John Puterbaugh

Charlotte

Senior Editorial Director at Bankrate

Senior Editorial Director | @Bankrate. Used to work in newspapers, still love the news. Chicago sports guy.

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Articles

Why Now Is a Great Time to Prioritize Paying Down Card Debt

1 month ago | bankrate.com | Ana Staples |John Puterbaugh

Economists say there’s at least a 1-in-3 chance of a recession (36 percent) in the next 12 months, according to Bankrate’s latest Economic Indicator Poll. A recession would be bad news for everyone, and it could be even worse if you’re carrying expensive credit card debt. The average credit card debt is $6,730, according to the most recent data from Experian. Facing the risk of financially hard times with such an amount of debt can be daunting. And getting rid of debt is usually a challenging task.
What experts want you to know about BNPL and your credit reports

1 month ago | bankrate.com | Ana Staples |John Puterbaugh

You can use Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) for just about anything. Shopping online and in-person, big and small purchases, even your groceries and your takeout. Now, imagine your lender seeing all this when you apply for credit. No big deal if you’ve been diligent about timely repayment, but it’s another story if you’ve fallen behind or defaulted. Previously unreported to (and thus unseen by) prospective lenders, BNPL activity is making its way to credit reports.
It's Now Easier to Earn Card Points on Rent. But Should You?

1 month ago | bankrate.com | Ana Staples |John Puterbaugh

If you’re a renter, your rent payments are most likely your biggest monthly expense. Earning credit card rewards on this expense used to be complicated and rarely worth it — but that continues to change. The Bilt Rewards program makes it possible to earn valuable points on rent payments. And now, you don’t even need the Bilt Mastercard to take advantage of it. Recently, the company has opened its program to Visa, Mastercard, Discover and Amex cardholders.
Financial Uncertainty Impacted My Wallet — And My Mental Health

1 month ago | bankrate.com | Ana Staples |John Puterbaugh

Buy a home, they said. Invest in your 401(k), they said. Increase your income, and it will all be fine, they said. As a millennial in America, I’ve done my best to make the right moves in my career and with my money. I’ve done what they said. So why does it all still feel so hard? I began my career in personal finance journalism in 2019, and it feels like all we’ve seen in that time is economic uncertainty. COVID. Soaring interest rates and inflation.
New Research Shows How Persistent Credit Card Debt Is

2 months ago | bankrate.com | Ana Staples |John Puterbaugh

Credit card users tend to fall into two main groups: those who carry a balance and those who don’t. And how much credit people in either group use tends to stay consistent over time, according to recent economics research by West Virginia University (WVU). That means when someone’s credit limit goes up or down, so does their credit usage. Carrying a balance is never a good pattern to have.
3 Ways to Use It

2 months ago | bankrate.com | Ana Staples |John Puterbaugh

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, one of the most popular travel credit cards, recently launched a limited-time welcome bonus offer. New cardholders can earn 100,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 in the first three months with the card. If you redeem the bonus through Chase TravelSM, your points will be worth 1.25 cents apiece, meaning you’ll get at least $1,250 in value. If you transfer these rewards to Chase travel partners, you can stretch this value even further.
You Have a Problem With Your Credit Card Issuer. What Can You Do?

2 months ago | bankrate.com | Ana Staples |John Puterbaugh

Robb Sommerfeld used a popular business credit card to help manage finances at National Center for Craftmanship (NCC), a nonprofit where he serves as an executive director — until the bank suddenly closed the account. The sudden account closure put Sommerfeld and his organization in a tough spot, as the credit card played a key role in the regular payment of vendors. Sommerfeld spent nine hours in total talking to multiple people at the bank, over the phone and in person.
Capital One Venture X Business

2 months ago | bankrate.com | Ana Staples |John Puterbaugh

One of the best business cards on the market, the Capital One Venture X Business, is launching a new welcome bonus offer. For a limited time, new cardholders can earn up to $3,500 worth of travel after meeting the spending requirements. That’s more than double the amount you could get with the card’s previous intro bonus. The updated welcome offer allows you to offset the card’s $395 annual fee (See Rates and Fees) eight times over, and that’s before you consider the value of rewards and benefits.
How Card Experts Use Their Chase Sapphire Preferred Bonuses

2 months ago | bankrate.com | Ana Staples |John Puterbaugh

Bankrate’s editorial team is full of Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card fans. And there’s a big new welcome offer for the card that Chase just announced this week that provides a timely example of why this card is consistently a staff favorite. For a limited time, the card offers 100,000 points for spending at least $5,000 within the first three months of account opening. That’s $1,250 in value when you redeem your points for travel purchases through Chase Travel.
5 Ways Not To Use Your Credit Cards On A Spring Break Trip

Mar 12, 2025 | bankrate.com | Ana Staples |John Puterbaugh

It’s officially spring break season, and I am here for it. As a credit cards writer, my passion for plastic payment methods is matched only, perhaps, by my passion for the travel I often use my cards to enable. So I decided to put together some helpful tips for anyone planning an international spring break trip this year. I use a credit card for practically every purchase I make, but using cards in a foreign country can come with unpleasant surprises if you aren’t prepared.