Another TBB post featuring the most eclectic links around the web such as stock market declines, Tesla Takedown, the flattened world, the best Thailand beaches, Marriott Bonvoy new offers, the IRS Identity Theft IP PIN tool, lessons from stock market corrections, a wild story about a scammer “king” in the South Pacific, the lack of carpenters in the US, Crisis Watch, 5 years from Covid, the best restaurants around the world, the best photography links and of course always all of the most important developments in the crazy world of miles and points at the lower half of the post. Enjoy the weekend and file your tax returns now.
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This blog started way back in 2012 focusing on my crazy hobby addiction of traveling with frequent flyer miles, hotel and bank points. It has since evolved to curated posts featuring the best web content along with my commentary.
This is a one man labor of love operation, enjoy it while it lasts.
BLOG HOUSEKEEPING
This blog continues someway somehow posting on Fridays…
PERSONAL FINANCE
If you have not filed your income tax returns yet, maybe getting an Identity Protection Identification Number IP PIN is the second best thing you should do to help fight back against the scammers preventing them from filing on your behalf first and throwing you in a long ordeal trying to sort the mess out. Especially when the IRS is in a turmoil thanks to staffing issues, see DOGE: Why You Should Sign Up for the I.R.S.’s Identity Theft Prevention Tool. Read the article carefully. And here is an IP PIN FAQ on the IRS website.
The stock markets are undergoing another correction it appears. It happens. Anything is possible in the short term. And market crashes come along and can last for a while. And don’t kid yourself you can time them. This is a good article: What We’ve Learned From 150 Years of Stock Market Crashes. I think the key lessons are:
- It’s impossible to predict how long a stock market recovery will take.
- If you don’t panic and sell your stock holdings when the market crashes, you will be rewarded in the long run.
And this remains the best way to deal with them:
… be prepared is by owning a well-diversified portfolio that fits your time horizon and risk tolerance. Investors who stay invested in the market in the long run will reap rewards that make the turmoil worthwhile.
Since we are on the topic: How to Make it a Healthy Correction. I am starting to think that I should have added a separate section titled Correction or Market Downturn in addition the standard Personal Finance section. Fear is back. I think this is totally self-inflicted with all the moronic tariff flip flopping shenanigans. Remember how all these market strategists were predicting boom times just a few months ago? Again, ignore them and realize no one has a crystal ball. The path to long term riches investing in stocks requires these treacherous stretches, there is no way to avoid them. And remember that finally bonds are doing what they were supposed to. Which is soften the blows.
It’s a healthy correction when you don’t panic.
It’s a healthy correction when you have dry powder in the form of future savings or liquid assets to deploy.
It’s a healthy correction when you live to fight another day in the markets.
It’s a healthy correction when you keep your wits about you when others are losing theirs.
And it’s a healthy correction if you stay the course.
What a chart! Get Invested: Embrace Market Declines. Emotions and investing don’t mix. Emotional investors tend to sell when the market is going down and buy when the market is going up. They should be doing the opposite. As shown below, if you only owned the US stock market on the day after up days since SPY began trading in 1993, your cumulative gain would be just 44%. If you only owned the market on the day after down days, you’d be up 851%!. But if you just held you ‘d be up 1,273.5%.
Another great table that caught my eye showing the probability of positive stock market returns over rolling periods:(found here):
SCAMS/CRYPTO/AI/TECH
This is a must read. I had never heard of this ongoing scam in a remote autonomous region in Papua New Guinea led by a really weird guy. This whole article is a gem about him and this place in general we probably never heard of, let alone considered traveling to: In search of the South Pacific fugitive who crowned himself king. Noah Musingku made a fortune with a Ponzi scheme and then retreated to a remote armed compound in the jungle, where he still commands the loyalty of his Bougainville subjects. What makes it fascinating is that the author has a really hard time getting to finally interview this dude, I guess there are no Hyatts nearby there. And we learn about the bloody history of these islands as well. When I read this I knew it will lead this section today, enjoy. Just one paragraph excerpted below to show you a glimpse of this epic read:
Musingku’s purported con – a vast, millenarian Ponzi scheme called U-Vistract – had, since the late 90s, raked in some $232m, perhaps far more, and near as I could tell, it was still plodding on. In 2006, a militia allegedly aligned with the ABG stormed Musingku’s hideout and almost killed him. One man told me that U-Vistract was “just like a mafia”; police have also accused Musingku of plotting to overthrow the ABG. An ABG minister told me that Musingku was just the excuse, or “thorn”, that Papua New Guinea needed to forestall independence. Not since 2012, it seemed, had a foreign reporter set foot in the Royal Kingdom of Papaala, Musingku’s name for his compound in the village of Tonu. Nobody entirely knew what he had been up to in the intervening years, but they were sure it wasn’t good.
What is worse than being scammed? It’s having a huge tax bill on top of it. This is so awful what happened to these people: Scammers Stole Their Savings, and Then the Tax Bill Arrived. We need to standardize how these are treated because the present system is way too inequitable for these victims.
I guess people are pissed: Tesla Takedown. I see two protests this weekend scheduled near me. One is at a Tesla dealership in a luxury mall. I am allergic to malls but this may bring me back lol.
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ODDZ & ENDZ
Stop everything. Read this: The World Was Flat. Now It’s Flattened. Do not click away before reading it. You are welcome. What are you doing about it? I am bringing this blog to you for 12+ years. For free. Actually, I am paying out of my pocket to still be blogging here these days; in a way, I am flattening myself, sad lol.
This explains why home remodeling projects are so expensive. And take so long! Why America Has so Few Carpenters. I am sure deportations will improve the situation smh.
Great site to bookmark: CrisisWatch.
CrisisWatch is our global conflict tracker, an early warning tool designed to help prevent deadly violence. It keeps decision-makers up-to-date with developments in over 70 conflicts and crises every month, identifying trends and alerting them to risks of escalation and opportunities to advance peace. In addition, CrisisWatch monitors over 50 situations (“standby monitoring”) to offer timely information if developments indicate a drift toward violence or instability. Entries dating back to 2003 provide easily searchable conflict histories.
It was just five years ago when the world changed. I still remember that day when the NBA suspended the season, that is when I knew that this time was different. Amazing photography from those tough days here: The defining photos of the pandemic — and the stories behind them. And I posted this picture from China here in this blog which I still think about:
TRAVEL
I need to maybe stop blogging here and get to see these before I get too old: 12 Must-Visit Historical Sites Around the World.
These look nice: A Map of the World’s Best Restaurants.
I am not into skiing but this drone video is amazing.
More Thailand: 14 Best Beaches in Thailand. I dream of Thailand more often these days to escape the insanity here in the US…
Another YouTuber from Thailand I subscribe to who does a lot of outdoor adventures is Karl’s Thailand. And this one is unbelievable, wow: We Climbed a Mountain in Thailand and Found THIS Mysterious Standing Stone! And I think we are finally on the home stretch of getting back direct USA-Thailand flights, hooray! Thailand Aviation Sector Undergoes Final FAA Audit To Regain Cat 1 Certification.
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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
Here we go:
I am surprised Southwest went so far to even kill its bags fly free policy, wow. Southwest Will Start Charging for Bags for First Time After 54 Years. And added pretty much every anti consumer thingie other airlines long had. The Luv is gone, sounds like a blues song. I guess the countdown to also kill the Companion Pass has started? I mean, would you be surprised at this point? Nope. Anyway, for a deeper analysis of what went down with this company: The Day Southwest Died. The most shocking fact about this is how CEO Bob Jordan just six months ago reiterated that bags will continue to fly free. Until they didn’t smh. On top of all this, the press release sounds like it was also written by a former Delta Airlines PR staffer, we are doing all this for you lol insisting “…working to offer you more choices to create travel experiences that fit your needs”. From a monetary standpoint though, even if they lose some business, they will make a shit load from money from bag fees and Wall Street investors seem to like this move.
And Spirit Airlines Exits Bankruptcy With $795 Million Debt Reduction & Fresh Funding. Will this airline make it? Looking so much better now and somehow it attracted a new $350 million equity investment. Is this a midway step to getting in bed with another airline? Will JetBlue get back in the ring? I doubt it right now as JetBlue’s position has deteriorated so much. I think we may see Frontier finally getting it. The US airline industry is so weird, anything can happen, grab your popcorn.
I have mentioned here that I don’t think JetBlue will manage to stay independent. American Airlines is still the best suitor for it I think. And it was so interesting to see United dropping hints about them going for it. I also think many think that Alaska Airlines is distracted merging Hawaiian Air these days (and they are) but it has been proven they do these transactions very well so maybe they can swing for it. I guess time will tell: Will United Buy JetBlue To Get Back Into JFK?
My kids are presently doing more travel than us. I had my daughter do a walk through video of the Seattle SEA airport Amex Centurion lounge. Click Like and Subscribe you guys so I can have more than 60 subscribers on YouTube, lost two recently lol.
Oh, living the lounge life: 15 Best Priority Pass Lounges Around the World. I have been to several of these, which is your favorite?
TRAVEL REWARDS CREDIT CARDS
Content like this would have never been made if banks stopped paying to sell credit cards: Capital One Transfer Partners: Best Uses for Each Airline and Hotel Partner.
Yeah, trying to get the highest bonus with Amex is getting really complicated these days. And it appears to be by design: How Amex Has Turned Welcome Bonuses into a Treasure Hunt. Straight from the Amex CFO:
“Most of the offers that we want to put on the market now are personalized, individualized,” Christophe Le Caillec said last month. “We want to find the exact point that will take you over and make you react to an offer – not below, not too high, just the perfect offer.”
I also predicted that the new Smartly Visa card from US Bank earning up to 4% is not going to last. Well, just four months in and it appears we are on our way: U.S. Bank Smartly Visa Signature Card To Be Discontinued?
The 170k CHASE IHG One Rewards Premier card and the 100k CHASE IHG One Rewards Traveler card elevated offers are ending on March 19, 2025. Get more information about them HERE and you know what to do to get them from my favorite bank HERE.
Just added two new BEST EVER offer cards from Amex Marriott Bonvoy. I am not a fan of anything Bonvoy and I don’t want to make this section even more sales-y that it already is, so I am going to drop below my links and then if you want to get more information about the offers check out this link: American Express Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Cards 185,000 Points Signup Bonus & Bevy 155,000 Points Bonus.
155k AMEX Marriott Bonvoy Bevy
185k AMEX Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant
More elevated offers finally from Chase:
100k CHASE United Business
Note: I applied for this card last week and is now in my hands at last.
And just like that, the welcome offer for this card went up to 100k from 75k. The annual fee is $99 and and the minimum spend is $5k in the first three months. The card earns 2x on United, gas stations, restaurants, office supplies, local transit and commuting. And 1x on everything else. If you buy 7 United tickets with it, you will get a $100 United flight credit at card anniversary. You get two United club passes every year. If you have a personal United card as well, you get a 5,000 mile “better together” bonus. 25% discount on United in flight purchases. Expanded award availability. Ability to earn Premier Qualifying Points (PQP). Free checked bag for credit card holder and one companion on the same reservation. Priority boarding. No foreign transaction fees. Can be a good fit for travelers flying on United a lot. Available from my favorite bank HERE.
We have two NEW great Amex Hilton cards elevated welcome offers:
70k AND Free Night Hilton Honors American Express Card
This is the basic Hilton entry level No Annual Fee card. The signing bonus is 70,000 Hilton Honors points AND a Free Night Award, which matches the BEST EVER welcome offer. The minimum spend is only $2k in the first six months. You also get Silver elite status which includes benefits like a 20% points bonus on stays, free bottled water, the 5th night free on reward stays, and elite rollover nights. The earning structure on the card is: 7x on Hilton purchases, 5x on restaurants, groceries and gas stations and 3x on everything else. These Hilton Free Night certs can be used in ANY property anytime which makes them much more valuable than all other hotel free night certs by far. No foreign transaction fees. If you spend $20k on the card you get upgraded to Hilton Honors Gold elite status. If you like Hiltons and abhor paying annual fees this card could work for you.
130k AND Free Night Hilton Honors Surpass American Express Card
I have this card because Hilton is my #2 hotel program (and closing in to #1 Hyatt). The annual fee is $150 but you can get up to $200 per year ($50 per quarter) credits if you stay in Hiltons or buy a $50 Hilton gift card online (temporarily out of stock). It also gives me Hilton Gold Elite status which is great, especially overseas where you get more upgrades and free breakfast (you get a daily food & beverage credit on US stays). Signing Bonus is 130,000 Hilton Honors points AND a Free Night Award cert, which matches the BEST EVER welcome offer. The minimum spend is a surprisingly low $3k in the first six months. These Hilton free night certs can be used in ANY property anytime which makes them much more valuable than all other hotel free night certs by far. You can earn a second Free Night Award cert after you spend $15k on the card every year. Earning is also very good with 12x on Hilton purchases, 6x on restaurants, groceries and gas stations, 4x on online retail purchases and 3x on everything else. You can upgrade to Diamond elite status if you spend $40k on the card. No foreign transaction fees.
Another elevated offer from Capital One:
75k CAPITAL ONE Venture Rewards PLUS $250 Travel Credit
The annual fee is $95 and the minimum spend required is $4,000 in three months. Capital One cards usually earn a simple flat 2 points on every dollar. This card earns 5x on hotels and car rentals booked on its own travel portal. No foreign transaction fees. Get $120 credit towards Global Entry or TSA Precheck. Complimentary Hertz Five Star elite status. Most importantly, you can transfer the 75,000 points out to airline and hotel partners. Or just erase travel charged on the card for $750. And then of course you get the $250 travel credit. Basically, $1,000 of travel for $95. Very tempting indeed. For diversifying purposes as well if you have enough miles and points elsewhere as it is always nice to use this card to pay for a trip and then use Capital One miles to erase the charges. Capital One can be, well, finicky in approvals. If you are denied, you can not call to ask them to reconsider, it is all done by algorithms so, good luck! Finally, YES, you can have both the Venture X and the Venture Rewards cards.
Frankly, if you only go for one Capital One card it should be the Venture X, see below, no brainer. Oh, by the way, only the Venture X card gets you into Capital One lounges for free.
Please help the small independent blogs like mine continue to exist by supporting them with your CREDIT CARD clicks, thank you!
TOP TRAVEL REWARDS CREDIT CARD OFFER RIGHT NOW, BAR NONE IS:
The 75K CAPITAL ONE Venture X card has a minimum spend of $4k in the first three months. If you like simplicity and looking for one (premium) card, I highly recommend this card (and yes, I have it myself!). It has an annual fee of $395 but it comes with an easy $300 statement credit for travel booked on its own travel portal, essentially turning it into a $95 annual fee card. But wait, there is more! On each card anniversary you earn 10,000 points essentially making it FREE! Every dollar of spend earns 2 points and flights booked on the travel portal earn 5 points per dollar. You get access to Capital One and Plaza Premium airport lounges and a Priority Pass Select lounge membership and, this is important, you can add FOUR authorized users FOR FREE who can also have their own Priority Pass Select airline lounge membership and, this is BIG, they can bring in unlimited guests with their FREE Priority Pass card! You can transfer your Capital One points to up to 18 Transfer Partners. No foreign transaction fees. Free Hertz President’s Circle rental car top elite status. Cell phone protection and PRIMARY rental car coverage. Awesome seats at baseball stadiums for just 5k points each. And lots more. If you prefer, this is my personal referral link.
Click on my TOP CREDIT CARD OFFERS to see a DETAILED explanation of the features of these cards.
Here are my three TOP CREDIT CARD OFFERS as of today:
The #1 Top Offer is the 75k Capital One Venture X card. It is amazing what you get for FREE with this card!
The #2 Top Offer right now is the 75k Chase Ink Business Unlimited card.
The #3 Top Offer right now is 75k CHASE Ink Business Cash card.
Learn more about these offers HERE.
BONUS OFFERS NOTIFICATIONS
Would you like to be automatically notified every time a card comes out with (or is about to remove) an elevated welcome offer? If yes, I highly encourage you to sign up if you haven’t yet. And when you apply for a credit card from a link in these emails you help support the blog (and you don’t have to hunt down the link in my Credit Cards page!)
Elevated Card Offer Notifications
All you have to do to receive these free notifications is:
1. Click on the link above
2. Create an account
3. Subscribe
MY ACTION AND BLOG BUZZING
Been too busy dealing with tax returns and the market turmoil so not much action…
I finally received my new United Business card from Chase and will get going soon on the minimum spend to add another 100k United miles. It took about a week for the card to land in my mailbox. Interestingly, the two United Club lounge passes landed in my inbox very fast. Like the day after the card was approved. I have had these United lounge passes in the past and I have not been able to use them yet as I was denied entry every single time for various reasons. Maybe 2025 I break this streak lol.
I have now seen three bad movies in a row, Last Breath, Mickey 17 and Black Bag. Way over rated, way over acted, stupid plots. Maybe I stick to Thailand based videos going forward.
I walked 7.5 miles yesterday, the longest in a very long time.
Still foggy about travel commitments for the rest of the year. No word from nieces in Greece to visit the US later this year, maybe they are influenced by all the political craziness here lately. And I wouldn’t blame them.
I have written down my top 10 pet peeves in the miles/points blog space but I ran out of time to post today, maybe next Friday.
NCAA March Madness tournament time. To get going, here is a cute video of a cute little bird dunking a basketball.
HOT CREDIT CARD OFFERS:
75k CHASE Ink Business Cash, 75k CAPITAL ONE Venture X, 75k CHASE Ink Business Unlimited, 100k CHASE United Business, 150k AMEX Business Platinum, 200k CAPITAL ONE Spark Cash Plus, 150k CAPITAL ONE Venture X Business, $1,000 Cash Back CHASE Ink Business Premier, 75k CAPITAL ONE Venture Rewards AND $250 Travel Credit, 90k CHASE Ink Business Preferred, 60k Chase Sapphire Preferred, 80k CHASE Southwest Performance Business, 15k AMEX Blue Business Plus and many more!
Learn How To Apply HERE to support the blog. Or email me if you have any questions about any cards, I’m happy to help, thank you!
As of today, I have burned 175,000 miles/points year to date (2,027,816 in 2024) and have 4,401,393 miles/points in the bank.
Remember, you are NOT allowed to ever carry a credit card balance!
Let me leave you with this:
Some of the links are behind a paywall. You can try to read them using Archive.is.
Thank you for reading my blog. If you enjoy it please forward it to a family member or friend. Or Buy Me a Coffee, thank you!
Feel free to contact me anytime at travelbloggerbuzz@gmail.com, all feedback is very appreciated.
George
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Well done on the walking. Given the antics of US Immigration I’d advise your nieces to stay away, how long before foreign governments issue travel warnings to their citizens to not go to the US? Sounds like the bully boys at Immigration are taking the lead of the orange baboon and being nastier than ever. Depleted the last of my Singapore miles and booked flights to Thailand in December.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/13/world/europe/german-tourists-detained-deported.html
Hello from VERY rainy Florence! Good stuff here. Read the article on the folks being scammed and taxed. So sad for them but how can people just keep falling for this crap year after year? It amazes me. 7.5 miles! That is great but don’t ramp up too fast!
Thanks for the links!
SEA has my favorite sky club in the system or maybe it is tied with SFO. Will be interesting to compare with the new Centurion!
Hey Buzz,
Thanks for another great post for this weekend.
Great to hear about the walking, keep up the good work!