The alternative program, the aforementioned “tiered multipliers,” ties your housing rewards to how much you spend outside of housing payments. The more you spend relative to your monthly housing bill, the higher your earning rate on that spending:

• Spending 25% to 49.99% of your rent unlocks 0.5x points
• Spending 50% to 74.99% unlocks 0.75x
• Spending 75% to 99.99% unlocks 1x
• Spending more than 100% unlocks 1.25x

For example, let’s say your rent is $2,000 per month. Using the Bilt Palladium on purchases that are not housing-related and add up to an equivalent amount—at least $2,000, in this case—would unlock the highest tier, allowing you to earn 2,500 points on paying your rent (that’s 125%, or 1.25x, of 2,000). Lower spending thresholds yield proportionally fewer points:

• Spending $500 to $999 a month on non-housing purchases then earns you 1,000 Bilt points on $2,000 spent on rent
• Spending $1,000 to $1,499 unlocks 1,500 Bilt points
• Spending $1,500 to $1,999 unlocks 2,000 Bilt points
• Spending $2,000 or more unlocks 2,500 Bilt points

Both systems feel clunky, but Bilt Cash is relatively simpler for most users because it requires less tracking and calculation. You just have to earn enough Bilt Cash to “unlock” or pay for the points you want to earn for making your monthly housing payments.

Who is the Bilt Palladium for?

The Bilt Palladium works best for those new to premium credit cards who want a mix of lifestyle perks and travel benefits. The card offers a strong lineup of benefits that offset its $495 annual fee, including a $200 credit every six months that you can spend on Bilt’s travel portal; an annual $200 in Bilt Cash, which can be spent on travel, dining, health and wellness, or unlocking housing rewards; and Priority Pass lounge access. Beyond its core benefits, the Bilt Palladium heavily gamifies your bills. The Bilt Neighborhood network rewards cardholders with extra points at participating restaurants, retailers, and fitness studios. (Think Soulcycle classes, Walgreens, Lyft, and more.)

Promotions like Bilt Rent Day on the first day of each month offer yet another way to collect additional rewards with double points on all non-housing spend, on up to 1,000 bonus points. So if you spend $500 on travel with the Bilt Palladium on Bilt Rent Day, you’ll effectively earn 4 Bilt points per dollar—1,000 base points at 2x per dollar, plus an additional 1,000 points for the Rent Day promotion.

The Bilt Palladium also offers solid travel perks on par with the lower tier of premium rewards credit cards: Bilt partners with more than two dozen airlines and hotel programs including Southwest Airlines, United Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Marriott, and Hyatt, giving users several great ways to redeem points for flights and hotel stays. The Palladium also includes travel protections covering common disruptions like delays, lost baggage, and rental car issues.

Where the Bilt Palladium falls short

The Bilt Palladium’s biggest drawback is its complexity. While the layered rewards system can be lucrative, especially if you put all your non-housing spending on the card, it’s much more challenging to track and optimize compared to other premium cards, which can be a dealbreaker for users who prefer simplicity. The card also faces stiff competition. Other premium travel credit cards like the Capital One Venture X offer similar benefits for a slightly lower annual fee, with far simpler rewards systems.

In 2026, booking a trip at home or abroad can feel laced with uncertainty. Conflict in the Middle East is causing flight disruptions across the globe, while frequent government shutdowns in the US are leading to unprecedented wait times at the airport.

Amid the travel chaos, some insurance policies, like “cancel for any reason” (CFAR) protection, have jumped significantly. In March 2026 alone, purchases of CFAR insurance plans increased 27% due to global events, according to insurance comparison site Squaremouth.

It all means that some travelers are considering trip insurance for the first time. “Uncertainty is exactly when travel insurance becomes more important,” says Suzanne Morrow, CEO of travel insurance comparison site InsureMyTrip. “But it’s also critical to understand what is and isn’t covered. For example, if you miss your flight because you’re stuck in a long TSA security line, that’s typically not covered. But if the airline delays a flight because the crew is impacted, there may be coverage.”

If you’re deciding whether or not to buy travel insurance for your trip, here’s what to know.

When should you buy travel insurance?

Even if you don’t think you need insurance coverage for your trip, there are certain situations when purchasing a policy requires a second look. “Travel insurance makes the most sense for trips where you have something to lose, financially or otherwise,” says Morrow. “If you’re traveling internationally, going more than 100 miles from home, or booking a trip with significant prepaid, nonrefundable costs like flights, hotels, cruises, or tours, it’s worth considering.”

Insurance is also a good idea for travelers who are concerned about specific issues like illness, severe weather, or other travel disruptions, according to Morrow. “On the other hand, for a simple weekend road trip close to home with minimal expenses, you may not need it,” she says.

Those travelers interested in purchasing a policy should do so right after they make their first payment on their trip. “That’s when you unlock the most valuable benefits,” Morrow says. Plus, some plans include time-sensitive add-ons that can only be purchased within a certain timeframe after booking your trip. “Waiting doesn’t save you money; it just limits your options,” Morrow says. “If you want flexibility and the broadest protection, earlier is always better.”

What’s the best type of travel insurance policy?

Experts suggest purchasing a plan that best matches your travel needs by using comparison tools like Squaremouth or InsureMyTrip. If you’re looking for the most comprehensive plan, it’s highly recommended to upgrade your basic coverage to include cancel for any reason (CFAR) protection.

This add-on has become more popular in recent months. “The current travel landscape can make travelers feel as though they have no control over their plans,” says Chrissy Valdez, senior director of operations at Squaremouth. “By purchasing travel insurance with cancel for any reason, you can regain a sense of control and plan your trips with more confidence, knowing you have protection.”

Keep in mind the upgrade doesn’t come cheap: It can increase a policy’s cost by 40% to 50%, according to Valdez, but it covers scenarios that other policies do not, such as events that were foreseen at the time of booking (like certain aspects of government shutdowns or winter storms) or simply changing your mind and deciding not to travel.

Before purchasing your initial plan, be sure to double check that adding CFAR coverage is an option. Not every plan offers this upgrade. Typically, you must purchase the add-on within 14 to 21 days of your initial trip deposit.