Locks discourage lazy criminals and Delta is calling all big spenders

Locks discourage lazy criminals — that’s the way to summarize this week’s advice on Equifax. Following the steps we’ve outlined will help make sure that you aren’t the low-hanging fruit. In other news, Delta is calling all big spenders — Diamond status will require big spend from those who are not buying a lot in Delta tickets — and the Citi Prestige comes through for me in a clutch situation. Read on for this week in review at Frequent Miler.

How the Equifax Hack scared me into installing Google Search and may have saved me $55

If you haven’t yet set up 2-factor authentication on your accounts that does not include SMS as the method, you should probably drop what you’re doing and read this post. It’s not that 2-factor authentication is the be-all and end-all in cyber security — the truth is that there is no perfect way to protect yourself. But the fact that a criminal could smash your window and steal your car doesn’t mean you shouldn’t lock your doors. Why smash your window if the guy next to you has his open and the keys lying on the seat? So lock up your accounts.

How to Survive the Equifax Hack

It’s not just one thing you need to do. Cyber thieves have stolen the keys to your digital kingdom. It’s time to take it back and protect yourself the same way you would your home. Greg devoted quite a bit of time to this hack precisely because it is so important to respond to it, especially if you’re the type of target with multiple credit card and bank accounts that makes a good cyber thief salivate. Again, you probably can’t become hack-proof, but Greg compared it to the old adage about the bear chasing you and your friends in the woods. You don’t have to outrun the bear, you just have to outrun the guy next to you. So fortify your position now to stay out of a criminals crosshairs.

Frequent Miler Live: Greg talked about Equifax hack

On top of this week’s posts, Greg did a Frequent Miler Live session where he gave a talk about how to lock up your digital kingdom and took questions from the audience. Keep an eye out for the next Frequent Miler Live, where you can interact with Greg in real-time and get answers to your questions.

Ugh… Delta increases Diamond MQD waiver to $250,000

In order to attain Delta Diamond status, you need to spend a bunch of money on Delta tickets in addition to a set number of flown miles. In the past, it has been possible to get a waiver on the spending requirement by simply spending $25,000 a year on Delta credit cards. Unfortunately, that will no longer be the case next year. You will need to spend a quarter of a million dollars on Delta credit cards to avoid the requirement to spend money on Delta tickets if you want to achieve Diamond status for 2019. That’s no small change….

Delta’s $250K MQD waiver rule. What will I do? What should you do?

Greg has long been spending his way to Delta Diamond status. How will the new $250K spend requirement affect his plans? Read on to find out.

Increase credit card spend (and get most of it back). What still works September 2017

The title says it all here. Read on for how to increase your spend without decreasing your bank account balance.

My $500 trip delay claim with Citi Prestige

It’s one thing to read the wording of benefits, it’s another to get first-hand experience. My first experience with Citi Prestige trip relay protection ensured that I won’t be booking airfare spend on any other card. I claimed the maximum $500, which was more than the cost of my original ticket, and my claim was paid painlessly. Read on to find out why I spent so much on a delay and how simple it was to get reimbursed.

That’s it for this week’s Frequent Miler week in review. Check back soon for our review around the web and this week’s last chance deals.

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