How to Get Even Sweeter Rewards From Your Rewards Credit Card
Boost your rewards by opening a bank account.
You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
Want to add more newsletters?
Delivered daily
Kiplinger Today
Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplinger's advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and much more delivered daily. Smart money moves start here.
Sent five days a week
Kiplinger A Step Ahead
Get practical help to make better financial decisions in your everyday life, from spending to savings on top deals.
Delivered daily
Kiplinger Closing Bell
Get today's biggest financial and investing headlines delivered to your inbox every day the U.S. stock market is open.
Sent twice a week
Kiplinger Adviser Intel
Financial pros across the country share best practices and fresh tactics to preserve and grow your wealth.
Delivered weekly
Kiplinger Tax Tips
Trim your federal and state tax bills with practical tax-planning and tax-cutting strategies.
Sent twice a week
Kiplinger Retirement Tips
Your twice-a-week guide to planning and enjoying a financially secure and richly rewarding retirement
Sent bimonthly.
Kiplinger Adviser Angle
Insights for advisers, wealth managers and other financial professionals.
Sent twice a week
Kiplinger Investing Weekly
Your twice-a-week roundup of promising stocks, funds, companies and industries you should consider, ones you should avoid, and why.
Sent weekly for six weeks
Kiplinger Invest for Retirement
Your step-by-step six-part series on how to invest for retirement, from devising a successful strategy to exactly which investments to choose.
If you have a checking or savings account with the bank that issues your rewards credit card, you may get a boost on cash back, points or miles. The new PenFed Power Cash Rewards Visa Signature card (9.24% to 17.99% annual percentage rate) pays an unlimited 2% cash back on all spending if you have an Access America checking account with Pentagon Federal Credit Union or if you have served in the military. Otherwise, you’ll earn 1.5% cash back on purchases. Anyone can join PenFed by paying a one-time, $17 membership fee to Voices for America’s Troops or the National Military Family Association.
Members of Bank of America’s Preferred Rewards program get a bonus on rewards with the BankAmericard Travel Rewards card (0% for 12 months, then 15.74% to 23.74%). It offers a standard 1.5 points per dollar on all spending. But if you have a Preferred Rewards balance of $100,000 or more, you’ll get a 75% boost, earning an effective 2.6% back on spending to use toward travel purchases.
If you redeem cash back from a SunTrust credit card and deposit it into a SunTrust account, you’ll get a minimum 10% bonus on rewards. Customers who have a Signature Advantage checking account and keep less than $100,000 combined in bank and investment accounts get a 25% bonus; those with balances of $100,000 or more get a 50% boost. (Private Wealth Management clients get a 75% bonus.) One attractive option: The SunTrust Travel Rewards card (0% for 15 months, then 11.99% to 21.99%; $89 annual fee, waived for Premier, Signature Advantage and Private Wealth clients) offers 5% cash back on up to $6,000 spent on travel purchases the first year of card membership (3% thereafter) and 1% back on everything else.
From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance
Become a smarter, better informed investor. Subscribe from just $107.88 $24.99, plus get up to 4 Special Issues
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
