Wasn't too many years ago when banks were drastically cutting credit limits and accounts. Makes no sense to limit options to just a few lenders or credit cards. You don't need them until you do and then you're SOL if you cut. OP doesn't seem to have a lot of available anyway. I would not limit it further by closung cards. Really how hard is it to keep up with one more webpage to check your cards? You have no liability anyway even if you're negligent in checking your cards. Score is secondary you need options. ... View more

Unless you are OCD about things like this there is no benefit to closing the Citi cards. They still are cnsidered one of the most prestigious lenders for credit cards. There is a link out there to increase those Citi cards with no pull at all. Keep the cards and within a few years the limits on each of those cards will be upwards of 15K each if you behave. Again there is zero benefit from closing the cards. You have a young thin file why on earth anyone would tell you to close two of the olderst tradelines in beyond me.Bad idea. ... View more

I would most definitely not close those cards. Just use them for small purchases every quarter or so. ... View more

The accounts you transferred the balance from might still be reporting the balances. Beyond that I could not speculate. ... View more

I can only speak for myself. No changes in anything. Clean before clean now. 2 of 6 cards reporting balances now and then as well. Same dollar amounts across the two cards. Well under 4% of  credit limits per card and total available. Same reasons for score not higher. TU no installments open not long enough revolving history. EX short credit history not long enough revolving history. My EX has gone from 826 to 787 over the course of the past year. No credit report changes other than my cards have more age on them. My AAofA was 6 years a year ago close to 7 now. That wouldn't put me in a new bucket. ... View more

I check my reports at least once a month. No accounts have dropped and I am reporting the same dollar amounts and number of cards with a balance per month. Been doing this for over 6 years now and am aware of ANY changes to my reports and what effect they would have on my scores. My AAofA has not changed but i have seen my EX go from 816 to 787 and my TU go from 805 to 794. Good scores still but you never want to see lower scores. ... View more

Once my AAofA reached 6 years my gorgeous 826 Experian became a 809. Rebucketing. ... View more

Insert image button should open up your downloads. Choose your pics from there. Looks a little like a tree underneath the capital A. ... View more

House looks great. Seems like a long time between the time you went to contract and first shovel in the ground. I am experiencing a similar stituation down in NC on my new build. Signed the contract on June 20th and due to some permitting issues they have yet to start. I paid for a 180 day lock on my mortgage rate. Since he is taking so long to start I got an extra 10K in upgrades free and if we go to closing after my paid for lock expires the builder has agreed to lock my rate in at his expense. So it all works out good for me. ... View more

I get 2 free scores monthly. One Ex and one TU. When I first started rebuilding I was nuts about finding out my scores. Now not so much but I do check my freebies every month. I haven't checked my EQ in a long while no need really since I know withing a few points where it is because of the other 2 scores. I check reports now and again will never buy another EQ in my life. Get a base score and don't pay anything late ever. Follow a few simple pointers you can get here concerning what influences scores monthly. As for constantly buying scores? Save your money. ... View more

3 or 5 is what I think is right too unless you want to take advantage of a balance transfer offer. Then you might want 6 or even 7. That is if you want to use and show balances on 2 cards per month. You certainly do not need 10 or 20 like some people have. At this point if I wasn't getting a free Experian score from PSECU I would close that card. If I didn't plan on someday getting a mortgage loan from Penfed I would close my no rewards Visa card that they gave me. At any rate 3 is all you need to get the highest score if that is your end game.  ... View more

Same exact data. Exact. TU 08 799. Negative reason no installments.  TU 98 794. Negative reason too many accounts with balances. 3 out of 6. ... View more

@RobertEG wrote: The chart seems to be a bit at odds with the mantra that is often heard on the site.... that FICO primarily scores % util of CL, not balance of revolving debt.   Since the chart was published by Fair Isaac, and does not even mention % util of credit limit, I would suspect that the lesson to be learned is that balances are significant.  Whether on a par with % util is not addressed, but it gives food for thought.... far beyond the relatively isolated issue of 0 balance vs some balance.  It extends up the ladder.   It would be great if % util was also included in the chart, thus giving some idea of their relative importance. If you look at the Fico Estimator you will notice that it asks how much your balances are on all revolving credit. We might only be talking about a ten point score difference between under $500 owed to $5000 owed. My EX FICO from PSECU is currently 825 with over 5K owed. I'll see if it goes up once the balances are close to 0 in a few months. ... View more

I would go for a Pentagon Federal Credit Union Cash Rewards card. ... View more

@SwiftTone wrote: @shane82388 wrote: @SwiftTone wrote: I requested and received a CLI for my Chase Slate last weekend. I asked her if it was a soft pull and she said yes. Now I'm not too sure :( Sorry. lol   Really hope its not. People should be able to get these taken off if they were told they were softs....Its really a bigger deal than the CSR's act. It has a huge bearing on your finacial sitution, and thus the future of your life, which should not be treated like some insignificant thing. Is there a way of calling and finding out if it was a SP or a HP? I don't want to have to pull a report just to find out what it was.   It was a increase from $300 to $500. I'd be pissed if it was a HP. $200 is not worht a HP. GRRRR   The truth is, I am planning on applying for a Chase Freedom in the next few months, and a Discover more 6 months after that. If they already did a HP, what are the chances of them just using the HP(if it is a HP) to apply for a Freedom card.   edit: I just send Chase a secured message asking them if it was a SP or a HP. We'll see what comes back. Of course there is. Read read and read some more. ... View more

TU is the only CRA that mentions my lack of an open installment as a negative. Number 1 matter of fact. I do have 4 closed autos on the report. No open installments does not appear on the other two as a negative. My scores range from 790-824. ... View more

My AAofA just flipped to 6 years on my Experian report. My most recent score from PSECU was 824 and this with not my best utilization % and reported balances. I think that the score will be 830 by mid year.   I would say there isn't much left for me even if my AAofA reaches 25 years.  ... View more

I've gotten over 800 with an AAofA of 5 and oldest account 10 years. The combination of high amounts owed on the mortgages combined with relatively low AAofA and oldest account might be what is holding your scores down. I had no mortgage debt and under 1K owed on revolving. ... View more

Looks like you have 5 open accounts. Your 2 installments will report balances so long as they are open which is a bit problematic. Try letting 1 CC report a very small balance and see where your scores are. No reason why you can't be over 780 which is good enough for now. ... View more

Walmart gets a bad rapin some circles. However we have a Super Wally here and the food prices are pretty good. You can get online credit limit increases every 4th statement. Good luck with the card. Don't forget the $20 cash back feature. ... View more

I think there was an issue with reporting on TU 98 not sure about the newer algorithm 04. 40K reports on my Equifax not sure though about EX or TU since I get the scores but not the full report with total credit limits.  ... View more

AMEX does things at their own pace but they will eventually get it right. ... View more

Use the card a lot and be patient. In time no doubt they will give you more credit than anyone else. Don't rock the boat now. ... View more

@john398 wrote: @Anonymous wrote: and with the free FICO every month But I hav heard people with closed walmart accounts seeing there free fico as well I am not counting on that to last for too much longer. ... View more

I used my card at the local supermarket not a Mom and Pop and I got credit for a small biz purchase. Not sure if it will work this year though. ... View more

@Booner72 wrote: They must have a glitch in the system.  My score is up 5 points from last month, but says "As of October 4th".  Shouldn't it say "November 4th?" - I just pulled it a second ago on a lark not expecting an update until sometime next week and I noticed what I thought was a different score. Must mean 11/4 I am thinking as well. Matter of fact the graph on the bottom of the page clearly shows two score for 10/4 and mine are different.  ... View more

Get 3 credit cards. Let 1 report a balance less than 9% of the available limit every month. You do not need to do anything else. ... View more

There is a possibility that Credit Sesame is close to your Experian Fico score. There is a thread on another credit board. Mine is rather close just 4 points off.  ... View more