163. Listener Q&A: Bilt vs Amex, Spending Toward Status, & Rethinking Points Fundamentals

About this episode

In this listener Q&A episode, Devon Gimbel MD answers questions about credit cards, points strategy, and the evolving landscape of travel rewards.

Have you ever wondered if the advice you're following about credit cards and points is still relevant—or if the landscape has shifted enough that the old "rules" no longer apply? In this listener Q&A episode, I'm answering your questions on everything from Rakuten rewards strategy and Chase credit card approvals to hotel booking during peak travel times and whether hotel status is worth the spend. But the biggest topic I tackle is one I've been thinking about a lot lately: how my fundamental advice about earning and using points has evolved over the past decade. Listen in as I walk through why I no longer recommend Chase as the automatic starting point for everyone, why co-branded credit cards are becoming more strategically important than they used to be, and why the barrier to entry in this hobby may be lower than ever—but the bar for getting real value is actually higher. Whether you're just starting out or you've been in this space for years, this episode offers both tactical answers and a bigger-picture look at how to think about points strategy in the current landscape. Get full show notes and transcript…

People in this episode

Host: Devon Gimbel MD

Topics covered

• credit cards
• points strategy
• listener Q&A
• travel rewards
• hotel booking
• spending toward status

Keywords

• credit cards
• points
• travel
• rewards
• hotel status
• spending
• strategy

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Rakuten, Chase, Bilt, Amex

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