I was doing some reading over at MSN’s Money Central and I ran across this article by Liz Pulliam Weston.  Liz talks about some of the best rewards credit cards, but that’s not what prompted me to write this post.  Instead, it was this comment in particular that got my attention:

“Deadbeat” is the credit card industry’s code word for people who pay their balances in full every month.

As readers of my tutorial on free money know, I am a staunch supporter of paying off balances in full every month.  So as the saying goes, “if the shoe fits…”

In all seriousness though, Liz’s article is a great overview of the various rewards cards out there.  In the cash back credit card category, she recommends the Amex Blue Cash and the Chase Freedom credit cards. I agree completely.  In fact, I would go so far as to say these two cards are the best ones to use period.

What do you think?  What’s the rewards credit card you use and why?

Popularity: 45% [?]

I have been noticing in my web server logs for a couple months now that quite a number of people have been searching for a head-to-head comparison of the Amex Blue Cash vs. Chase Freedom cards. As subscribers to my cash back tutorial already know, I consider these two credit cards to be the best ones available today.

Given the number of people searching for this kind of comparison, I thought it best to prepare a quick post to help people decide between the two. So if you’re one of those folks that stumbled onto this post through the search engines, welcome!

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Popularity: 100% [?]

UPDATE 09 NOV 2008: Chase has updated how the Freedom Card works since this post.  See the new terms here.

When I was designing my cash back calculator, I decided to include the Chase Freedom Cash Visa Signature card to see what kind of cash back it could generate. I was pleasantly surprised with its results. This card was consistently coming out on top for many spending scenarios, and no less than second place at any level of spend. With these kinds of results, the card earned a permanent spot on my calculator.

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Popularity: 44% [?]

A few years ago, I saw an ad for the Blue Cash card on TV. The commercial’s touting of its high 5% rebate got my attention. When I researched this card on American Express’ website, I saw that the big rebate didn’t actually start until I spent at least $6,500 on the card. Until I reached that magic $6,500 number, the card would earn me just 1% at gas stations, grocery stores and drug stores, and a measly 1/2% everywhere else. “My Chase PerfectCard gives me 3% at gas stations and 1% everywhere else”, I thought, “so I’ll just stick with what I have.”

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Popularity: 51% [?]