american express

Luxist Reader's Financial Question Answered

Filed under: Services

We like to talk about spending money and enjoying the finer things in life but you can't do that if you don't manage your finances appropriately.

We first covered the ZYNC from American Express Quarterlife Project several weeks ago and as part of the giveaway asked for your financial questions. Financial expert and ZYNC Quarterlife Coach Christine Hassler picked one reader's question and answered it in video format.

The question chosen was posted in the comments by NYCReader:

"For someone in their 20's, are there certain life expenses (utilities, groceries, rent, etc.) that are better to pay on a credit card rather than with cash/check/debit card?"

Interested in the answer? Christine Hassler gives her two cents on the ZYNC Facebook page. Click here to see the video answer.

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Tags: american express, Christine Hassler, finances, financial advice, ZYNC, ZYNC Quarterlife

American Express Membership Rewards: Our Top Luxury Picks

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Services, Luxury Cars & Autos

When it comes to credit card rewards programs what's most valuable? Travel? Cash back? Free luxury goods and services?

The American Express Membership Rewards program offers up options in all those categories via an online store where you can shop with your bank of earned points and buy whatever you want. Rewards points can be redeemed for everything from airline tickets to American Express cash cards to flat screen TVs and even designer handbags. And like any store they have regular specials and sales, with deals of the week announced on the AmEx Facebook page (right now you can get a Nikon digital camera for 50 percent off). If you use a lot of credit the program is a great way to indulge in some of your favorite high-end treats without spending an extra dime.

I browsed through the American Express Membership Rewards store and rounded up my favorite luxury picks. See my selections after the jump and then share in the comments, do you use credit card rewards for luxurious indulgences or practical necessities? What would you choose?

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Tags: american express, American Express Membership Rewards, credit cards, rewards program

Continue reading “American Express Membership Rewards: Our Top Luxury Picks”

Luxist Giveaway: Financial Advice and a $500 AmEx Gift Card

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Services

Enjoying the finer things in life often means spending money but a recent survey conducted by American Express found that a surprising number of people rate finances as a top concern and have questions about how to manage their money. Young people especially are having trouble, with 79% saying they feel overwhelmed by their current financial situation and more than half reporting they're still at least somewhat dependent on their parents or other family members to help pay bills. How do your finances stack up?

ZYNC from American Express wants to help and has launched "The Quarterlife Project," a collaboration between American Express and life coach/Gen Y expert Christine Hassler. It aims to help twenty-somethings navigate the confusing world of finance so they can have the life they want without getting up to their eyeballs in debt. Want some advice on how to best manage your spending? Post your money question in the comments section below and one question will be selected and answered on the site in video format by Christine Hassler. In addition all valid comments will go into a random drawing for a $500 AmEx gift card. Financial advice and free money -- what are you waiting for?

To enter, leave a confirmed comment on this post stating your financial question. See additional rules below.

THE GIVEAWAY IS NOW OVER. THANKS TO ALL WHO ENTERED!

* To enter, leave a confirmed comment below.
* The comment must be left and confirmed before March 4, 2011 at 5:00PM Eastern Time.
* You may only enter once.
* One winner will be selected in a random drawing to receive a $500 AmEx gift card.
* One financial question from the comments will be selected and answered in a video to be posted on the site.
* Open to legal residents of the 50 United States, and the District of Columbia, who are 18 and older.

See complete giveaway rules here.

Source

Tags: american express, amex, financial advice, giveaway, luxist giveaway

American Express Offers Half-Price BMW On Daily Wish

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Auctions

Should you be looking to put a car under the tree this year you might want to check out American Express' Daily Wish on Thursday, December 16. That's when the online marketplace is featuring the ultimate deal: a brand-new, half-price 2011 BMW 328i for $17,262.50 (regularly $35,975). The BMW, available through American Express' Auto Purchasing Program is being offered on the last day of Daily Wish's special holiday sales. All Daily Wish sales are conducted for a limited time, with a limited quantity available on a first-come, first-served basis. Cardmembers can visit DailyWish.com to sign up for weekly alerts to receive the sale time in advance and ensure they don't miss a second of the action, or an unbeatable deal.

Tags: american express, bmw 328i, bmw 328i sedan, daily wish

Luxist Giveaway: A Year of Premium Return Protection Service and a $500 AmEx Gift Card

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Services

What's your biggest purchase regret? I hate returning things because it seems like every time I want to I'm either too late or can't find my receipt or am some other way disqualified and out of luck. My biggest purchase regret would be last summer when I bought a trendy dress to wear to a friend's wedding and then decided not to wear it at the last minute. Before I knew it a couple of months had flown by and my only option for returning it was store credit, which I really didn't need, so I was totally left in the lurch.

It's for situations just like that one (among others) that the new Premium Return Protection service from American Express was created. Premium Return Protection is a new service from American Express that gives shoppers up to 180 days to return popular items that retailers will no longer accept. That means that American Express will refund the purchase price of the item including tax (up to $600) and return shipping (up to $20 per item). The new service is available to all consumers -- you don't have to be an American Express cardholder -- for an annual price of $49.99 and will cover purchases made with any credit, debit or charge card from any financial services company as well as American Express prepaid cards. That means if you paid for an item with a Visa, MasterCard or Discover card – any credit, debit or charge card from someone other than American Express – you can enjoy the benefits of American Express with Premium Return Protection. You can read more about the service, including frequently asked questions, here.

Now the fun part: Thanks to our friends at American Express one lucky Luxist reader will win a one-year subscription to the Premium Return Protection service ($49.99 value) AND a $500 AmEx Gift Card to go do some serious worry-free shopping. To enter leave a comment on this post telling us about your biggest purchase regret. The giveaway ends on December 21, 2010 at 5:00pm EST, see additional rules below.

THE ENTRY PERIOD IS NOW OVER, THE WINNER WILL BE NOTIFIED BY EMAIL. THANKS TO ALL WHO PARTICIPATED!

* To enter, leave a confirmed comment below.
* The comment must be left and confirmed before December 21, 2010 at 5:00pm Eastern Time.
* You may only enter once.
* One winner will be selected in a random drawing and notified by email.
* One winner will receive a one-year subscription to the Premium Return Protection service ($49.99 value) and a $500 AmEx Gift Card – courtesy of American Express -- for a total value of $549.99.
* Open to legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia.

See full giveaway rules here.

Source

Tags: american express, giveaway, luxist giveaway, returns

Alleged Swindler Scammed Out of $800,000 by New York City Limo Driver

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wealth, Celebrity Design, Crimes and Misdemeanors

Tony Chan Chun Chuen is allegedly swindled by New York Limo driver.

A New York City limo driver allegedly stole the credit card information belonging to a Hong Kong-based near billionaire and racked up nearly $800,000 in fraudulent charges, according to court documents filed in a Federal Court in Brooklyn.

Astonishingly, the victim is so wealthy, he wasn't even aware he had been defrauded of hundreds of thousands of dollars until it was brought to his attention by the company that had issued the charge card.

It all started when celebrity feng shui adviser, Chan Chun Chuen, also known as "Tony Chan" (seen above), traveled by private jet in July 2008 arriving at New Jersey's Teterboro Airport before being transported to Manhattan by Queens, N.Y.-based driver, Peter S. Rahhaoui. According to an indictment filed in U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York, Rahhaoui later used Chan's American Express card to "receive payment and other things of value". The fraudulent activity allegedly occurred between August 2008 and November 2009 .

U.S. Secret Service Agent Kwame Davis testified that he had been contacted by a fraud investigator working on behalf of American Express who was investigating a pattern of fraudulent activity for a card issued to Chan Chun Chuen. According to Kwame's testimony, a large number of charges were posted on a monthly basis by A&S Limousine Service, for amounts ranging between $4,300 and $19,242. According to court documents, the total amount of these charges was $794,986.

But in a strange twist of events, the victim's own alleged misdoings are now being used as a defense by Rahhaouhi.

Tags: American Express, billionaire, Can Chun Chuen, court, feng shui, fraud, fraud investigation, Hong Kong, legal action, Nina Wang, Tony Chan

Continue reading “Alleged Swindler Scammed Out of $800,000 by New York City Limo Driver”

The Classicist: The Golden Age of Globe-Trotting

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Books, The Classicist

In these days of full-body scans, machine gun-toting security forces and endless departure delays it can be difficult to recall a time when travel was more enjoyable than onerous. Unless you happen to own a private jet or yacht, however alluring your destination the business of actually getting there these days can seem like more trouble than it's worth at times. A beautiful new book from Taschen reminds us that wasn't always the case. A compendium of 100 years of travel advertisements, 20th Century Travel is a lush visual history of the golden age of globe-trotting, a look back at the era of sexy air hostesses, smoking lounges on planes and bars on private club cars. With a decade-by-decade analysis and an illustrated timeline, the book highlights the cultural and technological developments that "transformed travel from a cushioned journey of the elite into a convenient leisure pastime for the general public".

Advertising is of course one of the best ways of looking at the transformation of travel, in particular the ways in which companies attempted to make it alluring to all strata of society. "At the start of the 20th century, only people with extensive disposable income and time to spare could enjoy leisure travel," the authors note. "By the century's end, journeys took hours, not days, and mass travel - especially brief air flights - became the new normal. Along the way, ocean liners broke speed records, aerodynamic trains roared down the tracks, stylish boat-plane clippers evolved into jumbo jets. Whether aboard high-speed locomotives or ships, jets, or Greyhound buses - or when setting their own schedule on the open road - Americans demanded ever greater mobility and wider choice of destinations, thereby setting a new standard for travelers around the world."

Gallery: 20th Century Travel

Tags: Advertising, American Express, Cunard, private jet, Taschen, trains, travel, yacht

Continue reading “The Classicist: The Golden Age of Globe-Trotting”

Porsche 911 Carrera S Centurion Edition from American Express

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

Membership has its privilege, or so the saying goes. In the case of Hong Kong residents holding the exclusive Centurion card from American Express, that privilege includes the option to purchase an exclusive, special-edition Porsche.

The Porsche 911 Carrera S Centurion Edition is distinguished by matte black paint with blacked-out wheels, and an interior decked out in black leather, Alcantara and carbon fiber trim. It also includes the optional Sport Chrono pack and dual-clutch transmission. Throw in some special badges, but that's about the extent of it. Each commands a very hefty HK$2 million (about a quarter million in equivalent American dollars), and only three will be made.

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Tags: american express, american express centurion, centurion, centurion by american express, centurion from american express, hong kong, porsche, porsche 911, Porsche 911 Carrera S Centurion Edition

Luxury Summit Rises Again In 2010

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

In 2008, I reported from the American Express Publishing Luxury Summit and found that the luxury market was fairly concerned about the state of economy. In 2009 things got so bad, the summit was canceled. Can we take it as another sign of hope that the Luxury Summit is back for 2010? And what better place for renewal of luxury than that glittering symbol of the new luxury, the CityCenter project. The Luxury Summit takes place on April 25-27 at the new Mandarin Oriental in Las Vegas. The program includes presentations by Louis Vuitton North America President Daniel Lalonde, Saks Fifth Avenue Chairman Steve Sadove, Taubman Chief Operating Officer William S. Taubman, and Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh. An early registration price of $3,250 is being offered until February 1 when the cost will rise to $3,450.

Tags: american express, AmericanExpress, las vegas, LasVegas, luxury summit, LuxurySummit

Did She Or Didn't She? Courtney Love's Huge American Express Bill

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Celebrity Shopping, Crimes and Misdemeanors

Last month we learned that Courtney Love was facing money woes but now American Express is in on the action. Love owes a total of $352,059.67 in unpaid charges and fees on her Amex Gold, Centurion and Platinum Cards and a lawsuit has been filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles.

Love has claimed that she has lost more than $30 million at the hands of her money handlers and that as much as $500 million worth of real estate was bought and sold using Cobain's, Love's and their daughter's Social Security numbers. At the time of the announcement last month, Love's lawyer described her as "pretty frugal." According to TMZ, most of the money, $279,079.68 was spent using her Centurion card. Love's lawyer says that Love did not rack up six figures on her credit cards and that these are fraudulent charges.

Source

Tags: american express, AmericanExpress, courtney love, CourtneyLove, credit card debt, CreditCardDebt, debt

'Santa Baby' Inspired Holiday Gifts

by Laura Malesich (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Holiday Guides

If you've ever really listened to the lyrics to the holiday song, Santa Baby, it details quite a fabulous wish list. Looking around today trying to fulfill every item would make for a bounty of gifts, especially for just one person, but if we were to give it a shot, this is what might end up under the tree:

'Santa Baby, just slip a sable under the tree, for me...'
'...Santa Baby, a '54 convertible too, light blue...'
'...Santa Baby, I want a yacht and really that's not a lot...'
'...Santa honey, one little thing I need, the deed, to the platinum mine...'
'...Santa cutie, and fill my stocking with a duplex and cheques...'
'...Come and trim my Christmas tree with some decorations bought at Tiffany's...'
'...Santa Baby, forgot to mention one little thing, a ring...'

'Hurry down the chimney tonight...'

Gallery: 'Santa Baby' Wish List

Tags: 1954 convertible, 1954Convertible, American Express, AmericanExpress, amex black card, amex centurion card, AmexBlackCard, AmexCenturionCard, di modolo, di modolo full pave ring, DiModolo, DiModoloFullPaveRing, duplex, neiman marcus, NeimanMarcus, platinum, sable, santa baby, santa baby lyrics, SantaBaby, SantaBabyLyrics, tiffany and co, TiffanyAndCo, yacht

American Express "By Invitation Only" at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week 2008

by Lisa Palladino (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Services, Celebrity Shopping

A few days ago I had the privilege of being a guest of American Express at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week 2008 in NYC. Aside from agonizing over what to wear (and realizing that of course no one was looking at me), it was a fun experience, and one I'd likely never get to have without this invite. As an AmEx guest, I got to go to a special "Skybox" to view the DKNY Spring 2009 show along with about 20 AmEx Platinum Card members, who were there (at the cool price of $700 each) to enjoy the day's events and luxuriate in special amenities as part of AmEx's "By Invitation Only" program. Also on hand were staffers from various companies associated with AmEx, who made sure the guests were comfortable and enjoying themselves. I chatted with one guest, who took advantage of the complimentary hair and makeup services that morning. She did have excellent hair. The room was too dim for me to see her makeup, but I'm sure it was lovely.

AmEx, a major Fashion Week sponsor for the second consecutive year, has long associated itself with fashion icons. On display in the tent's main lobby, front and center, was an AmEx booth that featured three iconic photos, used as part of AmEx's "I'm a Card Member" ads: Sammy Davis Jr., Diane Von Furstenburg and Venus Williams. Word is the photos changed throughout the show. Other sponsors also had booths in the main lobby, from the usual suspects, such as Judith Ripka and the Italian Trade Commission, to unexpected companies, such as Office Max and M&M's.

Gallery: DKNY Fashion Show

Tags: American Express, AmericanExpress, apparel, by invitation only, ByInvitationOnly, DKNY, fashion show, Fashion Week, FashionShow, FashionWeek, Mercedes, Mercedes-Benz, models, Platinum, runway

Continue reading “American Express "By Invitation Only" at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week 2008”

Personal Passions Fuel Getaway Plans

by Laura Malesich (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Vacation...Time off...Getaway... no matter which term you use personal travel seems to be driven more by individual interests than any other purpose lately. In a recent survey taken by American Express Travel, 87% of respondents indicate taking trips for the pursuit of personal passions will continue or even increase over the next two years despite economic conditions. Whether you have always wanted to learn top culinary skills, play a new instrument, or attend a sporting event of your dreams putting your vacation funds towards individual enrichment seems to be the trend and personally I am all for it! Here are the top interests shared by Americans:

42% choose destinations for culinary reasons
28% take-off for a sporting event
25% traveled for adventure
21% skipped town for music-related opportunities
15% claimed educational interests for their travel

Most people expressed they are also willing to spend more money and stay longer for vacations that further their personal dreams. If you have time off I think why not grow as a person while enjoying time away from the daily grind.

Source

Tags: American Express, American Express Travel, AmericanExpress, AmericanExpressTravel, AMEX, vacation

American Express Best of Wynn Las Vegas Package

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

American Express has launched a new travel series for members. Called the "Best Of," the series of travel packages pulls together the best from select cities around the globe. Each "Best Of" travel package allows Cardmembers to experience some of the world's greatest cities like a VIP. The "Best Of" packages, which can only be purchased using Membership Rewards points.

Their current offer is the "Best of Wynn Las Vegas" package. There are 15 packages available for members. Sponsored by Wynn Las Vegas Resort and Country Club, the package will take place from September 4 – 7. Cardmembers will receive round trip airfare from Delta Airlines, three night accommodations at Wynn Las Vegas' Tower Suites, a "Texas Hold Em" training session with World Series of Poker champion Chris Moneymaker, dinner for two at the restaurant, Bartolotta Ristorante di Mare, inside Wynn Las Vegas with a personal presentation by Chef Paul Bartolotta and tickets to LE REVE, the performance in the aqua theater at the Wynn. The package costs 280,000 Membership Rewards points. The next package will take American Express members to Milan, Italy.

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Tags: american express, AmericanExpress, credit card, las vegas, travel

Partners in Preservation, Charity of the Day

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Charity, Charity of the Day

Partners in Preservation is an alliance between American Express and The National Trust for Historic Preservation and is geared towards the preservation of historic sites all across the US. The initiative involves over $5 million in funds and is spread out over a 5 year period, with the first two years' efforts focusing on Chicago and San Francisco and this year New Orleans.

Nine sites in New Orleans have been nominated for the project and include everything from churches and cemeteries to the building known as "The Birthplace of Jazz." Want to learn more and get involved? Click here.

Thanks Chris!

Source

Tags: american express, AmericanExpress, charity, charity of the day, CharityOfTheDay, new orleans, NewOrleans, partners in preservation, PartnersInPreservation

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