I've got the CSP itch...

[Anonymous]

The wife and I have a trip coming up here in May. After seeking advice on some benefits on travel rewards cards, I fell down the rabbit hole of looking at the different cards out there. Naturally, I stumbled upon the CSP and CSR, and boy oh boy do they look good. I've been bitten. And I'm itching. I want to apply, but I really need some sense talked into me. 

My FICOs haven't updated, so I'm going on a little bit of outdated information, and just using FAKOs right now. I want to pull my scores, but I'm dropping off about 10% of my utilization (bringing it down to about 8-9%) at the end of the month, so I kind of want to wait for that before pulling them (and before apping). 

Here's some DP's - CK has TU 662, EQ at 665. Experian has me at 704.

My Experian looks good, but that was the number before my new truck lease and Home Depot card hit my report. CK is reporting those in the number provided (they were 691 and 698 respectively before the two items reported).

My AAoA was almost 3 years before those two showed up, but CK doesn't report it correctly because I combined two of my Cap One cards that were 4 years old, so that dropped the Vantage Score AAoA down to about 22 mo. I'm at 4/24 for new CC accounts, and not a single bureau is reporting more than 4 INQ's.

I've got a CL of $14,200 with Discover (which will be reporting at $0 come statement cut on the 4th), $4200 Amex BCE @ 0% Util., $3000 HD @ 24%, $2000 Barclay Apple Rewards @ 50% (24 month 0%APR taken advantage of, but I've paid off 50% since opened in Sept), and $1200 CapOne QS @ 0%. Only items that will have a balance will be HD and Barclay at the end of the month, both using 0% APR offers. 

So, I feel like someone should talk some sense into me before I app for either the CSP or the CSR. They're sooo tempting, but I am definitely on the low end of the acceptance pool. I see some people recently having really great success with apping at around 650 scores and getting approved, but it makes me so nervous. I've made a lot of move within the last year in terms of credit, so I feel like that would hurt me. (Disco and Amex I got just under 6 mo. ago right after closing on my house, and I just got a new truck and the HD card, but I'm not stretched thin in terms of payments at all). Income is around 88k.

What do you folks think? And if I do take the plunge, should I jump at another Chase card at the same time?

[Shadowfactor]

Have you tried chase.com/Prequalified ??

It’s really hard to tell without your scores and more information. FAKO can vary so much from tea FICO’s. My credit karma scores are 50 points higher then my FICO’s and my girlfriends are 90 points lower then her FICO’s.

I would try to get your scores once your reports reflect the new UTIL and report back.

[Anonymous]

---

@Shadowfactorwrote:
Have you tried chase.com/Prequalified ??

It’s really hard to tell without your scores and more information. FAKO can vary so much from tea FICO’s. My credit karma scores are 50 points higher then my FICO’s and my girlfriends are 90 points lower then her FICO’s.

I would try to get your scores once your reports reflect the new UTIL and report back.

---

Yeah, I really should get them. I just know that, since they'll be changing from a drop in utilization in two weeks, I want to wait until that reports to sign up for them. Otherwise, I'll still be working with "old" scores .

I did try the prequalify site, but I have a strange issue where not a single one works for me (for any company). I changed my name in early '17, and since, none of the prequalification sites work at all. I did an experiement with the HD card - checked prequal for my current name and my previous name, no offers. Walked into the store and approved. I've also looked at prequal sites for companies that I hold cards with - nothing. It's an odd thing. I know I'm not opted out of prescreen offers because I get them in the mail all the time.. under both names.  Just before getting my Disco and Amex, I had tried their prequal sites, too, and those didn't work, either, lol. But I got approved for both.