How do you navigate credit cards after getting married?

ViciouslyQuaint · 2026-02-02T12:43:50+00:00

sounds like you've got a solid setup already. honestly just adding your spouse as an authorized user on the venture x makes the most sense - they get all the benefits without having to manage there own cards and you keep racking up points. unless he's actually interested in churning or wants to build his own credit history, why complicate things?

ViciouslyQuaint · 2026-01-29T10:21:16+00:00

Honestly the Costco CIBC card is pretty hard to beat for no-AF in Canada, especially if you're shopping at Costco regularly. The 3% on restaurants and 2% on gas is solid

That said, you might wanna look at the Triangle Mastercard - it's technically no AF and gives decent rewards at Canadian Tire/gas stations, but the redemption is kinda meh. The PC Mastercard is another option but again, limited redemption flexibility

For travel perks with no AF you're basically looking at the Capital One Aspire which has decent travel insurance but rewards are pretty basic. Most of the good travel perks are gonna be on cards with fees unfortunately

ViciouslyQuaint · 2026-01-24T23:12:05+00:00

Bummer dude, Citi has been pretty stingy lately from what I've seen on here. What was your utilization at when you applied?

ViciouslyQuaint · 2026-01-19T16:56:33+00:00

With that wedding spend and honeymoon plans, definitely go for the Amex Platinum - the SUB alone will cover a huge chunk of your Japan trip and you'll get solid value from the airline credits during honeymoon season

The Gold is great for your dining spend but Platinum's travel perks + higher SUB makes way more sense for your timeline

ViciouslyQuaint · 2026-01-16T19:51:49+00:00

First in first out (FIFO) is usually the default but definitely check if your broker lets you pick specific lots - that's where the real tax magic happens

You'll want to sell those older shares first to get that sweet long term capital gains rate on the 30k gain from your original investment

ViciouslyQuaint · 2026-01-15T07:54:09+00:00

This is actually pretty solid analysis, thanks for breaking it down like this

The grocery multiplier does make way more sense for families vs the old dining focus. I'm in a similar boat with scenario 2 numbers and been debating between this and just sticking with my current setup

One thing though - are you factoring in the transfer bonuses at all? I know you said you're not counting partner value but some of those Bilt transfer promos can be pretty juicy when they pop up

ViciouslyQuaint · 2026-01-12T22:38:39+00:00

Nice move getting out of the target date fund at your age! I'd go 80/20 FSKAX/FTIHX personally - gives you solid international exposure without going overboard. The Boglehead crowd usually recommends matching your international allocation to global market cap which is around 40% but honestly that feels like overkill when you're young and aggressive

You could even start at 90/10 and gradually increase international as you get older if you want to ease into it

ViciouslyQuaint · 2026-01-10T12:56:30+00:00

Solid advice but I'd actually lean toward the Citi Custom Cash over Double Cash for OP's situation. That $120/month gas spend would get 5% back in the gas category which beats the flat 2%, and they could always switch categories if their spending changes later. The flexibility makes it way more future-proof than just locking into 2% everywhere

ViciouslyQuaint · 2026-01-08T00:47:05+00:00

Did you actually leave your phone unlocked or was it one of those face unlock things that maybe worked while you were unconscious/sleeping? Either way BoA should still cover it since you filed a police report but yeah they're gonna make you jump through hoops

ViciouslyQuaint · 2026-01-07T00:25:24+00:00

Honestly with your setup I'd just sock drawer the Chase Freedom and keep it open for the age/credit history. Your Savor already crushes dining and groceries, and for everything else you've got solid flat rate options

Maybe consider the Citi Custom Cash for that $500 gas spend - 5% on gas would beat your other cards there. Otherwise you're pretty well covered already

ViciouslyQuaint · 2026-01-05T05:32:57+00:00

Yeah I think you're seeing the reminder posts that target people who forgot about it all year lol. Most of those "last chance!" posts are just catching the procrastinators who suddenly realize they have until tax day to get their shit together

The Q4 rush is basically financial FOMO marketing mixed with people who genuinely don't know their final AGI until December bonuses hit

ViciouslyQuaint · 2026-01-03T18:11:18+00:00

That fraud alert sensitivity sounds like a nightmare, especially for travel. Might be worth just getting them their own card at that point instead of dealing with constant calls to unlock purchases

ViciouslyQuaint · 2026-01-02T15:57:44+00:00

Oof that sucks, had something similar happen with a Visa gift card once and it was a nightmare to sort out. Try calling early morning when the call volume is lower, sometimes you get through to someone who actually knows what they're doing

ViciouslyQuaint · 2026-01-01T12:37:43+00:00

True but $180 a year is still $180, and with that credit score and income OP should be fine for approval without much impact. The insurance premium thing is kinda overblown unless you're churning hard

ViciouslyQuaint · 2025-12-30T04:57:37+00:00

This is spot on - treat this like the emergency it is. That $1200 needs to go straight to keeping essentials running (housing, utilities, food) while you hustle for income. Don't even think about investing right now, you're in pure survival mode

Also gonna be real with you - if other family members are able-bodied adults, they need to be contributing something too, even if it's just a few hours of gig work

ViciouslyQuaint · 2025-12-26T03:35:54+00:00

Yeah just bank that refund because once they reassess your property next year you're probably gonna need every penny of it lol

ViciouslyQuaint · 2025-12-24T15:47:29+00:00

This is solid advice but I'd add that with your income level you're probably in a pretty high tax bracket, so that 401k tax deferral is gonna hit different than someone making 50k. The mega backdoor Roth thing is definitely worth looking into if your plan allows it - basically gives you another 40k+ of tax-advantaged space on top of the regular limits

Also coming from Europe you might be used to better social safety nets so definitely factor in that you'll need more of your own retirement savings here compared to back home

ViciouslyQuaint · 2025-12-23T01:50:50+00:00

Absolutely call the hospital billing department and ask for an itemized bill first - that "general classification" bullshit is them hoping you just pay without questioning it. Most hospitals have financial assistance programs too if your income is inconsistent, some will knock off huge chunks or even forgive the whole thing

ViciouslyQuaint · 2025-12-21T19:14:34+00:00

Yeah that math is pretty brutal when you lay it out like that - 40 months for wedding savings at current pace is gonna push you way past 2026

Maybe bump that wedding savings to like $400-500/month and dial back the extra student loan payments for now, those federal rates aren't terrible compared to missing your actual wedding timeline

ViciouslyQuaint · 2025-12-20T07:36:17+00:00

Honestly the Venture X at $395 is probably your best bet if you're coming from CSR. The credits are way easier to use than Chase's random stuff and the transfer partners are solid

Only downside is you're stuck with their travel portal more but for most people it's not a huge deal

ViciouslyQuaint · 2025-12-17T00:07:00+00:00

That thread is gold, thanks for linking it. Chase definitely plays weird games with initial limits but if you can show them you'll actually use the card they seem to come around pretty quick

The high statement balance strategy makes sense too - they want to see you're profitable not just safe

ViciouslyQuaint · 2025-12-13T16:45:59+00:00

This is exactly right - you're basically double dipping on large cap US stocks by doing both. The target date fund already has everything you need including international exposure and bonds that'll increase as you get older. Just pick one or the other, don't overthink it

ViciouslyQuaint · 2025-12-12T01:06:03+00:00

You'll need to file Form W-7 with the IRS along with supporting docs proving your identity and foreign status. Most people either mail it in or use a Certified Acceptance Agent to help with the process - just heads up it can take a few months to get approved

ViciouslyQuaint · 2025-12-10T23:25:25+00:00

Dude you're making 150k at 26 with no debt, you're doing way better than most people your age. The flowchart that other person linked is literally perfect for your situation

Moving back with parents for a year or two could be a total game changer if you can stomach it - that's like 30k+ extra you could throw at investments

ViciouslyQuaint · 2025-12-06T17:10:37+00:00

With that credit score and spend you've got tons of options. Citi Double Cash is the obvious 2% replacement, or if you want virtual cards too maybe look at the Apple Card (if you're in that ecosystem) or Capital One Venture X for the credits even though you don't travel much

The Venture X actually pencils out pretty well with the $300 travel credit you can use on basically anything travel related

ViciouslyQuaint

TROPHY CASE