So, the last 3 months, I've gone on super spree of sorts (for me at least). Overall it hs been very successful! I'm posting the results, hoping others can use this info for data points. By all means, you can ask me any questions or even criticize me. It's all good
I have a couple of important points at the bottom, and actually need some guidance. This is mainly where your suggestions come in. I'm not done just yet
At the beginning of this: Fico Scores: Between 670-690 / Total Credit - 23,000 / Util - 34% / Inquiries - EX:4, TU: 2, EQ: 2. My updated sig is at the bottom. These are the results in order of when they occurred.
MAY:
* BoA Cash Rewards - Auto CLI from $1K to $3K
* Best Buy MC - Auto CLI from $2.5K to $3.6K
* Penfed Membership (HP EQ Approval, My score 690/Theirs 713 is a EQ Fico NG 2)
*Approved Online for Cash Rewards $2K
*Recon bump limit to $4K
* Alliant Membership
*Approved Online for Visa Plat $15K (HP EQ 690)
****I transferred the balances I did have to this card.
*Citi Diamond - Auto CLI from $1.6K to $2.4K
JUNE:
* NFCU Membership (TU HP - 721)
*Approved Online for Go Rewards $19.2K (TU HP - 718)
* Discover IT - Luv Button CLI from $4.4K to $6.4K (TU SP - 721)
* Lowe's - Approved Online for $3K (TU HP - 728)
*Called in recon and bumped limit to $17K
* Citi DC - Luv button CLI from $1.2K to $2.3K (SP)
* Walmart MC - Luv button CLI from $4k to $6K (SP)
JULY:
* Penfed Luv Button CLI from $4K to $6K (SP)
* BoA Online HP CLI. Asked for $10K, but approved from $3K to $7K (TU -729). Note: I did try the immediate request after approval method, but it did not work. Got 7-10 day message. Then called and they said it was a double request so it auto declined. No extra HP.
* Barclay NFL Visa - Called for CLI by Phone. Asked for $10K, but approved from $1.4K to $7.5K (TU HP - 729)
*Walmart MC - Called Credit Solutions for CLI. Asked for $10K, but approved from $6K to $8K. (TU HP - 729)
* Chase
*Called in and Closed Slate with $2K line. They moved $1.5K of it to my Freedom. The Freedom was at $2K and bumped to $3.5K because of it.
*Then asked for CLI on the Freedom. Asked for bump to $10K and immediately approved. Rep acknowledged I left money on the table...ugh
* Discover IT - Luv Button CLI from $6.4K to $9.4K (TU SP - 729). This was 49 days after the increase in early June. I put 1 tiny transaction on it last month.
*Used chat later that day and got a 4.75% APR reduction
* Best Buy MC - Called for CLI. Requested jump from $3.6K to $12K. Immediately approved for $12K. Again, rep acknowledged he would have given me more had I asked for it. 
(EQ HP - 740)
Notes:
* I never even thought about asking for APR reductions until a few days back with Discover. I'll do some of that after a month or so.
* My Cap1 QS1 is sitting at $2800 and no increase since May last year. I'm getting approvals for $2K right now. It got tot $3K when I checked in early June, but their creditwise score suddenly dropped 30 points for some reason, and the approval was back down to $2K. I should have taken the $3K. They also said I have no offers on my account to PC to the QS, which is very frustrating. I've seen people with scores 100 points lower (I kno that's not all to it) get offered to upgrade by them only a few months in. This is after talking to everyone but an EO.
*Citi - On the chopping block. Their increases have been frustrating from day one. I've tried calling, etc., but get nowhere. Sock drawered for now. I'd like to combine the DC with the Diamond also, but am not going to take a HP to do it, especially if I can't get an increase on either card.
*Through all of this, I only have one baddie on my report. It is a paid car loan That Santander took over in the final year. A few late payments once they took it over. This is due to fall off around February!!!!!!
I said I was not done. My last goal is still out there, which is to get an American Express card. I've been getting a ton of offers. I want either the BCP or BCE. I'm not sure which one because it seems the BCP is a bit tougher to get, and may give lower limits, just from reading the threads. But maybe someone knows something different? Does anyone think I shouldn't go for this card, or even a different type of card from them? My sig at the bottom has updated info as of a week ago. And what would you do if anything about Cap1 and Citi? And yes, the garden awaits after this.
Wow, great job on everything RM!! Happy for you, as with Music Lover enjoy your posts so am glad everything is going in right direction for ya. Hope you get your Amex! Cant really say if you should go for your Amex but if i had to say id say go for it now so you can go to your garden with a full belly and can chill in the lawn chair with the water sprinkler doin all the work for ya haha lol
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@RM21 wrote:So, the last 3 months, I've gone on super spree of sorts (for me at least). Overall it hs been very successful! I'm posting the results, hoping others can use this info for data points. By all means, you can ask me any questions or even criticize me. It's all good
At the beginning of this: Fico Scores: Between 670-690 / Total Credit - 23,000 / Util - 34% / Inquiries - EX:4, TU: 2, EQ: 2. My updated sig is at the bottom. These are the results in order of when they occurred.
MAY:
* BoA Cash Rewards - Auto CLI from $1K to $3K
* Best Buy MC - Auto CLI from $2.5K to $3.6K
* Penfed Membership (HP EQ Approval, My score 690/Theirs 713 is a EQ Fico NG 2)
*Approved Online for Cash Rewards $2K
*Recon bump limit to $4K
* Alliant Membership
*Approved Online for Visa Plat $15K (HP EQ 690)
****I transferred the balances I did have to this card.
*Citi Diamond - Auto CLI from $1.6K to $2.4K
JUNE:
* NFCU Membership (TU HP - 721)
*Approved Online for Go Rewards $19.2K (TU HP - 718)
* Discover IT - Luv Button CLI from $4.4K to $6.4K (TU SP - 721)
* Lowe's - Approved Online for $3K (TU HP - 728)
*Called in recon and bumped limit to $17K
* Citi DC - Luv button CLI from $1.2K to $2.3K (SP)
* Walmart MC - Luv button CLI from $4k to $6K (SP)
JULY:
* Penfed Luv Button CLI from $4K to $6K (SP)
* BoA Online HP CLI. Asked for $10K, but approved from $3K to $7K (TU -729). Note: I did try the immediate request after approval method, but it did not work. Got 7-10 day message. Then called and they said it was a double request so it auto declined. No extra HP.
* Barclay NFL Visa - Called for CLI by Phone. Asked for $10K, but approved from $1.4K to $7.5K (TU HP - 729)
*Walmart MC - Called Credit Solutions for CLI. Asked for $10K, but approved from $6K to $8K. (TU HP - 729)
* Chase
*Called in and Closed Slate with $2K line. They moved $1.5K of it to my Freedom. The Freedom was at $2K and bumped to $3.5K because of it.
*Then asked for CLI on the Freedom. Asked for bump to $10K and immediately approved. Rep acknowledged I left money on the table...ugh
* Discover IT - Luv Button CLI from $6.4K to $9.4K (TU SP - 729). This was 49 days after the increase in early June. I put 1 tiny transaction on it last month.
*Used chat later that day and got a 4.75% APR reduction
* Best Buy MC - Called for CLI. Requested jump from $3.6K to $12K. Immediately approved for $12K. Again, rep acknowledged he would have given me more had I asked for it.
Notes:
* I never even thought about asking for APR reductions until a few days back with Discover. I'll do some of that after a month or so.
* My Cap1 QS1 is sitting at $2800 and no increase since May last year. I'm getting approvals for $2K right now. It got tot $3K when I checked in early June, but their creditwise score suddenly dropped 30 points for some reason, and the approval was back down to $2K. I should have taken the $3K. They also said I have no offers on my account to PC to the QS, which is very frustrating. I've seen people with scores 100 points lower (I kno that's not all to it) get offered to upgrade by them only a few months in. This is after talking to everyone but an EO.
*Citi - On the chopping block. Their increases have been frustrating from day one. I've tried calling, etc., but get nowhere. Sock drawered for now. I'd like to combine the DC with the Diamond also, but am not going to take a HP to do it, especially if I can't get an increase on either card.
*Through all of this, I only have one baddie on my report. It is a paid car loan That Santander took over in the final year. A few late payments once they took it over. This is due to fall off around February!!!!!!
I said I was not done. My last goal is still out there, which is to get an American Express card. I've been getting a ton of offers. I want either the BCP or BCE. I'm not sure which one because it seems the BCP is a bit tougher to get, and may give lower limits, just from reading the threads. But maybe someone knows something different? Does anyone think I shouldn't go for this card, or even a different type of card from them? My sig at the bottom has updated info as of a week ago. And what would you do if anything about Cap1 and Citi? And yes, the garden awaits after this.
If I were in your shoes, I would garden now. Let all of what you've received mature some. And let that one remaining baddie fall off. So...garden until March 2017, or the baddie falls off. That's 8 months. For the AMEX cards, assess which would best fit your spend pattern over the next 8 months. AMEX will still be there, and you'll likely be in a much better place in 8 months of gardening.
@AverageJoesCredit wrote:
Wow, great job on everything RM!! Happy for you, as with Music Lover enjoy your posts so am glad everything is going in right direction for ya. Hope you get your Amex! Cant really say if you should go for your Amex but if i had to say id say go for it now so you can go to your garden with a full belly and can chill in the lawn chair with the water sprinkler doin all the work for ya haha lol
Thank you AJC! I appreciate that. I hope I get too. That garden is calling my name for sure. My thoughts were the same on going for the Amex then hitting that Garden.
@tcbofade wrote:First, that's awesome! And yay you!
I believe that with your FICOEX score that you have listed in your signature, you can have whichever Amex card you desire. Have you checked their prequal site?
Thanks!! And yes I've been checking their prequals for the last couple of months. The offers and cards keep switching. I think they have offered me almost every card at some point in this span. Both BCE and BCP have been on there several times.
@thom02099 wrote:
@RM21 wrote:My last goal is still out there, which is to get an American Express card. I've been getting a ton of offers. I want either the BCP or BCE. I'm not sure which one because it seems the BCP is a bit tougher to get, and may give lower limits, just from reading the threads. But maybe someone knows something different? Does anyone think I shouldn't go for this card, or even a different type of card from them? My sig at the bottom has updated info as of a week ago. And what would you do if anything about Cap1 and Citi? And yes, the garden awaits after this.
If I were in your shoes, I would garden now. Let all of what you've received mature some. And let that one remaining baddie fall off. So...garden until March 2017, or the baddie falls off. That's 8 months. For the AMEX cards, assess which would best fit your spend pattern over the next 8 months. AMEX will still be there, and you'll likely be in a much better place in 8 months of gardening.
Point well taken and I have thought about doing it that way. Not sure which direction to go. My gut says app it now, but to your point, that would be a way to go that would definitely work also.
Awesome job OP!