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If you’ve been curious about opening credit cards to earn points and miles, you’re probably wondering: is this actually for me?  The truth is, this little “travel points” hobby works best for people who already have certain money habits in place. Here’s the quick gut check: You always pay off your credit cards in full. If you’re carrying balances month to month, the sky-high interest rates will wipe out any free travel you earn. Rule number one: points only make sense if you

Short answer? Nope — not if you play it smart. My husband and I have been opening 3–4 new cards a year for the past five years, and guess what? Our credit scores are still hanging out in the 800s. 🎉 So yes, it’s totally possible to rack up those sweet points without wrecking your credit. Here’s how we keep things in the safe zone: Give it some breathing room. Don’t go wild and apply for five cards in one weekend. We try to wait at least 90 days between new applications. If w

I’ll be talking about Chase a lot, and for good reason — their cards and welcome bonuses are some of the best out there. But before you jump in, there’s one big rule you need to know. The “5/24 rule”  is Chase’s not-so-secret way of gatekeeping their best credit cards. Here’s how it works: if you’ve opened 5 or more personal credit cards (from any bank!) in the past 24 months , Chase will usually deny you for a new card—personal or business. What does  count toward 5/24? All