Those websites are supported by credit card advertising, and the sites also earn commissions when you use the links they provide to open a credit card account. As we have no relationships with credit card issuers, we can offer unbiased guidance about which ones are best for you. 

They also acknowledge that the information they provide is quite general. Our recommendations are based on your individual circumstances, travel goals, location, and spending patterns. We do not offer “off the shelf” plans. Every plan is unique.

None whatsoever. My only compensation is the fee for the custom plan I create for you and the joy of hearing about your free travel.  

Excellent question. Like many people, COVID-19 certainly affected my travel plans. However, I still got more value than I paid in annual card fees because many banks offer flexible points that can be used to pay down your credit card balances in lieu of travel.  The plans we create keep this in mind and include flexible points.

There are many excellent cash back cards and many have no annual fee.  But, they tend to be limited to two percent (2%) return on what you spend.  What we offer is an opportunity to get a significantly higher yield per dollar spent if the rewards are applied to travel.  The key goal of the Travel Rewards Optimizer is to turn your routine credit card spending into as much free travel as possible.

You don’t have to because we do it for you. Based on your plan, we send you updates as we learn of changes or opportunities that may be relevant to you for a full year.

You wouldn’t. These articles are written by people whose job is literally using credit cards for travel and writing about the cards and the travel destinations.  It sounds like a great job but, for most of us, there is no point in running up thousands of dollars in annual card fees. Our plans are based on recommending a few cards that will meet your goals with the lowest annual fees.

They can be. Our plans are best for people who pay their credit card balances in full every month.  To be honest, the interest rates banks charge can easily wipe out the value of any travel rewards you might earn. If you are someone who carries a balance (and I recommend you avoid that, if possible) you should certainly look for a card that has the lowest interest rates.

No. We don’t ask questions about income, net worth, total annual expenditures, etc. We do ask questions about estimated monthly spending on specific categories like dining, groceries, gas, etc. to help refine your plan. However, if you want to omit this information, we can still create a plan.

Absolutely not. The plans are created to fit with your normal spending patterns without creating additional work and hassles for you.

Typically, getting a new card is likely to lower your FICO score but by only a few points (on an 850 point scale).  In the absence of unusual spending activity, your score will go back up after a few months.  The TRO plans recommend spreading out card applications over time.  I currently have nine open credit card accounts and tend to take on one or two new cards per year and my FICO scores have remained above 800 (which is considered to be an excellent score). 

The TRO plans are for people with very good or excellent credit (FICO scores of 700 or higher), who pay their credit card balances in full each month, and who want to turn their credit card spending into free or reduced cost travel.

Currently, I can only create TRO plans for US citizens and residents with US Social Security numbers.

The cost of the TRO plan is $150 and covers you and members of your household.  You will get a comprehensive and customized plan that provides guidance for the next year.  You also get an Excel spreadsheet that you can use to manage your credit card travel rewards.  Additionally, we might send occasional email updates (if desired) to alert you to relevant changes or opportunities in the programs and credit cards you use as they come to our attention.

These plans are all custom and the time to create them depends on demand.  In general, I turn them around within five business days.