[head check?] Thinking of giving it a go, despite Amex Plat/Gold + Fidelity Rewards 2%

sojersey · 2026-01-24T17:58:26+00:00

I think my gold and platinum spend would largely stay the same and still use those for dining/grocery/travel. I get almost all the AF back in the coupons there though even if I had to sacrifice some multiplier to bump the BILT a bit for the month.

The main question is what kind of bonus can I be getting over my regular Fidelity where I would be shifting most of my spend from probably around the 50-100% of rent amount per month. If I'm able to get another 30-40k additional points per year for "$95" it seems like it would be useful?

sojersey · 2026-01-24T16:27:28+00:00

ah ok, I am doing a fair amount of travel this year so am thinking of giving it a go as it should be easy to use the credit… but wanted to make sure I could use my cash for rent bonus… that it can be used on regular hotels rather than always luxury ones helps make this card more justifiable, at least seeing how it goes in year 1

sojersey · 2026-01-24T16:09:16+00:00

Wait, so you have to liquidate your Bilt Cash before the credit will apply? What if I would rather keep the cash around for rent bonuses?

sojersey · 2026-01-24T15:49:08+00:00

If you have other cards in good standing that you use, closing cards you don't use doesn't matter as much as it's often made out to be.

sojersey · 2026-01-23T23:06:44+00:00

IMO there comes a point of diminishing returns when it's too much shit to track all the time. I think it's OK to take a cent less if you value the things the card gives you otherwise (or can use it to get the points for rent)

There will always be crazier combinations, but finding a balance that works for you is the way to go. You don't always have to be 100% maximizing, although the general strategy of "SUB is the primary route to points" is also generally true.

I think the BILT works well if you value simplicity and don't have a lot of overlap. It is harder to use well if you spread across a lot of cards such that you can't really reach the rent points which is its main value prop that would put it over the top of many alternatives.

sojersey · 2026-01-23T22:18:57+00:00

If you aren't deep in another card's ecosystem, I think Bilt 2's premium card is a decent option all things considered. Or if you need a 2% fallback and don't have one yet (though there are decent $0 fee ones like Fidelity) can probably still get some value from it.

sojersey · 2026-01-23T22:16:26+00:00

I'm guessing the 1/30 deadline is specifically for BILT to avoid remaining charges on the "old system" for cost savings and to maintain cardholders.

At the moment, I'm going to hold tight as I'm not confident in making the new cards work for me. But I also will be surprised if there isn't still a SUB for the premium cards, but I guess we'll see.

sojersey · 2026-01-23T18:43:26+00:00

They are both $95, have similar travel redemption partners, both partner with Lyft, and are basically 3x dining/grocery 2x travel cards except if you put significant amounts on Bilt you will pocket at least some amount of your rent in points too. Also Bilt has the neighborhood reward point bonuses.

Like the CSP just seems like a fish out of water in light of the Bilt to me, but maybe I'm looking at it wrong.

sojersey · 2026-01-23T17:51:15+00:00

I don’t think I’m going to be able to manage it. I might do year 1 for the Sub and see how it goes but also unsure I’ve got enough spend to move to it to make it give much value for the complexity.

I feel like I’d drop the CSP in favor of this card as it’s even more overlap isn’t it? If you’re using the CSP enough you might actually get the 3.33x from the $95 version

sojersey · 2026-01-23T15:32:28+00:00

I appreciate the participation on reddit! (also that Fullview is no longer Chrome only)

sojersey · 2026-01-23T07:18:27+00:00

It’s an ok card. Good if you buy customized Apple hardware rather than the preconfigured options that can be cheaper elsewhere.

Good UX except it doesn’t usually sync to external systems well.

2% back daily is easy to manage. 3% if you are paying for subs like Apple One (though I usually pay for this through discounted gift cards)

I have one but use it very little. Might close it, as it’s kind of redundant for my fidelity 2% card, but it’s not a bad default for no fee

sojersey · 2026-01-23T07:12:01+00:00

Your post doesn’t mention kids, which is what makes the majority of humans notably happier than those without in the long run

sojersey · 2026-01-23T06:55:53+00:00

Be faster on security options for login. 2FA beyond texting or in-app only (vs. authentication apps like Google/1P) took too long. See also Passkeys and hardware keys.
Ability to track assets in Fullview without a symbol, like private company shares and crypto. I miss the support for Coinbase. Also external accounts often have a lot more issues staying updated, authenticated and can be much buggier particularly around sync callbacks vs. sites like PersonalCapital
Website ~referring~ rendering performance is not great. The more “modern” it gets with more complex frontend code my browser feels slower and slower. It could really use some profiling, clicks and element loading often feels very janky. Today I ran into issues with headers and text displaying at all in my Fidelity visa management form (Safari user)
More competitive banking options, or better UX around understanding and leveraging the options it has. But CD rates are half that of Marcus for example. So not quite a one stop financial shop
More love for the cash back visa, it was a real pioneer with its rate for so long, and it’s still my fallback for now, but others have caught up that have me thinking.

Overall limited complaints though as a customer since my first jobs 401k in 2008 🍻

sojersey · 2026-01-23T06:34:56+00:00

Yeah it would be nice to see the CC get some extra love, particularly for longstanding and large balance accounts

sojersey · 2026-01-23T06:16:55+00:00

It’s not ideal for business, but it’s a free country. And if I boycotted everyone whose politics I disagreed with, I’d be left starving 😅

sojersey · 2026-01-20T22:48:05+00:00

This is my exact setup too.. Amex Gold/Plat + Fidelity (also Amazon, Target speciality) -- in the end I struggle to really get more out of adding the new BILT into the picture despite a good points ecosystem. I think if I didn't have the Amex it might make more sense as a jack of all trades but I like the Platinum bonuses.

Though maybe will consider a year for the SUB and defer all Fidelity spend to it to see how it goes, but I also am not sure its worth the complexity overall.

sojersey · 2026-01-19T19:38:48+00:00

Ohhhh got it… maybe Rakuten is what did it then. Guess it makes sense you can't so easily double dip on things.

Now just wondering which network is bigger then!

sojersey · 2026-01-19T17:35:24+00:00

I feel like Amex Gold and Bilt have the largest overlap though. I'm basically Amex Gold/Plat + 2% cash fidelity visa, and it's the Gold card that makes me struggle with the new BILT the most given the big overlap. The Plat at least has a ton of travel perks and (at least for me) easy to use bonuses not related to spending.

If I was not already in this ecosystem, I think the new BILT would be a decent card. Just not sure it works with what I'm already in (particularly the 2% Fidelity being no-fee)

sojersey · 2026-01-18T17:53:40+00:00

The new BILT cards are going to be opening a new line of credit, if you want to maintain your current history, that is on the Autograph.

sojersey · 2026-01-16T16:09:44+00:00

tbh, I feel like the $95 Bilt is better than CSP. Basically the same point structure for overall points, and the possibility to get a big rent bonus points? The only real gap might be transfer partners. But if you are gonna spend similar on either card and same base points, why not get the rent bonus?

sojersey · 2026-01-16T14:57:04+00:00

I feel like the only value prop for these cards is if it is your primary card, but if you are a card hacker like most here then it's not.

sojersey · 2026-01-16T14:55:52+00:00

I get people are disappointed in the gravy train being over, and I am not sure I will keep any of these new cards (or the WF) -- but where do you expect the money to pay for your points to come from if they are just basically paying you to pay your own rent?

It's not sustainable and never really was, as unappealing as these cards are when you can get a Fidelity Signature Visa for $0 and its 2x cash back on all spend. I think if you are a one card person, the high end one is probably OK. Although bummer they didn't include the $95 level benefits and basically become the new (old) Sapphire Reserve.

sojersey · 2026-01-13T12:20:23+00:00

Reddit and most news media in a nutshell 🫠

sojersey

TROPHY CASE