Q: My husband worked as a marriage counselor, and traveled a lot over the years. He was allowed to record all his miles and points. As a result, he has the highest status with many hotels and airlines and has more than a million AmEx points. I want him to buy me. I believe these are assets of marriage and we plan to use all of these benefits when we retire to travel the world together. Now he will go on trips that we used to discuss with another woman.
My lawyer said, I cannot force these companies to divide points and miles in half because it is not their policy to do so. This seems very incongruous. How can I get someone to testify to the true value of these assets? I want my husband to buy me if we can’t split. This is not the first time someone has tried to argue that these benefits are assets, is it?
A: You’re right – these are valuable assets. But, finding an expert to put a dollar value on the rewards is not easy. I’ve never used a professional and I don’t know of one. But there are other ways to balance the equation.
American Express will allow him to open a new account (where he can add you as a cardholder) and transfer points to that card. You can create an agreement in such a way that you have to pay all your portion of the use of the card each month and you can use half of the points. You can also make it so that only certain types of things can be paid for on the account such as travel and then you can use the points for upgrades for your trips.
He may also agree to use half of the Marriott points and various miles to book rooms and/or flights for you (and your companions) until you use half of the points. He will need to share copies of his information for all his reward programs on a regular basis so you can be sure you are getting the benefits you are entitled to. This request is sure to drive him crazy.
So, I also recommend that you research where you can go, stay, etc. today to use half of the accumulated rewards. Then figure out how much it would cost you to take those flights without the reward of sitting in the same class as flying with upgraded seats. That way, if he doesn’t want to share with you for all the rewards on a continuous basis, he can now agree to pay you the amount you need to go on all these trips. And, if you are not satisfied, now you have done the research and you can testify about the places you go with your storm and the real price.
Email questions to whickey@brickjones.com.
