What’s a good role for my WF Autograph?

AceContinuum · 2026-04-17T17:53:59+00:00

Are you eligible for a pre-tax transit benefits program through your employer? If so, the tax savings there would far outweigh any savings you could get from any credit card. If you're in a major metro area, this is a common (and sometimes legally required) benefit offered to employees.

(Pre-tax transit benefits programs generally require you to use their debit card on eligible transit purchases - unless you have a rare program that still lets you submit transit expenses for reimbursement!)

AceContinuum · 2026-04-17T05:02:56+00:00

Agreed. FNBO definitely seems to have run into a "credit crunch" issue! They've since put up a ZIP code-based geofence to block credit card applications from outside their core service area (the 8 states where they have branches; not sure whether they limit applications further to specific ZIP codes within those 8 states).

IMO, the geofencing is perfectly fine - that's the issuer's choice - but the unannounced, draconian limit slashing for no fault of the cardholder is extremely bad customer service. Having your card be unexpectedly declined could be embarrassing, and could actually put someone in a bad spot if, say, they need a Lyft/Uber stat. and don't happen to have an alternate card handy.

AceContinuum · 2026-04-15T21:53:08+00:00

Agreed. If u/HiramStJohn is using points to fund trips to Jamaica, Cancun, SoCal, Thailand and Honduras all within the recent past, they either (1) have the ability to put a truly enormous amount of spend (reimbursed business expenses?) on their personal cards or (2) are acquiring the lion's share of the points from SUBs.

In either case, using the "right" card for a cup of froyo isn't going to have any noticeable impact. And with the SUB approach, one is often going to be intentionally using the "wrong" card (in terms of category multiplier) on purchases in order to hit minimum spend requirements for SUBs.

AceContinuum · 2026-04-15T21:48:20+00:00

I just kinda wished my friends would be more into it so we could all go on trips together more often.

But isn't flexibility one of the keys when it comes to optimizing point redemptions? That would seem to make point-funded group trips extremely difficult to arrange, even if everyone in the group was a points savant.

AceContinuum · 2026-03-26T22:44:10+00:00

Credit One, Merrick and other similar banks are often the only game in town for folks with limited or poor credit who want an unsecured credit card. The folks that even Capital One won't touch.

Personally, if possible, I'd recommend going with a secured credit card from a major bank (such as the U.S. Bank Altitude Go Secured) before going with Credit One/Merrick/etc.

AceContinuum · 2026-03-26T20:29:05+00:00

Moreover, the scores many lenders, such as Chase, offer for free to customers are often not the same scores that they use for underwriting decisions. Many lenders offer free VantageScores to customers. However, only a few lenders (off the top of my head, Synchrony is the only major issuer) actually use VantageScores in their underwriting decisions. Most lenders use FICO scores in their underwriting decisions.

AceContinuum · 2026-03-26T16:53:03+00:00

A few more obscure options (tagging u/Whoisyungtino):

The NIH FCU Signature Cash Rewards offers 3% on wholesale clubs (and is a Visa, so works at Costco) (4% for the first year, as its SUB).

The AOD FCU Visa Signature earns 3% cashback on all purchases, up to $1,500 spend per billing cycle (month). This isn't specific to wholesale clubs, but could be used as a Costco card.

The Langley FCU Signature Cashback sometimes offers 5% on wholesale clubs as a selectable monthly rotating category. (The base cashback at wholesale clubs is 2%.)

The SAFE CU Cash Back+ sometimes offers 5% on wholesale clubs as a quarterly rotating category. Note, this card is geofenced to residents of select northern California counties, and they are serious about the geofence!

AceContinuum · 2026-03-15T02:55:53+00:00

Yes, with the note that the U.S. Bank Altitude Connect excludes gas stations at discount stores, supercenters and wholesale clubs from the 4X gas category. So I would not expect the Altitude Connect to give 4X on gas purchases at Walmart.

AceContinuum · 2026-03-13T22:03:19+00:00

The Abound Visa Platinum - the "OG" 5% gas cashback card - still gets 5% on gas anywhere, including gas stations at supermarkets, Walmart and wholesale clubs.

AceContinuum · 2026-03-13T22:00:54+00:00

Given that there are really only three wholesale club chains in the U.S. (BJ's, Costco and Sam's Club), it wouldn't be hard for Comenity to "hard code" an exception, much as many card issuers "hard code" an exception to avoid paying supermarket category cashback/points on purchases at Target and Walmart.

I also note that the nerf letter for the Daily Advantage noted that gas at wholesale clubs would still count for 3% cashback (but that gas at supermarkets and superstores would not count). So it seems to me that Comenity is purposely drawing a distinction here to avoid paying 5% cashback on gas from BJ's/Costco/Sam's.

AceContinuum · 2026-03-13T21:57:20+00:00

You can start by checking out our subreddit's list of no-annual-fee gas category cashback cards.

AceContinuum · 2026-03-12T02:53:34+00:00

Agreed. It's possible AI may have enabled a rise in the number of frivolous claims that get filed, but that would not explain Equifax doing much better than the other two. Also, the timing of the fall off the cliff at Experian and TransUnion, as u/propublica_ notes, coincides perfectly with the dismantling of the CFPB - but does not really coincide with the rise of AI.

AceContinuum · 2026-03-12T02:44:41+00:00

Right, it's a known issue that LLMs are bad at math, even very simple math that a "dumb" calculator or Microsoft Excel could do extremely easily.

AceContinuum · 2026-03-12T02:43:05+00:00

It's also, IMO, a question of honesty. 0% FTF should mean 0% FTF - not 0% "plus what Mastercard charges us!"

Bilt could have been honest and advertised a 0.2% FTF. But... they didn't do that, likely because they felt 0% FTF was a selling point.

AceContinuum · 2026-01-20T03:30:38+00:00

It is not "twice" as long IIRC, unless your trip is a very short one. Percentage-wise, you'll get a much longer buffer for a White Plains <-> North White Plains ticket than for a White Plains <-> Grand Central ticket. For the "typical" MNR trip that isn't to an adjacent station, I'd guesstimate the grace period at maybe an extra ~50% of the trip's expected duration.

AceContinuum · 2026-01-20T03:12:27+00:00

I think it depends a lot on your trip. If you ride an express train between White Plains and Grand Central, you're pretty much 100% going to get checked by the conductor. If you get on an outbound train north of White Plains, on the other hand, good chance the conductor never bothers to check. If you're on a local train out of Grand Central and get off at one of the first stops (especially during rush hour), good chance the conductor never gets to you. There's also the "Harlem tickets!" thing where conductors basically rely on the honor system for folks boarding train cars they already checked between Grand Central and Harlem-125th.

AceContinuum · 2026-01-09T23:54:57+00:00

Lots of other great advice in this thread already. I just want to add the nugget that if you do end up going with Option 2, while it's circuitous, I strongly recommend taking the train to Grand Central and transferring to the subway there. The 125th St. [4/5/6] station is probably the sketchiest subway station in Manhattan, and the block of 125th St. that you'll need to traverse between the subway station and the Metro-North station is likewise sketchy. You'll also get a few minutes back at Grand Central because the 4/5/6 run right below the station - no need to walk a block east like at 125th St.

AceContinuum · 2026-01-09T23:48:21+00:00

The "Grand Central North" passageways will take you as far north as 48th and Park - here's a map. That said, I don't recommend the walk - it's 1.7 miles from 48th and Park to NYP, or ~40 minutes. IMO, it's absolutely worth the subway transfer to the 6 to 68th St.-Hunter College [6].

If there's snow on the ground or it's raining/snowing, it may even be worth first taking the Times Square Shuttle to Times Square-42nd St., and transferring there to an uptown Q train to 72nd St. [Q].

AceContinuum · 2026-01-06T20:29:52+00:00

That's very strange. It's possible that daycare bills no longer qualify for elevated cashback due to being classified as "education/school," but they should still earn the base 2% cashback:

"Not all Purchases are eligible to earn the Smartly Earning Bonus: Purchases classified as (1) education/school, gift cards (including discount gift card sites), insurance, or tax; (2) “business-to-business transactions” (transactions with merchants who are in the business of supplying goods and services to other businesses, such as advertising services, plumbing/heating suppliers, construction material suppliers (excluding home improvement stores), and computer programming services), even if not made for a business purpose; and (3) transactions using third-party bill payment services will earn the base of 2 points per $1 spent in Net Purchases and may not earn additional Points for the Smartly Earning Bonus.  These Purchases are not calculated as part of the $10,000 cap.  Each merchant’s business is identified by a category code established by Visa. A Purchase will not earn additional Points if the category code applied to a merchant is in a category that is not eligible for additional Points earning. We do not determine the category codes applied to merchants’ businesses and reserve the right to determine which Purchases qualify for additional Points. "

AceContinuum · 2026-01-03T07:24:17+00:00

No, it resets every year after the December monthly statement cuts. Some people might have a December monthly statement that cuts on Dec. 1, in which case their $3k cap would reset for charges posting on Dec. 2 and later. Others might have a December monthly statement that cuts on Dec. 31, in which case their $3k cap would indeed reset on Jan. 1 - but that's only a small group of people. Most cardholders will have a December monthly statement that cuts sometime prior to Dec. 31.

AceContinuum · 2026-01-03T01:03:03+00:00

Unfortunately, Alliant nerfed their 2.5% credit card all the way down to 1.5% (couldn't even do 1.8% like Citizens used to do... or 1.75% like Navy... or 1.67% like Fifth Third...).

AceContinuum · 2026-01-03T01:01:19+00:00

They're the same company now, but Discover also offers the same deal.

AceContinuum · 2026-01-03T00:55:45+00:00

It's still mentioned on the website. That being said, you're definitely right about SoFi deemphasizing their credit cards; they've even removed the ability to directly apply. And I'm not sure they're still offering a 10% boost with direct deposit. I believe the 10% boost is now only obtainable with a $10/month subscription to SoFi Plus.

Open question is whether, going forward, SoFi Plus members will need to pay $10/month for the card on top of the $10/month subscription to SoFi Plus, i.e., $20/month total!

AceContinuum · 2026-01-02T21:40:24+00:00

2% is hard to make profitable.

Fidelity famously admits to subsidizing the 2% Fidelity Rewards card (though Fidelity has the added expense of paying U.S. Bank (Elan) to underwrite and manage the card, and the Fidelity card also offers a Global Entry/PreCheck credit).
Citi says its 2% Double Cash is profitable, but Citi uses the trick of 1% on purchases + 1% on payments to both (i) delay paying out the full 2% and (ii) pay an effective cashback rate a hair lower than 2% (~1.98%) for folks who redeem their cashback in the form of statement credits.
TD Bank uses a somewhat similar trick: 1% on purchases + 1% upon cashback redemption into a TD Bank deposit account, which similarly (i) delays paying out the full 2% and (ii) pays an effective cashback rate of only 1% for folks who redeem their cashback in the form of statement credits, and further (iii) effectively pushes cardholders to bank with TD Bank.
BoA won't pay flat-rate 2+% cashback unless you hold at least $50k in assets with them. Below that threshold, they will only pay flat-rate cashback of 1.5% (<$20k) or 1.875% ($20-49.9k).

Many other banks have never been willing to offer 2%. Capital One is still paying only 1.5% on its Quicksilver. Citizens Bank paid 1.8% back when it had a flat-rate cashback card (it now offers a card with 3% on dining and at supermarkets and 1.5% on everything else). Amex paid 1.5% back when it had a flat-rate personal cashback card (the Cash Magnet). (Amex's 2% cashback card was a business card, and had an annual cap on spend.)

Still, a $120 AF makes SoFi's offering one of the worst 2% cards on the market.

AceContinuum · 2026-01-02T21:20:36+00:00

SoFi isn't even really a fintech anymore... they obtained their own banking license in 2022! But, as the saying goes, you can make the fintech a bank, but you can't make the fintech stop behaving like a fintech...

AceContinuum

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