This week, we'll cover my goals, tools, and mindset shifts for a better 2026, major changes to how you earn rewards with Bilt 2.0, 5 free nights at Hyatt with a limited-time welcome offer, earn up to $40K+ from bank, brokerage & crypto bonuses, Gondola adds hotel price alerts (+ get a $50 bonus), free personal review template, and more!

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🗓️ Goals, Tools, and Mindset Shifts for a Better 2026

Kevin and I reflect on 2025’s biggest wins and lessons, then dive into how we're planning 2026. We share our goals, the tools we're using, and why we are designing a year that’s easier, not just more optimized.

📺 Watch or 🎧 Listen

📋 My Past Week

Here's a quick recap of what I was up to last week:

• We spent a few hours planning out our 2026 on our new ​Big A## Calendar​ and I've never felt more excited going into the year. The big highlights for us are a few weekend ski trips this winter, Japan in the spring, Hawaii or Mexico right after school gets out and Europe at the end of the Summer. Big thanks to Jesse Itzler for making ​the video​ that inspired us to do this.
• Our youngest daughter has been working on getting across a full set of monkey bars and she finally did it. It's amazing how good it makes us feel to watch our kids accomplish something they've been working on for a while.
• This ​crispy gnocchi with sausage and broccoli​ recipe has become a regular in our house, because it's quick, easy and plates are always empty after.
• I feel like I earned a PhD in credit card rewards this week after spending hours trying to make sense of the new ​Bilt 2.0 launch​ (and ​subsequent update​). Fortunately after it all clicked, it seems like the ​new card lineup​ is pretty interesting. More details below.
• I'm spending a ton of my free time working on the credit card app I've been building in ​Cursor​ and am having so much fun with the project. Here's a sneak peek at the dashboard.

🤑 Latest Deals

💰 Bank, Brokerage & Crypto Bonuses Worth $60K+

Personal

• ​Up to $7,000 from HSBC​: Open a new Premier checking account and deposit a qualifying amount before 3/31.
• ​Up to $1,500 from Citi​: Open a new Regular Checking account before 4/13 and deposit a qualifying amount.
• ​Up to $900 from Chase: Open an eligible checking AND savings account before 4/15 and complete the qualifying requirements.
• ​$400 from Wells Fargo​: Open an Everyday Checking account before 2/24 and complete a qualifying direct deposit.
• ​$325 from Citi​: Open a new Regular Checking account by 4/13 and complete 2 EDDs within 90 days.
• ​$250 from American Express​: Open a new Checking account before 1/31 and receive qualifying direct deposits within 90 days.

Business

• ​Up to $2,000 from CitiBusiness​: Open a new business checking account before 4/6 and complete qualifying activities.
• ​$1,200 from U.S. Bank​: Open a new eligible business account before 3/31 and complete the required activities.
• ​Up to $1,000 from PNC​ (Select States): Open a new business checking account by 3/31 and complete the required activities.
• ​Up to $750 from BoA​: Open a new Business Advantage Banking account by 12/31 and complete qualifying requirements.

Brokerage

• ​Up to $10K from TastyTrade​: 4% cash match on qualifying deposits up to $250K, with a 12-month hold.
• ​Up to $20K from E*Trade​: For existing users who transfer qualifying assets by 2/3 and hold the funds for 12 months.
• ​3% on IRA Contributions & Unlimited 2% on Transfers and Rollovers from Robinhood​: Gold members get a 3% match on annual IRA contributions, plus unlimited 2% on IRA transfers and 401(k) rollovers completed by 4/30.
• ​3% on IRA Contributions & Up to $20K from Firstrade​: Open a new Firstrade IRA and make qualifying contributions and transfers, up to $100K.

Crypto

• ​Up to $500 from eToro​: Open a new account and complete a qualifying deposit.

📝 Up to $40 Back On Post-it Products at Staples

Staples is offering ​100% back in points​, up to $40, on Post-it products. This offer is valid in-store or online and expires today, 1/17. Make sure to activate the offer on your rewards app before you purchase anything.

🛒 Big Discounts on BJ's Club & Club+ Memberships

Right now you can get a ​1-year BJ’s Club Card for $30​ (regularly $60) and the upgraded ​Club+ membership for $70​ (normally $120). Both come with BJ’s Easy Renewal and start immediately after activation.

🐶 $30 off $100 Worth of Pet Supplies on Amazon

Spend $100 on pet products on Amazon and get a ​$30 credit​. This is a great offer if you're planning to stock up on food, treats, and supplies.

🔗 Card-Linked Offers Worth $500+

Here are some card-linked offers I found this week with expiration dates in parentheses.

• Flight Purchase: ​10% off $499.99​ (1/31)
• PayPal: ​6% off​, up to $30 back (2/28)
• Alamo Rent-a-Car: ​$50 off $250​ (3/8)
• GoPuff: ​$100 off $30​, up to 3x (3/10)
• Avis Car Rental: ​$80 off​ $400 (3/29)
• Budget Car Rental: ​$40 off $200​ (3/29)
• Lifestyle Collection Hotels: ​$250 off $1,250​ (3/31)

🛫 Travel, Points & Miles

💳 Bilt 2.0: Major Changes to How You Earn Rewards

​Bilt​ launched their ​new card lineup​ this week, and it's so complicated that I had to read it multiple times AND make a spreadsheet to fully understand how you will now earn points on your rent or mortgage (more on rates and fees here). That said, after breaking it all down, it seems like the new Bilt Cards look incredibly rewarding for anyone with a monthly rent/mortgage payment.

The way I've been explaining it to friends is that paying your rent or mortgage through Bilt (for free) isn't worth it on its own, but doing so makes the Bilt Cards earn more points. No matter which card or ​earning option​ you pick, your Bilt card will earn ~1-1.3x more points on all your spend, up to the amount you spend on your housing payments.

For example, if your rent or mortgage is $8k/mo and you spend $8k/mo on the Bilt Palladium card (2x everywhere), you'll earn 16k points on the card plus 8-10k points on your rent/mortgage, for a total of 24k to 26k points, which works out to 3-3.33x on all your spending. I don't know of any cards that offer >2x points on all spending categories, so I’m excited to add the Bilt Palladium card to my wallet. I’m just disappointed it took me spreadsheets and re-reading to fully comprehend the new earning structure.

💳 Limited-Time Card Offer: 5 Free Nights at Hyatt

There's a new welcome offer on The World of Hyatt Credit Card​ for 5 free nights at a category 1-4 property. You can earn 3 free nights when you spend $5K in 3 months, plus get 2 additional free nights when you spend $15K in 6 months. I'm a huge fan of Hyatt, and as long as there are Category 1-4 properties you're excited about, this could be a great welcome offer. The offer is good through 2/26/26.

🚄 50% off USA Amtrak Rail Pass ($250)

Amtrak is discounting its ​USA Rail Pass​ to $250 (normally $499) through January 20. You get 10 coach segments to ~500 destinations over 30 days, with no blackout dates. The main catches: it must be first used within 120 days of purchase, can’t be used on Acela or a few specialty routes, and travel between the same two stations is capped at two round-trips.

🏨 Gondola Adds Hotel Price Alerts (+ Get a $50 Bonus)

​Gondola​ is a free hotel search tool that lets you compare cash vs. points rates, track your hotel points, and even book award stays directly on their site. They just added hotel price alerts, making it easier to monitor stays and rebook when prices drop

P.S. Use ​this referral link to get $50​ after completing your first booking.

📣 New Airline, Hotel and Points Promos This Week

Business Class Award Flight Deals

• 🇳🇱 Amsterdam: From ​60K Flying Blue points​
• 🇦🇷 Argentina: From ​50K Atmos Rewards points​
• 🇧🇪 Brussels: From ​60K Aeroplan points​
• 🇪🇹 Ethiopia: From ​65K MileagePlus miles​
• 🇶🇦 Qatar (in Qsuite): From ​70K Avios points​
• 🇷🇸 Serbia: From ​70K Aeroplan points​

Airline Promos

• Alaska Airlines: ​Up to 1,200 bonus Atmos Rewards points​. $400 when you spend $150 or $1,200 when you spend $300 via the Atmos Rewards Shopping portal before 1/23.
• Southwest: ​2x Companion Pass-qualifying points/$1​ (up to 10,000 bonus points) at drugstores and on gym or fitness club memberships using a Southwest credit card 3/31.
• United: ​Status match challenge​, including matches to Premier 1K status when you submit your application before 6/30.
• United (Targeted): ​Up to 13K bonus miles​ via MilePlay. Register ​here​ before 3/9 and complete the qualifying activities.

Hotel Promos

• Accor: ​Up to 30% off​ at select hotels across North America when you book before 3/30 for stays through 5/31.
• Hilton: ​2K bonus points per stay​ completed between 1/15 and 4/30. ​Registration​ is required.
• Marriott: ​Up to 20% off weekend stays​ between 1/19 and 2/8. Book your stay before 1/18 using promo code QRI.
• Virgin Red: Discounted award rates for hotels in ​New Orleans​ (expires 1/31), ​Dallas​, ​New York​ and ​Nashville​ (expires 2/28).

🕵️ Top Finds

📝 Free Personal Annual Review Template

If you want a simple but powerful way to reflect on 2025 and step into 2026 with clarity, check out Sahil Bloom's ​free Personal Annual Review template​. It's a great exercise to reflect on your energy, progress, fears, and limiting beliefs and understand what to change heading into 2026.

📺 New Seasons of TV Shows Coming Up

There are a ton of great shows returning with new seasons over the next few weeks, and here are the ones I'm most excited about.

Already streaming

• Hijack: ​Season 2​ on Apple TV
• The Pitt: ​Season 2​ on HBO Max
• The Lincoln Lawyer: ​Season 4​ on Netflix

Coming soon

• Shrinking: ​Season 3​ out 1/28 on Apple TV
• The Night Agent: ​Season 3​ out 2/19 on Netflix
• Paradise: ​Season 2​ out 2/23 on Hulu
• Monarch: Legacy of Monsters: ​Season 2​ out 2/27 on Apple TV