Economic realities are forcing many people who’ve already got a full-time job to take on extra work.
Home Blog
Here’s the Dead Simple Way You Can Double Any Credit Card Welcome Bonus
When I first started chasing credit card bonuses, I thought I was doing everything right. I’d sign up for the best offers, hit the spending requirement, and enjoy the big rewards.
But while my wife and I were planning a trip, it hit me: We could’ve earned twice as many points without spending a cent more if we just both got the same card.
How this works
Most credit card welcome bonuses are per account, not per household. So if a card offers, say, 75,000 points for spending $5,000 in three months, that bonus only applies to the person who opens it.
If your spouse or partner opens their own account under their name, they can earn the exact same bonus after meeting the same spending requirement.
It might not be possible for you to hit both spending requirements at the same time, but you don’t have to. Just stagger when you open each card. Earn one bonus with your normal spending, and then once you’ve it hit, open the second card and repeat.
If you’re not sure where to start, you can see a list of the best credit card welcome bonuses available here.
A few quick tips
- Apply separately: Each partner needs their own card and spending requirement.
- Track spending carefully: You don’t want to accidentally mix purchases on the same account.
- Plan ahead: Time applications so you can comfortably hit the spending goals without overspending.
It really is that simple
You don’t need fancy tricks or endless spreadsheets to win at credit card rewards. Sometimes the smartest move is the simplest one:
If you and your partner both get the same card, you can double your welcome bonuses — and double your next vacation — without spending an extra dime.
See some of the best current welcome bonuses available today.
Best Crypto Trading Apps for Indian Users : Top 10 Platforms
Discover the top 10 cryptocurrency trading apps for Indian users, designed for secure and efficient trading. From Bitcoin and Ethereum to other popular altcoins, we’ll explore the best platforms for Indian traders. We’ll compare features like security, transaction fees, user interface, and available cryptocurrencies. Learn how to navigate the Indian crypto market with the right apps.
#CryptoIndia
#BitcoinIndia
#CryptoTradingIndia
#IndianCrypto
#CryptocurrencyIndia
source
Bestbuy.com: $100 Amazon Giftcard + $10 Best Buy eGiftcard For Free (Limit 5)
The Offer
Direct link to offer
- Bestbuy.com is offering a free $10 best buy eGiftcard when you purchase a $100 Amazon gift card
Our Verdict
Can be done five times (need to do one $100 gift card per transaction). Don’t forget the AmEx offer for $25 back when you spend $250+. Think this will definitely sell out quickly so I’d recommend jumping on it.
30 Smart Ways to Market Your Airbnb Online (Without Paying For Ads)
If you want more Airbnb bookings without spending money on ads (and without dancing in front of your property on TikTok), this is for you.
I’ve grown to more than 100,000 followers across multiple platforms, helped several of my own Airbnbs go viral, and built a business that now gets around 75% of its bookings directly. These strategies work whether you run a glamping site, a cabin, a lake house, or a city condo.
If you’re a visual learner, here are the two video versions:
• Part 1: 15 Social Media Marketing Tips For Your Airbnb, Pt. 1
• Part 2: 15 Social Media Marketing Tips For Your Airbnb, Pt. 2
Let’s get into it.
1. Use Instagram Trial Reels to Reach New People
Trial Reels only go to non-followers, which guarantees you fresh reach. Post your central reel, copy the caption, then post a trial reel. This doubles your exposure instantly and helps Instagram test your content with new audiences.
2. Trade Free Weekday Stays for Content
Invite micro-creators to stay Sunday–Tuesday, when you’re rarely booked anyway. Ask for:
- Vertical videos
- B-roll you can reuse
- A collab post
Creators often give helpful feedback, too, without the risk of a bad review.
3. Don’t Run Paid Ads Until You Have an Organic Hit
A video that doesn’t perform organically will not magically perform as an ad. Let organic posts test themselves. When you have one that hits 50K to 100K views, it becomes your winning ad.
4. Invest Once in High-Quality Video
Hire a videographer for one great content day. Get vertical footage, drone shots, and all raw files. One single shoot can fuel your marketing for a year.
5. Prioritize Video Over Photos
Photos are great for your listing, not for growth. Reels and TikToks bring reach and visibility. I’d rather see rough videos than perfect photos that get no traction.
6. Use On-Screen Text That Hooks the Right Guest
In the first second, tell people who you’re speaking to and where the property is:
- “Couples retreat near Houston, Texas”
- “Pet-friendly lake cabin in Austin”
People stop when they feel the content is specifically for them.
7. Study What’s Already Viral
Look at your competitors’ highest-performing content once a month. Copy the format, angles, hooks, and text style, but film it at your property. Creators copy trends constantly. It’s how marketing works.
8. Never Boost Ads From Your Phone
Boosting from your phone gives weak targeting, fewer tools, and extra fees. If you’re going to run ads, use Meta Business Suite or TikTok Business Center.
9. Use ManyChat-Style Keyword Automations
Post things like: “Comment COUPLES, and I’ll send you a discount code.”
ManyChat automatically sends them the code + your direct booking link. You also collect emails and track which platform converts best.
10. Schedule Your Content
Use Buffer, Hootsuite, or Meta Planner. Sit down once a week and load all your videos. The algorithm rewards consistency way more than perfection.
11. Run Quarterly Giveaways
Give away a weeknight stay with explicit rules:
- No weekends or holidays
- Must be used within X months
- Security deposit + ID still required
Giveaways reliably get two to three times your normal reach, often leading to long-term followers.
12. Optimize Your Link in Your Bio
Set your link in this order:
- Join the email list for 10% off
- Book direct and save
- Airbnb links
You want visitors to flow toward direct bookings without feeling pressured.
13. Turn On Instagram Auto Replies
People DM “How do I book?” even when the link is in the bio. Automate the top five questions to free up time and offer instant answers.
14. Use Text Replacement for Fast Replies
Set up shortcuts on your phone (like typing “GO2”) that expand into a full message with pricing and booking links. This saves hours over time.
15. Post Twilight and Nighttime Content
Nighttime content (hot tubs glowing, LED lights, fire pits, string lights) performs incredibly well. It feels magical and emotional, which is exactly what sells stays.
16. Optimize for Watch Time and Shares
- Use hooks like “Wait for the ending.”
- Deliver a payoff: a view, a transformation, a surprise feature.
- Right before the reveal, prompt a share: “Send this to a friend who always books the worst Airbnbs.”
17. Make Videos From Guest Reviews
Screenshot reviews, overlay with matching footage, and add a story. People trust real guests more than hosts. These mini-testimonials convert extremely well.
18. Use Before-and-After Reels
Renovations, landscaping upgrades, and tiny improvements all tell a story of progress. Transformation content builds trust and makes people root for you.
19. Go Big or Free With Influencers
- The middle tier ($500–$1,500 creators) often underperform.
- Micro creators = free stays for content
- Large creators = professional campaigns with real reach
Pick one lane and commit.
20. Tell Stories Instead of Pushing Bookings
Stories like “This couple surprised each other with…” perform way better than “Book now.” People buy into emotion and relatability, not pressure.
21. Don’t Wing Paid Ads
If you want to run ads properly, hire someone for a few consultations. You’ll save yourself hundreds (sometimes thousands) by avoiding rookie mistakes.
22. Hook Viewers in Two Seconds
Start with curiosity:
- “I had two guests arrive at once…”
- “This almost ruined our five-star rating…”
Curiosity keeps people watching, and watch time drives reach.
23. Film Reset Day & Cleaning Content
People love behind-the-scenes cleaning, restocking, organizing, and resets. It proves you care, and it builds trust.
24. Pin Your CTA in the Comments
Pin a comment that says: “Book direct at the link in my bio.” Even when you get hundreds of comments, your CTA stays at the top.
25. Add Manual Subtitles
Use larger fonts and highlight keywords like “hot tub” or “lakefront.” Most people watch muted. Strong captions stop the scroll.
26. Collaborate With Local Businesses
Film “48 hours in [Town Name].” Tag local coffee shops, restaurants, trails, and boutiques. They often repost, bringing you fresh local traffic for free.
27. Film Guest POV Videos
Film as if the viewer is staying there: walking in, turning on the lights, making coffee, lighting the fire, and stepping into the hot tub. POV content makes people imagine themselves in that situation.
28. Try a 30-Day Posting Challenge
Post daily for one month. You will learn faster, improve faster, and the algorithm will treat you as consistent, which equals more reach.
29. Use Meta Inbox Automations
Meta Business Suite has free automation features that behave like a basic chatbot. Instant replies = fewer lost leads.
30. Use Emotional CTAs
Instead of “Book now,” use:
- “Tag your travel buddy.”
- “Save this for your next weekend getaway.”
- “Send this to the friend who needs a break.”
Engagement fuels virality, which fuels bookings.
Final Thoughts
You do not need a giant budget or complicated software to grow your Airbnb. You just need to show up, stay consistent, and keep experimenting. Start with a few of these strategies this week, and add more as you get comfortable.
The momentum builds quietly at first and then suddenly. When it does, the right guests will find you, and your property will become the kind of stay people talk about long after they leave.
Finally a Big Week for Mortgage Rates Thanks to Delayed Jobs Report
I feel like I haven’t written a word about mortgage rates since the government shutdown began.
Part of that is because once the government closed shop, we stopped receiving key economic data.
And without any new data, mortgage rates were kind of stuck. The good news is they were stuck near three-year lows.
But now that the shutdown is over, it’s time to start paying attention again.
This Thursday we’ve got what could be a big market mover in the delayed jobs report from September.
Watch Out for a Big Mortgage Rate Move on Thursday
Mark your calendars for this Thursday morning when the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) releases the much-anticipated and much-delayed September jobs report.
It’s typically released on the first Friday of the month, but thanks to the government shutdown, it got pushed back quite a bit.
Now we’re going to get the key report on a Thursday, exactly one week before Thanksgiving.
Kind of strange, but given the massive delay and lack of other data lately, it’s going to be an important one.
This is especially true since labor has been top of mind lately for both the Fed, economists, and the bond market.
If the report comes in cold again, as it has been lately, there could be a rush to bonds, which would increase bond prices and lower corresponding bond yields.
That would be good news for mortgage rates, which as I’ve said have been stuck for over a month thanks to the shutdown that began on October 1st.
Mortgage Rates Came Full Circle During the Shutdown
The 30-year fixed did come down in the middle of the shutdown, but basically came full circle since it began, as seen in this chart from MND.
Historically, mortgage rates tend to fall during shutdowns, which they did, but they popped back up after the Fed cut its own rate.
That too seems to be a thing, as whenever the Fed cuts, mortgage rates seem to bounce higher.
It might boil down to a sell the news thing where everyone knows the Fed is going to cut, bakes it into rates, then once they cut, we see a little reversal.
But it was also driven by words from Fed Chair Jerome Powell, who indicated that future cuts, including one in December, weren’t a sure thing.
Will Another Fed Cut in December Derail Mortgage Rates Again?
The chances of that cut will likely be driven in some part by this jobs report, which seems to be one of the bigger pieces of data that was delayed.
We’ve been told the October jobs report may never be released, though we might get the November jobs report in early December before the next Fed meeting on the 10th.
As it stands now, the chance of another quarter-point cut in December is just 41%, per CME, down markedly from a month ago when it was 94%.
So there are certainly some headwinds and with lots of unknowns regarding data releases, mortgage lenders might be defensive with pricing.
However, if we get more ugly jobs reports between now and then, along with cooler-than-expected CPI, or simply neutral inflation data, mortgage rates could rally lower and push below 6%.
I’ve long thought a sub-6% 30-year fixed mortgage rate was possible by the fourth quarter of 2025.
And while we’re running out of time, we’ve still got another 45 days or so to make it happen!
It wouldn’t be a huge surprise given the 30-year is already priced at 6.375%, meaning it doesn’t have much more ground to make up.
Rates have already come down about one full percentage point since January, so it’s safe to say 2025 has actually been a good year for mortgage rates.
Read on: 2025 Mortgage Rate Predictions
Before creating this site, I worked as an account executive for a wholesale mortgage lender in Los Angeles. My hands-on experience in the early 2000s inspired me to begin writing about mortgages 19 years ago to help prospective (and existing) home buyers better navigate the home loan process. Follow me on X for hot takes.
Latest posts by Colin Robertson (see all)
American Parents Fear Schools Are Failing to Prep Kids for an AI-Driven Workplace
AI isn’t just changing the workplace; it’s reshaping how parents think about their kids’ careers. Zety surveyed more than 900 U.S. parents of children ages 12-24 for its AI Readiness Gap: 2025 Parent Outlook Report. The data found that nearly all parents are growing anxious about AI’s impact on future careers. 97% of parents fear their child’s career could be disrupted or replaced within the…
A tale of two CEO successions: Walmart’s clean break vs. Target’s much-criticized transition
A decade ago, on a Wednesday afternoon in September 2015, Target CEO Brian Cornell stood on stage at the Target Center arena in downtown Minneapolis beneath a Jumbotron projecting a chart showing how the retailer’s stock had dramatically outperformed that of its arch-rival, Walmart, in the preceding year, his first as chief executive.
The crowd of 13,000 Target employees attending the annual corporate powwow erupted into applause—to the delight of a grinning, clearly satisfied Cornell. The CEO had been brought in a year earlier as an outsider to fix the chic-cheap retailer, and his first moves were paying off. In hindsight, that moment of hubristic braggadocio may have provoked the wrath of the retail gods.
Both Cornell and Walmart CEO Doug McMillon, who had taken the reins at that retailer six months before that moment in 2015, have announced in recent weeks they were giving up their respective corner offices on Feb. 1, to be replaced by their lieutenants. But the performance of both CEOs, and their companies, have diverged immensely since that Jumbotron chart.
McMillon has been lauded for modernizing the tradition-bound Walmart, which has become a tech and e-commerce powerhouse capable of holding its own against the rising threat of Amazon and positioning itself well for the AI era. Walmart shares have risen 300% since McMillon, who started at his career as a warehouse worker at Walmart unloading trucks, became CEO. During his run, annual revenue rose nearly $200 billion to $681 billion.
In contrast, Target’s shares are only up 60% under Cornell—an underperformance compared with its rival but also with the overall market. Cornell’s tenure was seen as very successful until about 2022, as revenue soared during the pandemic, but the chain lost ground in the aftermath. It has struggled with a number of factors including merchandise that was no longer appealing to a more price-conscious shopper; backlash to its diversity efforts and then to its quick abandonment of those efforts; complaints about customer service; and supply chain problems that led to empty shelves.
To be sure, the CEO can’t take full credit—or blame—for a company’s performance, when many factors are at play. But the markedly different reactions to the news of the two CEOs’ departures is telling.
When Cornell’s departure and the appointment of his successor Michael Fiddelke was announced, many analysts wondered aloud whether the new CEO is the right man for the job. Fiddelke—who has been chief operating officer and, previously, finance chief—has so far been unable to fix the supply chain problems that have led to shelves chronically empty of key products. And the Target board’s appointment of Cornell as executive chairman—essentially, Fiddelke’s boss—raised some eyebrows, with some suggesting that the company was still being run by the two executives who landed the company in trouble in the first place.
A spokesperson for Target defended the company’s decision. They said Fiddelke’s appointment was “the outcome of a deliberate, years-long and thoughtful CEO succession process,” and that Cornell had “built a strong foundation” and “experienced leadership team.
Be that as it may, Target shares have slid 15% since the announcement, as many on Wall Street were hoping for an outsider with fresh eyes at the head of the company to execute a turnaround with a clear plan. One activist investor, the Accountability Board, last month asked Target to change its bylaws to require the chair be an independent director and not a former executive.
The announcement last week that McMillon was not only stepping down as CEO in February but leaving the Walmart board altogether in June (he will remain through 2027 as an advisor) stood in marked contrast. Walmart’s incoming CEO John Furner, a three-decade company veteran, has run Walmart’s thriving U.S. business and overseen its 4,600 stores since 2019. He has been credited in playing a major role in the company’s success by preparing it for the next big changes in consumer behavior, specifically AI-powered shopping, or “agentic commerce.”
McMillon leaving both the c-suite and board within months suggests a company confident that it has prepared his successor to step up and fill the shoes of the transformational CEO. “This was a planned and thoughtful leadership transition from a position of strength,” said a Walmart spokesperson. Walmart’s success in recent years and its track record for developing a deep bench of talent has given investors confidence that Furner, under whose leadership Walmart U.S.’s $600 billion a year business has thrived, is up to the task.
“Bittersweet change (we’ll miss Doug) happening in time of strength,” was the assessment of TD Cowen analyst Oliver Chen in a research note that praised Walmart’s incoming CEO. “We also believe he has a similar servant-leader mentality and people / execution focus to Mr. McMillon. We expect a continuation of current strategies.”
There’s less confidence among analysts about Target’s transition. “In contrast to the situation at Walmart, incoming CEO Michael Fiddelke is tasked with a turnaround,” said Quo Vadis Capital president and founder John Zolidis. “We assume he has new ideas to rebuild Target’s brand equity, refresh the merchandise and reignite sales growth, but these have to be articulated.”
Instead of signaling a fresh start, Target’s approach to the CEO change suggested to some analysts a leadership that just doesn’t want to let go. “This does not necessarily remedy the problems of entrenched groupthink and the inward-looking mindset that have plagued Target for years,” Neil Saunders, managing director of GlobalData, wrote at the time.
Not everyone thinks Target should have chosen an outsider. In an opinion piece in Fortune last week, Yale School of Management professor Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and his colleague at the Yale Chief Executive Leadership InstituteSteven Tian argued that choosing insiders historically leads to bigger stock increases for companies changing CEOs than outsiders do.
They complain that “many seemed to have written [Fiddelke] off from the start, primarily by virtue of his insider status”—a stance they say is “premature.” They acknowledge that the challenges ahead for Target are great, but argue that Fiddelke may well be the CEO to deliver “bold, decisive moves, even if it means ripping off the band-aid right up front and working through some transitory pain.”
Perhaps. But for now, Wall Street is not quite convinced.
Younger customers are venturing back to real-world stores, says AS Watson CEO Malina Ngai
AS Watson was established in 1841 in Hong Kong, the year the British took over the territory. Almost 185 years later, the brand is now a health and beauty retail giant, with close to 17,000 outlets across 31 markets, including mainland China, Malaysia, the UK, Turkey and even Ukraine.
“We are a people company,” Malina Ngai, group CEO of AS Watson, said at the Fortune Innovation Forum in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Monday. Ngai acknowleged the company’s long history–including how the company endowed Sun Yat-sen, who later led the 1911 revolution against the Qing dynasty, with a medical scolarship–yet argued that AS Watson had to remain forward-thinking.
“Heritage gives us credibility, so people trust us, but only if we stay relevant [will we] be able to stay alive,” Ngai said.
The secret sauce to successfully operating in so many markets, Ngai argued, came from understanding their customers. In Southeast Asia—which Ngai described as one of AS Watson’s “growth engines”— consumers are young, digitally-savvy and conscious about health and beauty. They also love new campaigns and product launches. As such, Watsons, AS Watson’s main drugstore brand, has rolled out campaigns such as “Kaw Kaw Deals” in Malaysia, replete with a catchy jingle of the same name by local personalities Jinnyboy and Ayda Jebat.
Through market surveys, Ngai also found that many young customers in the region enjoy shopping at brick-and-mortar stores, despite a variety of online shopping options. “For younger customers, they want to be in the store, they want to get consultancy, they want to be able to touch the product—and this is what we can offer,” she said.
Aside from popular J-beauty and K-beauty products, Watsons also offers an array of halal-certified skincare and beauty items for Muslim consumers in markets like Malaysia and Indonesia.
C-beauty has also seen a spike in popularity among Southeast Asian consumers. Chinese beauty brands are “strong in technology and social media, and they get engagement and popularity within Southeast Asia very quickly,” Ngai explained.
‘People-first’
Ngai emphasized the importance of empowering employees. “In the company, if everyone is a leader, it will be a very powerful company. This means they know exactly the [company’s] purpose, they know how to collaborate, and they care for each other,” Ngai said.
Still, AS Watson is moving to adopt new technologies across its team, including launching a company-wide generative AI protocol in September. “AI used to be just with my data team, the programmers—but now Gen AI is for everyone,” Ngai said.
As the company approaches its 185-year milestone in 2026, Ngai shared her hopes for AS Watson’s future. “I don’t normally dream about work over the years. I sleep quite well, but recently, I dream a lot about 185 years,” Ngai said. “[I want AS Watson to] be an organization that can stay fit for the future, the next 180 years.”
Revolut Announces Global Payments Partnership With Travel Platform Booking.com
Revolut, the global fintech currently claiming more than 65 million global customers and various business customers, has announced a global payments partnership with one of the world’s online travel platforms, Booking.com.
Expanding Revolut’s travel offering for customers, Booking.com customers can now pay via Revolut Pay, Revolut’s checkout solution, and potentially benefit from a range of currencies.
This partnership is said to be a good fit given the customer overlap between businesses, with appr. 9 million customers from Revolut’s global user base having made purchases on Booking.com.
It signals a commitment from Revolut into the travel industry as Booking.com becomes its one of its travel partners adopting Revolut Pay. This comes as the number of customers using Revolut Pay has rises, now with nearly 2 million monthly active users.
Using Revolut Pay as a payment option at the time of checkout means customers are able to purchase their Booking.com accommodation, with flights and cars expected to follow.
At the point of payment, customers are redirected from the Booking.com platform to pay via the Revolut app, improving the booking process and protecting purchase via Revolut’s built-in biometric security.
As a perk, those paying with Revolut Pay are able to earn extra RevPoints on all purchases. RevPoints is said to be the first pan-European debit loyalty card program, and points can be redeemed at various merchants when checking out with Revolut Pay, including Booking.com as well as other benefits.
From 17th November to 3rd Jan, users may benefit from “10X RevPoints on their purchases.”
Alex Codina, General Manager of Acquiring at Revolut said that given their customers’ interest in travel and the significant number of users on Booking.com, this partnership is a fit for them.
Integrating Revolut Pay means a better “checkout experience for users.”
JC Rodriguez, Senior Director of Commercial Fintech at Booking.com they are constantly looking at how they can “make it easier for everyone to experience the world, and introducing … solutions to make transacting on their platform … flexible for all customers is key to that goal.”
To enable this payment solution for travelers, Booking.com has adopted Revolut Business, using the system “as part of its day-to-day operations.”
This trust in Revolut’s business solutions sets a foundation for “expanding the partnership further.”