As 2025 winds down, it's time to check your credit cards and make sure you're maximizing all the benefits that reset at the end of the year. This is especially crucial for cards with annual spending limits on bonus categories, like the Amex Gold (4x at US grocery stores up to $25,000) and the Blue Cash Preferred (6% at US grocery stores up to $6,000). Don't forget about cards where you need to hit a spending threshold to unlock perks, such as the Amex Hilton cards where you can earn free night rewards or even Diamond status with enough spending.

Speaking of spending, if you're chasing elite status or valuable credits on cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserve (Southwest credit, IHG status) or Amex Hilton cards, now's the time to strategize. Also, those quarterly bonus categories on cards like Chase Freedom and Discover will be changing soon, so make sure you've taken full advantage of the current offers. Finally, if you're a referral master, remember that the annual limits on credit card referrals reset on January 1st, so hustle to max out your referrals now and get a fresh start in the new year.