National Skirt Day » Finance

American Express Gift Chain

Stephen — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 12:00:32 +0000

Today I received a promotion from American Express. During the holidays, they are offering incentives to shop online at select stores for the opportunity to receive a free gift from American Express. The promotion is available for up to 10 gifts and include gifts from $2 to $500. Gifts may be statements credits, gift cards, etc. Here is how it works…

1. Register any eligble AMEX card.

2. Spend $25 or more at participating online stores up until 12/21/11.

3. You will receive an email with your free gift from AMEX.

I’m not going to go out of my way to purchase anything to receive a gift from AMEX, but since the holidays are in season, there is a chance I buy from one of the participants anyways. Only the first 250k applicants that submit their card are eligible, so you might as well register your card just in case. Particpating retailers include:

American Eagle Outfitters
Bed Bath & Beyond
Blue Nile
Dell
GameStop
J.Crew
Lenovo
Neiman Marcus
Nike
Pottery Barn
REI
Rue La La
Toys”R”Us
vente-privee
WalMart
YoYo.com
Zappos

If you’re looking for holiday gift ideas, consider buying gift cards frrom one of the retailers above in increments of $25. This would be the best way to max out your gifts. Check it out here…

Tagged: american express, amex

Top Credit Cards to Carry

Stephen — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 14:56:13 +0000

It’s important to have a great credit card to open tabs with at the bar every weekend. Therefore, I have evaluated which cards I believe are the best. Personally, I run with an American Express Blue Cash as my main card, and back it up with the Citi Dividend Platinum Select for the times that AMEX isn’t accepted. I personally prefer to get cash back rewards but we have listed what we believe is the best whether you are a student or looking for flyer miles. Check it out.

Blue Cash from American Express – Best Cash Back Offer

Earn a $25 statement credit with $500 in eligible spending
No annual fee, 0% intro APR on purchases for up to 12 months, flexibility to pay over time
Earn up to 5% cash back on eligible purchases at supermarkets, gas stations, drugstores, and more
No limit on the cash back you can earn

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card – Best Rewards Offer

Earn 50,000 bonus points after you spend $3,000 in the first 3 months- that’s worth $625 toward airfare or hotel accommodations!
Points go 25% farther when you travel – For example, 50,000 points can be redeemed for two flights worth up to $312.50 each, which would usually cost 62,500 points. Just book your flight, cruise, or other travel through Ultimate RewardsSM
Pay no foreign transaction fees when you use your card on purchases made outside of the United States.
Earn a 7% annual points dividend – even on points already redeemed
Redeem your points at leading airlines and hotels at a 1:1 value
2X points earned on airfare & hotel accommodations booked through Ultimate Rewards and 1 point for every dollar spent on all other purchases
When you call us, our phones are answered by people, not prompts
No Annual Fee for your first year – A $95 value

Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card from American Express – Best Travel Offer

Earn up to 30,000 bonus Starpoints(R) – enough for 3 free nights at a Category 4 hotel.
Redeem Starpoints for free nights at over 1,000 hotels and resorts in nearly 100 countries and for free flights on over 350 airlines – all with no blackout dates.
Earn at least 4 Starpoints per eligible dollar at participating hotels & resorts
2011 SmarterTravel(R) Award for “Best Travel Rewards Card”
Enjoy the first year with no annual fee — a savings of $65

Platinum Card from American Express – Best Business Offer

25,000 Membership Rewards(R) points bonus, redeemable for one domestic round-trip Coach-Class airline ticket, when you spend $1,000 during your first three months of Card membership
New GLOBAL Travel benefits: Priority Pass select airport club access, No Foreign Transaction Fees, Global Entry expedited U.S. immigration pass
Up to $200 in Airline Fee Credits annually to cover incidental charges on your airline of choice, including checked-baggage fees
Complimentary Companion Airfare with purchase of qualifying First- or Business-Class international ticket
24/7 Platinum Card(R) Concierge service for assistance with reservations, travel, gifts, and more
FINE HOTELS & RESORTS Program: exclusive upgrades and amenities at over 700 boutique, resort, and luxury hotels worldwide

Citi Platinum Select MasterCard – Best Introductory Offer

0% Intro APR on Balance Transfers and Purchases for 21 months. After that, the APR will be 11.99%-20.99% based upon your creditworthiness.
Extra Cash from Citi: enjoy discounts on gift cards, travel, merchandise and more
Citi® Identity Theft Solutions
Secure, free online account management
No annual fee*

Citi Dividend Platinum Select Card – Best Student Offer

No Cosigner Required
Earn 5% Cash Back on purchases at supermarkets, drugstores, gas stations, convenience stores & utilities (including cable) for 6 months; 1% thereafter*
Earn at least 2% cash back in popular rotating categories like restaurants, apparel, hotel and more. Enrollment required*
Earn a full 1% cash back on all other purchases*

Tagged: american express, chase, citi, credit cards

Best Online Brokerages for a Young Investor

Don'tTazeMeBro — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 21:00:50 +0000

The transition from college to the real world isn’t an easy one. In college, 100% of your mind was devoted strictly to three things: getting as hammered as possible, girls, and classes, usually in that order. What little money could be scraped together was used for the cheap as dirt rent and cases of natty ice, while your student ID card could be used for almost everything else (groceries, all meals, books, school supplies, etc). With the start of the real world came real responsibilities. Astonishingly, rent in a major city was more expensive than in the middle of nowhere. Food suddenly cost real currency. Drinks were no longer purchased in $10 cases; rather, they were served in bars offering $13 pitchers….really? Meanwhile, the whole prospect of hooking up with strangers in the real world was proven a lot more difficult than expected. Suddenly, you have to be “someone’s friend” or go to the right parties to even have a chance. Meanwhile, you wistfully watch as older adults party on their yachts with a bevy of girls and wonder, when will that be me? Will it be when I’m 65 and I just worked 45 years? Will I have to pay $150,000 for an MBA just to get a high paying job? The way to do it is to start investing on that first paycheck. Sure, 401k’s provide a steady stream of money and a nice base for retirement, but I’m not living my whole life in poverty just to celebrate in Del Boca Vista in 2062. But what online brokerages are the best out there for someone starting out? Since no one has the capital in their early twenties to pay out the ass in fees, choosing between online brokerages is extremely important. Sure, E*Trade has those hilarious talking babies, but is it actually a good brokerage? After the jump, ConsumerSearch recently performed a full review of thirteen of the top online brokerages, outlining pros and cons of each and including important tenants such as minimum investments and trade fees. Now start making some money before you’re too old and wrinkly to really enjoy it.

Fidelity:

Pros: Great Research Tools, full range of financial services, wide range of investment products, lower commissions than last year

Cons: Minimum Balance of $2,500

Commissions: $7.50 per trade. More than 1,600 no-load, no transaction fee mutual funds

Minimum to Open an Account: $2,500

TradeKing:

Pros: Low-cost trades, great customer services, no minimum deposit required, good research tools

Cons: Relatively narrow range of investment products, no in-person help

Commissions: $4.95 for any type of trade

Minimum to Open an Account: None

ThinkOrSwim:

Pros: Flat-rate commissions, great mobile access, three free mutual fund trades per month, cutting-edge trading technology

Cons: Not great for international traders, more bells and whistles than some might want, takes $3,500 to open an account

Commissions: $9.95 per trade, Options $0.95 to $2.95 per contract

Minimum to Open an Account: $3,500

TD Ameritrade:

Pros: excellent research and trading tools, above-average customer satisfaction, clear commission rates

Cons: More expensive than some, minimal banking services, fewer investment vehicles than some

Commissions: $9.99 per online trade up to 150 per quarter

Minimum to Open an Account: $2,000

Scottrade:

Pros: High customer satisfaction, lower transaction fee, more than 400 branch offices, $500 minimum opening balance

Cons: Not much research help, online tools fairly basic, relatively narrow range of investment products

Commissions: $7 per trade

Minimum to Open an Account: $500

Charles Schwab:

Pros: Easy-to-use website, broad range of investment offerings, customer service available 24/7, banking services

Cons: Higher Commissions, $1,000 minimum initial investment

Commissions: $8.95 per trade

Minimum to Open an Account: $1,000; waived if you open a linked checking account or establish a minimum monthly deposit of at least $100

Interactive Brokers:

Pros: Low trading costs, sophisticated trading tools, direct-access trading, access to more than 90 markets worldwide

Cons: $10,000 minimum to open most accounts, trading platform not user-friendly, best for professional traders, not average investors

Commissions: Estimated $0.005 per share, minimum $1 per trade; $10 minimum per month

Minimum to Open an Account: $10,000

E*Trade:

Pros: Good access to foreign markets, banking services, mobile apps, access to good research

Cons: Relatively high trading costs, account maintenance fee

Commissions: $9.99 per trade. Reduced commissions for those who make more than 150 trades per quarter.

Minimum to Open an Account: $500

OptionsXpress:

Pros: Cutting-edge trading technology, no account minimum, mobile apps, top-notch investor education

Cons: Limited banking services, high commissions than some

Commissions: $9.95 per online trade

Minimum to Open an Account: None

OptionsHouse:

Pros: Low Commissions, no account minimum, no account fees, mobile apps

Cons: Emphasis on options trading, trading technology not the best

Commissions: $3.95 per online trade; $9.95 for mutual funds

Minimum to Open an Account: None

Vanguard:

Pros: Good customer service, large selection of low-cost mutual funds, low costs for buy-and-hold investors

Cons: Higher costs for frequent traders, no mobile apps, minimum investment $3,000

Commissions: $7 per online trade for for the first 25 trades each calendar year; then $20 per trade

Minimum to Open an Account: $3,000

ShareBuilder:

Pros: Includes tutorials, primers, automatic investments costs $4, no minimum balance required

Cons: Market orders cost $9.95, fairly basic trading tools, narrow range of investment products, no banking services

Commissions: $4 automatic trades; $9.95 per trade for market orders

Minimum to Open an Account: None

Zecco:

Pros: No minimum-deposit requirement, no inactivity or maintenance fees, lower commissions per trade

Cons: Lower customer service scores, rudimentary research and trading tools, narrow range of offerings

Commissions: $4.50 per trade. 10 free trades per month if you have $25,000 in your account

Minimum to Open an Account: None

For more info, visit Consumer Search

Tagged: MBA, Money, Online Brokerages, Young Investor