Author: Kyle Burbank
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Travel Tuesday: Comfrt Inflate Zip Hoodie Review – Better Than Airplane Mode?
Not long ago, Instagram convinced me to purchase a Comfrt Airplane Mode Travel Zip Hoodie. With hidden pockets and a built-in eye shade, it sounded like either a clever travel accessory or an incredibly gimmicky sweatshirt. As it turned out, it was a little bit of both — but I ultimately enjoyed using it. Then,…
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End of an Era: Why I Canceled My American Express Platinum
In October 2019, I did something that seemed crazy at the time: I applied for a credit card that carried a $550 annual fee. The card was the American Express Platinum card and what attracted me to it were features such as the airport lounge access. At the time, my wife and I had been…
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Leaving WeBull? You Can Earn a Bonus from These Brokerages
They say that all publicity is good publicity… but I’m not sure that’s true. Take, for example, the recent news about the FinTech brokerage WeBull. As CNBC reports, the House Select Committee on China found that “Webull’s ownership architecture, technical workforce, technology infrastructure, cross-border data routing, corporate financing, and compliance frameworks are tied in structural…
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Travel Tuesday: Kimpton Rowan Palm Springs Hotel Review
A few weeks ago, I attended my fifth in-person FinCon — which was hosted in Palm Springs, California, this year. And since FinCon is all about personal finance, I thought it was only appropriate that I simultaneously treat myself to a bit of luxury while leveraging available tools to keep costs down. What I found…
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Our Firsthand Experience with Verizon Shine (So Far)
Back in June, Verizon launched a new program with the punny moniker “Verizon Shine.” Somewhat similar to the popular T-Mobile Tuesdays, Verizon Shine features a variety of special offers from partner brands — except that these come in the form of daily drops instead of weekly. And while the telecom came out of the gate…
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Here’s How I’ve Used My Bilt Cash So Far (Hint: Mostly for Rides)
It’s been a busy week for Bilt. On Wednesday, they announced Amtrak as their latest travel transfer partner. Then, today, they revealed a transfer bonus to Amtrak as well as a Hilton transfer bonus that also comes with instant Hilton Honors status. Meanwhile, Bilt members now have just one quarter left to redeem their Bilt…
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Travel Tuesday: Twelve South AirFly SE Review – Airplane Seatback Bluetooth Solution
A few months ago, I had a chance to fly on a plane that had only been in service for two months. One of the features of this spanking new craft that caught my attention was the Bluetooth support on the seatback in-flight entertainment system. This means that, rather than using bad-sounding and occasionally painful…
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How My Hotel Minibar Actually Just Saved Me Money
This week, I’ve been in Palm Springs for FinCon 2026. Although I’ve found value in staying at the host hotel near the convention itself, with an American Express hotel credit to burn, I decided to go a different way and stay at the Kimpton Rowan instead (which was a good 15-minute walk from the event).…
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Here’s Where the First Southwest Airport Lounges Are Set to Open
You may have noticed that Southwest Airlines has been going through some… changes… lately. I like to think of it as the “sameification” of the carrier as they forgo nearly their entire identity in a bid to mirror every other major domestic airline (I suppose its point-to-point service is the last remaining core differentiator). To…
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Travel Tuesday: Residence Inn Indianapolis Downtown on the Canal Hotel Review
For the fourth year in a row, I had a chance to attend Gen Con in Indianapolis, Indiana. As much as I’ve come to enjoy this show and love the city, finding a hotel at a reasonable price during the massive convention has been an annual challenge. This time, those efforts not only led me…
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Caesars Rewards is Launching a Top-Level, Invite-Only Status Tier
If you’ve been giving all of your gambling dollars to Caesars in hopes of reaching their top-tier Seven Stars status, I have some bad news for you. This week, Caesars Rewards revealed that it was launching an even higher level of status — and, unlike other tiers that have clearly defined earnings objectives, this new one…
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You Can Earn Up to 5,000 Miles with the SkyMiles Starter Pack
I’m the type of person who, when asked if I want to sign up for a free rewards membership, is much more inclined to agree rather than explain the reasons why I don’t need to. Perhaps that’s why my email inbox is constantly overflowing, but I digress. The point is that, because of this, I…
