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Amex Shutdown
6 Oct. 2021
Amex Shutdown
Say It Ain’t So Some shutdowns are not a complete surprise.  If you’ve read this blog before, you likely know that I’ve had a fairly lengthy rap sheet of big bank shutdowns associated with loyalty rewards earning credit cards.  Shutdowns are not a source of pride believe me; they are a touch of embarrassment combined
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Utah’s 5 National Parks on Points
22 Sep. 2021
Utah’s 5 National Parks on Points
Amazing Grace I love America’s national parks.  The amount of geographic diversity we have in our country is incredible.  One of my favorite places to visit in the U.S is southern Utah.  If you haven’t been there, I highly recommend it.  Utah has some of the most beautiful land in the country, but many don’t
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Unblogging ?
19 Sep. 2021
Unblogging ?
Gut Check I haven’t blogged for awhile.  As odd as it may sound, part of the reason has been the political situation in the country and my city, which hasn’t sat well with me.  To be frank, it’s got me down and taken away some of the blogging steam I had before.  Blogging also takes
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Podcast #19 – 2020 Travel Music
4 Jan. 2021
Podcast #19 – 2020 Travel Music
Juke-Box Eating scorpion tails on a trip doesn’t entice me, but hearing new music does. Sometimes the music is great, other times not so good.  I think music helps people absorb a trip, either in memories, cultural significance, or something else.  Although not much travel took place in 2020 due to Covid, this podcast episode
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Podcast #18 – Free National Park Road Trip
11 Nov. 2020
Podcast #18 – Free National Park Road Trip
Freewheelin’ In and outside of the loyalty and reward points and miles space, there’s plenty of talk about “free” travel, almost all of which doesn’t end up to actually be free travel.  In short, so many people omit details and costs that negate exactly what they claim to be promoting.  I like to create goals,
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New Credit Cards
25 Sep. 2020
New Credit Cards
Plastics It’s been awhile since I last applied for new credit cards.  In August 2019, I applied, and was approved for, 7 new credit cards.  Seeing the approvals and points hypothetically roll-in was great, but applying for that many cards led to issues, and I was actually shutdown by one of my major banks (who
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MoneyGram Banned….Again!
24 Jul. 2020
MoneyGram Banned….Again!
Back Scratch Fever You provide a service.  I use that service.  I pay you fees for your service.  You complete the service.  The cycle continues.  That seems like a logical and free market sort of thing to do.  MoneyGram has decided otherwise and is playing with a different set of guidelines.  Their rules go something
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Update on Missing Points
24 Jul. 2020
Update on Missing Points
Missing You By now it should be no secret that Amex increased a number of benefits due to the Covid crisis.  That bump in benefits enabled people to decrease the cost of card ownership (annual fees via credits and extra/enhanced benefits attached to some cards) and also have the opportunity to earn more rewards.  Some
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