Meet the veterans who work for The Points Guy
The Points Guy has rapidly grown from a one-person blog in 2010 to a company with close to 100 employees today. None of it would have happened without the people behind it all. And on this Veterans’ Day, we want to honor and thank the veterans on our staff for their service to the United States.
Richard Kerr, Navy
TPG's Loyalty and Engagement Editor Richard Kerr spent nine years in the Navy as a supply-corps officer, separating as a lieutenant in 2017. During his time in the Navy, Kerr completed tours on the ballistic-missile submarine USS Kentucky and the aircraft maintenance depot in Atsugi, Japan; served as an assistant logistics officer on the Marine One presidential helicopter; and completed four Pacific Ocean strategic deterrence patrols.
Richard became hooked on points and miles while deployed in countries such as South Korea, Bahrain, Kuwait, Malaysia and in Guam, because he couldn’t afford to travel home for the holidays on an officer's pay. Thanks to points and miles, he was able to fly his family back and forth from their home base in Japan, and explore various countries across Asia together during his downtime.
Today, Richard continues to serve others by building communities and breaking down complex travel strategies and systems. Some of his most popular posts for The Points Guy include guides on maximizing Chase Ultimate Rewards and American Express Membership Rewards to juice out the best possible redemptions. How would he know? He's done it firsthand — for example, by combing through all 1,008 pages of the Joint Travel Regulations, or JTR, which governs all travel booked with taxpayer funds by armed forces personnel. Amongst many other roles at TPG, Kerr helms The Points Guy's Facebook communities, including the TPG Lounge as well as a group specifically for small business owners looking to maximize their business expenses. One of Richard's best recent discoveries includes Freebird, the $19 insurance plan that rebooks him on the next flight regardless of airline, whenever his domestic trip is delayed or canceled.
Carissa Rawson, Air Force
Senior Points and Miles Reporter Carissa Rawson grew up in a tiny town in California, dreaming of the world beyond the high desert mountains surrounding her home. She joined the Air Force while still in her teens, hoping that a military career would give her the travel opportunities to which she aspired. She served as an Arabic linguist for seven years, deploying to Jordan in 2015 as part of Operation Gallant Phoenix.
"Unfortunately," she says, "no one told me that being a linguist means they basically park you in a single duty location, and you'll deploy once if you're lucky. So since I wasn't traveling for duty, I started looking elsewhere for means to travel." While in active service, Rawson discovered The Points Guy and began utilizing sign-up bonuses to help her travel around the world. That's how she visited destinations such as Japan, using a British Airways cobranded card sign-up bonus; Norway, scoring a free night in Tromsø thanks to the Citi Prestige's fourth-night free perk; and the Dominican Republic, redeeming Avios for a short-haul flight out of Miami, Florida.
Nowadays Carissa has given up Arabic for the language of points and miles, expertly translating the implications of loyalty-program shifts, for example offering up helpful alternatives for travelers looking to ditch United but stick with Star Alliance. You can also read her about how she spent a semester studying abroad in Egypt living out of a hotel instead of cramming into a student dorm; why she believes in buying her way to elite status when it makes sense; and how she advocates for dining with strangers while traveling.
Tristan Newman, Navy
Senior mobile engineer Tristan Newman got his start in Portsmouth, VA, where his high-school aptitude for physics and science at the AP level made him a natural fit for an engineering role in the Navy. After he enlisted, Newman completed his studies in nuclear, mechanical and electrical engineering through 14-hour days of hands-on application as well as 20 hours of study each week over two years of school, as well as a stint onboard the USS Norfolk submarine. Tristan's operational training quickly provided him with the skills to handle electrical maintenance and operate the nuclear reactors on the submarine, where he was in charge of the people who calibrated all of the instruments on the ship.
His time in the Navy jumpstarted Newman's interest in the world outside of the United States, allowing him to visit Italy, Greece, Bahrain, the tiny island of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, and Israel. His experience in Israel led him to Poland, where he pursued a four-month mini-retirement after leaving active military service. Tristan also credits his Navy days for the downtime that led to his passion for entrepreneurship, where he read about anything and everything that sparked his interest. "Being on a submarine was such a restriction on my time that it led me to ask some of the bigger questions: soul-seeking, journaling, digging out my psychology and what I really want in life," he says.
These days, Tristan is part of the team creating The Points Guy's new app. Outside of the office, he blogs about his travels and food, and coaches others on how to design the lives they want to live.
David Cannon, Army
Senior engineer David Cannon traveled to more than 20 countries over the course of his 22 years of active service, but most of those destinations weren't fancy holiday locales. David completed two yearlong combat tours in Iraq and three in Afghanistan, as well as six months in Kosovo and Bosnia. In the US, he spent four years in Fort Bragg and six in Fort Hood. Italy treated him well, however — Cannon met his Romanian wife there, and was stationed at Vicenza for 12 years. He served in various capacities, including 16 years as a paratrooper. By the time David retired, he held the rank of master sergeant and was a master-rated parachutist, an Army Ranger, an Army Pathfinder and had twice been decorated for valor for actions in combat.
Today he is a senior engineer for The Points Guy, based out of our Austin office.
TPG featured card
Rewards
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Intro offer
Annual Fee
Recommended Credit
Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.
Rewards Rate
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Intro Offer
You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
$325Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.Excellent to Good
Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.