5X Everywhere

5X Everywhere

Or more!

Big Scores

Credit card

churningMega

shopping deals

Category bonuses

First, a moment of silence…

The Original 5X Everywhere

“One Card to Rule them All”

Then came Bluebird

5X everywhere + Bill Pay!

Another moment of silence…

5X Everywhere

Lives On

Vanilla Visa & Merchant Gift cards

Vanilla Visa + Target

Vanilla Visa + Vanilla Reload

Hilton Amex + Vanilla Reload

6X

Forward 5X

5X Options Compared

Option Cost to load $500

Fee % ATM? Bill Pay?

Vanilla Visa $4.95 .99 No No

Vanilla Visa + Target

$6.45 1.29 Yes No

Vanilla Visa + Vanilla Reload

$8.90 1.78 Yes Yes

Hilton Amex + Vanilla Reload

$3.95 .79 Yes Yes

Forward 5X $3.95 .79 Yes No

How big is this?

Living 1X

Consider these example annual expenses:• $20K credit card spend• $25K checks and bank transfers• $5K ATM withdrawals

Points per year earned from typical credit card:

$20K spend X 1 = 20,000 points

Category Bonuses

Average ~3XPoints per year earned:

$20K spend X 3 = 60,000 points

6X groceries, gas, drug

stores

2X Travel,

(restaurants)

5X restaurants

, bookstores,

movies

5X telecom,

cable, internet,

office supply

5X : Vanilla Visa & merchant gift cards

Average ~5XAnnual cost depends on gift cards used: ~$120

Points per year earned:

$20K spend X 5 = 100,000 points(or 88,000 for free)

5X: Vanilla Visa + Target

Average 5X across all credit and cash expenses

Annual cost: ~$325

Points per year earned:

$25K spend X 5 = 125,000 points(or 92,500 for free)

5X: Forward

Average 5X across all credit and cash expensesAnnual cost: ~$200

Points per year earned:

$25K spend X 5 = 125,000 points*(or 105,000 for free)

* $1K limit may be a deal breaker

5X: Vanilla Visa + Vanilla Reload

Average 5X across all expensesAnnual cost: $890

Points per year earned:

$50K spend X 5 = 250,000 points(or 161,000 for free)

6X: Hilton Amex + Vanilla Reload

Average 6X across all expensesAnnual cost: $395

Points per year earned:

$50K spend X 6 = 300,000 points(but, points are not as valuable)

Beyond 5X

Beyond 5X Everywhere

• Pay all credit charges with best credit card• $20K X 3 = 60K points

• Pay all bills (including credit card bills) & ATM with Bluebird• $50K X 5 = 250K points

Annual cost: $890Points per year earned:

310,000(or 221,000 for free)

Life Beyond 5X

Once a week:• [Go to Office Depot, buy two $500 Vanilla Visa

cards]• Go to drug store, buy two Vanilla Reload cards• Go home, load Vanilla Reload cards to Bluebird• Use Bluebird to pay bills & transfer money to

checking

As needed:• Use best credit card for purchases• Use Bluebird for ATM

Comparing TechniquesTechnique Points

EarnedCost Cost per

PointPain

1X 20K $0 $0 None

Category Bonuses ~3X

60K $0 $0 Low

Vanilla Visa + Gift Cards

100K ~$120 $0.0012 High

Forward B&N 125K ~$200 $0.0016 Medium

Vanilla Visa + Target 125K ~$320 $0.0026 High

Vanilla Visa + Vanilla Reload

250K $890 $0.0036 High

Hilton + Vanilla Reload

300K $395 $0.0013 Medium

Beyond 5X 310K $890 $0.0029 High

A moving target

Office Depot

CVS

Wal-greens

Use Caution

Questions?

Reload Cards

Paying Federal Taxes

Federal Taxes, Two Good OptionsFor example, assume $20K in taxes…

• Pay with mile earning debit card (e.g. SunTrust Delta card):• Earn 1 mile per dollar• Cost = $3.49• Miles earned = 20,000

• Pay with gift cards:• Buy 40 $500 Visa cards at 5X• Call Official Payments and use cards as debit cards• Cost = $356• Miles earned = 100,000 (or 64,400 free)