Free bags, priority boarding, a companion fare — airline cards charge a fee for perks. Most justify the fee on a single round-trip per year.

Some premium hotel cards include automatic mid-tier status — Marriott Gold, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Discoverist. Here is when it is worth the fee.

Most US credit cards charge 3% on every foreign purchase. A handful do not. On a single international trip, the difference often exceeds an annual fee.

You can apply for a business card as a sole proprietor using your SSN — no LLC required. Here is when forming an entity actually helps.