Best Credit Cards RIGHT NOW – December 2022

Below we list some of the best credit cards on the market right now, with an emphasis on cash back and travel rewards cards:

Best Cash Back Credit Cards

Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express – Why We Like It: Maybe the best rewards credit card for grocery purchases with no annual fee, plus a rare 3% reward for general online purchases. EARN: 3% cash back on groceries at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%), 3% cash back on U.S. online retail purchases on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%), 3% cash back on gas at U.S. gas stations on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%), 1% cash back on other purchases. Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit. NEW CARDHOLDER WELCOME BONUS OPPORTUNITY: Earn up to $250: Earn up to $150 back when you shop with PayPal — You’ll Earn 20% back as a statement credit on purchases when you use your new card to check out with PayPal at merchants in the first 6 months of Card Membership. PLUS earn $100 back as a statement credit after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new Card in the first 6 months of Card Membership. See Rates & Fees. Terms Apply. American Express is a ProudMoney advertiser.

 

Citi Custom Cash℠ Card – Why We Like It: No-brainer opportunity to earn 5% cash back in the everyday category you shop most each month, with no annual fee! EARN: 5% cash back on purchases in your top eligible spend category each billing cycle, up to the first $500 spent, 1% cash back thereafter and on all other purchases. The 5% eligible categories are: Restaurants, gas stations, grocery stores, select travel, select transit, select streaming services, drugstores, home improvement stores, fitness clubs, live entertainment. NEW CARDHOLDER WELCOME BONUS OPPORTUNITY: Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening.

 

Chase Freedom Flex℠ – Why We Like It: Good everyday earnings, plus the opportunity to earn 5% cash back in certain purchases throughout the year, all with no annual fee! Earn: 5% on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate, 5% on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards, 3% on dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery services, 3% on drugstore purchases, 1% on all other purchases. NEW CARDHOLDER BONUS OPPORTUNITY: Earn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening.

 

Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card – Why We Like It: Offers generous cash back in everyday categories where you are likely to be doing real spending, with no annual fee! Earn 3% cash back on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services and at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®), plus 1% on all other purchases. EARLY SPEND BONUS: Earn a one-time $200 cash bonus once you spend $500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening.

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What is a good credit score? (What credit score ranges REALLY mean)

If you’ve recently found out your credit score, you’re one step closer to understanding how potential lenders view you when you apply for credit cards or loans. But what does your specific credit score actually mean? Is your score good or bad? We’re here to help!

What does FICO say is a good credit score?

First off, many people use this FICO credit score range chart as a shorthand way to see where they stand. FICO says that if your credit score is:

  • Over 800 it is “Exceptional”
  • 740-799 it is “Very Good”
  • 670-739 it is “Good”
  • 580-669 it is “Fair”
  • Under 580 it is “Poor”

Since FICO (Fair Isaac Company) is the originator of credit scoring, and their credit scores are still used in the majority of loan decisions, their credit score ranges obviously mean something.

But FICO Doesn’t Make Loan Decisions

While FICO’s information has value, their credit score ranges are really just for consumers — you and me — to get a quick idea of how we’re doing when it comes to our credit rating. Lenders do NOT have to follow these FICO guidelines in making their credit and loan approval decisions, and most don’t. Every lender has its own standards of what a “good credit score” is.

So What’s a Good Credit Score REALLY?

Let’s talk about how most lenders really see your credit score, so you can have a better idea of what to expect when you apply for a credit card, mortgage, auto loans, etc. In our view, the ranges that FICO uses are overly optimistic. For example, very few lenders would agree that a 670 credit score is “good.” They’d be more likely to say that it’s only OK.

So we’re going to break credit score ranges down a little differently, with some labels you’re unlikely to see elsewhere, but that we believe better reflect reality. There may be some “tough love” here if your credit score is a bit lower, but we’re just trying to be honest. Let’s do it.

Excellent = Credit Score Over 800

If you have a credit score over 800 (out of a possible 850), congratulations! You have excellent credit!

Excellent credit gets you the best of the best when you’re applying for a credit card, mortgage loan, or other financing. You do not have to worry about whether or not your application will get approved, because lenders are hungry for borrowers like you! That means they will give you their lowest interest rates and possibly other perks, too, such as richer credit card rewards or waived fees.

Your long history of paying your bills on time and not piling up too much debt shows that you can handle credit. Strangely enough, once you show you can handle credit, lenders start falling over themselves to give you more and more, even when you no longer need it. But that’s a good problem to have.

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What credit score do I need for the Citi Custom Cash? Approval Odds?

NOTE: Citi does not publish a minimum credit score for guaranteed approval. This article is based on information from past successful (and unsuccessful) Citi Custom Cash℠ Card applicants; your results may differ.

To be approved for the Citi Custom Cash℠ Card, you are probably going to need some past credit history — this is unlikely to be your first credit card if you haven’t had a credit card before. However, if you’ve had credit for at least a year and have made your payments on time, you might get a thumbs-up for the Citi Custom Cash℠ Card.

Citi Custom Cash Credit Score Needed / Approval Odds

You’ll probably need at least a 675 credit score to have a chance at approval for the Citi Custom Cash℠ Card. In general, you could look at the following credit score ranges to assess your approval odds:

  • If you have at least one year of credit history and a credit score over 750, your chances of being approved for the Citi Custom Cash℠ Card are very good — probably 80%-90% of applicants would be approved with those qualifications. If you have greater than two years of credit history and a 750+ score, your chances are even better.
  • If you’re between a 725 and 750 credit score, your chances are still good for approval, with probably 70%-75% of such applicants being approved. Again, your chances will be better with at least a year of credit history, and even better with two years or more.
  • If your credit score is in the 700 to 724 range, you probably still have a 60%-65% chance of approval, again depending on other factors like length of credit history and income.
  • If your FICO credit score is 675 to 699, your approval odds are probably only 50-50, and you might want to wait until you’ve achieved a 700 score before you apply.

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Best Citi Credit Cards 2022

Citibank offers a nice variety of generous rewards credit cards. Below we offer our ranking of the 5 “best” Citi credit cards:

Citi Custom Cash℠ Card – Why We Like It: No-brainer opportunity to earn 5% cash back in the everyday category you shop most each month, with no annual fee!

EARN: 5% cash back on purchases in your top eligible spend category each billing cycle, up to the first $500 spent, 1% cash back thereafter and on all other purchases. The 5% eligible categories are: Restaurants, gas stations, grocery stores, select travel, select transit, select streaming services, drugstores, home improvement stores, fitness clubs, live entertainment. NEW CARDHOLDER WELCOME BONUS OPPORTUNITY: Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening.

 

Citi Premier® Card – Why We Like It Best: 3% cash back on a ton of purchases PLUS a HUGE bonus opportunity! (Like… HUGE).

Earn: 3X/3% cash back at gas stations, PLUS 3X/3% at restaurants PLUS 3X/3% at supermarkets PLUS 3X/3% on air travel and hotels, and 1% on any other purchases. ALSO: Get $100 off a single hotel stay of $500 or more, excluding taxes and fees, when booked through thankyou.com (once per calendar year).

NEW CARDHOLDER WELCOME BONUS OPPORTUNITY: Earn 80,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening. Those 80,000 points have a value of at least $800 in most cases. When a bonus offer is that big, a modest $95 annual fee makes sense to pay, especially when it comes with so many 3% categories that make this a useful “daily driver” credit card.

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24 Ideas on How to Make Money Online and Offline

There are lots of ways to make money in the world. Some require more work (and you earn more money). Some are easy (but you don’t earn as much). Below we offer over 20 ideas on how you can make money, both in the real world or online from home. Which ways are best for you? It depends on how far you’re willing to go, but all are legitimate. We’ve tried to loosely rank these money-making ideas based on a combination of ease and pay:

  • Become a driver for Uber and/or Lyft — Take people where they want to go, using your own car. Earn money per ride plus (possibly) tips. Work when you have availability instead of on a set schedule. Easy to get started, but must have own car and a willingness to drive strangers in it.
  • Do customer service from home – See our Best Work from Home Job Opportunities for info on how you can sit on the phone at home, making money from well-known companies like Amazon, Enterprise, American Express, and more.

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Best Business Credit Cards – December 2022

The best business credit cards have generous business-focused rewards while allowing you to separate business expenses from personal:

American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card – Why We Like It: Generous, simple CASH BACK rewards formula with no annual fee. Choose this if you want great rewards without having to think too hard about those rewards while you’ve got your mind on your business.

Your business earns: 2% Cash Back on eligible business purchases up to $50,000 per calendar year, automatically credited to your statement. (Eligible purchases are purchases for goods and services minus returns and other credits.) Your business then earns 1% cash back on other eligible purchases after the first $50K spent on your Card, automatically credited to your statement.

New Cardholder Welcome Bonus Opportunity: Earn a $250 statement credit after you make $3,000 in purchases on your Card in your first 3 months. See Rates & Fees. Terms Apply. American Express is a ProudMoney advertiser.

 

The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express – Why We Like It: Generous, simple-to-understand rewards with no annual fee. Great option if you’re already earning Membership Rewards® points with other American Express credit cards.

Your business earns: 2X Points on eligible business purchases, on up to $50,000 in spending per calendar year. (Eligible purchases are purchases for goods and services minus returns and other credits.) Your business then earns 1X Points on other eligible purchases after the first $50K spent with the card. Points can be redeemed within the popular Membership Rewards program toward a variety of travel rewards as well as other options.

New Cardholder Welcome Bonus Opportunity: Earn 15,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on the Card within your first 3 months of Card Membership. See Rates & Fees. Terms Apply. American Express is a ProudMoney advertiser.

 

Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card – Why We Like It: Your business earns a ton of rewards in common business categories, you get access to Chase’s valuable travel transfer partners or you can enjoy a 25% boost on the value of your points when you redeem them through the Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal. And don’t forget a hefty bonus opportunity for new cardholders.

EARN: 3 Chase Ultimate Rewards points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases in the following categories each account anniversary year: Shipping purchases, Advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines, Internet, cable and phone services, and Travel. You’ll earn 1 Point Per $1 on all other purchases. Annual fee: $95.

NEW CARDHOLDER BONUS OPPORTUNITY: Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $15,000 on purchases in the first 3 months after account opening. That’s $1,000 cash back or $1,250 toward travel rewards when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.

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Best Gas Credit Cards – December 2022

What are the best credit cards for gas purchases? Here’s where you’ll get the best rewards & rebates:

Citi Custom Cash℠ Card – Why It’s Best: One of our very favorite no-annual-fee credit cards on the market, because it lets you earn 5% cash back on purchases in your top eligible spend category each billing cycle, up to the first $500 spent. Because the categories eligible for the 5% rebate include gas stations, all you have to do is make sure you spend more at gas stations than in any other category to earn 5% back on those gas purchases. Note that purchases beyond $500 per billing cycle in your top eligible spend category, as well as purchases in any other category, earn 1% cash back.  NEW CARDHOLDER WELCOME BONUS OPPORTUNITY: Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening.

 

Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express – Why It’s Good For Gas: This no-annual fee card lets you earn 3% cash back on gas at U.S. gas stations on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%), PLUS 3% cash back on groceries at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%), PLUS 3% cash back on U.S. online retail purchases on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%), and 1% cash back on other purchases. Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit. NEW CARDHOLDER WELCOME BONUS OPPORTUNITY: Earn up to $250: Earn up to $150 back when you shop with PayPal — You’ll Earn 20% back as a statement credit on purchases when you use your new card to check out with PayPal at merchants in the first 6 months of Card Membership. PLUS earn $100 back as a statement credit after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new Card in the first 6 months of Card Membership. See Rates & Fees. Terms Apply. American Express is a ProudMoney advertiser.

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