Remember when I wrote about a recent spike in credit card fraud that may be tied to GiftCardMall? At the time, I reported a few small fraudulent charges that appeared on mine and my family’s credit cards. I was relieved that Citi and Chase caught it and were able to reverse the charges quickly while … Read more
I’ve had a pretty great two weeks: Not only did I leave my long-term side hustle for greener pastures, but I’ve also experienced a huge traffic boost recently. Lots of new and returning readers have been reading, sharing and helping the site grow. So I figured this was the perfect time to celebrate new milestones with … Read more
Recently, there has been an uptick in credit card fraud reported by people who regularly shop at GiftCardMall. I came across an article from Doctor of Credit, speculating about this. Lots of people commented on the post. Some confirmed that their hacked credit cards were only used at GiftCardMall. While I can’t say definitively that … Read more
Back in August, I jumped on the ~$500 Hong Kong Airlines business class mistake fare. Since the fare was in business class, there was no thinking about it: I sent out a group text and gave everyone exactly two minutes to respond. My sister wanted to go, so I booked the first available date in October … Read more
A reader recently messaged me to find out what the best credit card was for earning American AAdvantage miles. More specifically, he’s been deciding between the Citi AAdvantage Platinum and CitiBusiness AAdvantage Platinum Card. Both cards offer generous sign-up bonuses and carry the same $99 annual fee, which is waived for the first 12 months. … Read more
Plastiq is offering targeted customers a 1% fee on payments made with a MasterCard. Targeted users qualify for this lower rate if they schedule three payments of up to $2,000 each. Payments must be scheduled by May 31, giving you plenty of time to take advantage of this. A few readers have emailed me, wondering … Read more
The Marriott-Starwood merger has been an epic diaster, spawning a new verb: Bonvoyed. I don’t think a day goes by when my Twitter feed isn’t littered with complaints about issues with reservations or point balances. It’s really amazing that Marriott hasn’t addressed these widespread problems and has instead focused on lobbying for awards and tooting their … Read more
One of the most common questions I get related to my weekly manufactured spending activities is about depositing money orders. A lot of people ask me which bank I deposit my money orders into and how I avoid getting shut down. Unfortunately, there isn’t really a magic formula. I’ve been using just one bank for … Read more
Last week was probably the best week I’ve had in years. Both in terms of manufactured spending and professionally. I made the decision to quit a freelance gig I’ve had for seven years. It was just creating a lot of frustration and as soon as I quit, other opportunities came flooding in that I’m really … Read more
When I shared my manufactured spending report earlier this week, I got a lot of questions about the GoBank prepaid card. This card has been around for a while. I actually got it six years ago and did nothing with it, so it eventually got deactivated. I think I was preoccupied with other cards like … Read more