I like the US Bank Cash Plus. You have to pick your categories quarterly but I always pick 2% for restaurants and 5% for fast food. No annual fee. 

Great article. Recently heard this podcast about a father who left his son a lot of money and how he can’t even bare to touch it b/c he doesn’t see it as his. It’s a good listen. https://www.marketplace.org/shows/this-is-uncomfortable-reema-khrais/what-dad-left-behind/

Just curious. Can you expand on the quote, “you don’t work at the CIA. You are a human first and an employee second.”? Does this just reference work-life balance and where did you hear this quote?

For me, I’m just staying the course. 6% to my 401 (k) to get my company match of 6% and 9% to my Roth IRA. If the economy turns down, I’m sure my bonuses will be less but I look at this as stocks are on sale and maybe (cross my fingers) real estate. I’d like to upgrade since my partner and I are discussing moving in…

As someone who works with the unbanked and people with limited credit history, even inquires and paying off loans can cause these types of fluctuations. I have a ton of clients who don’t believe in credit cards and they just rely on a personal loan over and over again. When they only have a few active trade lines…

No. I was raised in a household where the harder you work the more valuable you are. I’m in a new relationship and I take off more b/c my partner likes the travel but I still dread coming back to the pile of work. My CEO makes constant jokes about all these “millennials” and this thing called work/life balance. Also,…

I’m not on Facebook. If I’m in a photo with a friend who is on Facebook and he uploads my photo do they try to do facial recognition on me even though I’m not a user?

Very good tips in this article

I have the Amex Blue Cash Preferred. To help me reach the spending cap of $6K per year, I’ll buy gas gift cards and/or restaurant gift cards at the grocery store as they count towards the 6%. Also, I pair this with an app called Dosh where it gives you 5% back at Kroger locations so I’m getting 11% off on my…

Thank you for sharing this. 

I’m just curious on how much of this volatility is caused by computer trading? Stocks fall, as they did yesterday, which sends signals to these algorithms to sell and then the next day these same algorithms see the stock at a lower price and it signals them to buy.

I like to follow Warren Buffet’s advice: Be greedy when people are fearful and be fearful when people are greedy. We are in a greedy time so I’m fearful. If a recession does it, to me that signals stocks and real estate are on sale. 

I agree. I have no debt except for a small balance on a mortgage (15 yr fixed at 3%).  I work in lending and see plenty of people who make six figures who come begging for a $200 loan. Yes, that’s right. A $200.00 loan to make it to payday. 

So I have the Amex Blue Cash Preferred. It’s 6% back on groceries.  I just started buying Gas station gift cards there. I beat the skimmers and get 6% cash back. 

We called it, “Home assistance”. It was originally meant for for HVAC repair, water heaters, etc. After a while, we realized people were covering their rent and utilities and the client base started calling it Fast Cash so that’s what the unofficial name is. Ironically, it's a good performer with little charge offs.

VP at a credit union here. Back when I was a loan officer, we would do this all the time for members. We’d pay the rent directly and we would set them up on payroll deduction to make sure we got paid. Stretch it out over a year. Rate was the state cap of 18% and we charged a $50.00 fee but most people were very…

Can you have Delta and Hilton both connected or do you have to choose one or the other?

Not mentioned here but I’m curious how the carriers slow rollout of RCS impacts messaging and security. 

I’m going to be honest here and hopefully won’t get flamed too bad but as a lender when I see people who are poor and/or poor credit, I make a default judgement. I’m constantly having to check myself and realize that just because someone doesn’t make enough or has poor credit that they are a bad person. 

I keep nothing on my desk. Work at work and personal everywhere else but there. I’m of the old school where you don’t mix the two ever.