Personal Finance, Accounting, and Tax Ideas

• Implement technologies with IM to improve control, increase available information, and automate transactional activities, minimizing manual processes • Establish processes for defining user needs and managing UAT for new systems, ensuring proper accounting logic and financial controls

Are Credit Card Reward Points Still Worth It in 2026, or Are We Spending More Just to Earn Them? I’ve been thinking about something lately: Are credit card reward points actually saving us money, or have we become so focused on maximising rewards that we’re overlooking their real value? Over the past few years, credit cards have become much more than a way to make payments. People compare reward rates, calculate milestone benefits, transfer points to airline and hotel loyalty programmes, and plan entire holidays around their accumulated rewards. And honestly, I find the whole ecosystem fascinating. But I also think it’s getting increasingly complicated. A card might offer accelerated rewards on certain categories, milestone bonuses after hitting specific spending thresholds, or attractive transfer ratios to airline and hotel partners. On paper, everything looks great. But the actual value you get depends on how you redeem those points. For example, earning 10,000 points doesn’t automatically mean you’ve earned ₹10,000 worth of value. Depending on the programme and redemption option, those points could be worth significantly less—or potentially more when used strategically for a suitable flight or hotel booking. That raises a few questions I’ve been trying to understand. 1. Are we choosing cards based on rewards or spending patterns? I’ve seen people choose premium credit cards because of their advertised reward rates, even when the annual fee is substantial. But if someone spends ₹5 lakh annually on a card and earns rewards worth ₹15,000, the calculation isn’t simply ₹15,000 in benefits. You have to consider the annual fee, applicable taxes, spending caps, excluded categories, milestone requirements, and whether you would have made those purchases anyway. A card that looks excellent on a rewards chart might not be the best option for someone’s actual spending habits. Do you calculate your net return after fees, or do you mainly look at the advertised reward rate? 2...