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BUSINESS Monday 11 noveMber 2019
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Time your credit card application this bonus-friendly season

By MELISSA LAMBARENA it (a FICO score of 690 or
In late 2017, San Francisco higher) to qualify for a re-
couple Riley Adams and wards card with a big bo-
his wife stumbled upon nus.
the Halley's comet of air- — Are you willing to pay an
line credit card welcome annual fee? The top cards
offers. For a limited time, — those with the highest
the card was advertising a bonuses, richest rewards
companion pass on top of and best perks — charge
a large sign-up bonus. one. If you don't think you'll
"We knew we had a lot earn enough in rewards
of spending in one spe- and benefits to outweigh
cific area coming up, and that fee, consider a no-
we wanted to try to shop annual-fee rewards card.
around to get the best val- Many of them also offer
ue for those needs," says bonuses.
Adams, a certified public — Do the card's rewards
accountant and owner of categories match your ex-
the blog Young and the penses? A sign-up bonus
Invested. "If you plan for it, can offer a chunk of up-
you can really offset those front value, but the card
costs (with a sign-up bo- won't be useful long term
nus)." if its ongoing rewards and
If you're considering a new This Aug. 11, 2019, photo shows Visa credit cards and debit cards in New Orleans. perks don't fit your habits.
credit card, the bonus- Associated Press — Are you eligible for the
friendly season from Octo- bonus? Check the card's
ber through December is proved for the card. by paying for Riley's wife's tory credit card offer while terms. For example, you
an ideal time. Your expens- That level of spending may work-related expenses in you're at it. may not be able to earn a
es on Black Friday, holiday not be difficult this time of 2017; they then put what Andy Hill, host of the pod- bonus if you've already re-
travel and meals, end-of- year. During the 2019 holi- they earned toward holi- cast "Marriage, Kids and ceived one from the same
the-year charitable dona- day season, consumers day travel the next year. Money," plans to earn a issuer recently.
tions and more may easily plan to spend an average "We used it all of 2018 to visit sign-up bonus this holiday — Can you meet the
meet a large spending re- of nearly $1,048 for items family for holidays — Fourth season with the savings he's spending requirement for
quirement for a juicy sign- such as gifts, decorations, of July, Thanksgiving, Christ- earmarked for Christmas the bonus with your current
up bonus. candy and more for them- mas — plus two domestic gifts. budget? If you know you
Here's what to know about selves or family, according trips for (our) own purposes, "We save about $1,200 for can't spend $4,000 in three
such offers. to the National Retail Fed- and then flying to a major Christmas gift shopping," months without going into
TIMING A CREDIT CARD BO- eration's annual survey. hub for an international Hill says. "If we're going debt, look for a bonus with
NUS Even if your expenses aren't flight on our one-year anni- to spend that $1,200, we a lower spending threshold.
A sign-up bonus is a one- entirely holiday-related, a versary," Adams says. might as well hit a bonus on — Will you pay your bill in
time incentive offered by little planning can still help HAVE THE MONEY ON HAND a new credit card for us to full every month to avoid in-
rewards credit cards on top you reap a windfall that It's not worth spending get some cash back." terest? Rewards cards tend
of any ongoing cash back, you can use the following money you don't have just OTHER FACTORS TO KEEP IN to have high ongoing APRs,
points or miles on pur- holiday season. to chase a large bonus. If MIND meaning you don't want
chases. Snagging a bonus The Adamses, for example, you can't pay your credit As you size up a rewards to carry a balance month
typically requires spending mapped their budget be- card bill in full each month, credit card and its sign-up to month. If you're already
between $500 and several fore applying for that air- interest charges will eat bonus, ask yourself these struggling with debt, a re-
thousand dollars within a line card with the generous away at any rewards you questions: wards credit card may not
certain time — often three bonus. They met its spend- accrue. But if you've saved — Can you meet the card's be ideal for you.q
months — after you're ap- ing requirement primarily up a holiday fund, you can credit requirements? You'll
gift yourself a rich introduc- generally need good cred-
WeWork to sell MeetUp, cut

jobs in 90-day turnaround plan

Associated Press sell off include the online
NEW YORK (AP) — WeWork event organizer Meetup
says it will divest from sev- and its stake in the woman-
eral side business and job focused co-working com-
cuts across several units as pany The Wing.
part of a 90-day plan to The presentation showed
turn around its businesses that WeWork pressed on
following its botched at- with its rapid expansion
tempt to sell stock on Wall even as its initial public
Street. stock offering unraveled, a
The office-sharing compa- crisis that forced the ouster
ny revealed the plans Fri- of its co-founder Adam
day in a presentation that Neumann. In the third quar-
was first shared privately ter of 2019, WeWork added
with investors in October. a record 108,000 desks in
The businesses WeWork will newly built office spaces.q