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Pottery Barn brings an interesting twist to the loyalty credit card: cash back or, if your purchase is big enough, special financing.
But as interesting as it is, this card is still a hard pass unless you’re such a Pottery Barn fan that you’re decking out your whole house in the retailer’s goods. There are much better credit cards on offer, particularly when it comes the “special financing.”

I mean, really: Why would you pay special financing when you can pay no financing with something like the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards card? But we will come back to that in a moment.

With an effective cash-back rate of 10%, the Bealls credit card (and the Bealls Florida credit card) seems like a winner. But before you click “apply,” there are some caveats you need to understand about a Bealls credit card.
In short: If you’re looking for an all-purpose, all-around credit card to collect cash back, then steer clear of a Bealls credit card and, instead, look for a more well-rounded cards such as the Citi Double Cash^® Card or a Capital One Venture card.

Given the quantity these days of exceptional credit cards that offer broad-based travel rewards and cash-back benefits, I almost always find it difficult to recommend that anyone apply for a store-branded credit card … and that’s no different when it comes to the Forever 21 Visa credit card.

Sometimes, credit-card signup bonuses and benefits are worth the effort, and the Total Rewards Visa – tied to Caesars Entertainment hotels and resorts – is one of those. But unless you’re a regular gambler or you regularly stay in Caesars hotels and resorts, then there are better credit card options.

I am not a consumer of cosmetics. As such, maybe everything I say about the Ulta Ultamate Rewards Mastercard is wrong.  Nevertheless, after reviewing what the Ulta Mastercard offers, I will say this is a card that is largely useless unless you are totally into Ulta as your go-to-shop for cosmetics and other beauty-related purchases.

Credit-reporting agency Equifax has been ordered to pay consumers hundreds of millions of dollars as part of a settlement for a 2017 data breach. At minimum, impacted consumers are eligible for a $125 payment, and some can claim as much as $20,000.
Here’s all you need to know to determine if you’re eligible to claim a piece of that gargantuan pie.

Let’s be blunt about this: the BJ’s Wholesale Club credit cards look like they’d be a pretty good option, particularly if you’re a regular shopper at one of the company’s warehouse stores. 
But the reality is that BJ’s two credit cards aren’t really worth the application effort. So, right here we can answer the primary question: Is a BJ’s credit card good for me?
The short answer is no.
The longer answer is maybe, but leaning heavily towards no.
Here’s why…

A news story recently made the rounds based on an annual Federal Reserve survey. Four in 10 Americans – 40% of us – would struggle to pay for an unexpected, $400 expense.
For some, that’s likely a truly legitimate fact precipitated by events beyond their control. For others, it’s all the choices they’ve made to this point, whether that’s an educational opportunity spurned, spending and savings decisions that undermine their financial strength, rash decisions tied to a job, a relationship, an investment, whatever.

Building credit anew or rebuilding credit after some sort of financial disaster can be a struggle. It’s often a chicken-and-an-egg situation in which you can’t get a good credit card because your credit is so bad – on non-existent – and you can’t build or rebuild your credit because you can’t get a good credit card.
Several credit-card providers have stepped into that void with cards that help you establish credit when you’ve never had it, or which will help you rebuild credit after you’ve destroyed yours originally.

There was a time when the only truly exclusive credit card was the American Express Centurion card – known almost ominously as “the Black Card.” So exclusive was it that American Express never really commented on its actual existence. 
The card was almost mythological and all that was generally known was that one needed to make a lot of money – and spend a lot of money of an Amex card – to even, maybe, be invited to apply.

Southwest Airlines has unleashed a new business credit card on the world, and it’s a good one, particularly if you’re a regular flyer on Southwest.
The new card is the Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business Card, which offers an enhanced day-of-travel experience and opportunities for accelerated earning in key business spending categories.

It’s the most dreaded day of the week. Those Mondays where you have to kiss your fun-filled, relaxing weekends behind, get up early, dress for success and head back to work. So how do you beat a case of the Mondays and ensure you’re heading back to a fulfilling, enriching work environment where teams can collaborate quickly and effectively? Enter a company called monday.com. Matt Burns, head of customer success at monday.com, spoke to RewardExpert about the company’s products and mission. “monday.com is reframing the conversation around work and Mondays by promoting positive, productive work environments and atmospheres,” he said.

Many large retailers have store branded credit cards. If you are a frequent shopper at Tractor Supply, a TSC credit card may help you save money in certain situations. But if you are looking for a credit card with a robust cash-back or rewards program, there are superior options available from other credit card issuers. 

Are you tired of teaser offers that don’t last, sky-high rates and credit card balances that continue to grow thanks to compound interest? If so, it’s time to take a closer look at Affirm.
RewardExpert spoke with Elizabeth Dixon Allin, Vice President of Communications, about the inspiration behind the innovative micro-lender and how any consumer can take advantage of the company’s alternative to traditional credit card purchases.

Do you offer retirement planning as part of your small business employee benefit package? If not, you may be in danger of losing good workers to your competitors who do. According to a survey by the Employee Benefit Research Institute, retirement savings plans were offered by 67 percent of employers in 2018. Within the companies offering this benefit, 79 percent of employees participated.  
RewardExpert recently spoke with Joseph Mrozek, vice president and national sales manager for Lincoln Financial Group’s retirement plan services, about why a retirement savings plan is an important employee benefit and why employers should choose Lincoln Financial Group to provide it.

Think of beer, think of Germany.
Think again.
Here in Prague, the Czechs put Germans to shame when it comes to knocking back brews. Czechs drink, on average, 143 liters of beer each year per person, far outpacing the nearest competitor – Namibia, at 108 liters.

As with so many retailers, fashion retailer Ann Taylor has its own affinity credit card – the Ann Taylor Comenity Mastercard. If you’re an Ann Taylor fan, the card’s probably not a bad deal because of the exclusive benefit it offers.
But if for the typical credit-card customer, there are far better cards with far better benefits for you to consider.

For consumers who frequently dine out or who are stay-at-home wannabe chefs, the TD Cash Credit Card seems like a worthy option, what with its 3% cash back feature on dining and 2% on grocery store purchases. And among cash back cards, those aren’t bad benefits. But … you can do better if you’re looking for a lucrative cash back credit card.

Extinguishing credit card debt is one of the most grueling debt-management processes imaginable. The high rates of interest most credit cards charge can make the process seem never-ending. And it’s demoralizing to see so much of your monthly payment go toward interest and so little go toward paying down the balance.

Perhaps when you were young, people warned you about the dangers of a credit card. Whoever thought a small plastic card could lead to so much debt and potential financial prison?

Those warnings didn’t come without reason though, as just over 40% of families in the United States have some sort of credit card debt. Add that with $1200 of average annual interest and a credit card can look scary from the outside.