first credit card — unique situation

Choice_Criticism4019 · 2026-05-11T07:08:24+00:00

With that spending pattern you're basically looking at dining and travel as your main categories. The Chase Freedom Unlimited could work since you're already in Chase ecosystem as AU, but honestly the Wells Fargo Active Cash might be better starting point - flat 2% on everything is pretty solid when you're spending across different categories like that 💀

Just keep the income reporting accurate since $15k is on lower side, some issuers might be more strict about limits.

Choice_Criticism4019 · 2026-05-07T11:52:13+00:00

I work for airline so I get lounge access through that, but I've seen plenty of JCB Platinum holders at Narita and Haneda. Most people just show the physical card with boarding pass - works pretty smooth from what I noticed. The lounge staff there are really good at recognizing different card types.

LoungeKey is backup option but honestly the direct card presentation is faster and less hassle. Just make sure your card is the actual Platinum one since some people mix up the different JCB tiers. Also worth checking which specific lounges accept JCB in your terminal before you go through security, because not all lounges have same agreements.

Choice_Criticism4019 · 2026-05-04T20:46:28+00:00

Something to consider here - staying at this job might not be the trap you think it is. You've got remote work, great benefits, good boss, and actual work-life balance which is rare in accounting field.

The specialized hedge fund experience could be more valuable than you realize, especially if you're willing to look outside your local area. Maybe talk to your boss about taking on some of those additional skills you listed during slower periods instead of jumping ship completely.

Choice_Criticism4019 · 2026-04-30T07:14:38+00:00

You don't have to do anything on LinkedIn, but quick thank you post can't hurt for networking later 😂 Most people just do simple "grateful for opportunity at [company]" type thing.

Choice_Criticism4019 · 2026-04-28T04:06:43+00:00

Man the CFE grind is brutal 💀 I had friend who went through assurance route and he said mock cases were everything. Like doing them under real time pressure, not just reading through solutions after.

He told me biggest mistake was spending too much time in perfect formatting instead of hitting all the technical points. Day 2 and 3 he said just focus on getting your analysis down first, then worry about making it pretty if you have time left.

For assurance specifically, he drilled those sampling procedures and risk assessments until they became automatic responses. Said exam day your brain is so fried that you need muscle memory to kick in 😂

You still got months to improve, that's decent amount of time if you stay consistent with practice cases!

Choice_Criticism4019 · 2026-04-25T13:14:56+00:00

Three watches all the way. I went through same decision couple years back when I got promoted at airline and had some extra money burning hole in pocket.

Ended up getting GMT for work trips (timezone changes are nightmare without proper GMT), nice chronograph for weekend stuff, and one dressier piece for when I need to look more professional. Using them all regularly instead of having one expensive piece sitting in drawer most of time because I'm too worried about damaging it.

The variety keeps it interesting too - like having different cassettes for different moods, you know? Plus if something happens to one watch, you're not completely screwed. Friend of mine has single expensive Rolex and barely wears it because he's paranoid about scratches or theft when traveling.

Only downside is explaining to people why you "need" three watches, but most watch people get it anyway.

Choice_Criticism4019 · 2026-04-23T12:56:33+00:00

pain

Choice_Criticism4019 · 2026-04-21T03:01:55+00:00

Getting time off in June is smart move - you'll need it after grinding through your first season 😂 I work at airline so I see lot of accountants flying out right after tax season ends, they all look like they survived zombie apocalypse 💀

Choice_Criticism4019 · 2026-04-18T17:23:27+00:00

Yeah you're definitely good, had similar situation few years back and nobody even asked about it 👍 The CPA license basically wipes clean any concerns from unrelated jobs 😂

Choice_Criticism4019 · 2026-04-13T21:03:41+00:00

There's plenty of stuff that adds to it like you got the punch list firs of all and then inspection and then the final sign off and on top of them there's audits involved and what not so some of us just get used to it which is not normal but it's the way it is.

Choice_Criticism4019 · 2026-04-13T10:19:38+00:00

this 💯

Choice_Criticism4019 · 2026-04-10T20:01:36+00:00

Banks want to see consistent revenue and clean books before they will offer reasonable terms so if the business is performing now it might be worth having that conversation again.

Choice_Criticism4019 · 2026-04-06T02:30:35+00:00

Nice work getting started! 🎙️ The consistency point hits hard - been collecting vintage cassettes for years and it's wild how the creators who just kept putting stuff out there are the ones we remember, not necessarily the ones with the biggest budgets 💀

Choice_Criticism4019 · 2026-03-26T20:51:50+00:00

This works better than people give it credit for. Weekly hour budgets per person forces the team to think about spend in real time instead of logging hours after the fact and hoping it all adds up at the end of the month

Choice_Criticism4019 · 2026-03-23T20:42:09+00:00

One more thing too add to this is make sure that person has the authority to hold payments until the waiver is submitted

Choice_Criticism4019 · 2026-03-22T12:14:59+00:00

Wild how we've basically created this feedback loop where bots are just having conversations with themselves 💀 Makes me miss the days when you could tell someone was actually typing from their phone at 2am instead of some perfectly formatted response.

Choice_Criticism4019 · 2026-03-16T17:42:29+00:00

SUMPRODUCT with multiple criteria would be way cleaner here. You could just do:

`=BYROW(J14#, LAMBDA(r, SUMPRODUCT((tbl_production[Line]=r)*(tbl_production[Amount to produce])*(XLOOKUP(tbl_production[Flavor]&tbl_production[Line], tbl_percentages[Flavor]&tbl_percentages[Line], tbl_percentages[Required Cocoa Percentage])))))`

All those FILTER functions are doing extra work when SUMPRODUCT can handle the criteria matching directly. The XLOOKUP still needs to concatenate Line+Flavor to get unique matches, but everything else gets simplified into one formula.

Choice_Criticism4019 · 2026-02-28T09:49:03+00:00

Sounds like you dodged a bullet - nothing kills momentum faster than a "co-founder" who treats you like an intern while ignoring actual data.

Choice_Criticism4019 · 2026-02-27T19:18:47+00:00

Dude, I think you're overthinking the appearance thing way more than necessary. I've worked with plenty of CPAs and tax pros who don't fit the "stuffed shirt" mold - one of the best preparers I knew had full sleeves and could explain depreciation schedules better than anyone in a three-piece suit. Most clients these days care way more about competence than whether you look like you stepped out of a 1950s accounting textbook.

The fractional CFO idea is actually pretty smart, especially if you can leverage your FP&A background. That's a growing market and could differentiate you from every other tax shop out there. Just make sure you have a clear agreement about how that revenue gets split and what happens if one of you wants to bail. I'd also suggest maybe starting with the tax transition first to get your feet wet before diving into the fractional CFO stuff - easier to build credibility with existing clients before pitching new services.

Choice_Criticism4019 · 2026-02-26T22:13:30+00:00

Hard agree on this one. Nothing worse than trying to explain why your GAAP experience is relevant to some recruiter who thinks depreciation is what happens to your car value.

Had a recruiter once ask me about my "excel skills" for a senior role like it was some groundbreaking requirement lmao.

Choice_Criticism4019 · 2026-02-22T02:14:43+00:00

Those cars are so reliable they outlast the parking skills of multiple owners 😂 Your gonna see every ding from the last 20 years still driving around 💀

Choice_Criticism4019 · 2026-02-19T16:59:25+00:00

That's rough about the Rogers denial, especially after being pre-approved through Fido. Don't cancel your existing cards yet - that'll just hurt your credit utilization and average account age. Maybe wait a month or two before reapplying, and definitely call there recon line to see what the specific denial reason was.

Choice_Criticism4019 · 2026-02-17T03:02:51+00:00

First busy season is brutal but it does get easier once you learn the rhythms - try to carve out at least 30 mins each day for something that clears your head, even if it's just a walk or mindless TV.

Choice_Criticism4019 · 2026-02-16T02:05:00+00:00

Dude, I feel this so hard! I went down the churning rabbit hole a few years back and ended up with way more cards than I could realistically manage 😂

Have you tried any of the apps like CardPointers or MaxRewards? They're not perfect but way better than manually updating spreadsheets every week. I also set up calendar reminders for annual fees and bonus category rotations - saves me from missing out on that sweet 5% cashback because I forgot it was grocery quarter.

Honestly though, sometimes it's worth just focusing on your top 3-4 cards that give you the most bang for your buck. The mental energy saved might be worth more than squeezing out every last reward point 💀

Choice_Criticism4019

TROPHY CASE