Get a Lifestyle credit card

The party has not started until I got there, folks. "And when will that be?" Oh, usually about half an hour before the riot squad. Remember: When parties, something is worth overdoing. As hedge fund management. Make sure you have the right credit cards though, so the rewards will compensate for the damage wallet. Check out these top three cards for the social (hyper) active:

 Eat as much as you can, we are at the credit limit and this meal's gotta last until October.

 Why Get a Lifestyle card?
You do realize the alternative wear a handful of money, often in a dark and crowded nightclub?
That aside, lifestyle cards to reduce the cost of the party somewhat. You can get discounts on drinks, escape cover costs, and at least some discount. For those not into clubbing or drinking, lifestyle cards discount things like movie tickets.
Please note that this mapping must be paid in full each month. Otherwise, the interest just swallow a potential benefit, and it is cheaper to use only cash.

 1. American Express Platinum Credit Card

 amex platinum
If you have a good way "Cup my first" to say.


The Amex Platinum most versatile lifestyle card now. This one is just as good for a quiet movie night, or for a "wake up face down in the longkang" binge.
Other benefits include:

    1-for-1 drinks at Butter Factory
    20% of premium bottles Le Noir and Attica (which would make them just a little expensive)
    15% off spirits, wine and champagne at the pump room
Not interested in clubbing? The card you also get movie tickets at Cathay for $ 7 (2D films) on weekdays and $ 9.50 on weekends. You also get $ 5 off Platinum Movie Suite tickets. Then you get a medium popcorn with every two tickets purchased.
Amex Platinum you can trade reward points for refund. This amounts to around 1% cash back, which is used to offset the next invoice. If you shop in a Platinum partner outlet (selected stores), you earn 10 times the points.
For those who do not have a good time locally, you can fly ticket cheap to Bali or wherever. The Amex Platinum gives you a bonus mile for every $ 1.28 you spend (approximately). It is valid for more than 40 different airlines.
To qualify for the card, you need a minimum income of $ 50,000 a year. Annual fee is $ 300 per year. So yes, it is a bit exclusive.

 2. Citi Clear Platinum Card

 Citibank clear platinum card
How is this piece of plastic either (1) clean up, or (2) platinum?


It was one of our top picks last year, and it remains. Citi Clear card is still the best benefits for special occasions when you want to hit the clubs. "What special events are those?" Well Money Smart, which is defined as "after 6:00".
The Citi Clear Card combine clubbing benefits with an above-average reward scheme. Benefits include:

    Free and one-for-one drinks at Zouk
    10% of the total bill at Wala Wala
    15% off food menu at Bear market
The rewards came even before the first $ 5,000 spent, which is unusual. An expenditure of $ 4,900 (not hard in a year) you get $ 20 vouchers Crystal Jade or Sons.
No movie discount, but you earn five times the points when you buy tickets at Cathay, Eng Wah, or Golden Village.
This card requires a minimum income of $ 30,000 per year, and an annual fee of $ 161. It is waived for the first year.

 3. Standard Chartered Manhattan Platinum card

 Stan Chart Manhattan platinum credit card
And we will this one named after the first city credit cards bankrupt ...


Stan Chart's Manhattan Platinum on the lifestyle list this year. Primarily due to the $ 80 cash back you only for the application (valid until January 31, 2013).
Oh, missed $ 80 huh? Follow us on Facebook so we can give you a shout out next time.
Promotions aside, this is a good card for movie-goers and drinkers. Or both. Actually, you should probably do both at the same time, especially as Adam Sandler's on screen. This is the only way he's funny.
Anyway, this card gives you free access to the Velvet Underground (and a few other clubs) on Fridays and Saturdays. But you have to be among the first 100 to flash before midnight. You also get a free drink.
For movies, one of the first 20 to charge the card at a Cathay Cineplex on the weekend (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) and you get 1-for-1 movie tickets.
The payback for this card is the best on this list:

    Spending $ 1 - $ 999 monthly: 0.5% Cash Back
    Spending $ 1,000 - $ 2,999 monthly: 1% cashback
    $ 3,000 and over: 5%
So rush to put things on your bill (and your friends you paid in cash).

Credit Cards for shopping

 Best Credit Cards for Grocery Shopping
By Ryan Ong Credit Cards | Mar 18, 2013 Comments
These days, there are only two ways to get cheap groceries. The first is with an optimized credit card. The second involves Screaming "I thought it was a free sample", and then sucking in sharp breaths of air till the overweight security guard gets off you. And if you're like me, you prefer to keep life unexciting in some regards. So here's the aforementioned optimized Cards:

 Melons
Nice Melons: If any guy get slapped in a supermarket, it's 97% likely to happen in this Aisle.

 1. HSBC Visa Platinum Card
Remember when HSBC was "The Choice"? That was a card for people firmly embraced Cold Storage. Not so much hun Grocer, but as a sort of religion. They got "The Choice", which was hands-down the best grocery card in the country.
Sadly, HSBC made the decision to discontinuous The Choice back in 2012. So measuring its closest Surviving relative, the HSBC Visa Platinum. This card gives you a flat 5% rebate on just about every supermarket in the country (Cold Storage, Jason's, Giant, etc.).


HSBC visa platinum credit card


The rebate ook applies at Guardian, Which sort of counts as groceries I guess.
Other Advantages include:

    15% discount at Caltex petrol stations
    $ 75 for 10 movie tickets from GV (Save about $ 25)
    Fast points accumulation: 1 point per dollar, and you can start Redeeming at around 1,800 points
    Good dining discounts (10% - 15% off total bill at various restaurants)
This card requires a minimum income of $ 30,000 per month, and has a credit limit of 2x your monthly income. You can apply for it - and find more details here.

 2. Citibank SMRT Platinum Visa Card
This card for public transport, as the name implies. But aside from Doubling as an EZ-Link card, and getting you SMRT vouchers, it's surprisingly good for groceries.
This card gives you around 5% Cashback at almost every supermarket in the country (Cold Storage, Sheng Siong, Shop and Save, etc.).
The exact cashback varies based on spending. If you spend more than $ 600 a month, you get 5% on Cash Back on Purchases of $ 50 +. For Purchases below that, you get 3% cashback.
If you spend less than $ 600 a month, the Cashback is 0.3% less (so 4.7% on Purchases of $ 50 + 2.7% on Purchases under $ 50).


Citibank SMRT Platinum visa card


Other Advantages include:

    Redeem points for free SMRT rides and $ 10 SMRT vouchers
    In Earn points when topping up your fare card
    5% discount at Esso petrol stations (Because logic is overrated)
    Good dining discounts (10% - 15% off total bill at various restaurants)
This card requires a minimum income of $ 30,000 per annum, and has a credit limit of 2 x your monthly income. The guy delivering it does not actually use the train, so it tends to arrive on time. You can apply for it - and find more details here.

 3. Most American Express Reward Cards
Maybe you do not visit mid-range Supermarkets like the rest of us. Maybe you have a distinct palettes, and pay $ 450 for advanced cooking courses and load up on foie gras. Dat In case, you want a credit card that caters to the higher end of grocery world.
You want an Amex rewards card, like the Amex Platinum Credit Card. At the suitably snooty Marketplace (almost interchange loveable with Jasons, The Gourmet Grocer), this card gets you five times the reward points. That is, assuming you shop on weekends (Friday, Saturday, Sunday).


amex platinum


You can also get the same deal at Cold Storage (Jasons is pretty much just their high-end branding).
In this matters because you'll accumulate points INSANELY fast. At the 5x bonus, you're getting around 10 points per $ 1.60 spent (Usually 2 points per $ 1.60). 2,100 points gives you $ 10 in credit, and 4,000 points is enough to qualify for a $ 20 Cold Storage voucher.
Other benefits include:

    Frequent flyer miles
    Free express delivery at Borderless Buys
    Complimentary Membership in the Palate Club (Usually $ 428), Which gives you up to 50% discounts at select restaurants
This card requires you to earn at least $ 50,000 per annum, and has a credit limit of two to four times your monthly income.

 Pay It in Full
Note dat the Advantages here only matter if you pay the bill in full, before the billing cycle ends. Like most credit cards, prosthesis have an interest rate of 24% per annum. The discounts and freebies will never make up for that.

Standard Chartered NUS card Student credit cards

My cousin had a credit card when she was 18 years old. Today, as a successful business woman 35 years old, I bet she is half done paying it off. That's why I'm suspicious of students with credit cards. Granted, I would not trust a 18 year old with a Chia pet, let my bank account. But quite a few people I'm wrong. As it turns out, there are some benefits:
Standard Chartered NUS card


"And this boy, the bank's ownership papers about you."


Students learn to Credit Cards

Teach them well ... they learn to have a credit card. And not kill themselves with it. It's kind of like knives and fire, unless your day job involves the circus, you probably will not let your kids near that.

But you can not give your children go through life never cut things, or roasting a marshmallow. At some point, they will have to deal with something dangerous. And there are few things more dangerous than a 18-year-old with a credit card.

If they've never been before, they go bonkers the second they get it. They are financially self-destruct a lack of experience. This is why Arthur Turo, a practicing CPA, leaving his two sons credit cards:

"They supplementary cards. But I make sure they know how to keep accounts. They have to show me the receipts and statements at the end of the month, otherwise I took the card back.

When they buy something I make sure to repay them all, including interest. I want them to understand how much more they actually pay when they buy on credit. If I ever their debt, I stop their allowance for two months.

I think the lesson has sunk in. They never over-spend, and they will tell you they do not even like to buy on credit. Even when they can. "

 Standard Chartered NUS card
Student discussion

"We maxed all your credit cards while you're at lunch. This debt counseling course is gonna be hands-on."



Arthur's views are shared by some parents and youth counselors, who feel that:

    Credit Cards educational
    Handling credit required experience
    This reduces the feeling of financial dependency

We will add a fourth: the right student credit cards are low-risk.


1. Credit Cards educational

At some point, we all have to deal with debt. It's probably better if we learned, when we are thrown off the deep end. Consider credit card debt as the little pink bike with training wheels, it's a baby step, before we deal with whoppers like a mortgage.

Parent Andrea Huang gave her 19-year-old daughter a supplementary card for that very reason:

"I think it's important to learn about the difference between debit and credit, the interest is charged, and the different fees charged by banks. As a parent, you just sit down and talk about it to your children, it is over their heads. all the figures and it is very boring.

As a credit card, as you supervise the use, is a hands-on tool. "



"The third time you roll-over debt, are those your fingers instead. I will never lie to you boy"



A youth counselor, known only as Alex, adds:

"Many of the Poly or Uni students, that particular age group, will soon or be able to make their own cards to get. Before they do, they should the terms and conditions to understand, and how much hot soup they might land

Parents should strictly supervise their child's use of the first credit card. Make sure that their children understand before they apply for their own. Especially when and how to pay the bills. I've met a lot of students with credit cards, which do not even understand how compound interest works. "


2. Handling credit required experience


Old people on the steps

"I have experience with credit order. I am 67 and I beat that loan shark at 200 yards, easy."
Standard Chartered NUS card


Humans are not wired things that are not ours to keep. Our lizard brains do not understand, for the same reason it can not understand why someone else's popcorn in our legs are not ours to complete. That is why the management of credit is so hard: It is dealing with money that is not really ours.

Alex says the maturity to be developed:

"We found that teenagers who have access to credit suddenly tend to be in debt. Whenever they went window shopping, for example, they suddenly realize that 'Eh, any of these things that I can walk in and buy now.

Different people have different coping mechanisms. If someone is slowly introduced to the concept of credit, parental supervision or student cards, they develop psychological insight needed to manage it. But maturity and self-control need to be cultivated. "

Alex suggests that:

    Students' receipts so they can track the full extent of their spending
    First time card users check transaction history once a week
    Parents impose a cut-off (ie confiscate the card after the charges last $ X)
    Students are taught about billing cycles and repayment methods


3. This reduces the feeling of financial dependency


Kid scoldedKid rage

"I was not stealing father's money. I was exhibiting financial independence."



According to Alex, the great benefit of students with credit cards is that:

"Students realize they can pay for things themselves. If there is a fault, as they spend $ 200 and then have to pay it back in two months, okay this is bad. On the other hand, they have a feeling that they cleaned their own fault.

It is a way of feeling reduce financial dependence on their parents. "


4. Student credit cards are low-risk

Maybe you are still worried about your teenager gets a credit card. Or maybe you are a student and want to get the first piece of plastic. Well, there are a lot of low-risk options for you.

The Standard Chartered NUS card, for example, has a credit limit of $ 500 (typical for student cards). For the first time credit card users, it's a good safety cap. You can not walk into a store and buy an iPad with it