u/Swimming_Sky6938

Hey all. New CFII here who is currently living with my parents.

Crunched the numbers and it looks like if I want to get my multi-engine rating and MEI, I don’t think I’ll be able to afford to build a decent emergency fund and move out before I go to the airlines (estimating it will take 2-2.5ish years, I’m currently at 340 hrs).

I know things are pretty sh*t for pilots in general right now. Just want to see how other CFIs are doing financially, what your emergency funds look like (if any), and how many others are living at home. How many of ya’ll who are not living with family are making enough to live, save, and invest on top of it all?

Thanks 🙏

To those of you who have opened the Wells Fargo Autograph or Autograph Journey- how many credit cards had you opened in the preceding 6 months?

I know WF will not allow you to open a card with them if you already have in the preceding 6 months. I opened the Active Cash 3 months ago, and I’m just waiting til September to open the Autograph. Wondering if I can open a card from another issuer while I wait, or if it will significantly reduce my chances of getting approved for the Autograph.

For reference:
I’m at 1/6, 1/12, and 2/24 right now. Fico 8 scores 750-760 for highish utilization. No derogatory marks.

Thanks in advance!

Hey everyone!

Recently switched my brokerage over to Fidelity because I plan on getting the CMA and Rewards Credit Card in the future.

The main purpose of getting the CMA for me is for the ATM reimbursements when I travel. The CMA account offers unlimited ATM fee reimbursements worldwide, but only if* *you use a Visa, Star, or Plus ATM.

My question is this:
To those of you who have a CMA and regularly use this benefit internationally, how difficult is it to find a qualifying ATM?* *Is it a pain to look for the right logo on an ATM? Or is nearly every ATM qualifying?

I know that other accounts with Schwab, Morgan Stanley, and Betterment offer the same feature with no limitations. Just curious if Fidelity lives up to those options.

Thanks in advance!

UPDATE: I called Fidelity as suggested, they only reimburse ACAT fees for portfolios worth $25k or more. I’m to leave a small share in my ETrade, then sell it and withdraw the cash.

Does anyone have two brokerage accounts? And why?

Looking at switching from E*Trade to Fidelity, but don’t want to pay E*Trade’s full ACAT transfer fee. I can avoid this by keeping some investments in that account.

I’m curious to know, if you have two brokerage accounts, what is your reason for having them? Any disadvantages? Is it better just to have one?

Thanks in advance!

Hey all. Best music streaming services that are not Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube Music, or Amazon Music?

I liked the idea of Qobuz, and tried it for a month, but their selection of music seemed to be a lot less. For example, I’m South Asian and when transferring my Desi playlists over, so many songs were not available.

I also like how Spotify has Discover Weekly, and other recommendations for you based on what you listen to. I’d like that in another service but I’m also assuming it isn’t great on the privacy front of things. Not sure how it all works.

Also- I do not want something that heavily relies on AI/or is AI dependent. This goes without saying, but I want something that doesn’t sell my data.

Any recommendations? Thanks in advance!

I’m testing out the free version of Tuta right now for this purpose. For those who use the free version for serious accounts, is 1GB enough for you? How do you manage keeping your stored emails below 1GB?

The obvious answer is to delete mail as I stop needing it, but with banks, I’m afraid I’ll need something later on.

If you do use the free version of Tuta for serious accounts, what do you like about it?

Thank in advance!

Hey all. So I was kinda dumb and got a SoFi account (checking & savings) a month ago, when I don’t qualify for the APY boost (I get paid w/ paper checks). I chose them because they are highly rated and have vaults. But that means I’m currently making just 1.0% APY on my SoFi savings. Doesn’t matter much rn bc my funds are low, but I’m trying to shop around for sometime in the next few months.

Does anyone know of a HYSA with:

• A competitive APY (3.25% or more) with NO conditions
• Buckets/vaults
• Unlimited withdrawals
• No fees
• Good customer service/overall reputation?

Betterment checks all of these boxes but I’ve heard some complaints about privacy/security due to a recent data breach, and the time it takes to transfer funds. Other than that every decent APY with buckets is conditional.

Note: I have a higher APY HYSA for my emergency fund. This is for other savings that I’d like to organize by use, hence why I want buckets/vaults.

To those of you who received a C1 credit limit increase by using the “high utilization, pay off in full by due date” method, how high was your utilization on your card?

Has anyone gotten a CLI by using around 50% with this method? I’ve been using around 50% the past couple months, compared to maximum 5% the past few years.

Not desperate for a CLI, just want to see if I can get one (upon request they only offered me a 10% increase in the past). Thanks.

Hey everyone. I’ve been working toward a CLI on my Savor for one statement (higher utilization, then paying in full by due date), as many people on here advise.

I found that I’m preapproved for the Venture X, and would like to get that in the next few months. But I’m curious if getting a credit limit increase on the Savor will hurt my chances of getting fully approved for the VX? Any input?

I’m also assuming that if I accept the VX now, it would hurt my chances of a CLI. Is this true?

If it helps, I’ve had the Savor for about 1 year and 7 months, have a credit limit of $3000, and have never gotten an increase.

Thanks in advance!

Hey all, I’d like to hear your opinions.

I’ve been trying to plan out what CCs I’d like to get for travel benefits in the future. I’ve been considering the Amex Gold & Venture X combo.

A few things to note: I am affiliated with an airline and therefore get to fly in standby for cheap. So the primary goal of travel cards for me is to pay for hotels, and maybe flights when I don’t want to do standby or when my airline doesn’t fly to a destination. Lounge access is also nice but I can’t get in on standby.

I definitely want to get the Amex Gold for the incredible spending multipliers & eventually the Platinum (it looks like it would pretty much pay for itself for me). I’ve been considering the Venture X lately because of the 2x multiplier, but I’m not a huge fan of their hotel transfer partners. Seems like there are few options and they’re mainly domestic (which is fine for sometimes but not all the time). But, it looks like this card also basically pays for itself if you use the credits.

Est monthly spending:
• Groceries- $480
• Dining- $300
• Everything else- $400 combined, estimated

Goal is to go on 1-2 international trips a year (at relatively cheap destinations) & at least 1 domestic trip. Planning on redeeming at minimum 2 CPP.

So here are my questions/concerns summed up:

1. Is the Venture X worth it for hotels? Are there any hidden gem hotels/franchises that fall under their transfer partners?

2. Or is it still worth it with the C1 travel portal and price matching, even though C1 miles have a lower value than other ecosystems?

3. Is this a good setup or would it be better to opt for CFU & CSP to get 1.5% of more valuable points?

4. Would anyone recommend another different setup?

I also have the Savor card if that helps, but I figure if I use the Amex Gold then that is the better card. I guess I can use the Savor for entertainment purchases.

TL/DR: Is the Venture X good for hotels? Is Amex Gold & Venture X a good combo?

Hey all. I’ve had the Savor for over 1.5 years now. Very good-excellent credit score and great history with C1. In the past, I’ve always paid off my balances immediately after they post.

After some research, I have just begun using around 50% of my credit limit on the Savor and letting the statement post so I can get a CLI. I have an offer to upgrade to the Quicksilver and the Venture One, but I figure it’s not worth it lol. I’m also not looking to upgrade for a couple of months until I can get another card with dining rewards to replace the Savor (Amex Gold).

Has anyone ever been able to upgrade directly from the Savor to the Venture X? If so, what did you do to get better upgrade offers?

Thanks in advance!