No credit card required
Browse credit cards from a variety of issuers to see if there's a better card for you.
My DH has been rebuilding his credit for the last two years. To be specific, he's had me manage his credit for him and make application recommendations -- ie: when to sit back and garden, when to attempt an app and for which types of cards, etc. When he started rebuilding, he had nothing in his own name; he was only an AU on a couple of my old accounts from before my rebuild, and they had a bunch of lates sprinkled through their histories, including (gasp) First Premier. We've since ditched FP, and I had him open some new accounts in his name. He started with BBRZ MC as his sole credit card, then added Care Credit, Lowe's, Discover and PayPal SmartConnect. When I got my Wells Fargo Rewards Visa last August, I put him on as an AU, as it has a $7000 CL, thus making a card with a good limit available to him.
So, today he received an offer in the mail from Citi. We decided to pull the trigger on it, only to have his application denied. But, I remembered that there had been a nice spate of approvals here a while back for Chase Freedom, and since he's really enjoyed the rotating categories on his Discover and the Freedom doesn't overlap with it this year (so far), we decided to give it a try...
And the the application came back approved!!! I called up the 800 number for him, which I found on the sticky in this forum, and found that he has a $1500 starting CL.
As for his profile: His EQ score as of today was 698. One CO from four years ago. No lates -- I removed him as an AU from the above referenced accounts and he successfully disputed with the CRAs that he was not responsible for those accounts, so they removed him. Pristine history his rebuilder cards. (ETA): AAoA - 1 yr, 4 mo.
I'm really happy for him! This will make a nice addition to his wallet, as he moves him away from the rebuilder cards such as BBRZ. He got the Freedom MC instead of the Visa, as it seems that there's more of a selection of prime Visa cards available. So when he's ready to grow his collection further, he can choose from a wide variety of Visa cards to add to his new MC, and he'll have one of each from a prime issuer.
It's so nice to see both of us moving forward with our credit!!! Thanks for all of the information and advice from these forums; it's made a world of difference!
congrats!
Congrats Tinu's DH!
Likewise picked up a Freedom for myself just the other day, though Chase wanted to chat about my derogatories pre-approval .
That and I got some lame "Application Score" source Chase Bank USA, N.A... how rude Chase!
Congratulations - to you both! Sounds like he is well on his way to a sturdy profile. I'm also the one guiding my SO's rebuilding phase...he was a tough nut to crack at first but boyyyyy was he proud when he got approved for his first card He's even going to create CK and CS accounts this weekend because he has a medical collection due to fall off next month and we want to see the score jump happen!
Thanks, everyone. It was all the more encouraging that it was an instant approval rather than a 7-10 day message or a recon. It gives me some indication that his credit is continuing to move in a positive direction. After spending so much time with iffy credit -- and this applies to both of us -- it feels so good to get approved for cards that you actually want, rather than having to settle for what you can get. I know that there are many others here who understand that feeling.
congrats to your DH on his new chase freedom card
and congrats to you for your role
well done
That's wonderful! Congratulations to your hubby! Chase Freedom and Discover are a great pair to have in your wallet, especially this year since like you mentioned, their quarterly categories don't appear to overlap too much this year.
Hopefully your hubby appreciates your guidance on credit cards. Mine just gives me annoying looks when I remind him every week that he needs to use the Freedom for gas right now and use the BCE when you shop at Safeway and use the Cash+ at Walmart and Lowes/Home Depot, etc. etc.
@CribDuchess wrote:That's wonderful! Congratulations to your hubby! Chase Freedom and Discover are a great pair to have in your wallet, especially this year since like you mentioned, their quarterly categories don't appear to overlap too much this year.
Hopefully your hubby appreciates your guidance on credit cards. Mine just gives me annoying looks when I remind him every week that he needs to use the Freedom for gas right now and use the BCE when you shop at Safeway and use the Cash+ at Walmart and Lowes/Home Depot, etc. etc.
I'm happy to say that I've been earning a great deal of respect from him in this regard. He grew up with a father who was, and still is, vehemently anti-credit. But, since my DH has seen how much we've been able to earn in rewards -- the fact that our airline tickets for a recent vacation were completely paid for by a combination of MR points and cash back that we'd accrued was a huge eye-opener for him -- he's really come to appreciate how valuable the responsible use of credit can be. So, whenever he goes to buy gas or the grocery store or some such thing, he asks me which card he should use to get the best return. Keeping track of our credit may not be his thing, but he's certainly glad that it's become my thing -- that I enjoy doing it and have become good at it. It's a role that I fulfill for our family and I do feel appreciated for it.