Ariana Arghandewal

I’ve had to bite my tongue for a while now, since I got word of the embargoed news: The Amex Platinum Card’s annual fee just increased to $895. The change applies to both the business and personal version. But don’t worry folks! The card now includes even more credits than before, so you can “justify” the annual fee spike and get even more “value” from your card. Will you though?

The original title of this post was supposed to be, “My Bilt card is converting to a Wells Fargo Autograph Card and I’m not mad about it.” But then I pulled a 180 and decided at the last hour to splurge on the new Bilt Palladium Card.

World of Hyatt is making major changes to its award chart in May 2026, expanding from three award tiers per category to five: Lowest, Low, Moderate, Upper, and Top. It’s not as bad as the debunked Reddit rumor of a mass devaluation. But top-tier awards are going up by as much as 66%.

Update: As of September 4, 2015, shopping portals are no longer offering cash back on large denominations of Amex gift cards, so I would advise against this method of manufactured spending. There are several reasons why American Express gift cards are better manufactured spending tools than Visa and MasterCard gift cards. I’ve outlined some of … Read more

Back in the day, LA cab drivers always gave me a hard time for paying with a credit card. Luckily, that’s not an issue with rideshare apps like Uber an Lyft. You simply add your credit card to the app, request a ride and be on your merry way. Nearly everyone uses rideshare apps like Uber an Lyft these days while traveling. They’re affordable, convenient, better than taxis and you can earn points and miles with your credit card.

Back in the day, LA cab drivers always gave me a hard time for paying with a credit card. Luckily, that’s not an issue with rideshare apps like Uber an Lyft. You simply add your credit card to the app, request a ride and be on your merry way. Nearly everyone uses rideshare apps like … Read more

The Chase Sapphire Reserve Card offers a wide range of travel insurance benefits, but its most notable perk is the Emergency Medical and Dental benefit. While many credit cards include some form of travel insurance, very few actually reimburse medical bills when an emergency happens. The Sapphire Reserve covers up to $2,500 (minus a $50 … Read more

The Chase Sapphire Reserve Card offers a wide range of travel insurance benefits, but its most notable perk is the Emergency Medical and Dental benefit. While many credit cards include some form of travel insurance, very few actually reimburse medical bills when an emergency happens. The Sapphire Reserve covers up to $2,500 (minus a $50 deductible) for emergency medical and dental expenses when you’re traveling at least 100 miles from home.

The Amex Gold to Platinum upgrade offer might be tempting when you’re looking to earn more points without acquiring a new credit card. Amex is pretty generous about dishing out upgrade offers for existing cardholders, often requiring a slightly lower spending requirement to earn a substantial bonus.

What I look for in travel gear/What I consider essential travel gear