Optimizing Credit Card Points and Miles with Alex Miller

#3: Points optimizer Alex Miller joins Chris to go deep on ptimizing credit cards and points. They discuss the best cards to get right now,  how to get thousands of points without spending much money, and ways you should NOT be spending your points.

Alex Miller is the Founder and CEO of Upgraded Points, a site that helps millions of people each month maximize their points and miles. An avid traveler himself, Alex regularly uses  points for extravagant trips around the world, like flying in luxurious first-class cabins complete with onboard bars and showers that would have cost $50,000 if he were paying cash.

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Selected Links From The Episode (Advertiser Disclosure)

Connect with Alex Miller: LinkedIn | Upgraded Points

Budget tracker: Mint

Leveraging international credit in the US: Nova Credit

Luxury airlines mentioned: Singapore Suites | Etihad Apartment | Emirates | American Airlines First Class

Cards Mentioned

• American Express® Gold Card
• The Platinum Card® from American Express
• Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express
• Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
• For other cards mentioned visit our Best Credit Cards Page

Keep track of your points: Award Wallet  

Additional Links from Upgraded Points

• Beginners Guide to Points & Miles
• 11 Best Travel Credit Cards
• 19 Best Ways to Earn American Express Points
• 59 Best Ways to Redeem American Express Points

Full Show Notes

Who is Alex Miller? [01:42]

Alex’s first taste of business class [02:30]

How to tell if you're not optimizing your credit cards [06:10]

Selecting a points card depending on how you spend your money [08:04]

The downside to tracking your budget with Mint [10:02]

How credit cards affect your credit [10:52]

How to leverage your international credit to open a US credit card without US credit history [13:42]

Is earning cash back better than earning points? [15:07]

Getting some of the benefit of cash back even if you use points [16:23]

Which type of points are the most valuable [17:40]

Gift cards are a terrible use of points [18:36]

Why airline credit cards are often a bad deal [19:49]

Hotel cards may give you some perks like a free one night stay [22:00]

Should you get a credit card with an expensive annual fee? [22:36]

Before you cancel your credit card because of high fees, do this first. [24:50]

Chris and Alex’s best point redemption stories [26:37]

Going on amazing vacations for free is super attainable [34:00]

What are the best points cards right now? [36:27]

The best complementary card to have for spending that doesn’t fall under popular spending categories [40:28]

The only time to use a cash back card [41:15]

Here is how you can be eligible for a business credit card without employing anyone. [42:06]

Get points for shopping at amazon EVEN if your card only gives you points for groceries. [43:43]

Get points using this trick without spending any money [45:52]

Adding offers to your credit card [47:03]

Use shopping portals to accelerate your points earning [48:59]

How do you organize and keep track of your points across different cards? [51:18]

What if you just want to fly whenever you want, is there a way to use your points? [52:04]

The hottest sign up bonuses right now & how to get more then 100,000 points signing up [54:14]

The 5/24 rule [56:30]

What about Capital One? [57:25]

Why the biggest signup bonuses are happening now [58:12]

What you can do if you are not approved for a card [59:21]

How long do you keep a card after the sign up bonus? [1:00:09]

Why you would want to downgrade a card [1:02:10]

Connecting with Alex Miller [1:04:00]

Connect with Chris

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Editor’s Note: The content on this page is accurate as of the posting date; however, some of our partner offers may have expired. Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.