Harlan Vaughn

About Harlan

Just a dude living in Memphis, traveling, and working toward financial independence.

Is Citi Double Cash Now the Best Card for Plastiq Payments? (Mortgage/Rent, Auto, HOA)

October 19, 2019 by Harlan 8 Comments

Plastiq is an online service that allows you to pay nearly any bill using a credit card. And now for the “gotchas:”

There’s a 2.5% fee to send a bill payment
You can’t make loan payments (rent, car note, etc.) with a Visa or Amex card, but residential rent and HOA fees are OK
You CAN make loan payments with a Mastercard or Discover card
Capital One cards currently don’t work in their system right now
Most cards only earn 1 point or mile per $1 spent, which doesn’t make the fee worth it

That said, there are a lots of situations you’d want to use Plastiq despite the fee:

To complete minimum spending requirements in literally seconds and earn a sign-up bonus
When they run a promotion for free or discounted payments
When paying the fee gives you wiggle room for unexpected expenses
To reach a big spend bonus for a free hotel night/airline elite status credit, depending which card you have
If your card issuer is running a promotion for bonus miles/points/cash

And there are two cards with a 2X earning rate that work with Plastiq. The first is the Amex Blue Business Plus, which earns 2X Amex Membership Rewards points on all purchases, up to $50,000 spent per calendar year. That’s cool, but many peeps don’t qualify for small business cards, or don’t want to pay personal bills with a business card.

I value bank points at 2 cents each, so earning 2X points per $1 spent is a 4% return.

If you maximize your per-point value, it can easily offset Plastiq’s fee. Like when you get an international long-haul flight in a premium class. For that reason, I’ve been using my Amex Blue Business Plus on Plastiq a lot – but as noted above, I can’t pay my mortgage or car payment.

Enter the second option…

Citi Double Cash Plastiq payments

Aspiration Checking Account: No Fees, Free ATMs Worldwide, & Caring for the Planet

September 18, 2019 by Harlan 14 Comments

I’ve had my Aspiration checking account since I first wrote about it waaaay back in 2015. When it launched, there was no app and funky web access. But they were committed to sustainable business practices, which I really liked. Since then, they’ve created an app and a beautiful website. And widely expanded their care for our wonderful planet.

Then and now, this is among the best checking accounts if you travel – and care about – the Earth. ✈️🌎

You can open an account with only $10. And there are no fees at all to have or use it – including for up to 5 ATM withdrawals per month anywhere in the world. If you pay any fees to withdraw your money, you’ll be reimbursed at the end of each cycle.

They also offer cell phone insurance up to $600 when you pay your phone bill with the debit card, up to 1% APY when you direct deposit $1,000+ per month into Aspiration savings, and you’re FDIC-insured on balances up to $2M. Plus, none of their profits are spent on oil drilling, pipelines, or fossil fuel projects. Instead, they donate 10% of all earnings to charities.

“Do well. Do good.” is Aspiration’s tagline. If you want a fee-free checking account (including 5 ATM fees reimbursed per month) with a conscience, this is for you

If you’ve been looking for an account to use when you travel abroad, this one is perfect. Plus, you get $25 free in your account when you sign-up for an account.

Aspiration checking account basics

Find & Save Every Bank Account Bonus With This New Site

September 18, 2019 by Harlan 1 Comment

Wanted to share a new site my friend Phil made. We met at FinCon last year in Orlando, and kept in touch since. He told me about an idea for a website to track all the checking and savings account bonuses out there and I was like… that would be amazing.

And now it’s here.

If you like to earn extra money by opening new bank accounts, you must check out this site. Introducing EveryBankBonus.

You can find bonuses based on:

Your state
If direct deposit is required or not
Minimum balance required
Monthly fees
Ability to open online

It’s pretty great.

Easily find every bank offer available to you, and filter based on many factors

Here’s more about how it works!

Find every bank account bonus

5 Reasons You Should Get Acorns for Micro-Investing (Even If You Have Other Accounts)

September 17, 2019 by Harlan Leave A Comment

I’ve had the Acorns app as a complement to my usual Fidelity investment accounts since 2017. I use it to generate a little funny money – and most of it is completely free.

The website and app interface are easy to use and nice to look at. Over the past couple of years, I’ve grown to like what Acorns has to offer, and recommend it as a way to get started with investing. Even if you typically invest elsewhere, Acorns is still worth a download.

I wasn’t sure if I’d keep the Acorns app long-term, but at this point I’ll likely keep it forever

If you sign-up with my link, you’ll get a free $5 added to your account.

Here’s what I like about my experience with Acorns so far.

Everyone should give the Acorns app a download

Yes! Just Got the Chase Ink Business Preferred 80,000-Point Offer!

September 10, 2019 by Harlan 6 Comments

The Chase Ink Business Preferred offer in this post is NO LONGER AVAILABLE. Click here to see the latest travel card deals!

On September 1, I applied for the Chase Ink Business Preferred 80,000 points offer. And lord, it was a long time coming. I’m now under 5/24 for the time in eons, and haven’t opened a new Chase card in literally years.

I was nervous to apply after so long. But the chance to snag 80,000 valuable Chase Ultimate Rewards points was too much to pass up. And applying for new credit cards is seriously better than any drug for me. So I was getting that sweet adrenaline fix after submitting my application and watching this screen:

Serotonin and dopamine ACTIVATED

Then was disheartened at this message:

YOU’RE WELCOME FOR MY REQUEST

Dang it. I knew this screen was common and the best bet was to sit tight and wait it out. I figured I’d give it a couple of weeks, and check back.

NOT. (Did you really give me credit for being that chill? 😹)

You know I logged into my Chase online account 4,000 times a day hoping the card would appear. After a week, I started to get down on my luck. After all, I already had seven other Chase cards. Would they really give me an eighth?

But then!

A white unmarked envelope from Westerville, Ohio, appeared in my mailbox. The joy and horror when I saw it!

Was it a thin rejection letter or a fat welcome packet? My fingers reached at warp speed. It was a fatty! There was a card inside! Perhaps it was a cruel marketing scam? Could it be?

I ripped through the paper and just starting laughing right there at the mailbox. I couldn’t believe it.

Just like that, I was back in the game. I had a new Chase Ink Business Preferred in my hot little hand.

Chase Ink Business Preferred 80,000 points offer

Why I’m Moving (Even More) to Citi ThankYou Points – And Away From Chase

August 24, 2019 by Harlan 35 Comments

Like most points fanatics, I held Chase Ultimate Rewards points in the highest regard. It was my primary points program for years. At a recent Meetup, I asked everyone to include their favorite points program on their name tag. Literally everyone put Chase Ultimate Rewards points.

I was the odd one out. I proudly put Citi ThankYou points – which spurred interesting conversation. Because I haven’t really used my Chase cards since January 2019, when Citi Prestige unveiled 5X points earning for flights and dining with the Citi Prestige card.

Chase’s nearest competitor to Citi Prestige, the famed Chase Sapphire Reserve®, slid to ye olde sock drawer. Then, when the $550 annual fee came due, I downgraded it to the Chase Freedom Unlimited®, which I’ve used exactly never.

Why? Well, for my spending patterns, ThankYou points are much easier to earn. Combine that with the fact that Ultimate Rewards points aren’t as shiny as they once were and you have a recipe for saying “Chase Ultimate… who?”

Sorry, Chase. It’s not me, it’s you.

One’s in, one’s out – which is which?

I say this as someone who is soon to be 2/24 (did I hear you gasp just then?). I mean sure, I’ll prolly get a couple more Chase cards for the sign-up bonuses. But I doubt it’ll change my long-term spending strategy.

Here’s my reasoning.

Chase No-Longer-Ultimate Rewards points

Mexico City Trip Report: Teotihuacan Ruins, Xochimilco Canals, & Frida Kahlo’s Blue House

August 4, 2019 by Harlan 1 Comment

This time a month ago, I was headed to Mexico City for Round Two, after a pretty terrible time there in November 2018. I’m happy it turned out to be the quintessential visit, including:

Amazing food
Aztec ruins at Teotihuacan
A boat ride in Xochimilco
Frida Kahlo’s studio home
A walk through Chapultepec Park
Shopping at one of the sprawling street markets

Mexico City is vibrant, welcoming, safe… and brimming with attractions. There are museums galore, amazing restaurants, tons of green spaces, architecture, historical sites, nightlife, and so much more to enjoy. And, it’s easy to get around, considering everything is a ~$10 Uber ride away (Lyft isn’t there as of August 2019). We didn’t even bother with the subways.

I could’ve spent a month there and it wouldn’t have been enough. Considering it’s only a ~2-hour flight from Dallas, I can see myself returning for a quick weekend visit. Plus, temps are in the 70s (with lows in the 50s/60s) all year, because it’s set in the temperate basin of a mountain valley. So coming from Texas, I got a mid-summer cool-down. 🤠

Here I am with a shirt and bag from the street market, trying pulque for the first time in Mexico City

I’ll share the trip highlights!

Mexico City trip report 2019

Trip Report: Endless Ice, Incredible Nature, & Traditions in Qaqortoq, Greenland

July 10, 2019 by Harlan 7 Comments

Whew! In the 6 days since I’ve been back from Greenland, I moved all my stuff from Austin to Dallas, unpacked, and am now getting ready to head to Mexico City tomorrow for Round Two.

As soon as I arrived to Greenland, I sensed it’s a special and magical place on Earth. And immediately knew I had to go back.

Because it’s the largest island in the world that’s not a continent. The stats are vast. Greenland:

Is 21 times the size of Iceland
Has an ice sheet three times larger than the size of Texas
Is covered in 80% ice, which is over a mile thick in some spots
Has over 27,000 miles of coastline (!!!)

And yet, only 56,000 people live there. At this scale, it would take years to explore the entire country. Though I saw the tiniest sliver, it’s an incredible and challenging environment to explore.

I dare say it’s the most remote place I’ve ever visited.

Yours truly became an Arctic explorer at the base of the massive Greenland ice sheet

Here’s a glimpse of my time there.

Visit Greenland 2019 – Holy wow

Tomorrow: Heading to Iceland + Greenland! Plus, Some Life Updates

June 18, 2019 by Harlan 5 Comments

Tomorrow, I’m flying AUS-DFW-KEF, with a looong layover in Dallas. Then flying to Iceland in a… coach middle seat on American Airlines. 😩

But it’ll be worth it, because shortly after, I’ll be off to Narsarsuaq, Greenland! I’ve wanted to travel to Greenland for so long. This really is a dream come true for me. And a huge bucket list item. ✔️

This time last year, I was in the Faroe Islands, and I tell ya, nothing compares to experiencing the Summer Solstice in 24 hours of constant sunlight.

Next year, I’d like to visit the Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut – as I find myself drawn to increasingly far-flung places. And of course, I still need to get to Tierra del Fuego.

But I’m ahead of myself. Next up is Iceland and Greenland. I can’t forking wait!

Soon I’ll have my own collection of images from the shores of Greenland

I also have life updates to share.

Visit to Greenland 2019 + bric a brac

Announcing the Next DALLAS Meetup on July 11 – Meet Fellow Points & Travel Peeps!

June 11, 2019 by Harlan 4 Comments

We’ll have our next Out for Miles frequent flyer meetup in Addison, very close to North Dallas and near the Tollway, I-635, and PGBT.

This one will be Thursday, July 11, at 5:30pm – just in time for Blue Mesa’s reasonably priced happy hour. We’ll plan to hang out for a couple of hours the week after the long 4th of July holiday.

If you’re in the Dallas area, feel free to join!

The next Out for Miles meetup will be 7/11 @ Blue Mesa in Addison/Dallas

Out for Miles July event details

Review: 3 Ways the Amex Platinum Card Is Worth the $550 Annual Fee

June 10, 2019 by Harlan 7 Comments

If you can’t tell, I’ve been thinking about ultra-premium cards a lot lately. Which ones to keep and pick up… and my overall card strategy.

All roads lead back to the Amex Platinum Card (learn more here) – the original, and a current stronghold.

Several years ago, it was my first card that had a big annual fee. Lots has changed in the industry since, but it’s held up remarkably well. It’s still the card to have if you’re seeking lounge access (though admittedly denigrated a bit in the past few years).

Among ultra-premium cards, it holds its own – especially if you can get maximum value from the long list of benefits.

There are three main ways to approach recouping the cost of the $550 annual fee: through lounge access, with statement credits, or from ancillary bennies.

In each case, the card earns its keep – making the rest of the perks gravy. 🤤 Let’s dig in a bit more.

And don’t forget the 60,000-point welcome bonus, worth ~$1,200 by itself!

Use the Amex Priority Pass to take a nap in airport Minute Suite locations – and many other lounges around the world

Here’s my expert analysis. 🧐

Amex Platinum Card review – how to make the $550 fee worth it

PSA: Don’t Make This Mistake With US Bank Altitude Reserve Travel Credits

June 9, 2019 by Harlan 22 Comments

Upon logging into my US Bank online account, I noticed something weird.

I have a decent amount of points from using mobile pay at Costco for 3X points (a 4.5% return because each point is worth 1.5 cents toward travel). And I have my Real-time Rewards threshold set to $10.

So when I make a travel charge over $10, I get a text asking if I’d like to redeem points to “erase” it.

Just say the magic word and your charge is gone. (The magic word is “Redeem”)

I used this for a few Uber rides recently. Great, great, love it.

But then… I noticed my $325 annual travel credit had recently reset – and doubly covered the charges.

~$82 of charges got double credited – one from Real-time Rewards, the other from my travel credits

Not only did I redeem points for those charges, but somehow it ate up ~$82 worth of my travel credits, too. If I’d known this would happen, I would’ve saved my points.

So when your travel credits reset, DO NOT use Real-time Rewards to erase your charges. You’ll end up paying double!

Oh, and US Bank was beyond lame when I alerted them to what happened. So lame that I’m thinking of dumping this card altogether – after I drain the remaining credits and points, of course.