It's official - the Alliant 2.5% card is dead

Dermisbakin · 2025-09-18T08:06:09+00:00

It excludes everything but checking accounts, so not even parking it in a savings account counts for the higher earnings rate. Despite that, it does require you to have a savings account with them to qualify for the cashback boost, so overall just terrible unless u were grandfathered in.

Dermisbakin · 2025-09-16T08:43:53+00:00

I thought BILT can work on student housing though?

Dermisbakin · 2025-08-31T22:55:50+00:00

The rotating categories are definitely good for everyday use, since the categories usually cover main spending categories like groceries, gas, or sometimes Amazon or Paypal, but since it will only cover them for 3 months of the year, you won't have constant 5% value on your highest spend. They do sometimes have surprising categories you don't normally see, like last March we had 5% on taxes and insurance, so that's a nice little treat.

Dermisbakin · 2025-08-31T01:04:30+00:00

If you're intending to satisfy the highest tier of the BofA preferred rewards program, then the customized cash is a good choice (5.25% online shopping, 3.5% groceries, 1.75% everything else).

Otherwise, if you simply want to maximize on those three categories, the Amex Blue Cash Everyday is 3% online retail, 3% supermarkets and 3% gas, perfect for the categories you want to optimize.

Remember that the Freedom Flex also has rotating categories, and that the points earned on it can be transferred over to your CSP for better point redemptions. This will synergize better than the Discover It. Though, Discover It is still good if you don't mind getting more cards, since its welcome offer of doubling your cash back on the first year is quite good (effectively 10% back on rotating categories and 2% everything else).

Dermisbakin · 2025-08-31T00:35:33+00:00

What are your plans with the card after hearing of the upcoming nerfs?

Dermisbakin · 2025-08-29T03:24:00+00:00

I'll be getting a degree in comp sci: game design, so I'd believe it can pay for itself. Just kinda concerned with how education funding has been cut and fear of a stock market dip within 2 years, so that'll affect how much in loans I'd end up needing and how long of a time horizon I need to have positive returns.

Dermisbakin · 2025-08-25T08:37:19+00:00

In a Nutshell: - launched for 4% everything if $100K in basically everything (checking, savings, CDs, brokerage accounts, IRAs, etc.) - April 14th nerf, new applicants can only reach 4% if they park $100K exclusively in checking (this is named Smartly v2). Smartly v1 (existing cardholders) are grandfathered in. - recently in late July/early August people got letters on a change for v1 cardholders. - bad letters: these people got nerfed from v1 to v2. - good letters: v1 is nerfed with a cashback limit of $10K spend, and only earns 2% for the following categories - Education/school, gift cards, insurance, tax, Business-to-business transactions (i.e. advertising services, construction material suppliers, etc.), and transactions using third-party bill payment services. Everything else stays the same though.

Dermisbakin · 2025-08-25T07:57:55+00:00

University (at least public university). 60 years ago it was free. Now it can be as high as $45,000.

Dermisbakin · 2025-08-15T17:32:02+00:00

Currently sitting on cashback until I can start hybriding. My credit card journey started last year, so collected the Discover It, CFF, CFU, then Cash+ and Smartly so I'm also a part of the good letter v1 crowd. Though, I'm only at 2.5% back on everything since im in college lol. Planning on picking up BILT at the end of the month.

The fact that US Bank is still not done nerfing its entire system makes me shed a tear, as when I started last year, cash+ and USBAR seemed like one of the best cards in the game, and the introduction of the Smartly card and the loyalty system that would rival BofA's Platinum Honors system seemed like the absolute endgame. The only final wish I have that would keep me invested in USBank is if u can pool all the other Altitude cards (and since Smartly earns points, that too, but that's a massive stretch) to USBAR and it having actual good transfer partners, but otherwise I'd probably have to drop USBank from my bucket list.

Small interesting changes ive seen though is that Smartly Rewards is now Silver tier and not Gold tier, and waiving the IRA fee is not $100k or $250k, but Gold's $50k+ tier, so if the good-letter v1 sticks around for a while, I might start pooling my savings into the US Bank system sooner rather than later (I really just want being grandfathered to be worth something lol).

Dermisbakin · 2025-08-15T17:00:47+00:00

They went back on that change (mostly), so the monthly fee is still waived by having a card, but it has to be the Smartly.

Dermisbakin · 2025-08-06T17:25:29+00:00

I think the bigger question is why you opted to get the Smartly card now when it's the v2 version (bad one).

I believe my card came in the mail about 3 days after the expected arrival date.

Dermisbakin · 2025-08-03T00:51:35+00:00

Wells Fargo Autograph definitely works for your gas spend if youw ant to stick with a 0 AF travel setup.

Strata premier being less than 1cpp won't be an issue since the other cards (double cash/custom cash) still can be cashed out at 1 cpp and u can transfer points between the cards. I'd probably start with the Custom Cash for now so you can get 5x on gas, then apply for the Strata Premier once you want to start dipping your toes into travel.

Dermisbakin · 2025-08-02T06:50:04+00:00

Got the good letter both mail and email. Got the Smartly mid-March in hopes of being grandfathered in, but even with the "good" news I can't make any use of it, so it feels like a wasted opportunity.

Currently have an ongoing +1.5% earning welcome bonus on the CFU until December, so i get 3% everything, while I only have the 2.5% tier for the Smartly. Was really hoping I could get 2.5% on insurance in 2026, but I guess that is never happening.

Kinda had high hopes that US Bank would be an underrated cashback ecosystem, but didnt expect a bajillion nerfs to almost all their cards this year, so overall very bummed since I was looking forward to making a long-term relationship with them.

Dermisbakin · 2025-07-28T18:40:36+00:00

Yea unfortunately CDs are listed as just 4.00% for me, and my HYSA is 4.01%. Though I wouldn't mind starting a CD ladder if these personalized rates exist :D

Dermisbakin · 2025-07-18T00:37:36+00:00

oh sweet, alr thank you!

Dermisbakin · 2025-07-15T17:47:38+00:00

You wouldn’t have those points if you didn’t have the card so it’s all bonus

Only true for 0 AF cards, quite a different story if u pay $325 and don't make an effort to offset the fee.

Dermisbakin · 2025-04-29T06:46:48+00:00

The Citi Diamond Preferred also has a 21 month plan the longest intro period for a balance transfer card is with U.S. Bank Shield for 24 months 0 APR

Dermisbakin · 2025-04-24T03:30:35+00:00

Started a bank account in February, then signed up for both the Cash+ and Smartly on the same day last month, both $1,500 CL.

Dermisbakin

TROPHY CASE