your purchase, and current offers include Lyft, Shell, Holiday Inn, and Holiday Inn Express. Here's a look at the current travel-related Citi Merchant Offers you might find.

Southwest Airlines just launched a new promotion to get a 50% off base fares. You'll need to use a discount code and then book your flights by September 28, 2023 — a three-day promotion. That discounts Southwest flights to as cheap as $30 or just 1,123 Rapid Rewards points! However, discounted flights are first-come, first-serve. So, don't delay. Here's how to save.

Many credit cards offer welcome bonuses and other spending bonuses for those able to spend significant sums on the card. If you have a large purchase of $5,000 or more coming up, these are the best credit cards to use.

In theory, redeeming hotel points for an upcoming stay is straightforward. But what if there aren't any hotels at your destination that participate in rewards programs — can you still pay with points? Let us teach you how to pay for lodging with points when you "can't pay with points" at that hotel.

Using a small-business rewards credit card gives you a huge advantage to accumulate points for travel or earn extra cash back. And businesses with limited spending power or those averse to paying an annual fee aren't without options. These are the best business credit cards with no annual fee.

Your credit score is important, and the best way to protect it is regularly checking your credit report. While many services will happily charge you for this ability, there's no need to pay. In positive news, a once-temporary benefit to get your credit report each week is now permanent.

The Credit Card Competition Act purports to reduce fees on credit card purchases, saying businesses will save money and then reduce prices — leading to savings for consumers. History tells us this isn't true. So what is this legislation, how does it relate to credit card rewards, why should you care? These are the latest developments.

If you're looking for a windfall of Marriott Bonvoy points, you're in luck. You're also in luck if you want high-value free night awards. That's because we're seeing elevated welcome offers on three of Marriott's co-branded cards, including a never-seen-before offer on Marriott's premium credit card.

Credit card issuers are noticing consumer trends, and several credit cards have added cell phone protection lately. This is good news, as replacing or repairing a cell phone can be costly. Here are the cards offering this benefit and the details of what is (and what isn't) covered.