I started The Point in the fall of 2024 when I was featured on the cover of the New York Times business section. I ran to my hotel room, launched this newsletter (a smart, thoughtful dispatch on elevated travel with points and miles) and never looked back!
Today, I am so honored to be on the list of top Substack bestsellers in travel — #40ish among bazillions of Substack writers who cover the beloved topic of travel.
NOTE: This was a guest essay originally published in The Purse on June 05, 2026 (thank you Lindsey Stanberry and Alicia Adamczyk):
My grandmother Nancy Kalef was among the first women in the U.S. to get a credit card in 1974 following the passage of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act. Before the ECOA, women had to have a cosigner—typically their husbands or dads—when they applied for any type of credit product, whether it was a mortgage, loan, or credit card. My grandma is 92, and I recently asked her about her experience signing up for that card.
“I was born in 1933. After one year of college, I decided to get married. I was almost 19. We moved out of Detroit, and my husband was the typical man who ran the whole show. I never knew any different than to expect that he would make all the decisions.
Two years after we married, we had a daughter. My husband was employed by the government and made a good living. I never had any money of my own—I had to ask him for money to buy lipstick. I did not work. Women were expected to stay home and take care of their children.
In 1959, we moved back to Michigan, and I decided to get a job. By then, our daughter was in school, and I worked from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. so I was able to be home when she got out of school. I still had no control over any money. I didn’t have any say in our spending. We did have a home and I did have input in decorating the home, but I did not have money of my own to go out and spend as I wished.
I don’t believe any of my friends worked. Actually, I didn’t have all that many friends because my husband was very controlling.
When we moved back to Michigan, we were in a lot of debt. It probably was a couple thousand dollars, but that was a lot of money back then. I finally opened my mouth and said I would not live like this any longer. I started paying back money we owed people a little at a time. I got us out of debt and paid every penny we owed.
In 1973, when I was 40, I decided I couldn’t live under such control any longer. My daughter was 19 years old and in college. I was working and making decent money. I still didn’t have any money of my own. But I was paid every two weeks instead of once a month. I would cash my check and give two weeks’ worth of money to my husband and save an extra day’s worth of a paycheck in a bank account he didn’t have access to. I don’t think the balance ever got over $500.
I was working for a builder that was building a new apartment building. I asked him about moving into an apartment in the new building by myself, and my bosses were kind enough to give me six months free rent. That’s when I decided that I could live on my own.
At this time, my daughter decided she wanted to get married. I knew that if I got a divorce, it would be so disruptive to the whole family. I shut down my feelings and waited until after her wedding before I told my husband I wanted a divorce. He did not want it. He thought he was being a wonderful husband.
I had one more hurdle to live through. It was Passover, and I didn’t want to disrupt the family during the holiday. About two days after the holiday was over, I said I wanted a divorce and I moved out, taking only the bare necessities and my clothes with me.
I moved into my own apartment and breathed a sigh of relief. I started taking care of my own expenses. By then American Express was advertising credit cards, and I felt like I should have one.
I applied for the American Express card and was promptly turned down. Their response was that I had to have my husband cosign. I said I was divorced and making my own living and paying all my bills on time. I was quite indignant as I talked to them.
I felt as though I could stand my ground with American Express because I didn’t have any debt, and they had no reason to refuse my business. Part of being single was my finding myself. I was successful with my job and starting to feel like I was worthy of my word.
It was risky and unusual for a woman to stand up for her rights at that time. However, things were changing. Women’s rights were starting to be talked about openly. I guess I thought I was just being part of that group of women, and that it was OK to speak up.
When I finally received my card from American Express, they gave me a $500 line of credit that I could use. Since I was coming from a place of nothing, I was pretty proud of myself.
It was very important for me to have a feeling of independence—especially financial independence.
I was, and still am, very aware of the money I spend and how I pay for things. These days, I have a $6,200 line of credit. I’m very happy with it and don’t need any more. I have always paid my bills on time. It gives me great satisfaction.
When I remarried, I made it very clear that I wanted my money and our money! When I was actively working, I used to put a generous amount of money aside for our travels. We both were open about our incomes and how we were spending. We do to this day, 46 years later. I still have my own Visa and bank account. My husband is on both accounts and I’m on his accounts. I am so grateful that both my husband and I have a healthy respect for money and finances.
I would tell anybody, single or married, that they have to plan for the future.”
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