Another TBB post featuring the most eclectic links around the web such as financial advisor conflicts, Medicare Advantage, most valuable sports teams, my Dallas weekend trip reviews, a markets review of the First Quarter 2024, SBF gets 25 years, best beaches and best small cities, how to get better on running without me, 3% cash back cards may be coming, a lot more and of course always all of the important developments in the crazy world of miles and points and a lot more. Enjoy the weekend!
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Welcome to my quirky original authentic blog. It all started back in 2012 focusing on my crazy hobby addiction of frequent flyer miles, hotel and bank points. It has since evolved to a curated at least weekly post of the best web content I find along with my commentary. Here to Educate primarily, sometimes Entertain and if I get to Inspire you, well, that is a bonus.
This blog publishes on Fridays. This is a one man labor of love operation, enjoy it while it lasts. I may post on a Tuesday too.
PERSONAL FINANCE
The first quarter of 2024 is in the books. This sums it up nicely: 13 Charts On the Q1 Stock Rally That Just Wouldn’t Quit. Enjoy it while it lasts. Never forget that investing is a marathon, not a sprint. As the Dow is knocking on 40,000, remember that the Dow was at 1,000 50 years ago. You can not enjoy such gains if you are not in it for the long term. Also, never forget that in the long run we are all dead and you can not take it with you ok?
If you are of Medicare age, be very careful what you are getting into if you enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan. What Advantage?
If you’re in a Medicare Advantage plan, it’s often effectively impossible to switch to traditional Medicare because you can’t qualify for an accompanying Medigap policy.
What Medicare plan am I going to choose when I turn 65? I know the plan I select during the initial enrollment period is likely to be the plan I’ll have for the rest of my life. It’s an easy choice: traditional Medicare. I’m willing to forgo Medicare Advantage extras such as vision care, dental and gym fees. I’m also willing to pay higher premiums to ensure that I have the best medical and drug coverage. My priority is a plan that’ll allow me to choose the best facilities and doctors. I’ll also pick the most comprehensive Medigap plan available, which is currently Plan G. [I am not near this point but when I get there this is the approach I am going to take most likely.]
This made it into the first page of the Wall Street Journal: Your Financial Adviser Doesn’t Want You to Know About These Conflicts. Author singled out two of them from a recent research study: Fee-based advisers sometimes recommend drawing Social Security early and holding on to mortgages. Wearing my CFP hat, I guess we are not all the same as I have consistently recommended to wait until age 70 to draw Social Security and go into retirement without any debt. I could go on and on about this topic but we need to carry on with the rest of the blog post. Ask me questions in the comments and I will try to get to them.
SCAMS/CRYPTO
Molly White on: 25 Years for Sam Bankman-Fried. “The judgment has to adequately reflect the seriousness of the crime, and this was a very serious crime.”
I love these monthly roundups: March 2024 Ponzi Scheme Roundup. Never fall for these, come on!
…promising returns of up to 18%
…guaranteed up to 2.8% daily profits from cryptocurrency trading and mining
…promised profits of up to 4% from a commodity trading algorithm
…promised investors returns of approximately 70%
…investors would receive 1% of their investment daily
…scheme promised returns of 15% to 100%
…promises that the investment was risk-free and would generate 10% monthly returns
…promised monthly returns of 3%
…promised returns as high as 1.5% per month
…claimed that his system gave him an 8.17% advantage in the betting markets
…promised 2% returns per month
Do you see a pattern here? If you are promised returns or guaranteed anything, RUN AWAY. If you are going to trust someone, you must make sure this professional is a fiduciary and not a salesperson. And all your investments should be held at an independent custodian and you have online access to check on them anytime. And this professional can not promise or guarantee you anything. Other than fluctuation and if he/she is a good one you will have peace of mind.
GEOPOLITICS
These guys just can’t help themselves: Taliban edict to resume stoning women to death met with horror.
Same goes on in Gaza and Ukraine, so much blood is being spilled. Same old. Let’s move on to the rest of the blog post please, so depressing!
ODDZ & ENDZ
Jon Stewart is an institution. In this one he rips AI to shreds: Jon Stewart On The False Promises of AI.
I remember this guy seeing the video of his miraculous rescue: I survived three days in a capsized boat on the ocean floor – praying in my air bubble. You are not going to believe what he is doing for work now, wow.
Amazing photography collection: 2024 Open competition Winners & Shortlist.
TRAVEL
There are some weird people out there: The Hotel Guest Who Wouldn’t Leave. Mickey Barreto’s five-year stay cost him only $200.57. Now it might cost him his freedom.
Ann Arbor makes these lists regularly. Not this one because it is no longer considered small. Best Small Cities to Live in the U.S.
The beaches are calling me more as I get older. 26 Most Beautiful Beaches in the World.
Amazing photos of Abkhazia The Lost Paradise.
SPORTS
Looking forward to catch some of the NCAA Final Four games in both NCAA Tournaments this weekend. Wait. I just checked the times and they are way past my bed time!
Why are so many losing teams in this list? The World’s Most Valuable Sports Teams in 2024.
This: The History-Making Shot. Howie Stern describes photographing Jasmin Paris finishing the 2024 Barkley Marathons.
BUZZING
A section where I go on and on about some stuff that happens in my life and anything else that just does not fit in another section above
Well, it looks like God is sending me signals that my running has been interrupted for good. The same weird numbing issues and sensations continue in my left foot. The CT scan was normal. I have an EMG (neurological) test scheduled for the end of the month that I will keep just to see if this has anything to do with it. It appears more and more that, as I suspected, I ran too much and too hard last year and running the Chicago Marathon while injured came back to haunt me.
Anyway, it is not all bad. I have been walking 2 to 3 miles daily and have continued my gym routine and changed my eating habits completely this year. The new doc I am seeing has suggested Prolotherapy, which is defined as “a safe, non-surgical treatment for chronic pain using injections to stimulate healing. It has been used for decades on patients in pain from aging, overuse or injury“. Well, all three apply to me lol. I have some reading to do. If you have any experience with it and could share some comments I would really appreciate it.
Anyway, can’t get away from running topics yet: Want to Get Better at Running? Be Ruthless About the Fundamentals.
Ann Arbor holds its annual Hash Bash the first Saturday of April every year. For a long time this “gathering” was used to protest for legalizing marijuana. Well, then it happened and, well, the party continued I guess. I did visit it during my college years and it was a lot of fun. And it was started because back in the crazy 60s the government threw this guy in jail. We lost him this week: John Sinclair, poet whose imprisonment inspired Ann Arbor’s Hash Bash, dead at 82.
I wasted two hours of my life watching Liam Neeson’s latest movie In the Land of Saints and Sinners. Does this guy play one character and just keeps milking it or what?
I never really figured out why solar eclipses are a thing. Fireworks too smh.
This blog started with a focus on miles and points and travel. It has evolved since then. Everything below deals with the hobby of collecting frequent flyer miles and points and maximizing your travel experiences. If you are not interested, you can stop here, thank you.
MILES & POINTS NEWS/PROMOS/MY ACTION
It was another week with a lot happening but no event jumps out to define the week. Other than perhaps seeing some banks trying to get some PR by increasing the standard 2% cash back in rewards plastic, we shall see what happens, don’t get too excited about this.
GENERAL NEWS/PROMOS/NEWBIES/ETC.
Pretty good info on How to Find & Book the Best Southwest Fight Deals.
Robinhood got a lot of publicity announcing a 3% cash back card: Robinhood launches Gold Card with rewards for member investors. So many gimmicks still coming from this company. Read the fine print, prepare for battle and maybe, I don’t know, pass? Because life is too short to deal with companies like Robinhood. Also, expect the fees to go up and if this 3% cash back rate sees the light of day definitely do not expect it to last.
Is there a sustained effort targeting the long established 2% cash back rate on no annual fee cards such as the Citi Double Cash and the Amex Blue Business Plus card? SoFi Adds 10% Bonus To Their 2% Cashback Credit Card (2.2% Unlimited Cashback; Direct Deposit Required). Same applies with SoFi to a lower degree I guess. I must admit I do enjoy the competition out there though, keep it up!
Do you have Chase credit cards? See what spending promo may apply to them HERE.
Do you have a United credit card? See what offer you can get HERE.
In case you missed it, another airline goes the revenue based route: Air India Flying Returns Move to Revenue Based Effective Immediately. Which is inherently opposite to our interests and birth given right to fly for free! 🙂
What are these guys thinking? JetBlue Increasing Bag Fees And Introducing Peak & Off Peak Pricing. Hey, your bags fly free on Southwest you know. Actually, I am thinking, JetBlue must be the next airline that will hook up with another one this year, after their failed purchase of Spirit Airlines. I am wondering if Southwest may be interested. Or do they stick with pursuing an airline similar to Spirit? Maybe this boat has sailed…
CREDIT CARD CORNER
There are always new travel rewards credit card offers. You just need to figure out what you want out of your travel and how much time and (can be minimum) cost you want to put into it. Nothing is free. And be aware that most blogs in this space are big businesses that would not exist if it was not for selling banks’ credit card products! On the other hand, I would still be around here I think. So please help the little blogs continue to exist!
For the newbies: Chase 5/24 Rule: What It Is & Why It Is So Important.
The “enhancement” of this card suddenly was shocking, even by Amex standards: American Express Hilton Business Changes: Increased Annual Fee ($195), Removal Of Free Night Certificate. American Express has announced changes to the Hilton business card and they are overwhelming negative. Indeed, move on please.
There was a massive 300,000 points Signup Bonus recently for the Capital One Venture X Business card. The offer now is back to 150,000 points. And that is a good thing. Why? Because to get the full 300k Signup Bonus required a ridiculous $100,000 minimum spend. To get the 150k Signup Bonus now requires “only” $30,000 minimum spend. Good luck getting approved, you will likely need it with this bank. Works almost the exact same way as the personal Capital One Venture X card. As in the $395 annual fee is offset by a $300 travel credit and 10,000 points anniversary bonus. Four Free authorized users get their own Priority Pass lounge membership, which includes restaurants!
MY ACTION
No miles/points burning this past week but I am going to do something different here and link to some pictures from my short weekend trip to Dallas, Texas last week.
Review of the Hyatt Regency Dallas – So, I was very early to check in. I had informed the hotel I may be checking in around 10 am but I got there at 8.30 am. And they were not ready for me and they tried to put me in a standard room. And I was all like, do you know who I am? Lol. I said, excuse me, give me a minute. I stepped away, I checked the app and voila, plenty of suites available…and as I returned to the front desk, without me saying anything, I was told I was upgraded to a Horizon suite. Never fails you guys. Great suite, huge hotel, decent breakfast, nicely located. Large well equipped fitness room. Decent use of a World of Hyatt free night cert I think. And thanks to Tyrone, sorry for snagging your suite man. Je suis Globalist lol.
Shocking News: I am posting another video in my TravelBloggerBuzz Youtube channel, wow. I am a total noob at this. I saw another blogger do a walk tour of their hotel room and here is my video walk tour of my (of course) suite I was upgraded to in the Hyatt Regency Dallas.
Wait, we have more! Review of the HALL Arts Hotel in Dallas, Curio Collection by Hilton. Another use of a free expiring night. Lovely cute hotel full of art. Nice upgrade to a sweet and small junior Avant Garde suite. Lovely small rooftop swimming pool. I burned my $50 Hilton gift card I got with my Amex Hilton Surpass on an excellent and overpriced breakfast and, oh boy, it took a while for the front desk rep to code it properly. Great location, great service. Concierge recommended a great Mexican restaurant nearby and I had the most amazing tacos there.
Yep, here is the video walk tour of the Avant Garde junior suite in the HALL Arts Hotel, Curio by Hilton, in Dallas.
Some pics from this trip around Dallas, Texas.
Some pics from the Capital One Lounge in the Dallas-Fort Worth DFW Airport. I finally visited and I was very underwhelmed I must admit. I think my next stage in enlightenment of this hobby is to kick the lounge habit #developing
My music taste is, well, out there. Some pics from the concert I attended. I posted a few videos online but not in the TBB channel. Because you guys may lose any respect you have of me lol.
I will be in Chicago this weekend staying at The Thompson. Hold your enthusiasm for another video walk tour coming woohoo.
ADVANCED
Amex continues the war against us: Amex Changes Terms on Delta SkyMiles Cards with Focus on Churners. I could care less, I am not fighting this war. Because I am a lover, not a fighter. Lol.
For the few of you who are into these gambling related statuses and the more of you who just love getting things for free, this may appeal to you if you can make it to Vegas that is: Wynn Status Match / Tier Match is ON!!
MILES & POINTS
HOT CREDIT CARD OFFERS: 75k CHASE Ink Business Cash, 75k CHASE Ink Business Unlimited, 75k CAPITAL ONE Venture X, 75k CAPITAL ONE Venture Rewards, 100k CHASE Ink Business Preferred, 175k CHASE IHG Premier Business, 80k CHASE Southwest Performance Business, 60K CITI Premier, $1,000 Cash Back CHASE Ink Business Premier, 60k CHASE Sapphire Preferred, 60K CHASE Sapphire Reserve, 155k AMEX Hilton Surpass, 15k AMEX Blue Business Plus and many more!
This section is about my hobby addiction of collecting frequent flyer miles and hotel points since the early 1990’s! SKIP if you are not into it!
As of today, I have burned 343,308 miles/points year to date (1,148,286 in 2023) and have 4,539,078 miles/points in the bank. Some do drugs, I do miles lol!
Thanks to US banks, very lucrative travel rewards credit card offers come and go all the time. This section will act as a reference point on the best CURRENT offers. I will designate new material preceded by NEW.
Remember, you are NOT allowed to ever carry a credit card balance if you ever get a credit card here!
Let me leave you with this:
Some of the links are behind a paywall. You can try to read them using Archive.is.
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TBB
travelbloggerbuzz@gmail.com
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First! (Do we still do this).
That dude trapped in the boat underwater–wow!
I have an X1 card I opened a while back, from the company that Robinhood acquired. It’s actually a nice platform and they gave me a good credit line. I’m not saying you *should* get the Robinhood card, but I wouldn’t rule it out either just because it’s Robinhood. I mean, it’s 3%!
Fingers crossed for your foot!
Interesting you were not impressed by the Capitol One lounge. I moved my default airport from DCA to IAD because of the lounge.
Interesting about the Medicare options. I’m in the wishful thinking stage of life!
@ RW: I guess we are now? The TBB FreeLoader Committee awards you gold!
@ NIck: If that had happened to me I would go up the mountain and never go near any body of water the rest of my life! We’ll see what happens with Robinhood…gimmicky company for sure.
@ DML: Maybe my expectations were too high for the Capital One lounge I think. Yeah, avoid Medicare Advantage Plans is the consensus it appears.
Hey Buzz-
Medicare Advantage plans are fools’ gold. Regular Medicare plus a supplement like AARP means you can see any doctor who takes Medicare (most do) and they have to treat you if the doc says you need it. Also the supplement is just a $$ deal since they pay whatever part of the 20 % your plan calls for. Thé ‘Advanatge’ plans start from scratch-they decide what they’ll cover and what doc you get to see. Need some radiation? Fill out these forms, send ‘em in and we’ll get back to you. While you wait, get another free teeth cleaning,
But it’s way better because it’s not run by the Govenment!
Am I bitter?
What Sam said! Should be called Medicare DisAdvantage.
Greetings from the Andaz Pattaya. I know this place is on your list and I say it is worth the hype. Used a TSU to upgrade to the garden suite. Beautiful room. Staff have been excellent. Good gym facilities. I’ve been spending time at the spa and enjoying it immensely. Definitely worth having status at this property. Makes me a bit nostalgic as doubt if after this year husband will maintain globalist so the glory days will probably come to an end in 2025 though still have to find a way to burn our remaining 2 million points.
Yes, it is on the list, thank you.
I need a long run in Thailand to get close to Globalist again, I am at 10 now and likely can get to 30 with booked stays/promos.
Thompson counts double.
Correct with the latest promo. Which made me book it. Staying here for 2 nights and expect to see 4 night credits.