The Radzi Report 12

This is a special Radzi Report because—brace yourselves—it’s about finance. I realize no one has ever thought, “You know who should explain money? Carole Radziwill.” And you’d be right. Except for one small reason: a very good friend of mine, Sean, left the media business to join Bilt, which is a rewards platform that has a credit card. I was utterly confused. Who walks away from a dynamic, high-profile media company—one where you have Martha Stewart, Kim K, and the entire cast of Rhony on speed dial—to go work for a Fintech company? Also, what the hell is Fintech? I had to go to Urban Dictionary.

Got it. Finance, but make it hot. It got my attention.

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So I got a Bilt card. Which, for me, was a big move, because I’m a monogamous credit-card holder. I’ve been an Amex member since 1981. It wasn’t just a card, it was my longest relationship, I knew the number by heart. Every time I used the Bilt card it felt vaguely like cheating.

But like any healthy relationship, I gave—and I got something back. It’s essentially having a finance guy in my life, minus the ego and the unsolicited advice.

Turns out the rewards points add up very quickly. They transfer to airlines, hotels, restaurants—everything. When Bilt first launched, you could even pay your rent and earn points. Very chic. But since I own a home, I was less interested in rent and far more interested in my mortgage and my monthly HOA fees—which, trust me, are not small. That’s a lot of points. That’s a lot of free plane tickets. And since I love to travel, I suddenly became very motivated.

I started pestering Sean every time I saw him: When can I pay my HOA and my mortgage with the card? Because if I’m going to be disloyal, it needs to be worth it. Each time he promised me, soon.

And that’s how I found myself yesterday at the One World Observatory at the World Trade Center. If you’ve never been, it’s worth going—for no other reason than the elevator ride alone. You’re whisked up 102 floors, and if you’re lucky, you get the car to yourself.

Once the doors close, you’re surrounded by floor-to-ceiling LED screens that chart the transformation of New York City’s skyline from 1624 to 2025. It’s strangely mesmerizing. In forty-two seconds, the city goes from farmland to full-blown metropolis. Honestly, if I hadn’t had another meeting to get to, I would’ve spent the entire day riding that elevator up and down, watching New York become New York.

It’s worth it just for the ride. I tried to film it for you but it was too blurry.

Anyway… we were talking about credit, points, the usual thrilling topics. On the 102nd floor, Bilt announced a new credit card — Bilt 2.0—and finally, finally, you can earn points on your mortgage payments. Hallelujah. From the horses mouth [that’s not Sean, it’s Ankur the company founder, who is as young as he looks].

That is a lot of points. And a lot of points translates into a lot of plane tickets, hotel stays, dinners—whatever your version of happiness happens to be.

Soooo, I’m upgrading to the Palladium Card because I already use Bilt for everything anyway, and now I can earn points on my mortgage too. At that point it’s just good manners to say yes. Plus, the perks are substantial—travel credits, benefits, all the things—which more or less pay for the annual fee. And since I’m cheating , I do appreciate a card that can justify itself.

So Welcome to my Ted Talk on everything I know about finance. You’re welcome. If you want a second opinion check out The Points Guy on IG. He’s much smarter than me.