#credit-cards

#credit-cards

Airline miles and points can feel unnecessarily difficult to navigate, and I say that as a seasoned traveler with airline status - one who's spent more time than I'd like to admit squinting at award charts and fine print. I'm constantly inundated with social media posts from people claiming they've booked flights to Europe for something like 3,000 miles, while I'm left wondering what algorithm they've managed to crack that I haven't.

Paying is painful. This is not just a figure of speech. A brain-scanning study by Brian Knutson and colleagues found that seeing high prices activates the insula, a brain region usually associated with pain processing. Further, insula activation discourages spending. This was one of several studies showing that parting with money causes psychological discomfort. Even more important, the more explicit the act of paying, the larger the discomfort and the less likely you are to complete the purchase.

My friend Kim, a Premier 1K United member, included me as a companion on her booking for our vacation to Washington last summer. We enjoyed an upgrade to first during one of the flights, and over an extremely generous pour of Champagne, she schooled me on what I was missing by not picking a team. Of course, I was familiar with benefits like an earlier boarding group, the potential for complimentary seat upgrades, and lounge access if you reach a certain level.

The National Advertising Division found that Chase's most rewarding' claims, absent additional context tying them to specific product features or attributes, are nonactionable puffery, the organization said in a Dec. 3 release. NAD also determined that most rewarding' card does not convey the message that a consumer will earn the most reward points with that card. The National Advertising Division, also known as NAD, was created by the advertising industry in 1971 in response to concerns about the need for oversight of truth and accuracy in advertising.

He says wealthy people consistently focus on solutions, improvement, and long term opportunity. People who struggle financially often ask limiting questions that keep them stuck. Ramsey believes mindset is a core part of building wealth. According to Ramsey, successful people regularly ask how they can grow, what skills they can learn, and how they can move forward even when times are tough. These questions push them toward action and responsibility. By focusing on what they can control, they create habits that steadily build financial stability.

American homeowners manage some of the largest household expenses in the country - mortgage payments, home improvements, utilities, and maintenance - yet credit card rewards have largely ignored these categories in favor of luxury travel and dining perks that feel out of reach for most families. With 86 million owner-occupied homes and mortgage payments averaging $1,500 monthly, homeownership represents the single largest recurring financial commitment for most Americans, creating an untapped opportunity to deliver meaningful financial benefits where households actually spend.

Samsung is looking to launch a credit card in the US, reports The Wall Street Journal. The card will be a partnership between Samsung and British bank Barclays and it will use Visa as the payment network. This is clearly intended to compete with the Apple Card that rival Apple offers. That one is backed by Goldman Sachs and Mastercard (though we hear that Goldman Sachs wants out).

If you're a college freshman, congratulations! You're now likely financially responsible for yourself. While that can be exciting, it can also be nerve-wracking especially if you don't have a lot of money. You have the freedom to control your own budget. At the same time, you may have thousands of dollars in student loans. How do you make smart financial decisions so you have enough money to spend at school and don't graduate with more debt than you need?

With every launch of a new credit card, there is an immediate swell of news that comes with the different perks and benefits. We're in a bit of a world right now where most credit cards feel the same, so everyone is looking for something different, and the hope was that the Citi Strata Elite was the next "it" card. Sometimes, what seems like a great idea on paper can be a real headache in real life.

According to the J.D. Power's 2025 U.S. Credit Card Satisfaction Study, American Express ranked as the top issuer in overall customer satisfaction, followed by Bank of America and Capital One.

The aftermath of the 2008 banking crisis led to large corporations benefiting from bank consolidations while smaller businesses faced significant losses, highlighting a major shift in the lending landscape.

Carlson pointed out that companies like DraftKings and FanDuel are profiting significantly, with forecasts indicating a record financial year, leading him to question why people are paying their gambling debts.

Credit cards offer far better protection for consumers, especially against fraudulent transactions, making them a safer option for everyday purchases.