Angie Sparks is joined by special guest Steve Harms, a seasoned award traveler and recent retiree, to explore how retirement reshapes points and miles strategies. Steve shares his journey into the hobby starting in 2020, diving headfirst into earning transferable points, amassing over a dozen cards, and navigating credit card rules like 5/24. He also outlines his wife Cindy’s more cautious but strategic participation, especially given her role as a caregiver for her parents. The couple’s travel patterns and card usage evolved significantly due to caregiving responsibilities and then Steve’s retirement in 2024. Their planning now revolves around minimizing annual fees, maximizing retention offers, and selectively product-changing cards to continue earning bonuses without increasing financial burden.

The main focus of the episode is how retirement impacts travel rewards strategy. Steve recommends applying for high-AF cards and meeting spend thresholds before retiring, when income is more predictable. Post-retirement, tighter budgets mean being more selective, relying on retention bonuses, using tools like CardPointers, and even incorporating cash-back strategies or bonus purchasing to fill gaps. He also shares insights into managing healthcare costs without employer group insurance—touching on COBRA, Medicare, and supplemental plans. For retirees, cards like the no-AF AARP Essential Rewards Mastercard (3% on gas and drugstores, 2% on medical) can be especially valuable. A listener SOS from “Credit Card Jail” also prompted discussion on getting creative with less common banks and targeting no-lifetime-limit Amex offers. Finally, Angie shares a TSA PreCheck tip for fixing boarding pass issues when booking with partner airlines—proving a little persistence can pay off.

Where to Find Us

1. The Award Travel 101 Facebook Community.
2. To book time with our team, check out Award Travel 1-on-1.
3. You can also email us at [email protected]
4. Buy your Award Travel 101 Merch here
5. Reserve tickets to our Spring 2026 Meetup in Phoenix now. award.travel/phx2026

Our partner CardPointers helps us get the most from our cards. Signup today at https://cardpointers.com/at101 for a 30% discount on annual and lifetime subscriptions!

Lastly, we appreciate your support of the AT101 Podcast/Community when you signup for your next card!

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