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The beginning of a new year is a great opportunity to look back on the past and think about the future. It’s the perfect time to finally decide to get our finances in better shape in the months and years to come, when the full financial effects of holiday spending become clear. Best Credit Cards to Help

A lot of frequent New Year’s resolutions don’t actually help you save money or cut back on spending. But a lot of the most popular ones, like going on more trips or joining a gym, cost a lot of money.

The correct credit card can help you save more money or lessen the harm, no matter if your resolutions are good or bad for your finances. This year, think about getting the greatest credit card to assist you keep your top resolution.

Popular New Year’s Resolutions & the Best Credit Cards for Each

These eight perennial favourite New Year’s resolutions pair nicely with multiple credit cards.

Resolution 1: Pay Down Existing Credit Card Debt (Best Credit Cards to Help)

Few New Year’s resolutions are more practical or urgent than getting your finances back on track after holiday overspending. And thankfully, there’s an entire credit card category devoted to limiting the long-term fiscal damage caused by high-interest credit card balances: balance-transfer credit cards.

The best balance-transfer credit cards charge no interest on transferred balances for 18 to 21 months from your account opening date. However, they may insist you pay off the entirety of the transferred balance during the promotional period to avoid retroactive interest charges at the regular APR. Read through the cards’ terms-and-conditions literature for details.

Many popular cashback credit cards also have 0% APR balance-transfer promotions stretching to 15 or even 18 months. If you’re in the market for a card that rewards you for use long after you’ve paid off transferred balances, one of these is a better fit than a pure balance-transfer card.

1. Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card

The Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card exists for one reason and one reason only: to help cardholders pay down high-interest balances racked up elsewhere. Its extremely long 0% APR purchase and balance-transfer promotion matches the best offers on the market today.

• Balance-Transfer APR: 0% APR for 21 months, then regular variable APR applies (currently 17.99% to 28.74%, depending on your personal creditworthiness and prevailing rates).
• Purchase APR: 0% APR for 12 months, then the regular variable APR applies (currently 17.99% to 28.74%, depending on your personal creditworthiness and prevailing rates).
• Key Fees: Diamond Preferred has no annual fee. The foreign transaction fee is 3%. The balance-transfer fee is the greater of $5 or 3% of the transfer amount.

For more information, read our Citi Diamond Preferred card review.  Learn more about this card and find out how to apply here.

2. Citi® Simplicity® Card

The Citi® Simplicity® Credit Card has much in common with Diamond Preferred, including the very long 0% APR purchase and balance-transfer promotion.

• Balance-Transfer APR: 0% APR for 21 months, then the regular variable APR applies (currently 18.99% to 29.74%, depending on your creditworthiness and other factors).
• Purchase APR: 0% APR for 12 months, then the regular variable APR applies (currently 18.99% to 29.74%, depending on your creditworthiness and other factors).
• Key Fees: Simplicity has no annual fee. The foreign transaction fee is 3%. The balance-transfer fee is the greater of $5 or 3% of the transfer amount.

For more information, read our Citi Simplicity card review.  Learn more about this card and find out how to apply here.

3. Citi® Double Cash Card

The Citi® Double Cash card has the longest 0% APR balance-transfer promotion of any cashback card available today. Pair that with a cashback rate of up to 2% when you pay your purchase balance in full, and you’ve got one potent card.

• Balance Transfer APR: 0% APR for 18 months, then the regular variable APR applies (currently 18.99% to 28.99%, depending on your creditworthiness and prevailing rates). You must complete qualifying balance transfers within the first four months.
• Purchase APR: There’s no purchase APR promotion. The regular variable APR applies from the day you open your account.
• Key Fees: Double Cash has no annual fee. The foreign transaction fee is 3%. The balance-transfer fee is the greater of $5 or 3% of the transfer amount.
• Sign-up Bonus: None

For more information, read our Citi Double Cash card review.  Learn more about this card and find out how to apply here.

Resolution 2: Build or Improve Credit (Best Credit Cards to Help)

The Discover Credit Health Survey 2019 found that nearly all millennials (93%) know where their credit stands. That compares to about 3 in 4 boomers (77%).

It’s great news that consumers in their 20s and 30s are more credit-aware than their parents, but don’t pop the Champagne just yet. Burdened by student loan debt and housing costs that far outpace the rate of inflation in opportunity-rich cities, many millennials struggle to make ends meet.

Impaired credit is a common consequence of using credit cards out of necessity—to afford food, clothing, and transportation when housing and debt service eat up the lion’s share of one’s take-home pay.

If there’s a silver lining, it’s that consumers with impaired or limited credit have more starter credit card options than ever before. Some cards even cater to consumers without credit scores at all.

These cards go out of their way to assist folks in various stages of the credit-building or credit-rebuilding process. All report to each of the three major credit-reporting bureaus: TransUnion, Experian, and Equifax.

1. Deserve Edu Card

The Deserve Edu card is a leading student credit card that earns 1% cash back on all eligible purchases. Unlike most credit cards, Deserve Edu doesn’t require applicants to have credit scores. If you apply without a FICO credit score because your credit history is limited, Deserve may consider non-credit factors when evaluating your application.

• Credit Required: Deserve Edu isn’t for people with impaired credit (FICO scores under 600). However, if you don’t have a credit score or substantial credit history, Deserve may utilise noncredit underwriting (such as income and bank account verification) to approve your application.
• Additional Benefits: Enjoy Amazon Prime Student free for one year – a $69 value. Enjoy a cellphone protection policy worth up to $600 per incident after you pay the $25 deductible.
• Key Fees: Deserve Edu has no annual fee or foreign transaction fee.

2. Secured Mastercard® from Capital One

The Secured Mastercard® from Capital One is a no-annual-fee secured credit card intended for those rebuilding their credit. Though initial credit limits can be quite restrictive, you may qualify for access to a higher credit line after making five consecutive payments on time.

• Credit Required: This card is for applicants in the process of rebuilding their credit.
• Additional Benefits: Enjoy 24/7 travel assistance, complimentary loss and damage coverage on rental cars paid in full with your card, travel accident insurance, and extended warranties on select items purchased with your card.
• Key Fees: The Secured Mastercard from Capital One has no annual fee or foreign transaction fee.

3. Citi® Secured Mastercard®

The Citi® Secured Mastercard® is another secured credit card with no annual fee. It’s best for applicants with below-average credit, including those with delinquencies and other adverse events in their past. It’s not appropriate for those who’ve recently declared bankruptcy.

• Credit Required: Citi Secured Mastercard is for applicants with below-average credit.
• Additional Benefits: This card comes with zero liability for unauthorised charges.
• Key Fees: There is no annual fee. The foreign transaction fee is 3% of the total transaction amount.

4. Petal 1 “No Annual Fee” Visa® Credit Card

Petal credit cards are issued by WebBank, Member FDIC.

The Petal 1 “No Annual Fee” Visa® Credit Card is an unsecured credit card that earns up to 10% cash back on purchases with select partner merchants.

Other Petal 1 features worth mentioning include:

• No annual fee
• Variable APRs ranging from 25.24% to 34.74%
• $300 to $5,000 credit limits
• 2% to 10% cashback from select merchants
• No international fees

Like Deserve Edu, Petal 1 may consider noncredit factors when evaluating your application. And its $5,000 maximum credit limit is far more generous than most entry-level credit cards’, making Petal 1 appropriate for cardholders with good income but limited credit.

• Credit Required: Petal 1 is not for applicants with FICO scores under 600. But it may consider noncredit factors to approve your application.
• Additional Benefits: Get 2% to 10% cash back on select purchases with Petal partner merchants.
• Key Fees: The Petal card has no annual fee or foreign transaction fee.

5. Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card

The Capital One Quicksilver cash rewards credit card isn’t for applicants with impaired credit. But it does have a very long 0% APR purchase and balance transfer promotion that makes it easier to build credit responsibly without incurring high interest charges.

Plus, most eligible purchases earn unlimited 1.5% cash back every day. Eligible hotel and car rental bookings earn unlimited 5% cash back when made through Capital One Travel. And the $200 early spend bonus (when you spend $500 on eligible purchases in the first three months) is a nice incentive too.

• Credit Required: This card requires good to excellent credit.
• Additional Benefits: This card has a slew of consumer-friendly benefits, including the option to use points on Amazon purchases.
• Purchase APR: 0% APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers from your account opening date. Then the regular variable APR applies (currently 19.99% to 29.99% variable).
• Key Fees: Quicksilver has no annual fee or foreign transaction fee. The balance transfer fee is 3%.

6. Chase Freedom Flex℠ Card

This offer is no longer available.

The Chase Freedom Flex℠ Card matches a long 0% APR promotion — great for building credit — with an excellent rewards programme featuring quarterly rotating 5% cash-back categories and a handful of attractive, permanent 3% and 5% cash-back categories (drugstores and dining and travel purchased through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal, respectively). Don’t miss the amazing sign-up bonus, either.

Bottom line: Like Quicksilver, Freedom Flex is an ideal card for folks looking to build on already-solid credit foundations.

• Sign-Up Bonus: When you make $500 in qualifying purchases within three months of opening your account, you get $200.
• Credit Required: This card requires good to excellent credit.
• Additional Benefits: Enjoy a host of Visa-backed benefits, including loss and damage coverage on rental cards paid in full with your card.
• Purchase APR: 0% APR for 15 months from your account opening date. Then the regular variable APR applies, currently 19.74% to 28.49%.
• Key Fees: This card has no annual fee. The foreign transaction fee is 3%.

7. Chase Freedom Unlimited® credit card

The Chase Freedom Unlimited® credit card dispenses with Freedom Flex’s quarterly rotating 5% cash-back categories, replacing them with near-universal 1.5% cash back. But the bonus 3% and 5% categories remain, as does the long 0% APR purchase promotion, category-leading sign-up bonus, and generous Visa-backed perks.

• Sign-Up Bonus: During the first year your account is open, Chase will automatically match all the cash back you earned. That’s 10% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards, travel, gift cards and more; 6% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service; and 3% on all other purchases.
• Credit Required: This card requires good to excellent credit.
• Additional Benefits: Enjoy a host of Visa-backed benefits, including loss and damage coverage on rental cards paid in full with your card.
• Purchase APR: 0% APR for 15 months from your account opening date. Then the regular variable APR applies, currently 20.49% – 29.24%.
• Key Fees: Freedom Unlimited has no annual fee. The foreign transaction fee is 3%.

Resolution 3: Eat Healthier Food or Eat Out Less Often (Best Credit Cards to Help)

Talk about low-hanging fruit. Cutting back on professionally prepared meals is an easy and relatively painless way to trim discretionary spending after the holidays. Countless consumers treat the holiday spending hangover with a self-imposed “restaurant diet”, avoiding meals not cooked at home.

Because restaurant food is often laden with fat, salt, and sugar, substituting home-cooked meals for commercial chow is also a pillar of another popular New Year’s resolution: eating healthier food.

In either case, you need a credit card that rewards supermarket spending. These are among the best.

1. Blue Cash Preferred® Card From American Express

The Blue Cash Preferred® card from American Express is the gold standard in grocery rewards, promising up to $360 in annual bonus cash on the U.S. supermarket purchases you were going to make anyway.

• Welcome Offer: Earn $350 back after you spend at least $3,000 on purchases within the first 6 months. Cashback accrues as Reward Dollars that can be redeemed for statement credits.
• Supermarket Rewards: Earn 6% cash back on the first $6,000 spent on eligible U.S. supermarket purchases each year. That’s a total potential cashback haul of $360. Supermarket purchases above the annual spending cap earn 1% cash back.
• Additional Rewards: Earn 6% cash back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions. Earn 3% cash back on purchases at U.S. gas stations and with transit providers, including public transportation, rideshare, commuter rail, tolls, and parking. All other eligible purchases earn 1% cash back.
• Key Fees: The annual fee is $95 each year. Foreign transactions cost 2.7% of the transaction amount. See the rates and fees page.

2. Blue Cash Everyday® Card From American Express

The Blue Cash Everyday® card from American Express is an annual fee-free version of Blue Cash Preferred. In exchange for saving $95 each year, you earn 50% less cash back on your first $6,000 in U.S. supermarket purchases each year. Still, $180 off your annual grocery bill isn’t bad.

• Welcome Offer: Earn $200 back after you spend at least $2,000 on purchases within the first 6 months. Cashback accrues as Reward Dollars that can be redeemed for statement credits.
• Supermarket Rewards: Earn 3% cash back on the first $6,000 spent on eligible U.S. supermarket purchases each year. That’s a total potential cashback haul of $180 at U.S. supermarkets. Supermarket purchases above the annual spending cap earn 1% cash back.
• Additional Rewards: Earn 3% cash back on U.S. online retail purchases and 2% cash back on purchases at U.S. gas stations and select U.S. department stores. All other eligible purchases earn 1% cash back.
• Key Fees: Blue Cash Everyday has no annual fee. Foreign transactions cost 2.7% of the transaction amount.  See the rates and fees page.

Resolution 4: Start Cooking Ahead (Best Credit Cards to Help)

When incorporated into homemade make-ahead meals, bulk-purchased ingredients save time on busy weeknights, especially for larger families. It’s also one of many common strategies to save money on groceries. And while it’s more drastic than switching to store-brand products, its fiscal impact has the potential to be much more significant.

When you’re ready to give cooking ahead a serious try, invest in a standalone freezer and compile a list of freezer meals your family will enjoy.

Then, consider applying for one of these bulk-friendly cards that reward spending at popular warehouse clubs and superstores. In addition to bulk ingredients—and cheaper ingredients in general—these stores sell other items you need to cook ahead successfully, like food storage containers, slow cookers, pressure cookers, and multicookers like the Instant Pot.

1. Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi

The Costco Anywhere Visa® card by Citi is the committed Costco member’s go-to credit card for Costco and costco.com purchases — not to mention gas, restaurant, and travel purchases. The catches: Cash back only comes once per year (as a Costco store credit you can convert to hard cash), and cardholders must maintain Costco membership, which carries a recurring annual fee.

• Rewards: Get 2% cash back on all eligible purchases, including groceries at Costco warehouse stores and Costco.com.
• Additional Rewards: Get 4% cash back on gas and EV charging purchases — up to the first $7,000 per year in gas and charging purchases — then 1% cash back on all additional gas purchases. Earn 3% cash back on eligible restaurant and travel purchases. All other eligible purchases earn 1% cash back.
• Key Fees: Although this card doesn’t charge a separate annual fee, it does require a Costco membership.

Resolution 5: Cut Out Needless Spending

Cutting out needless spending sounds fine — until you stop to think about what it entails: giving up your morning latte, your food truck lunch, or your seven streaming video subscriptions.

Before forcing yourself to cut discretionary spending on things you’d prefer not to do without, reduce spending you won’t miss, such as the cost of your daily commute, which is almost certainly not the high point of your day.

These gas credit cards and travel rewards credit cards can reduce your net transportation spending by perhaps 2% or 3% — a nice marginal benefit that might let you hang onto your morning latte and make the trip a little more bearable.

1. Blue Cash Preferred® Card From American Express

The Blue Cash Preferred® card from American Express earns an excellent return on purchases at U.S. gas stations and with transit providers — both private providers like Uber and public ones like your local rapid-transit authority. Even if you don’t hit the annual grocery spending max, the commuting break might justify the annual fee.

• Commuter Rewards: Earn 3% cash back on purchases at U.S. gas stations and 3% back on purchases with transit providers, including public transportation, rideshare, commuter rail, tolls, and parking. Cashback accrues as Reward Dollars that can be redeemed for statement credits.
• Additional Rewards: Earn 6% cash back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions and 6% back on the first $6,000 in U.S. supermarket purchases each year.
• Key Fees: The annual fee is $95 each year. Foreign transactions cost 2.7% of the transaction amount.  See rates and fees page.

2. Blue Cash Everyday® Card From American Express

The Blue Cash Everyday® card from American Express earns 1% less cash back on U.S. gas station purchases than the Blue Cash Preferred card. Still, that’s not bad for a cashback card with no annual fee. Transit purchases aren’t included in Everyday’s transportation tier, though, so public transit commuters should stick to Preferred.

• Commuter Rewards: Earn 2% cash back on purchases at U.S. gas stations.
• Additional Rewards: Earn 3% cash back on the first $6,000 in U.S. supermarket purchases each year. Earn 3% cash back on U.S. online retail purchases. Earn 2% cash back on purchases at select U.S. department stores and 1% cash back on all other eligible purchases. Cashback accrues as Reward Dollars that can be redeemed for statement credits.
• Key Fees: There is no annual fee. The foreign transaction fee is 2.7%. See the rates and fees page.

3. Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi

The Costco Anywhere Visa® card by Citi earns a fantastic return on the first $7,000 in eligible gas and EV charging purchases per year, then a solid payback on all additional gas and charging purchases. Yes, cardholders must be current Costco members, but an annual membership is a small price to pay for $280 or more in gas savings each year.

• Commuter Rewards: Earn 4% cash back on gas and EV charging purchases, up to the first $7,000 in gas and EV purchases each year.
• Additional Rewards: Earn 3% cash back on eligible restaurant and travel purchases. Earn 2% cash back on all eligible purchases at Costco warehouse stores and costco.com. Earn 1% cash back on all other eligible purchases, including gas purchases above the annual spending cap.
• Key Fees: There is no annual fee, but cardholders must be active Costco members and pay the annual membership fee.

4. Citi Rewards+℠ Card

The Citi Rewards+℠ card rewards gas station and supermarket purchases in equal measure. If your commute is a bigger or more noticeable financial drain than your grocery bill, use Rewards+ exclusively at the gas pump.

• Commuter Rewards: Earn 2x points on the first $6,000 in combined gas station and supermarket purchases each year.
• Additional Rewards: Earn 1x point on all other eligible purchases, including 2x category purchases above the annual spending cap. Then, earn 1 ThankYou point per $1 spent thereafter. And Citi Rewards+ is the only credit card that automatically rounds up to the nearest 10 points on every purchase with no cap.
• Key Fees: There is no annual fee. The foreign transaction fee is 3%.

Resolution 6: Travel More (Best Credit Cards to Help)

The right travel credit card can limit the fiscal damage of travel and may even change how you make financial decisions, like paying for airport lounge access or staying at a four-star hotel.

Most of the cards on this list are either general-purpose travel cards, which reward most or all travel spending equally, or hotel credit cards, which reward loyalty to specific hotel brands and families. As you evaluate each, look beyond the rewards to the value-added benefits, like annual travel credits and elite status. That’s often where the real value lies.

1. Chase Sapphire Reserve®

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® offsets its admittedly hefty annual fee of $550 with a $300 annual credit against virtually any travel purchases.

After exhausting this credit, you’ll earn an excellent rate of return on eligible travel purchases. Points are worth 50% more ($0.015 each) when redeemed for travel booked through Chase’s travel portal.

Plus, the sign-up bonus is worth $900 when redeemed for travel and the temporary bonus category purchases. It’s worth $600 otherwise.

• Travel Rewards: Earn an unlimited 3 points per $1 spent on most eligible travel purchases after reaching your $300 annual travel credit. Earn 5 total points per $1 spent on air travel purchases made through Chase Travel℠ and 10 total points per $1 spent on hotel and car rental purchases made through Chase Travel. Points are worth 50% more when redeemed for travel purchased through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal.
• Additional Rewards: Earn 3 points per $1 spent on all eligible dining purchases and 1 point per $1 spent on all other eligible purchases.
• Select Travel Benefits: The $300 annual travel credit is good against any travel purchase that would typically earn 3 points per $1 spent with Sapphire Reserve. Enjoy complimentary access to more than 1,000 airport lounges in the Priority Pass Select network. Get a credit of up to $100 against your TSA PreCheck or Global Entry application fee. Transfer points to participating partner loyalty programmes at a coveted 1-to-1 ratio, potentially doubling or tripling their value.
• Key Fees: The annual fee is $550. The authorised user fee is $75 per user per year. There is no foreign transaction fee.

2. The Platinum® Card From American Express

The Platinum® card from American Express earns a fantastic rate of return on flights booked through American Express Travel or the airlines themselves, as well as on hotels booked through American Express Travel. A $200 annual airline fee credit (enrolment required and terms apply) and benefits like lounge access and Uber credits help offset a $550 annual fee (see rates and fees page).

• Travel Rewards: Earn 5x points on flights booked directly with airlines or through the American Express Travel portal. Earn 5x points on hotels booked through the American Express Travel portal. Earn 10x points on eligible U.S. gas station purchases too.
• Additional Rewards: Earn 1x point on all other eligible purchases (except U.S. supermarket purchases, which earn 10x points).
• Select Travel Benefits: Each year, get a $200 airline fee credit, which is good against incidental purchases with one airline of your choice (enrolment is required). Enjoy complimentary access to more than 1,200 airport lounges in the Global Lounge Collection and take up to $200 in Uber credits per year (enrollment is required). Get a statement credit up to $100 against your Global Entry or TSA Precheck application fee. Enjoy exclusive perks and discounts at hotels in the Fine Hotels & Resorts Collection. Terms apply.
• Key Fees: The annual fee is $695.

3. Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

The Capital One Venture Rewards credit card earns the same solid rate of return on all eligible purchases, making it a perfect general-spending card for frequent travellers not loyal to particular hotel or airline brands. Redeem miles for travel to fix their value at $0.01 each (other redemption options may devalue miles).

Learn more about this card and find out how to apply here.

• Travel Rewards: Earn unlimited 2 miles per $1 spent on most eligible purchases (an effective 2% rate of return when redeemed for travel). Earn 5 miles per $1 spent on hotel and car rental purchases made through Capital One Travel.
• Additional Rewards: None.
• Select Travel Benefits: Get a statement credit of up to $100 for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry.
• Key Fees: The annual fee is $95. There is no foreign transaction fee.

4. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® card pairs a low annual fee of $95 with a more modest return on spending and no travel credit. But points are worth 25% more when redeemed for bookings at the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal. And like Sapphire Reserve, Sapphire Preferred has an extremely generous sign-up bonus.

• Travel Rewards: Earn 5 points total on eligible travel purchases made through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal (after exhausting the $50 annual Ultimate Rewards hotel credit) and 2 points per $1 spent on all other eligible travel purchases.
• Additional Rewards: Earn 3 points per $1 spent on all eligible dining purchases, select streaming service purchases, and online grocery purchases. Earn 1 point per $1 spent on all other eligible purchases.
• Select Travel Benefits: Transfer points to participating partner loyalty programmes at a 1-to-1 ratio.
• Key Fees: The annual fee is $95. There is no foreign transaction fee.

5. IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card

The IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card confers automatic Platinum Elite status. Benefits include complimentary room upgrades where available, a 50% boost to base point earnings on qualifying stays, exclusive room rates, and spa credits (subject to restrictions). There’s a fantastic sign-up bonus available for new cardmembers here as well.

• Sign-up Bonus: Earn 140,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months.
• Travel Rewards: Earn up to 26 points per $1 spent at IHG hotels and resorts, depending on your status in the rewards programme.
• Additional Rewards: Earn 5 points per $1 spent on purchases on travel, at gas stations, and at restaurants. Earn 3 points per $1 spent on all other eligible purchases.
• Select Travel Benefits: Enjoy complimentary Platinum Elite status as long as you remain a cardholder in good standing. Get a free reward night when you redeem points for a stay of 4 or more consecutive nights.
• Key Fees: The annual fee is $99. There is no foreign transaction fee.

Resolution 7: Try New Foods (Best Credit Cards to Help)

If this is your year to break out of your culinary rut and introduce your taste buds to new cuisines, choose a credit card that reduces the costs of dining out more frequently and home-cooking more meals with expensive exotic ingredients.

These popular dining credit cards all reward spending on dine-in and take-out meals. Some may also reward grocery spending for the home cooks eager to experiment in the new year.

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1. Chase Sapphire Reserve®

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® rewards dining spending just as well as travel spending — minus the annual credit, unfortunately. Points are worth $0.015 each when redeemed for travel booked through Chase.

• Dining Rewards: Earn unlimited 3 points per $1 spent on eligible dining purchases.
• Additional Rewards: Earn 3 points per $1 spent on eligible travel purchases and 1 point per $1 spent on all other eligible purchases. Points are worth 50% more when redeemed for travel purchased through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal.
• Key Fees: The annual fee is $550 for the primary cardholder and $75 for each authorised user. There is no foreign transaction fee.

2. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® card also rewards dining like travel and values points at $0.0125 each when you redeem them for travel booked through Chase.

• Dining Rewards: Earn unlimited 3 points per $1 spent on eligible dining purchases, including dine-in and takeout.
• Additional Rewards: Earn 5 points total per $1 spent on travel purchases made through Chase Ultimate Rewards after exhausting the $50 annual Ultimate Rewards hotel credit. Earn 3 points per $1 spent on select streaming services and online grocery purchases. Earn an unlimited 2 points per $1 spent on all other eligible travel purchases and 1 point per $1 spent on all other eligible purchases.
• Key Fees: The annual fee is $95. There is no foreign transaction fee.

Resolution 8: Start a Business or Side Hustle (Best Credit Cards to Help)

Are you finally ready to make the leap from freelancing as an individual to formally incorporating a small business? Even if you’re still living the solopreneur life, unencumbered by employees and contractors, formally incorporating can help insulate you from legal liability arising out of your work and could carry significant tax benefits.

Still happily employed in a 9-to-5? That’s no barrier to a part-time side gig, like driving for a ride-hailing app, sharing your car on Turo, or renting out your spare bedroom to Airbnb guests.

In either case, you’re ready for a small-business credit card. These are among the best on the market.

1. The Business Platinum® Card From American Express

The Business Platinum® card from American Express is a business-friendly version of the consumer Platinum card. It’s more generous thanks to elevated rewards on major purchases and a slew of benefits unavailable to consumer cardholders. With Business Platinum, you’re that much closer to the big time.

• Welcome Offer: Earn 120,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend at least $15,000 in eligible purchases within 3 months of opening your account. Terms apply.
• Business Rewards: Earn 5x membership rewards points on airfare purchases and hotel purchases made through the American Express Travel portal. Earn 1.5x points on purchases in key business categories and eligible purchases of $5,000 or more everywhere else ($2 million annual cap on these purchases applies) and 1x point on all other eligible purchases. Get 35% of your points back when you use points for flights. Terms apply.
• Select Business Benefits: Get a $200 airline fee credit each year to cover incidental purchases with the airline of your choice (enrolment is required). Enjoy complimentary access to more than 1,200 airport lounges in the Global Lounge Collection and elite status with Marriott Bonvoy and Hilton Honours (enrolment is required). Get up to $400 in statement credits each year against purchases made with Dell (enrolment is required). Get a statement credit of up to $100 against your Global Entry or TSA Precheck application fee. Enjoy exclusive perks at hotels in the Fine Hotels & Resorts Collection. Terms apply.
• Key Fees: The annual fee is $695. There is no foreign transaction fee. See the rates and fees page.

2. Chase Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

The Chase Ink Business Preferred® credit card promises outstanding rewards on everyday business purchases, including travel. A massive sign-up bonus is worth $1,250 when redeemed for bookings at the Chase Travel℠ portal.

• Sign-Up Bonus: When you spend at least $8,000 in eligible purchases within 3 months of opening your account, you earn 100,000 bonus Ultimate Rewards points. That’s worth $1,250 when redeemed for travel purchases on Chase Travel℠ and $1,000 when redeemed for cash back or general merchandise.
• Business Rewards: Earn 3 points per $1 spent on the first $150,000 in combined annual purchases of travel, shipping, Internet, cable and phone, and advertising via social media sites and search engines. All other eligible purchases earn 1 point per $1 spent. Points are worth 25% more when redeemed for travel bookings at the Chase Travel℠ portal.
• Select Business Benefits: Transfer points to participating travel partners at a 1-to-1 ratio.
• Key Fees: The annual fee is $95. There is no foreign transaction fee.

3. Chase Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card

The Chase Ink Business Unlimited® credit card is the business version of the Chase Freedom Unlimited card. Like Capital One’s Spark cards, it’s an excellent choice for business owners with eclectic expenses. Though it’s not for cardholders with impaired credit, it may be appropriate for new business owners seeking to build credit for the first time.

• Sign-Up Bonus: Earn $750 bonus cashback after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
• Business Rewards: Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on all eligible purchases.
• Select Business Benefits: Easily separate business and personal expenses with Chase’s account-management tools.
• Key Fees: There is no annual fee. The foreign transaction fee is 3%.

4. Chase Ink Business Cash® Credit Card

The Chase Ink Business Cash® Credit Card has no direct consumer analogue, but don’t let that put you off. It’s a lifesaver for business owners who spend heavily at office supply stores and on telecommunications and for those who expense mileage and restaurant meals – in other words, most business owners.

• Sign-Up Bonus: Earn up to $750 cash bonus: a $350 cash bonus after you spend $3,000 in the first 3 months and an additional $400 if you spend $6,000 in your first 6 months.
• Business Rewards: Earn 5% cash back on the first $25,000 in combined purchases at office supply stores and with Internet, cable, and phone service providers. Earn 2% cash back on the first $25,000 in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants. Earn 1% cash back on all other eligible purchases. Cash back is tracked from the start of your card member anniversary year.
• Select Business Benefits: Stay on top of your employees’ spending with Chase’s complimentary account-management tools.
• Key Fees: There is no annual fee. The foreign transaction fee is 3%.

5. The American Express Blue Business Cash™ card

The American Express Blue Business Cash™ card has no annual fee, and the $50,000 yearly spending cap on its bonus cashback category might be all the light- to moderate-spending business owner needs.

• Business Rewards: Earn 2% cash back on the first $50,000 spent on eligible purchases each year, then 1% cash back on subsequent purchases.
• Select Business Benefits: Enjoy complimentary account and expense-management tools at no additional charge.
• Key Fees: There is no annual fee. The foreign transaction fee is 2.7%.

Final Word (Best Credit Cards to Help)

The right credit card can reduce the fiscal impact of less budget-friendly New Year’s resolutions. And if you’ve resolved to get your financial life back on track this year—or merely trim nonessential expenses—the right card can also provide a lift.

The world has no shortage of resolution-card pairs. It’s a safe bet at least one of the cards on this list can help you start the new year off on the right foot — if you commit to spending responsibly and avoid accruing interest absent a true emergency.

Here’s to a more prosperous 12 months ahead!