Posts by ymlulu
About Me, About My Dreams, and Necker Island (2019.12 Update: Necker Island is up to 1,500,000)
In 2020, the points cost to redeem Necker Island increased from 1,200,000 to 1,500,000, a full jump of 300,000 Virgin Atlantic points. Here’s the breakdown:...
How to Deal with This Wave of Hacked Chase Application Links [2019.12 Update: Some Links Are Still Alive, Plus Another DP of Full Family Shutdown]
I just tested it, and some of the offers through these links are still accessible. It’s hard to tell whether Chase intentionally left them up as bait or is just slow to make the ch...
How to Automatically Track Mail and Packages
Expecting lots of packages during shopping season? Here’s a summary of ways to automatically track USPS, UPS, and FedEx packages. UPS has also added a rewards feature: you can choo...
A Few Things to Do Before Year-End (2019)
As 2019 comes to an end, what else should you do or keep an eye on? In this post, we’ll go over various reimbursements, credit card benefits, upcoming changes, airlines, hotels, an...
Ritz-Carlton Beijing, China Central Place: Stay Review
Overall, I highly recommend staying at The Ritz-Carlton Beijing, China Central Place. The service was excellent, and the room was quite comfortable. If you have a free night certif...
Credit Card Shutdowns and Risk Controls (2) — Summary of Why Different Banks Shut Down Accounts [2019.11 Update: Chase Explicitly Warned Some Users]
According to Miles Per Day, Chase sent warnings to some users listing behaviors that could lead to shutdowns. It is clear that the items below are all related to Chase Rewards, i.e...
Another Chinese International Student Arrested Over Gift Card Scheme: Common Scams in the U.S.
A Chinese student was arrested for allegedly taking part in a nationwide multimillion-dollar Walmart gift card fraud scheme. Here’s a look at the case and how the scam worked, alon...
Guide to Using Chase Secure Message (SM) [2019.11 update: a small trick to get your full card number before the card arrives so you can meet spending requirements smoothly]
I recently applied for the new Sapphire Preferred with a 60,000-point welcome bonus. The card had not arrived yet, but I wanted to get the card number early so I could start spendi...
eBay Savings Guide [Updated 10/2019: $3 off coupon available to all; 10% eBay Bucks, $5 off, YMMV]
From now through October 30, on eBay, purchases of $25 or more qualify for 10% eBay Bucks in most categories, excluding a few exceptions. You need to activate the offer through the...
Barclays Uber Credit Card: [2019.10 Update: Major Benefit Changes, No Longer Worth It]
Today Barclays announced changes to the benefits on the Uber card: cash back will be converted to Uber Cash, the earn rate on Uber purchases will increase, and the earn rates on di...
Consumers Credit Union (CCU) Rewards Checking Review: Up to 5.09% APY
Consumer Credit Union’s Rewards Checking currently offers up to 5.09% APY on balances up to $10,000, which is unusually high for a checking account. There’s also no monthly fee, an...
