As you are probably aware, I’m a proponent of exploiting credit cards for maximum benefits.  I travel quite frequently so I’m always looking for a better offer and a chance to get some free bonus miles.

That brings me to the United Mileage Plus Signature Visa card.  I’ve flown with United numerous times and they are my favorite budget airline to date.  So opening a card with United was a no-brainer.  The bonus miles is what really sealed the deal for me. Here are some benefits of the card.

-25,000 bonus miles for opening an account and spending $250 on airfare.

-$50 gift certificate as a “thank you” token from United.  This was a pleasant surprise as this wasn’t noted on the fine print!

-Easy to redeem miles.  United has one of the best bonus miles programs out there.  As long as you book far enough in advance, using your miles is a breeze.

-The $95 annual fee is waived for the first year, so no worries there.

-3 points for every dollar spent on United airfare.

-1 point for every dollar spent on everything else.

-14.24% variable APR.  This is actually pretty low for a rewards credit card.  However, I recommend ignoring this and paying your balance in full each month.

If you fly united on a regular basis, this card is a must.  Having the ability to redeem miles without  unnecessary  restrictions  is a huge plus in my book.  United is the only airline where it feels like they actually want you to redeem your miles.  If you have flights in your near future, get on the band wagon and open up one of these United credit cards!  You a thank me now.

-JE

Credit card companies keep coming out with amazing new card member bonuses.  It’s the beauty of capitalism and competition.  The more the credit card companies fight, the more you profit!  Discover More is my latest credit card recommendation.  Once again, be careful about what cards you open.  I recommend you do you research outside of my blog and find the best card for your spending habits.

The Discover More card is offering dual benefits right now.  Right now, if you sign up for the card, you’re automatically eligible for 12 months of 0% APR  on purchases and 0% APR for balance transfers (and no fee).  In other words, you can borrow the maximum on this card and pay ZERO cents in interest for 12 months.  You do need to pay the minimum payment each month though…

CARD BENEFITS-

-5% cash back on quarterly categories like travel, gas, groceries, and entertainment.  Everything else, you earn 1% cash back with no cap (spend spend spend).

–No transfer fee for a limited time, which means Discover is offering the 0 transfer fee through February 28, 2011.

–Opportunity for Balance Transfer Strategies, 0% balance transfers gets a little tricky.  I don’t typically recommend this.  Mostly because most people are too busy to track these offers and will slip and end up paying a large amount of interest on a card.  However, if you are interest in credit card arbitrage strategies, check out My Simple Dollar for more on this topic!

-If you’re interested in even longer balance transfer, Discover is currently offering a limited time 24 month balance transfer option.

As a side note, I want to also mention proven strategies for maximizing the credit limit for this credit card.  Most applicants forget to list their income outside of their main source.  Be sure to include any interest income, dividend income, and income from a spouse.  The more income you provide Discover, the higher credit limit you’ll get on the card.  For example, a typical applicant usually receives a credit limit of $2,000.  If you list ALL your income, you might be surprised to see a credit limit of $4,000!

Until next time,

-JE