@marcopolomle said in Wells Fargo $300 Checking Bonus [Select Areas Only; DD Required]:
- a recipient of a consumer checking bonus in the past 12 months (limit 1 bonus per customer)
we’re not going to risk getting a bonus since DH and I received it Q1 of this year; we also got the extra $10 for paying with the DC using the app at WAG. Our total bonuses came up to $260 each.
Hopefully, they come up with a new offers before spring of 2018.
@alexsj tell your friend to try getting a secured card from a local credit union. If there’s still a problem, your friend has to check their credit report from the 3 CRAs, as well as Chexsystem, EWS so they can examine the reports line by line.
@ritholtz I cannot give you guarantees, just my personal experience where I pulled almost all the funds soon as the full $20K posted to keep account open. The $200 bonus posted on Oct 5. DH opened his first savings a week later than I did and he hasn’t received his bonus, he might get his on the next batch.
@fivetalents I’m not sure of that but from what I’ve read and experienced with CCs that denied some of my applications, none of them explained the rejection and I didn’t press further.
@alexsj in that case, there must be something in your friend’s profile/report that FIs are seeing for them to deny your friend a secured card which is supposedly backed up by a C/A.
@my4mainecoons IIRC, there was an article that said Visa GCs are now sold at Amzn but you’ll not like the fees though. I think highest is $100 but it’s a sure way to turn AmznGCs back to cash, if necessary.
Tell your friend to try Discover, I don’t think they turn down anyone, even students.
Many years ago before I discovered the benefit of using CCs, BoA approved me for a secured CC with $500 CL. This was backed up by a $500 deposit to a checking account. It didn’t take long before they started offering me regular CCs with rewards.
@bppcomplete if you download the WM app, click Express Money where you can send or receive money, there is an option to do RIA transfer (can’t remember if it’s limited to domestic transfers only) so if you’re sending $500 within the USA that can be redeemed at WM supercenter, the fee is $8. For amounts way over $2500, the RIA transfer option does not show, only 2 options remain with much higher fees.
From what I remember for RIA transfer up to $50, ~ $4, $51 to $1000 ~ $8, $1001 up to $2500 ~ $16.
there are 2 other choices, one is Moneygram and another I can’t remember and both have much higher fees.
I’ve noticed that even those certified used cars sold by dealerships have ripped seat upholsteries, dings on doors and other cosmetic defects and worse, they’re marked up just a few hundreds less than the brand new ones on the lot. I’d be surprised if anyone would still buy them to save a few hundred bucks instead of the brand new one with full warranty and possibly get it at close to the price of certified used, depending on one’s negotiating skills.
@zapjb good for you! I have a grocery store that does huge meat markdowns that take only V/MC so hopefully they start taking AXPs although I use CCs only for regular spend. I don’t use DCs for regular spend, all my prepaid reloadables are strictly for MS purposes.
@frugalfreak one of the DTs near me had a cashier who made a similar comment so I asked for the store manager if she could review their policies regarding coupon acceptance. She then told cashier they have started accepting coupons for a while now. From then on, I had no problems using coupons up to $1 in that store or any DT.
@zapjb that’s right, I mentioned GoB since OP preferred Visa/MC which is widely acceptable for daily use compared to BB which is AXP prepaid that not a lot of stores accept as tender.
I’m glad I found out that even if a portal gives CB to ebay or amazon, it pays to go over specific categories they’ll give CB which means CB is not paid on EVERYTHING you buy but only specific categories like shoes, purses, tools, etc. If you don’t pay attention to those limitations, you’ll be disappointed later to find out you didn’t earn CB.
Since I buy a lot of GCs online, I have good experience with yazing because I’ve gotten CBs from them when I wasn’t expecting it. One major flaw of yazing is their dashboard sucks and they know it. It’s so inconvinient to request via SM just to check on your approved click thrus and CB earned.
I activated it too and bought VGCs. Wasn’t it $10 the last time they gave a random bonus?
In our experience, the best time to buy a car is the last quarter of the year when the newest models are starting to roll out. If they still have a lot of stock of the cars you’re looking at, there’s a good chance they’ll give you a good deal on it. When you come at the right time and they’re trying to meet a quota, they’ll likely accept any reasonable offer just to meet their quota and possibly accompanied by a bonus.
@gwraigty I don’t know if it’s called strong-arm approach but for us, we just lay our cards on the table. If the dealership will not accept my offer, I leave and go to the next dealership. Since the offers we make are based on careful research which I know is reasonable, the boss has not turned it down. We have no plans of buying another vehicle in the coming years so I’m not paying attention to vehicle offers right now. We still do a few test drive offers that come in the mail; most salesmen just fill out the forms and don’t even let us do the test drive (they don’t know how much we appreciate this!).
I’m with you in trying to find the best deal in everything. Go for it!
@marcopolomle yes it is Doc’s site ~ doctorofcreditdotcom
here’s a tip for those who are just starting to navigate the site:
~ for banks advertised having sign up bonuses and limited to certain states, make sure to check discussions because it has turned out that some banks do not enforce the state limitations. An example is the MandTbank which turned out a huge moneymaker to many until they closed the loophole. Bonuses posted a day or two after ACH push from an external bank posted to account. IINM, the loophole took more than half a year before it got plugged just recently. It is now considered dead but for those who live in the targeted states, make sure to check it and try your luck.
I’m not sure if P&G rebates have changed their T&C to where the net total price must reach the required threshold amount, in this case $50 AFTER coupons are applied or else they will not qualify for the rebate. I remember years ago, their rebates were BEFORE coupons and the coupons then were a lot higher than they are now. <sigh>
We may not be like the rest but we pay for our vehicles in cash; the last one we bought brand new from the dealership was in Q4 of 2015. Our style is tell the salesman we’re paying in cash, this is all I’m willing to pay for X vehicle in your lot. We have no trade in and this is the car we want; the color of the car is the only factor negotiable. If you’re not going to lower the MSRP to meet our price, let’s not waste each other’s time. We usually cut the back n forth negotiations to 45 minutes and then I stand up ready to go when the boss comes up and say we have a deal.
We’ve done this twice now and paid no more than what we were willing to part with. For those asking why we buy brand new, the price difference of the certified used were just a few hundreds so I’d rather buy brand new but according to my price which I’ve researched prior to making an offer. We’re well aware that vehicles depreciate as soon as they roll out of the parking lot but we still stick to brand new ones.
@skaterringo I’m not sure if it’s okay to recommend a site that provides a lot of discussions on banks including the ones that give sign up bonuses. Feel free to send me a PM so I don’t violate any rules. If the mods read this and it’s allowed, I will post it here for all to see. I can say I’ve used that site and have received thousands of $ in bank sign up bonuses juggling the same funds for DH and me for the past year.
@louis-redfoot even if it’s not done for a living, it’s not a good idea to do it because it can possibly cause a gullible person to get in trouble and get banned from a store. Like I said to those who plan to do it at Walgreens…DON’T! unless you want a problem.
@dennisinvenice I’m with you and since the codes in boxes sold at most stores are still the same from years ago, I don’t see how they can tell if they’re codes AFTER the program change. But main question for us ~ what are these flaps worth now?
I don’t know now what to do with all those codes in flaps of 12 pk cans I have collected if they’re still any good 
@louis-redfoot I think this is terrible advice to buy something with intent to return even for store credit.
For those who will try this tactic at stores like Walgreens, know that when a return is made, they’ll give you a merchandise credit card (store credit), which has a lot of restrictions to use. BEWARE of those who sell Walgreens GCs online because this is the type they’re selling and you’re going to be frustrated later when you try to use it and it has so many restrictions to use it. Compared to the regular rack Walgreens GCs which does not have a lot of restrictions on what to buy, the merchandise credit is a real PITA that’s why people get rid of it and sell them online to gullible buyers.
@my4mainecoons yes, place like those and I don’t want to mention them to give them free advertisement because from what I’ve read a lot of them have not paid for the GCs they accepted from sellers. There was one popular among MSers (will tell you if you PM me) that was good at the start and then started NOT paying a lot of the sellers.
If you sell on ebay, just make sure to take pics F&B; others scratch of the back portion if there’s a scratch off portion and take a screenshot of the current balance on card at the time it was mailed to buyer after they check it online. That way, buyer can’t say it’s zero balance when they received it. Therefore, it’s best to cover your bases.
@craig10x yeah they closed the prepaid cards last year. It was an easy route although not the cheapest but manageable enough to MS w/o going out of the house.
If there are still prepaid cards around that are being used for MS, they are not discussed in public and understandably so or else they’d get shutdown immediately once the FI notices the spike in applications and the way they’re being used. USBuxx was around for more than TEN years, it hurt so much when they closed it!
@my4mainecoons I have no experience reselling both eGcs and the plastics but I caution you in selling them to the GC buyers online. Many of them have gone under and I’ve read it took a long time for them to pay, some have not been paid. If you travel a lot and use hotelsdotcom, they exchange other merchants GCs for their GCs, some GCs like walmart command a high price the last time I looked. There may be reliable GC buyers online but make sure to do your research before you sell to them.
@christmas you’re very welcome. I have read a lot of scammer tactics that’s why I prefer selling on craigslist and accept cash only. Scammers usually prey on newbie sellers thinking they can easily buy tons of items from them with prior intent to scam the seller by either saying they did not receive item or item was not as described. as previously mentioned ebay tends to side with buyers most often. I have made a lot of purchases and have only returned two because they were improperly packaged. The gold jewelry I bought that was broke when delivered, I was able to sell it at a coin show to one of the dealers participating so I can get rid of it. THEREFORE, if you’re determined to sell on ebay, make sure you protect yourself since you’re selling high ticket items you cannot just afford to take a loss.
Is this the same FI that used to offer the prepaid buxx cards that closed that division a year ago? I turned to their buxx cards when USBank shut theirs. I think they were the last one to close among the buxx cards that provided an easy MS route
Bluebird is an amex prepaid, if you want a Visa/MC prepaid, check GoBank prepaid. They sell the starter card at WM with $2.95 fee or you can also register online to dodge the fee and just wait for your permanent card. The maximum load to this card is $3000 and there’s maintenance fees that can be waived if you have a direct deposit to it of at least $500.
If one creates a thread and there’s no replies to it, I don’t think it’ll be difficult to ask the mods to just delete it, for whatever reasons. However, if there is at least one reply to it, post should remain. IMO, of course.
@dangeruss yes and so far I’m satisfied with their service.
sellers who sell fragile items MUST make sure they are wrapped and protected in a bunch of bubble wrap. You can take pics of these before you put them in a box/ USPS priority envie.
I bought 14K gold jewelry and it was just wrapped in tissue and sent via first class mail; the item was mangled when it arrived, I took pics and filed a dispute on ebay immediately. seller refused to admit she did not pack it securely but ebay took my side. I was expecting ebay to tell me to send it back which I was willing to do if they gave me a free shipping code. ebay told me to keep item and gave me full refund.
@christmas if you’re a newbie going to sell precious metals and jewelry on ebay or anywhere online, make sure to take a picture of what you’re selling before you package it, take note of the weight of the item and post details in description of the item so that when a scammer tries to scam you and return a different item (there are many cases reported scammers returned rocks!), you can provide proof that it’s a fraudulent return. ebay often sides with the buyers in most cases that’s why you need to protect yourself as seller.
@ritholtz the DPs I’ve read do not limit to one per address/household so if there are several adults in an address, they can open their own accounts and receive the bonus. I’m thinking of opening my AAADisc acct next week and then DH opens his, which we will fund full $20K on each account by 11/12 and wait for our bonuses to post by 11/30. I wasn’t expecting to get my savings bonus this early but I’m glad I did; hopefully, DH gets his savings bonus next week.
I got this in my and DH’s email. the code for 20% Family and Friends x10/9 is BUYNOW to use online. To use in-store, download the coupon with barcode and PIN for cashier to scan.
I’m glad they’re making up for our “loss” on the $10/$30 DiscoverIT KCs…lol
@ritholtz code I used for regular savings where I already got $200 bonus is S817 which IINM expired Oct 2.
we have AAA membership so I’ll apply by Tuesday for AAA bonus.
I haven’t opened this account yet but I received my $200 bonus from savings. Account opened 9/18 with $5K, then another $15K on 9/20. Small interest posted by 9/30 and then yesterday I saw the $200 bonus posted.
Do I have to close this savings account first before I open the AAA Discover? TIA
this is not sold online but check your WM supercenters for this item.
com/ip/Element-39-Class-1080p-Lcd-Hdtv-W-jbl-S/23740363
this will make good desktop monitors if you’re looking for one that’s cheap. I haven’t looked into reviews though.
@marcopolomle the only reason I can think of is she wasn’t thinking ahead and just focused on getting a lower premium. the problem is, she wanted to pay less without knowing where she will get the deductible when an accident happens. IMO, as long as one has EF saved they can pull out in case of emergency, opting for high deductible is a smart way to save money.
btw, talking of deductibles, I know of someone who chose the highest deductible to get lower premiums on their auto insurance. Then one day, she got involved in a minor accident that needed minor repairs to her car. When she filed a claim, she realized she has to come up with her deductible first before insurance takes the rest of the tab; she didn’t have an EF to cover for it so she can’t have her vehicle repaired.
We have free supply of wood from a tree company that dumps the tree cuttings in our property. We invested in a wood burning heater and log splitter which were not cheap, but it has lowered our bills during the winter. I also managed to sell the excess wood we have when people stop by offering X amount for Y amount of wood; I take whatever offer knowing supply always gets replenished.
We’ve also maxed out our home insurance deductible to the point we’re “insuring” ourselves for catastrophic events. We came with this decision based on our emergency funds stash. Should there be any damages that need to be repaired that is less than our deductible, we know we can take care of it. Right now, DH does minor repairs here and there to prevent serious damages. It seems costly at times but we’re of the mindset that it’s going to be way more expensive if we don’t make the necessary repairs now.
@mikk1 yes, the gutter guards at Lowe’s are not that expensive but for us who have a lot of trees, the benefits far outweigh the cost even if one has to pay someone to install them in case you can’t do it yourself. We have saved thousands of dollars because DH is an all around handyman.
We are surrounded by trees in our property. We consulted an arborist when we noticed rotting at the base of a huge oak tree in the front yard. Recommendation was to take it down because it cannot stand a strong gush of wind. As much as I wanted to preserve it, the consultant said it cannot be saved. It would’ve cost more if the tree fell towards the main road where vehicles pass that can possibly cause damage to life, limb and properties.