Credit Card Rewards

[jsence2]

Yeah, I have the Citi AA card, got it back in 2007 when I worked for them. Got a "two tickets for cost of one" promo rather than free miles, but I've never used it, still sitting there.

You get triple points every month for eating at certain places or using it at others, etc. Also gets you early access/special privileges for LiveNation special events/concerts.

[Weasel]

So after talking with Sallie Mae, apparently I can make payments with a CC, however these have to be done over the phone and cannot be set up for auto-pay (being signed up for auto-pay reduces the interest on my loans by .25%). As it is now I make an additional payment every month towards the loans on top of the auto-pay, so Ill keep the auto-pay (for the interest break) and start using a CC with miles rewards for the additional payment.

As mentioned before, looks like a no-go on the mortgage front unless you wanted to try the workaround mentioned earlier with Bluebird and Vanilla cards

[Weasel]

you can call them and ask them to move most of the credit from the card you are canceling to the card you are starting. So that when you cancel the one you don't want, the hit is minimal.

How big of a 'hit' do you take? In theory if you rotate between the Chase personal/sapphire/business every 6 months or so, you just keep moving it to the next card?

[packsyd2284]

Weasel I started paying back all my student loans finally and consolidated. Just curious since you got your doctorate what your monthly bill is (if you don't mind me asking).....mine is like 479.00 monthly

[shel311]

).....mine is like 479.00 monthly

Dayum, for how long?

Mine is like around half that, $260 ish a month, and that includes out of state graduate tuition as well.

[Weasel]

Weasel I started paying back all my student loans finally and consolidated. Just curious since you got your doctorate what your monthly bill is (if you don't mind me asking).....mine is like 479.00 monthly

Well, for us its more because my wife has her doctorate as well. Between the two of us we pay ~$4k/mo in an effort to have it paid off in about 12-15 years. Theyre financed for 25 years and we just make the extra payment every month

EDIT: We have about the same debt, so roughly $2k/mo for just me

[Cnasty]

$4k a month?!

I promise from this point forward never to give you shit about dishwashers and PS4s.

Im sorry

[The_Niddler]

Weasel I started paying back all my student loans finally and consolidated. Just curious since you got your doctorate what your monthly bill is (if you don't mind me asking).....mine is like 479.00 monthly

Well, for us its more because my wife has her doctorate as well. Between the two of us we pay ~$4k/mo in an effort to have it paid off in about 12-15 years. Theyre financed for 25 years and we just make the extra payment every month

EDIT: We have about the same debt, so roughly $2k/mo for just me

That is $576,000 if you pay $4k a month for 12 years. Dayum!

Where did you guys go to school?

[Cnasty]

Sparty!!!!

Crazy part is he will be around 40ish,school paid off, and making so much damn money he can retire way before our hard working asses.

(not saying you wont or dont work hard Adam )

[shel311]

Weasel I started paying back all my student loans finally and consolidated. Just curious since you got your doctorate what your monthly bill is (if you don't mind me asking).....mine is like 479.00 monthly

Well, for us its more because my wife has her doctorate as well. Between the two of us we pay ~$4k/mo in an effort to have it paid off in about 12-15 years. Theyre financed for 25 years and we just make the extra payment every month

EDIT: We have about the same debt, so roughly $2k/mo for just me

Wait, so you're not a resident any more?

I don't think residents make very much, not sure how you'd swing $40k/year in student loans, alone.

[Weasel]

That is $576,000 if you pay $4k a month for 12 years. Dayum!

Where did you guys go to school?

Both went to Michigan State for undergrad. I stayed at MSU for med school, she went to Michigan College of Optometry based out of Ferris State University. The sick part is, not only is our debt purely in-state tuition, but both our parents helped out quite a bit in undergrad, that number would be worse if that wasnt case.

[Weasel]

Wait, so you're not a resident any more?

I don't think residents make very much, not sure how you'd swing $40k/year in student loans, alone.

Im definitely still a resident, three more years. But my wife is a practicing optometrist, so shes the breadwinner and affords us the ability to be paying on our loans. If it wasnt for her income theres no chance we'd be able to swing it, and even with it our lifestyle is not too different than it was when we were students.

[Cnasty]

According to the BLS, the hourly mean wage earned by a resident physician is around $100.74 per hour which averages to an annual mean salary of around $51,340 per annum. PGY 1 salary is $48,000, PGY 2 salary is $50,000, PGY 3 salary is $53,000 and PGY 4 salary is $55,000.

[Weasel]

Crazy part is he will be around 40ish,school paid off, and making so much damn money he can retire way before our hard working asses.

Honestly, I look at it as money Ill never see. By the time we get ours paid off, it will likely be time to pay for kids college if we can. My wife hates the idea of paying for our kids college after knowing the debt we have

[Cnasty]

I hope you know how much you will be making because you will easily see it.

Unless Michigan doesnt pay their physicians as much as Florida as we have some crazy malpractice laws here and a lot of the salary is built into that from a facility standpoint.

Your hard work will be seen and you will reap the benefits of all that school. Enjoy it!

[Weasel]

According to the BLS, the hourly mean wage earned by a resident physician is around $100.74 per hour which averages to an annual mean salary of around $51,340 per annum. PGY 1 salary is $48,000, PGY 2 salary is $50,000, PGY 3 salary is $53,000 and PGY 4 salary is $55,000.

Definitely NOT the case Those salaries are close, although Im still below the lowest on that scale. That being said, that hourly rate is laughable. We're salaried, and I havent worked less than a 60 hour week all year, usually closer to 70. My salary based on 40 hrs a week is $22.xx, so my real hourly wage is probably closer to the $12-14 range

[shel311]

Wait, so you're not a resident any more?

I don't think residents make very much, not sure how you'd swing $40k/year in student loans, alone.

Im definitely still a resident, three more years. But my wife is a practicing optometrist, so shes the breadwinner and affords us the ability to be paying on our loans. If it wasnt for her income theres no chance we'd be able to swing it, and even with it our lifestyle is not too different than it was when we were students.

Ahhhh gotcha.

Well of course, it's not different, you guys are paying $4k/month on 1 thing alone.

Wait til you're student loan free, your Instagram will look like Dan Belzerian's!!!!

[shel311]

According to the BLS, the hourly mean wage earned by a resident physician is around $100.74 per hour which averages to an annual mean salary of around $51,340 per annum. PGY 1 salary is $48,000, PGY 2 salary is $50,000, PGY 3 salary is $53,000 and PGY 4 salary is $55,000.

I'm confused, wouldn't that mean the resident is working about 10 hours per week to make only $50k on $100/hour?

[Cnasty]

Bumping this great discussion we had to see how its working out. (this was freakin 4 years ago!!!!)

I have had one card that nets me $1 a point and pay for everything outside mortgage/cars and havent paid for a flight or hotel and can get gift cards etc. In about 10 years in having it but looking back on this thread and hearing from Ted....I could do better.

According to this thread and talking to Ted you should scoop up all the promos of a new card, use it for 3 months.....close it....open up another new card, scoop up those promos....wash rinse repeat.

Give us the goods Ted! Give me a spreadsheet!

[Uuaww]

i will post if people are interested. i do 5-6 new cards a year in general. usually have half a million miles/points at a time.