MasterClass: Credit Cards, Bank Accounts, & Credit Scores

If you:

• Don't have a credit score or don't understand it

• Don't have your first credit card

• Are terrified of credit cards and debt

• Want to travel but can't afford to spend too much

• Want to learn to travel hack with credit card points

This is for you.

I've written a comprehensive 5-series course that solves those things for you and more. It's completely free.

If you’re already a newsletter subscriber, click here to access the MasterClass for free.

What travel experiences can you achieve by learning this hobby?

I've mentioned it in my About Me page, but I'll list it again here to emphasize the sheer ridiculousness of what is possible at nearly no cost:

• Took parents + grandmother to Grand Hyatt Kauai for a week. Their last Hawaii vacation was decades ago. I teared up a bit.

• First-class flights to Japan for me, my girlfriend, and 6 other friends. One couple was on a separate honeymoon trip.

• 1 week on an ultra-inclusive semi-private island. Ask ChatGPT about Calala Island. It's like The White Lotus.

• Maldives in overwater bungalows. I took two bros instead of a SO but it was still worth it. Hilarious, I know. They looked at us funny.

• Flights for old apartment-mates to make a costly Banff trip happen that we still reminisce about today. Memories are forever.

I've heard dismissive comments like "You probably spend an insane amount of time doing this."

Maybe in the beginning when I started in 2011. However, because of my OCD personality, I like to obsessively optimize things, and obsessively optimize I did.

Today, I spend less than 2 hours a week on everything.

Honestly, it really doesn't take that much time. You just submit some applications, go about your normal life, and the points magically appear.

2 hours a week to make those ridiculous vacations a reality? Feels like a no-brainer to me.

Sound unreal? Want video proof? Sign up below and it'll hit your inbox shortly. The free email course that is. Maybe the videos.

If you’re a subscriber, access the MasterClass directly here.

I've spent thousands of hours researching the industry.

Everything you need to know has been distilled and consolidated here. It's worth noting that while I've attempted to include as much detail as possible, this industry lives and breathes.

Rules change, offers change, terms change.

But by going through this guide, you'll be informed enough to know:

• What to look for

• Understand how it impacts you

• And most importantly, avoid falling into credit card debt

Credit card points are a long game.

It will take a few months to build up the point balances you need to make these vacations happen. Knowing this, it's prudent to start learning today, applying for cards ASAP, and accumulating points immediately.

If you decide it's too much to keep up with later on, your worst-case scenario is free money.

Let me frame it this way:

1. Every month, you have life expenses that get spent no matter what: food, groceries, gas, utilities, rent (there's a special card for this)

2. This spend is non-negotiable.

If that's the case, you might as well have the money spent count for something such as the spend requirements for credit card sign-up bonuses which give you hundreds (at minimum) to thousands in straight dollars.

The sign-up bonuses and points back are literally free money - you didn't change your spending habits at all. You just put the spend on a credit card instead of debit or cash.

Lots of people vehemently argue against credit cards.

Their main argument is the risk of falling into credit card debt which can shackle you for life. I agree with this. Most people don't have the financial discipline to keep themselves out of debt.

That's why, right off the bat, you'll see me place enormous emphasis on the financial habits you need to commit to maintaining.

You will commit to these. Otherwise, don't get into this at all.

I'll also explain some low-key strategies to help you stick to these habits. When it comes to credit card debt, get in your own way. Don't let it happen.

Banks don't try to keep people in debt. People keep themselves in debt.

If you’re a subscriber, access the MasterClass directly here.

Here's a TL;DR overview of the course. Buckle up, it's long. I told you it's comprehensive:

📋 Gate 1 | Credit Scores - What, Why, & How

• What is a credit score

• Why credit scores are important

• How to build up your credit scores

• Common misconceptions/myths and why they're wrong

  • Myth: Credit card applications hurt your credit scores

  • Myth: Having lots of credit cards is bad

  • Myth: Carrying a balance on your credit card is good

• How to check your credit score

  • 700 score starting point

  • Freezing your credit reports

🖼️ Gate 2 | The Art of Cards (Credit)

• The proper mental models and thought perspectives (natural spend)

• Overview of churning credit cards - mechanics of sign-up bonuses (SUBs)

  • Requirements, fine print, restrictions

  • Hacks and under-the-radar techniques (this is the good stuff)

• Common misconceptions about credit cards

  • Misconception: Credit card debt is bad

  • Misconception: Perspectives around annual fees

  • Misconception: Business cards require having a business (semi-false)

  • Misconception: Churning is a dying hobby

• How to protect yourself

  • Paying off balance/compounding interest

  • Autopay perspective

  • Credit limits

  • Credit utilization

  • Cash advance limits

  • Freezing your credit reports

  • Keeping track of your credit score

• Navigating the credit card application

💵 Gate 3 | Bank Accounts

• The proper mental models and thought perspectives (natural payroll)

• Overview of churning bank accounts - mechanics of sign-up bonuses (SUBs)

  • Requirements, fine print, restrictions

  • Hacks and under-the-radar techniques (this is the good stuff)

💳 Gate 4 | Start Your Churn

• Picking a card

• Prioritizing your goals and things to consider (destinations, airlines, hotels, business, cash back, etc.)

• General guide vs. tailored prescriptive guide

• General guide

  • Chase

  • Amex

  • Southwest / Alaska

  • Rent / Mortgage

  • 0% APR

  • Student / Beginner

  • Low credit / No credit history

  • What if you already have credit card debt?

    • Balance Transfer + 0% APR

📊 Gate 5 | Organization and Tracking

• Importance of tracking and organization

• Spreadsheet templates

  • Bank Account Tracker

  • Credit Card Tracker

  • List of Recurring Bank Account Bonuses (guaranteed income on a recurring basis)

• What's next?

  • Budgeting/expense tracking

  • Point balance tracking

  • "Coupon books"

  • Other tools and recommendations

It doesn't get more comprehensive than this. And it's free.

If you haven't requested it yet, I'd say it's worth having it sent to you and taking a quick peek. There's literally no downside in doing so.

Finally, let me just say this. I believe experiences are not zero-sum.

You enrich your own experiences by sharing and living through it with others.

My overwhelming desire to provide for my parents and my grandmother led to my obsession with this hobby. I was finally able to give these experiences to them and this will likely be the most fulfilling thing I'll ever do in my entire life. Being able to do the same for my inner circle of best friends was a cherry on top.

If anything I wrote above resonated with you, you know what to do.

Drop your email below and get yourself on track to travel for free (or at 1% of the cost, since some people are sticklers about technicalities).

If you’re a subscriber, access the MasterClass directly here.

See you on the other side of the world.

-Aaron