We all carry a balance on our credit cards from time to time. Unexpected expenses come up, like medical bills and car repairs. And sometimes you just can’t find another way to get that big ticket item you want. Unfortunately, this can get expensive fast because of the high interest rates on most credit cards.

Chase continues to make it more difficult to get approved for new credit cards and earns large sums of points with sign up bonuses. By now, many are familiar with the 5/24 rule, in which Chase will automatically reject applications for most of their cards if you have opened five or more new credit card accounts with any bank within the last 24 months.

Now, Chase has come out with a new rule, targeted at the Sapphire family of cards. There are three cards in the Sapphire family: the no annual fee Sapphire card, Sapphire Preferred, and Sapphire Reserve. Here are the new rules per a memo sent to Chase bankers:

If you’re new to earning points and miles through credit cards, you have many options when it comes to what cards you can get and earn the bonus on.

This changes when someone has been signing up for cards for a while due to some rules that various credit card issues have. Deciding which cards to get first is pretty straightforward if you know what to look for.

It’s easy to get Virgin Atlantic miles because the carrier has a long list of transfer partners, but Virgin’s Flying Club program isn’t known for its generous redemptions. However, there are some great deals hidden in the program’s award charts that shouldn’t be overlooked.

You can get to China and Hong Kong for as little as 60,000 miles. So save your cash for a nice new bespoke suit from the world famous tailors of Hong Kong. Or head straight to Beijing and start your journey in the Middle Kingdom with a trip to the Great Wall. With the right rewards credit card, you can earn enough with just the sign-up bonus.

You can easily earn a free flight to Japan in less than a year, but you’ll have to get the right credit card. Find out which card you need and which frequent flyer program can get you there the fastest.

For most airlines, award flights cost the same from either the East or West Coast to Tokyo, Japan’s main international hub. There are a few frequent flyer programs, though, that charge notably less if you fly from the West Coast.

Chase Ultimate Rewards is a great program with many fans. Just like the American Express Membership Rewards and Citi ThankYou programs, Ultimate Rewards offer multiple ways to redeem points. It is the only program that allows easy cash redemption at 100:1, but it mostly shines on travel redemptions.

If you like to travel, you might want to avoid some common mistakes in order to stretch your dollars. These mistakes are easy to make because the Ultimate Rewards earning structure is a bit complicated.

With so many good travel credit cards on the market, it can sometimes be difficult to decide which ones to keep in your wallet long-term. If you keep too many, you will end up paying a significant amount of money in annual fees which may end up costing you more than the value you receive from these cards. On the other hand, if you cancel a card and later decide you would like to have it again, you may be prevented from getting that card again due to Chase’s much-maligned 5/24 rule.

With the recent debut of the Chase Sapphire Reserve card, Chase now has two personal credit cards which carry the ability to transfer Ultimate Rewards to Chase’s network of transfer partners. Since Chase Ultimate Rewards has the best combination of credit cards, diversity of transfer partners, and overall value among the transferable points programs, holding one of these two cards will be part of a long-term strategy for many travel enthusiasts.

Are you planning a trip to Europe? Do you want to save some money and fly there for nearly free? The quickest way to do that is to earn miles or points with travel rewards credit cards and redeem them for award flights. Read on to find out which cards can get you to Europe the soonest.

If you often travel abroad, or if you’re planning a big trip to a foreign country, you’ll need a no foreign transaction fee credit card. Don’t worry; there are a lot of options, including some of the best rewards cards available.

The United Airlines MileagePlus frequent flyer program has dozens of business partners that can help you earn miles on the ground. You can earn miles when you rent a car, stay at a hotel, ride a train or get away from it all on a cruise. You can also earn miles when you buy a cellphone or cable service, eat at a restaurant or choose a car. Wherever there is a consumer product or service, the chances are you can earn miles for giving it a try.

Chase is tightening restrictions on credit card applications. They are limiting the number of new cards a customer can get to five within a 24-month period. So if you apply for a sixth new card in a two-year period, Chase is very likely to turn you down.

Not long ago I was planning a trip to visit family on the other side of the country and I wanted to pay for my flight with miles. Since my miles and points balances were low, I decided to get a new rewards credit card with a big welcome bonus.

Travel Card Comparison: Chase Sapphire vs Barclaycard Arrival

As a frequent flyer, it makes sense to get a credit card to aid you in your travels. The primary reason is that loyalty is heavily rewarded in the hospitality industry. Oftentimes, you get a top or almost top status just by signing up for a credit card.

Chase’s Ultimate Rewards is one of the most lucrative programs for frequent travelers due to its generous sign-up bonus, the ease of earning bonus points on purchases and the ability to redeem points for 1.25 cents for travel purchased for through Chase. The program also has many excellent transfer partners, including United, Singapore Airlines, Hyatt, Ritz-Carlton and others.

When you rent a car, you may have a vague worry in the back of your mind that little nagging feeling you get when you don’t quite understand the rules of the game. Rental car companies have tons of terms and conditions, and many of them can leave the consumer holding the bag in case of an accident or damage to the car. Paying for your rental car with the right credit card can offer you some additional protection and peace of mind.

Congratulations! You’ve decided to take the plunge into miles credit card land. It’s a nice plunge. I promise. There are gourmet meals on airplanes, luxury hotel rooms with private Jacuzzis, and lounges with sleeping cabanas and massages in your future.

When someone offers you a free week-long stay at their vacation house on the French Riviera complete with skipper and private chef, how can you say no?