Achieve New Year’s goals with these cards

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With the new year comes resolutions to better your life. Why not get rewarded for the spending you’ll do to reach your goals? Whether you’re looking to travel more, live a healthier lifestyle or better yourself in general, the following credit cards can help you to earn rewards and perks that are associated with your New Year’s goals.
Your New Year’s goal is to travel more
If you’re dreaming of flying to new places or finally making that cross-country drive, there’s a credit card out there to aid or reward you. With a travel or gas credit card, you can earn points, miles or cash back as you check off another destination from your travel list.
If you’re a frequent flyer, consider the Chase Sapphire Reserve
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is one of the best travel credit cards currently available. It earns 10X points on hotel stays and car rentals through Chase Ultimate Rewards, 10X points on Lyft purchases (through March 2025), 10X points on Chase Dining purchases through Ultimate Rewards, 5X points on air travel through Ultimate Rewards, 3X points on general travel and restaurant purchases and 1X points on all other purchases. There’s also a welcome bonus of 60,000 points when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening (worth $900 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Ultimate Rewards, thanks to this option’s 50 percent points boost).
The most notable perk is up to $300 in annual travel credits each year on your account anniversary, which can be used as reimbursement for qualifying travel purchases. And if you’re interested in expediting your travel, the card also offers up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck. Some other perks include a Priority Pass Select airport lounge membership, access to exclusive amenities through the Luxury Hotel and Resort Collection and comprehensive travel insurance.
It’s worth noting that the Chase Sapphire Reserve comes with a large annual fee of $550 per year, but the card’s perks alone nearly offset the cost for your first year. If you tend to travel multiple times a month (or even once a month), you shouldn’t have a problem getting value out of this card for years to come.
If you’re a casual traveler, consider the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
You don’t need to be a jet setter to enjoy the perks of a travel credit card. For instance, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is a great option for casual travelers to consider as it only comes with a $95 annual fee and it offers 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 2X miles on all other purchases. Plus, you can earn a welcome bonus of 75,000 miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening, which is equal to $750 in travel. You’ll also receive up to a $100 credit toward Global Entry or TSA PreCheck.
Additionally, you can maximize the value of your miles by transferring them to one of Capital One’s airline and hotel partners. According to our points and miles valuations, Capital One miles are worth around 2 cents each when transferred to a high-value partner.
If you’re a road warrior, consider the Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express
Spend more time driving than flying? A card like the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express, which rewards you for purchases at the pump, could help lower the cost of those upcoming cross-country trips you’ve planned. This card offers 3 percent cash back at U.S. gas stations, at U.S. supermarkets and on U.S. online retail purchases (on up to $6,000 per year in each category, then 1 percent back), plus 1 percent cash back on all other purchases.
The card also doesn’t charge an annual fee and new cardholders can earn a $200 statement credit after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months. You’ll also receive car rental loss and damage insurance, purchase protection and access to the Global Assist Hotline, among other perks.
Your New Year’s goal is to get healthy
Some of the most common goals going into the new year revolve around exercising and living a healthier lifestyle. Whether you’re looking to work out more or eat better, there’s a credit card that will offer you rewards for your spending or benefits related to your wellness goals.
If you’re looking to hit the gym, consider the U.S. Bank Cash+ Visa Signature Card
Want to earn cash back rewards on your monthly gym membership? The U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card can help you do so, and you won’t have to pay an annual fee either. This card offers 5 percent cash back on purchases in two categories of your choice (on up to $2,000 in combined purchases per quarter, then 1 percent), and gyms and fitness centers are among the 12 categories available.
With this card, you’ll also earn 5 percent cash back on prepaid air, hotel and car reservations through the U.S. Bank Rewards Center, 2 percent cash back on one eligible choice everyday category and 1 percent cash back on all other purchases. Additionally, you can earn a $200 welcome bonus when you spend $1,000 on your card within the first 120 days of account opening, which could serve as an opportunity to buy new workout clothes or a pair of running shoes (with cash to spare).
If you’re interested in cooking at home more, consider the Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
A healthy diet is a huge factor in losing weight, and what better way to stay on track than by cooking your own meals? The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express offers 6 percent cash back on U.S. supermarket purchases (up to $6,000 per year, then 1 percent), 6 percent back on select U.S. streaming services, 3 percent back on transit and U.S. gas station purchases and 1 percent back on all other purchases. Plus, it comes with a $0 introductory annual fee for the first year (then $95 annually). If you reach the $6,000 spending limit in the supermarket category, that’s $360 in cash back alone.
The Blue Cash Preferred also currently offers a major fitness benefit, too: When you use your card to pay for an Equinox+ membership, you’ll receive $10 back per month in statement credits, for up to $120 back annually (enrollment required).
Your New Year’s goal is to better yourself
In general, there are several ways you can better yourself, from building stronger relationships to improving your financial situation. We’ve listed out some goals for the new year that can help you earn rewards along the way.
If you want to spend more time with loved ones, consider the Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card
The Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card, which comes with no annual fee, offers 8 percent cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases and 3 percent cash back on dining, entertainment and popular streaming services, all of which can help to reward you if you’re looking for new (or more) ways to spend time with your family, friends or significant others. Plus, the SavorOne also offers 5 percent cash back on hotel and rental car bookings through Capital One Travel, 3 percent cash back on grocery store purchases (excluding superstores like Walmart and Target) and 1 percent back on all other purchases.
This card is a great pick no matter what your Near Year’s goals are. It can reward you for family movie nights, seeing a concert with your friends or a date night with your partner. Or, maybe you want to do all of this and travel more. If so, this is the card to choose.
If you want to get out of credit card debt, consider the Citi Double Cash Card
Credit card debt is easy to slip into, but it can be difficult to shake. Make this the year to pay it off for good with a top balance transfer credit card like the Citi® Double Cash Card. This card comes with no annual fee and a 0 percent intro APR on balance transfers for 18 months (then a variable APR of 18.99 percent to 28.99 percent).
With this offer, you can take 18 months to knock out your credit card debt without owing additional money in interest. And when you’re done paying off your debt, this card will still be valuable to hold since it offers the highest flat cash back rate currently on the market. You’ll earn 2 percent cash back on all purchases — 1 percent cash back as you make purchases and another 1 percent as you pay for those purchases. So not only will this card help you to pay off debt, but it’ll reward you for not carrying debt, too.
The bottom line
No matter what your New Year’s resolutions are — whether you’re hoping to travel more, get in shape, cook at home more, spend more time with loved ones or pay off credit card debt — there’s a credit card out there to help you achieve your goals. However, if none of the cards mentioned is a good fit for you and your goals this year, check out our CardMatch tool to find a card that better meets your needs.
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