Adam Sterling

The Chase Freedom Flex gets much stronger when it’s paired with other Chase cards. The points earned from the Freedom Flex are combinable with points you earn from other cards that earn Ultimate Reward points. Cards that earn Ultimate Rewards points are the Sapphire Preferred, Sapphire Reserve, and the Ink Business Preferred. The combination of cards that will get the most value out of your spending, generally speaking, is the Freedom Flex, Freedom Unlimited, and the Sapphire Preferred.

SoFi just announced that they are offering 20% cashback on streaming services and DoorDash. It seems like all of the popular streaming services qualify for 20% back. The services that are not included are the TV-related services (like AT&T Now, YouTubeTV, etc.). SoFi Money is a fee-free online bank account that earns interest.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve used to have a $450 annual fee. I have always felt that the added benefits, which the Chase Sapphire Preferred (the card below the Reserve) doesn’t have, makes up for the small difference in annual fee between the two cards ($95 vs $150). The Lyft partnership with Chase is actually available on all Chase Sapphire cards. The reason I’m harping on the new ancillary benefits is that without them (and the annual fee increase), the Chase Sapphire Reserve should always be considered for a premium card.

There are several Trusted Traveler Programs that give you a known traveler number, but which one is the best for you? A Known Traveler Number (KTN) is a number that is assigned to you by enrolling (and being accepted) into one of several programs facilitated by the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The three main Trusted Traveler Programs that you will likely consider are PreCheck, Global Entry, and Nexus. While the interview is a bit more stringent than the Global Entry interview, Nexus can be very worthwhile as Canadian immigration can be tough sometimes.