Citi Simplicity vs. Citi Diamond Preferred
Both cards are extremely similar and only differ in fees, benefits and ongoing rates.
5 min read
May 31, 2024
Courtney Mihocik
Senior Editor, Credit Cards
EXPERTISE
- Credit scores
- Building credit
- Student credit cards
- Credit card comparisons
EDUCATION
- Bachelor of Science in Journalism, Ohio University
We all make mistakes with our finances, and it’s not shameful to ask for advice or help to get your life in order financially. With credit cards, it’s especially important to be wary of racking up a high balance and relying on transfers to avoid interest. As an editor, I want Gen Z and millennials to have the same — if not better — financial opportunities than generations before.
— Courtney Mihocik
Courtney Mihocik is an editor at Bankrate Credit Cards and CreditCards.com with expertise in helping people with limited or no credit to understand their options for improving their credit scores. She focuses on the subprime category and provides guidance to people on their credit-building journeys.
Courtney is passionate about creating a space where people can learn more about managing their personal finances, specifically helping her peers achieve their credit card and credit score goals. She believes that public education fails to teach the essentials of personal finance to students and wants to make up for it in her editorial work.
Previously, she led insurance content at Reviews.com and worked as the loans editor at The Simple Dollar, where she produced daily personal finance articles from founder Trent Hamm in addition to student loan, personal loan, business loan and bad credit loan articles. Before entering the digital media space, Courtney worked in hyper-local print journalism, covering arts, culture, food, news and more for publications in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Courtney wants you to know
Courtney graduated college with a 750 credit score, which quickly plummeted to the 500s when she nearly defaulted on her high student loan payments she couldn’t afford. After applying for an income-driven repayment plan and six years of careful budgeting, hustling and responsible credit use, she’s happy to report her credit score is back hovering around 750 and she can qualify for better financial products.
Courtney’s recommended readings
Rethinking credit: Tips for first-gen credit users
How bad credit affects your mental health
Consumer credit protections: Know your rights
We all make mistakes with our finances, and it’s not shameful to ask for advice or help to get your life in order financially. With credit cards, it’s especially important to be wary of racking up a high balance and relying on transfers to avoid interest. As an editor, I want Gen Z and millennials to have the same — if not better — financial opportunities than generations before.
— Courtney Mihocik
Courtney's latest articles
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How to choose a Capital One card for Taylor Swift presale access
Here’s how to choose a Capital One credit card for Taylor Swift presale access.
7 min read Nov 10, 2022 -
GM BuyPower Card®
A card you’ll want to keep in your wallet if you’re in the market for a new car, particularly in the GM family.
5 min read Oct 24, 2022
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Best hotel credit cards for bad to fair credit
People with bad or fair credit can use hotel credit cards to earn rewards on stays.
6 min read Dec 16, 2022 -
U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card
Each quarter, you can pick two categories from a list of 12 to earn 5 percent cash back in on up to $2,000 in combined purchases per quarter, making it a truly custom rewards plan.
16 min read Dec 16, 2022 -
Milestone Mastercard® - $700 Credit Limit
It lacks the value rival credit-building cards offer. The high annual fee, low starting credit limit and few credit-building tools make it hard to justify.
13 min read Dec 12, 2022 -
OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card
The OpenSky Secured Visa Credit Card can help you rebuild your credit or create credit from scratch. Plus, there's no credit check, so anyone can qualify. The downside is that there aren't many perks.
11 min read Dec 07, 2022 -
Surge® Platinum Mastercard®
The Surge Mastercard Credit Card comes with many fees you may not find on other credit cards.
11 min read Dec 07, 2022 -
Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card
As one of the few credit cards to offer monthly swappable categories, this flexible card can rake in 3 percent cash back on each month’s biggest expenses.
12 min read Dec 06, 2022 -
Alliant Cashback Visa® Signature Card
This cash back card is ideal for users seeking to do a lot of spending that isn’t specific to certain rewards categories.
15 min read Dec 05, 2022 -
Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
The Ink Business Unlimited card's flat-rate rewards are great for startups without specialized spending.
12 min read Dec 05, 2022
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Chime Credit Builder Secured Visa® Credit Card
The Chime Credit Builder Secured Visa® Credit Card is a low-cost card that could make building credit more accessible.
19 min read Jan 05, 2024 -
Petal® 2 "Cash Back, No Fees" Visa® Credit Card
The Petal 2 Visa Credit Card allows cardholders to build credit while earning cash back along the way.
9 min read Oct 24, 2023 -
Understanding credit card addiction and how to get help
The sooner you seek help, the sooner you can take steps toward recovery.
7 min read Mar 15, 2023 -
Buying an Airbnb property for investing
Buying an Airbnb property can be lucrative.
4 min read Mar 15, 2023 -
Bitcoin is surging during a financial crisis – what’s going on?
Crypto surges after Silicon Valley Bank collapse despite risks. While Bitcoin is up, one stablecoin falls.
4 min read Mar 15, 2023 -
Best credit cards to have in a recession
A credit card may be a financial tool at your fingertips.
6 min read Jan 10, 2023 -
Why I opened 24 credit cards
How many credit cards is too many? For this responsible credit user, opening 24 cards helped him achieve his travel goals—without going into credit card debt.
5 min read Nov 09, 2021