By Nicole Dieker, Bankrate.com

No one wants to deal with the inconvenience of long lines every time you have a flight to catch. Instead, you can take a leisurely stroll through airport security by enrolling in TSA PreCheck. This trusted traveler program allows people to access a separate security line at the airport and eliminates some of the hassles involved in clearing airport security … for a price.

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A TSA PreCheck membership costs $77 and remains valid for five years, so it’s relatively affordable. However, you may get that fee back if you have one of the top travel credit cards. Many of these cards reimburse the TSA PreCheck or Global Entry fee by granting a credit of up to $120. That means you can make the most of your card benefits and offset part of your annual fee by learning how to get TSA PreCheck with your credit card.

Here’s how to get TSA PreCheck by using your credit card.

How does TSA PreCheck work?

TSA PreCheck is an official trusted traveler program set up through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. It requires you to go through a short online application and in-person interview where you’ll be fingerprinted and have your photo taken.

After you’re approved, you’ll have access to dedicated security lines and expedited security procedures at many U.S. airports, allowing you to keep your laptop and travel-sized liquids in your bag. Plus, you’ll keep your wait time to a minimum since 99% of TSA PreCheck members wait less than 10 minutes to make it through security, according to the TSA.

How to get TSA PreCheck free with a credit card

There are several ways a credit card can help you get TSA PreCheck for free:

—The easiest way is by paying for a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application with a card that reimburses it. You’ll automatically receive a statement credit to cover the cost.

—You could use the rewards you’ve earned through an airline or hotel loyalty program to pay for it.

—You could use your credit card rewards to cover the fee.

Using a statement credit to get TSA PreCheck

Nearly 40 credit cards offer an application fee credit for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry, and that includes business credit cards and co-branded airline and hotel credit cards. However, it is important to note that most travel credit cards that cover TSA PreCheck come with an annual fee of anywhere from $95 to $695.

While there are travel credit cards with no annual fee, it’s uncommon for them to include a TSA PreCheck benefit. That said, occasionally you may be able to find a travel card with this benefit and no annual fee — but there will likely be a catch.

For example, the Capital One Spark Miles for Business card, which comes with no annual fee the first year, offers an up to $120 reimbursement credit for Global Entry and TSA PreCheck every four years. However, this card charges an annual fee every year thereafter.

Using a loyalty program to get TSA PreCheck

Many airline and hotel loyalty programs allow you to redeem the rewards you earn for TSA PreCheck. Some of these programs include:

—IHG One Rewards

—Marriott Bonvoy

—Orbitz Rewards Platinum Members

—United Mileage Plus

However, this method usually isn’t the best option since you’ll typically spend $100 or more in rewards — which is more than the cost of a TSA PreCheck membership. If you have a bank of points or miles that are about to expire, then it could be a decent option.

These loyalty programs also occasionally offer promotions and deals on TSA PreCheck, which may help you to get a discounted membership or a free membership with certain levels of elite status.

Using credit card rewards to get TSA PreCheck

If you’re not interested in a travel credit card or paying an annual fee, rewards from one of the top cash-back cards could help you cover your TSA PreCheck fee. These credit cards allow you to earn rewards or welcome bonuses that you can then redeem as statement credits to cover your TSA PreCheck application.

Bankrate’s take: If you travel internationally and would like to shorten your trips through customs, consider applying for Global Entry instead of TSA PreCheck. Global Entry includes all the benefits of TSA PreCheck plus expedited customs screening for travelers entering the United States, and membership costs $120 for five years.

Which credit card with TSA PreCheck credits is right for you?

When determining which travel credit card is right for you, take a few factors into account, including the card’s

—annual fee

—general rewards structure

—additional benefits

You’ll also want to think about how it fits into your current spending habits and lifestyle. If a particular card is only appealing because it pays for TSA PreCheck, then you should consider a different card that better aligns with your spending habits and interests — even if that card is just a general rewards card that will help you to earn enough cash back to cover the application fee.

Keep in mind that many business, airline and hotel credit cards offer a TSA PreCheck benefit. If you own a business, you may want to consider a general business travel credit card (which offers more flexibility) or a credit card for an airline or hotel that you use frequently (which will offer airline- or hotel-specific perks).

The bottom line

If you want to get TSA PreCheck for free, there are a lot of credit cards out there that can help you cover the cost.

Whether you choose a card that reimburses your TSA PreCheck fee or a card that helps you earn rewards to cover the fee, you’ll have plenty of options to save on the cost of your TSA PreCheck membership. And once you’ve got that TSA PreCheck stamp on your boarding pass, you’ll be able to save time (and effort) at the airport.

©2025 Bankrate.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks rose in morning trading on Wall Street Friday, joining global markets to kick off a new year on an upbeat note.

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The S&P 500 rose 0.7%. The benchmark index is coming off a gain of more than 16% in 2025.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 42 points, or 0.1%, as of 10:03 a.m. Eastern. The Nasdaq composite rose 1.3%.

Markets in Europe and Asia also made strong gains. Indexes in Britain and South Korea hit records.

The gains are helping trim some of the broader weekly losses for the market, which is closing a shortened holiday week. Markets were closed Thursday for New Year’s Day.

Technology stocks were leading the market higher, especially companies with a focus on artificial intelligence, continuing the trend that pushed the broader market to records in 2025.

Nvidia jumped 2.8% and was the biggest force pushing the market higher. Apple jumped 2% and Google’s parent company, Alphabet, rose 2%. They are among the most valuable companies in the world and their outsized valuations give them more influence on the market’s direction.

Technology companies have been a major focus because of advancements in artificial intelligence technology and the potential for growth within the sector. Wall Street has been betting that demand for computer chips and other items needed for data centers will help justify the big investments from technology companies and their pricey stock values.

Tesla rose 0.8% despite reporting falling sales for a second year in a row.

E-commerce giant Alibaba climbed 4.3% and Baidu, maker of the Ernie chatbot, jumped 9.4% in Hong Kong after it said it plans to spin off its AI computer chip unit Kunlunxin, which would list shares in Hong Kong early in 2027. The plan is subject to regulatory approvals.

Crude oil prices slipped. Prices for U.S. crude oil fell 1.2% to $56.73 per barrel. The price of Brent crude, the international standard, fell 1.2% to $60.13 per barrel.

Gold prices kicked off the new year with more gains. The price of gold rose 0.7%.

Treasury yields held steady in the bond market. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.18% from 4.17% late Wednesday. The yield on the two-year Treasury, which moves more closely with expectations for what the Federal Reserve will do, held steady at 3.48% from late Wednesday.

AP business writer Elaine Kurtenbach contributed to this report.

The overriding theme defining television in recent years has been a fear of the new. Which is why reboots and spinoffs continue apace, with old titles brought back from the dead (“Scrubs”) or from the not-so-distant past (“The Night Manager”) and intellectual property milked within an inch of its life (somehow HBO has yet another “Game of Thrones” series coming our way).

It’s as if everyone in Hollywood ran out of new ideas all at once. Don’t blame writers, but executives who are rapidly shepherding their industry towards irrelevance with an over-reliance on reworked IP, while original ideas are left unproduced. In better news, the winter Olympic Games are this year, with the opening ceremony taking place Feb. 6 on NBC. (The Super Bowl is that Sunday as well.)

“The Pitt”

The Pittsburgh-set medical drama from “ER” showrunner John Wells is back for a second season, premiering almost exactly a year after it first debuted. Imagine, a streaming series returning on a reliable schedule! Dr. Robby (“ER” veteran Noah Wyle) is back once again, overseeing the managed chaos, student doctors and medical residents of his emergency department. One of the best examples of competency as comfort, something we could all use more of at the moment in real life. From Jan. 8 on HBO Max.

“The Night Manager”

Stylish and prestige-y as hell, Season 1 of this Tom Hiddleston spy drama premiered (squints) eight years ago. Welp, this is how TV works today. Season 2 follows Hiddleston’s character across the UK, Spain, Colombia and France as he “races to expose a conspiracy designed to destabilize a nation.” From Jan. 11 on Amazon. 

“Hijack”

The first season of this “Die Hard” ripoff starring Idris Elba took place on a seven-hour flight from Dubai to London. For the entirely unnecessary second season, the setting is now a subway in Berlin that’s been taken hostage. If Elba’s character doesn’t say “Why does this keep happening to me?!” at any point, then what are we even doing here? From Jan. 14 on Apple TV.  

“Ponies”

“Game of Thrones” alum Emilia Clarke stars in this 1977-set Cold War thriller about two women (the other is played by Haley Lu Richardson) who become CIA operatives after their husbands are killed under mysterious circumstances in Moscow. The pair become “ponies” in the parlance — persons of no interest — in order to uncover the truth of what really happened. From Jan. 15 on Peacock. 

Peter Claffey in “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.” (Steffan Hill/HBO/TNS)

“A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms”

Another “Game of Thrones” spinoff. A prequel, this one takes place a hundred years before the events of “GoT,” as two unlikely heroes wander through Westeros: “A young, naïve but courageous knight, Ser Duncan the Tall, and his diminutive squire, Egg. Set in an age when the Targaryen line still holds the Iron Throne, and the memory of the last dragon has not yet passed from living memory, great destinies, powerful foes, and dangerous exploits all await these improbable and incomparable friends.” From Jan. 18 on HBO. 

“Steal”

Here I am typing “Game of Thrones” again because the show’s alum Sophie Turner returns to TV in this thriller about a heist at a British pension fund investment company: “But who would steal billions of pounds of ordinary people’s pensions and why? DCI Rhys (Jacob Fortune-Lloyd) is determined to find out, but as a recently relapsed gambling addict, Rhys must keep his own money problems at bay while dealing with the secret agendas and competing interests at the center of this far-reaching crime.” From Jan. 21 on Amazon.  

“Drops of God”

I really liked the first season of this emotionally engrossing drama about two young wine experts who battle for a massive inheritance. The series was also criminally underseen, likely because: 1) Apple’s approach to promotion leaves much to be desired; 2) there are no recognizable (American) stars; and 3) that title, which makes sense once you’ve seen the show, but otherwise … nope. It’s back for a second season and if you’ve been missing that frisson of discovery in your TV viewing, this one is worth seeking out. From Jan. 21 on Apple TV.  

“Bridgerton”

Not a fan of this show, but plenty are, so mark your calendars. The Shonda Rhimes historical romance returns for Season 4, with a focus on the family’s second-eldest son, Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson), who falls for a servant who sneaks into a masquerade ball. Netflix is chopping the season into two parts. From Jan. 29 on Netflix; the second half premieres Feb. 26.  

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“Dark Winds”

This adaptation of Tony Hillerman’s Leaphorn & Chee novels, with their stories of the Navajo Tribal Police in the 1970s, continues with a fourth season about a missing Navajo girl, which takes our investigators out of their usual setting and sends them to the underbelly of organized crime in Los Angeles. A tick or two better than your typical cop show, star Zahn McClarnon is reason enough to watch. From Feb. 15 on AMC.  

“Scrubs”

The medical comedy from the early aughts is back, reuniting the old gang: J.D. (Zach Braff), Turk (Donald Faison), Elliot (Sarah Chalke), Carla (Judy Reyes) and John C. McGinley’s memorably tangy Dr. Cox. New cast members include Vanessa Bayer and Joel Kim Booster. The premise appears to be the same as it was, picking up where the show left off. From Feb. 25 on ABC.

“Scarpetta”

A crime thriller based on Patricia Cornwell’s book series about the forensic pathologist Kay Scarpetta, played by Nicole Kidman. According to the marketing blurb: “With skilled hands and an unnerving eye, this unrelenting medical examiner is determined to serve as the voice of the victims, unmask a serial killer, and prove that her career-making case from 28 years prior isn’t also her undoing. Set against the backdrop of modern forensic investigation, the series delves beyond the crime scene to explore the psychological complexities of both perpetrators and investigators, creating a multi-layered thriller that examines the toll of pursuing justice at all costs.” From March 11 on Amazon.  

By Deborah Vankin, Los Angeles Times

If a can of coconut water and a banana smoothie had a baby, it might be banana water. The latest plant-based hydration beverage on the market is being touted as “the peel good beverage” that offers “a bunch of nutrients.” And it’s drumming up attention on social media.

“Boyfriend says it has aromatics of slightly overripe banana,” one Reddit user, leemoongrass, commented, adding, “It honestly isn’t that bad.”

“It smells like baby food,” lsp2c said on Instagram.

Not to be confused with banana water for plants, a DIY fertilizer made by soaking banana peels in water to extract nutrients, such as potassium and vitamin C, for your flora. Or homemade banana drinks, such as hot water steeped with banana peels and strained, or blended banana smoothies.

The new drink, sold in supermarkets, is being marketed as an alternative to sports drinks, a sort of coconut water 2.0.

But some have taken to social media with questions: “How do you think you juice a banana?!” tybottofficial asked on TikTok, while unpacking a box of organic banana water from Woodstock. “I wonder if they’re just in a factory, like, you know, really milking these bananas, I guess?” (He gave the drink a 7.5 out of 10.)

Both Woodstock and Banagua, leading manufacturers of banana water, make their banana water in Thailand from organic “Thai golden” and “Thai cultivated” bananas, which are shorter and stubbier-looking than the standard yellow bananas sold in most American supermarkets and which have a slight pinkish tint. The fruit gets pinker in the processing and the drink has a pinkish hue.

If you’re a label ogler, the ingredient list will put you at ease. Banana water contains just one ingredient: bananas. There’s no significant water added to it. A banana is 80% water, Banagua co-founder Rob Smithson says, and the processing of the drink (an “enzymatic process”) separates the water from the pulp — the drink is slightly viscous but not pulpy.

Woodstock’s bananas are steamed and mashed with “proprietary enzymes” to release nutrients. “Think of it as liquefied bananas,” says Bruce Bruemmer, vice president of brand management at UNFI Brands+, Woodstock’s parent company.

The upshot? Both companies say their banana water is especially healthy, brimming with electrolytes like potassium, B6 and magnesium, as well as minerals and antioxidants such as vitamin A and C. The drink has no added sugar, and zero fat, sodium and cholesterol, though a 330ml can does have about 13 grams of carbohydrates, slightly less than Naked coconut water’s 14 grams in a container of the same size.

So how healthy is banana water, what does it taste like, and is it worth the hype? Here’s the deal.

Manufacturer’s claims: “Our banana water has 205 mg of magnesium — 50% of the daily value,” Smithson says of Banagua’s Original Banana, which went on the market in July 2025. “And it’s especially hydrating — probably 2-3 bananas per can, which you can bring anywhere and you don’t have to worry about moldy bananas. And just 50 calories — Naked’s coconut water has 60.”

Woodstock’s 500ml can of banana water, which went on the market in March 2024, has just 80 calories. “Our Woodstock Organic Banana Water stands out for its great taste and natural hydration,” Bruemmer says, “delivering 765mg of electrolytes — similar to many sports drinks — without any artificial colors, flavors or preservatives.”

Nutritionists’ take: “It’s probably a sequel to coconut water,” says Dr. Thomas Sherman, a professor of pharmacology and physiology at Georgetown University Medical Center. “It would appeal to people who are worried about animal wellness and saturated fat in their milk drinks or who are worried about too high sugar — so this fits the bill. But I question its effectiveness — these types of beverages offer such trivial amounts of electrolytes compared to what’s already in our food. And it’s expensive.

Sherman says that, in the end, it comes down to the consumer’s intentions for choosing banana water.

“If you’re buying it because of the taste, and you want to support a plant-based beverage, and [because] it’s fairly low sugar, then fine,” he says. “But if you’re buying it because you’re interested in getting more potassium and magnesium and calcium with low sodium, then it’s silly because just eat plants, eat food, that’s going to supply hundreds of times more potassium and calcium and magnesium.”

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Categorizing banana water as a sports drink is problematic, adds Vanessa King, a registered dietitian nutritionist specializing in supplements.

“Sports drinks replace electrolytes,” King says. “The problem with banana water is that while bananas are very high in potassium, the electrolyte that you predominantly lose when you exercise is sodium — and it doesn’t provide sodium. I would not choose it over a sports drink.”

King points out that “banana juice,” as she calls it, suffers from the same concerns as other juices: “It’s more concentrated sugar without the fiber you’d get from the fruit version.”

But any amount of potassium, magnesium, vitamin A and C — all key nutrients in banana water — is helpful, King says. “They’re all nutrients that are generally under-consumed by Americans. But bananas also have those nutrients!”

The taste: We found it sweet and tropical-tasting, slightly viscous but surprisingly refreshing. However, we didn’t go bananas for it.

Cost: Banagua’s Original Banana (330ml): $3.49; Woodstock’s Organic Banana Water (500ml): $2.99.

©2025 Los Angeles Times. Visit at latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.