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TPG Talks episode seven: Credit card strategy during COVID-19

Richard Kerr
Richard Kerr
Contributor
Richard Kerr is a veteran naval officer and founder of the Award Travel 101 Facebook community. He’s one of the foremost experts in points and miles strategy, featured in Forbes, US News, Money Magazine, Kiplinger Personal Finance and presented at #SXSW 2017. Richard has visited over 45 countries, lived in England and Japan, and spends his spare time dissecting loyalty program award charts to maximize the value of points and miles. Richard holds a BBA in International Business and has his wife and two small children in tow for his travels as often as possible.
May 30, 2020
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3 min read
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With travel at a slow down and plenty of credit card benefits going unused, now is the time to audit your credit card portfolio and reassess what should be in your wallet. On this week's TPG Talks webinar, we were joined by Credit Cards Editor Benét Wilson and Points & Miles Editor Ariana Arghandewal.

Benet and Arianna shared a recap of all the changes to credit card bonus categories, including what you should consider before closing or opening cards as well as specific card recommendations — to perhaps put in the sock drawer or add to your wallet. We concluded by looking into the future of the card industry. If you've been wondering how all of the changes to card benefits and perks should affect your wallet, make sure you watch the replay of this week's talk:

Show Notes

  • 6:25 - Recap of Recent Credit Card Changes and Relief including New Bonus Categories and Waived Annual Fees
  • 12:50 - Things to Think About Before Changing Cards
  • 15:15 - What Happens if You Get a Refund to a Canceled Card
  • 16:51 - Considerations for Getting a New Card
  • 22:58 - Card Recommendations
  • 27:09 - Cards to Use to Book Future Travel
  • 28:40 - Great Sign Up Bonuses Right Now
  • 31:15 - Cards for Beginners
  • 35:01 - The Future of the Credit Card Industry
  • 38:01 - Panelists Personal Comfort on Traveling Now
  • 40:50 - Clarifications on Downgrading and Upgrading Cards
  • 42:36 - Chase Sapphire Preferred (CSP) vs. Chase Sapphire Reserve (CSR)
  • 45:42 - Trip Protection Coverages
  • 48:19 - How to Manage Multiple Cards
  • 50:37 - Timing Credit Card Applications
  • 51:57 - Maximizing Authorized Users
  • 53:56 - Understanding Your Credit Score
  • 54:20 - Closing Thoughts

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Bottom Line

TPG Talks is a series of live webinars hosted by team members from The Points Guy, covering various aspects of the travel, credit card and loyalty industries. Join from anywhere in the world on any device to learn tips and tricks that'll get you closer to your next dream vacation.

For a list of previous sessions, visit our TPG Talks hub page, or click on any of the links below for individual recaps:

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