Prevent Your Frequent Flyer Miles From Expiring

By MoneyBlueBook

I used to fly a lot and racked up a lot of frequent flyer miles over the years, but now I have to be extra careful. Airline travelers who don't use their frequent flyer miles...well, frequently, may soon discover that their miles have expired. It is a growing trend, but airlines have shortened the time period that an account can remain inactive before miles expire. In most cases that time period ranges between 1 to 2 years.

Here Are the Expiration Policies For Some of the Biggest Airlines:

• AirTran: Points in A+ Rewards expire after 12 months.
• American Airlines: AAdvantage miles expire after 36 months of inactivity.
• Delta Airlines: Delta SkyMiles expire after 2 years of inactivity.
• JetBlue: TrueBlue points expire one full year from the date that they are earned.
• Northwest Airlines: Northwest WorldPerks miles expire if none are earned for 3 calendar years.
• Southwest Airlines: Rapid Rewards points expire after 2 years.
• United Airlines: Mileage Plus miles expire after 36 months of inactivity. Starting December 31, 2007, miles will expire after 18 months of inactivity.
• U.S. Airways: Dividend Miles expire after 18 months of inactivity.

How You Can Easily Prevent Mileage Expiration

The way to prevent your miles from lapsing due to inactivity is to simply generate miles-earning activity for each airline that you have an account with. Other using than using a specialized miles-generating credit card rewards like

By MoneyBlueBook

When you give out permission for others to make an inquiry on your credit report, did you know that the inquiry itself may have a negative impact on your credit score? Not all inquiries are created equal. An inquiry occurs when someone examines your credit history and credit score. While a hard inquiry will hurt your credit score, a soft inquiry will not.

Soft Credit Inquiry v. Hard Credit Inquiry

A soft pull describes an inquiry that does not affect your credit score. Soft pulls, or soft credit checks, frequently occur and oftentimes you may not even be aware of it happening. Each soft pull is noted on your credit history file but they are only for you to see and are not available for lenders to view. Examples of soft credit pulls include:

A hard pull, or hard credit inquiry, is very different anddoes negatively affect your credit score. When you give permission for a lender to check your credit history for the purpose of extending credit to you, the lender will make what is known as a hard credit check. A hard credit check is almost always voluntary and is noted on your credit history file by all

By MoneyBlueBook

Yesterday, Bank of America raised its ATM surcharge fee for non customers at most of its ATM's nationwide to $3 from $2. The newsis significant for many people because Bank of America operates the largest ATM network in the United States and the higher fees could affect millions who do not hold consumer banking accounts there.

Such news barely raised a blip on my radar frankly. They could raise the ATM fee to $100 for non Bank of America account holders such as myself, and I still wouldn't be phased. That's because I pay for everything almost exclusively by using credit cards.

Switch From Cash To Credit Cards

Now is a good time to reiterate what I've been trying to tell people all along. If you are a responsible credit user, the simplest and most routine way to save money and even make some extra money is to use credit cards. It's time to stop paying everything using cash.

We've finally evolved from a trade and barter society into a cash market. Now it's time to take one step further and transition into plastic. ATM surcharges are sure to increase across the board to match Bank of America's move, so it's time to stop those daily and sometimes expensive visits to your neighborhood ATM to withdraw cash. Why carry around so much cash and end up with the inevitable jingling coins in your pocket or purse?

To be fair, the regular and exclusive use of credit cards isn't for everyone. Some people truly have difficulty handling

By MoneyBlueBook

PayPaland Equifaxhave an ongoing partnership where PayPal users can receive free credit monitoring alerts through Equifax. The interesting part is that you don't need to have a PayPal account to receive the free service. You just have to visit PayPal's website and click on theEquifax Credit Alertlink. You will then be automatically redirected to Equifax's website where you can register or sign in with your existing Equifax login ID. The offer is essentially open to everyone since there is no actual attempt to verify that you are indeed a PayPal customer. You just have to register through the PayPal link and the service is free.

I have not been a victim of credit fraud but I am learning to be more careful these days. I have given my confidential personal information numerous times to apply for various credit offers and contract job positions. It doesn't cost anything to exercise a healthy level of caution and take advantage of the service.

The free Equifax standard credit monitoring service provides notifications to your chosen e-mail address or telephone number when the following account changes appear on your Equifax credit report:

• Balance amount increase,
• Balance percent increase, or
• New Equifax credit inquiries.

The alerts can be changed and customized to your preference, and you can decide on what dollar amount or percentage change you would like to be alerted about.

The downside is that the service only provides alerts for Equifax credit changes and doesn't tell you which credit card triggered the alert. But

By MoneyBlueBook

Editor's Note:  This offer is no longer available. 

I'm a big believer in using the right combination of cash rebate and credit card offers to maximize one's purchasing potential. In the search for the best travel rewards credit card, I've noticed that some people opt for airline specific cards. However, these types of cards tend to offer unimpressive deals. Not only do they offer higher interest rates and annual fees, but their redemption options are also much more limited.

Review - Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card from American Express

I'm a big fan of credit card reward plans that offer versatility such as Citibank's ThankYou Network, which I use to earn points redeemable for gift cards and air travel. However, my favorite stand alone travel rewards card is the Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card from American Express. It has been referred to as the Swiss army knife of travel rewards cards and deservedly so...

By MoneyBlueBook

Citibank's ThankYou Points Network offers some of the best rewards. I currently own several Citibank credit cards and I get ThankYou rewards points for using them to purchase ordinary everyday things. With my current Citibank credit card setup, I receive 6% back in the form of Purchase Rebates on grocery stores, drug stores, and gas. I also receive 5% back on restaurants, coffee shops, movie theaters, and book stores. 1 Purchase Rebate = 100 ThankYou Points. For every 1 mile I drive, I also receive the equivalent of 1 ThankYou Point. They all generate rewards points and contribute to the same pool of ThankYou Points. I have been saving for over a year and it's time to put those points to good use. With the ThankYou Network you can exchange your points for things such as merchandise, electronics, gift cards, student loan credit, and even cash.

Great Exchange Rate for Travel Rewards

One of my favorite redemption choice is Thank You Point's Variable and Fixed Flight Option. With the Variable Travel Option you can redeem your Thank You Points for the equivalent of whatever the value of the flight cost is. However, you'll likely get the best deal by choosing the Fixed Flight Option. Below are the current point values needed for redemption (as of January 1, 2008, however since point levels are subject to change please contact a ThankYou Network Travel Specialist for the most current point pricing.

Coach:

Flights
Starting Points
Ticket Value ($)

Continental US