Psst! Wanna snag an easy $500? It looks like a bunch of credit unions and smaller banks are quietly offering a Mastercard with a solid signup bonus. We're talking about the Consumer World Mastercard, and the deal is this: spend $5,000 in the first three months, and boom, you get a $500 bonus.

Now, before you get too excited and start planning that shopping spree, there's a $95 annual fee, but it's waived the first year. The card also earns rewards: 3% back on travel and dining, 2% on gas, and 1% on everything else. While the rewards aren't mind-blowing, that initial $500 makes it worth considering. The tricky part is finding a credit union or bank offering the deal that you're eligible to join, but a little online sleuthing might pay off big time! The Doctor of Credit suggests searching phrases like "site:https://myapexcard.com/preterms?pid=1511188770 $95 annual fee and One-time $500 cash back bonus consumer world" to try and uncover more of these offers.

The verdict? This card isn't a keeper for the long haul due to the so-so rewards rate after the first year. But if you can hit that spending requirement, that quick $500 could be a nice boost to your travel fund. Happy hunting!