@Anonymous wrote:@@Themanwhocan - your posts on this thread are very inspiring! Your salary is not exaggerated, as I had imagined when I tallied your ~$400k+ CL totals. What you do is achievable and within the reach of many, myself included. Thank you for that realization. I'd like to know if you attribute your successful CLs to routinely requesting increases and PIFing. Are you strict about maintaining UTIL at/below a certain percentage, or do you think you're successful mostly because of your PIF history and monthly requests?
I've been a DC account holder for years. I went through a tragic time and my payment history suffered, resulting in several CLDs. I'm doing better now and for a couple years have had a history of PIF throughout the cycle, but not necessarily before the statement closed. I was clueless about how reported UTIL impacts my score. While they consistently deny my CLI requests, they must like me on some level because I do have a lower than advertised interest rate, receive 0% for x month offers at least once each year, several times a year they offer me $50, $75, $100+ CBR bonuses (when I remember to ask lol), and due to my need to use more than the limit, they DO extend me credit well beyond my limit (nearly double). Again, I PIF this down sometimes 3 times a billing cycle ... just not before it closes. For some reason I thought it would be good to show usage when they statement reported. Thanks to this forum, I see that this is wrong ... or at least not ideal for my goals.
I'm curious if in addition to reporting a low UTIL, I should maintain a low UTIL during my cycle, too, or if it's ok to keep hitting 100+% UTIL, so long as I PIF each month before the closing date. I see people on this board with BKs on their reports years after I hit my stumbling period and who have long since passed my CL with DC by leaps and bounds. Their scores are better, too, and I'm thinking it's because I have such a long history of showing ridiculously high UTILs come cycle closing. I want to get out of the CLI denial phase asap, and I'm hoping that several months of PIFing prior to the statement closing may help my cause. I just don't know if I should refrain from my typical "100+% UTIL, PIF, 100%+ UTIL, PIF" repeat cycle, too, or if it's enough to have it report with a low UTIL :-/ Any thoughts? Anyone? Thanks!
I never go to high card utilization, and always pay in full. I ask for CLI's and if they arent available, I accept that. So many people think they can get a Discover card and then expect CLi's every month, when it usually doesnt work that way until you have at least a years experience with the card. But it doesn't hurt to request a CLI when its just a SP.
Its just a matter of researching the best way to request CLI's with each creditor, and using that as part of your strategy. getting high limits was always a low priority for me, the cash back rewards and growing my FICO score were much more important, but that doesn't mean you can't also request a CLI or APR reduction occasionally.
PS: and I dont have $400K+ credit limits. Only $399,100 so far 
@Anonymous wrote:@Themanwhocan -- what's your non-CC relationship with Discover like? Do you have a checking and/or savings account with them, or any personal loans or HELOCs with the bank/
I have a Discover checking account, but I don't use it. it has less than $30 in it.
@Themanwhocan wrote:
I dont have $400K+ credit limits. Only $399,100 so far
Too funny! Love it. As for your CLI requests, do you have a method for timing them, or is it random? For example, do you PIF, refrain from spending until closing, wait until it posts to the CRAs, and then request? Do you just do it every month on the same day of the month? Or the same number of days before/after account closes/reports? Clearly you have a formula! lol and any insight would be most appreciated 
Also, do you practice the same habits across all your cards? If not, how might they vary? I'm probably most intrigued by the Chase Freedom, AmEx, NFCU, and BoAs. Deep down Disney, too, though I'm trying to stay away! lol
@Anonymous wrote:
@Themanwhocan wrote:
I dont have $400K+ credit limits. Only $399,100 so farToo funny! Love it. As for your CLI requests, do you have a method for timing them, or is it random? For example, do you PIF, refrain from spending until closing, wait until it posts to the CRAs, and then request? Do you just do it every month on the same day of the month? Or the same number of days before/after account closes/reports? Clearly you have a formula! lol and any insight would be most appreciated
I have an Alliant installment loan to boost my FICO scores. And I try to optimize the utilization on all cards as best I can before applying for more cards or for CLI requests.
Other than that, everything varies based on the creditor. Discover I currently request a SP CLI every month, usually a few days after my statement is generated. I used to apply every 16 days when the Discover gravy train was running, and before that I couldnt get any SP CLI during my first year with Discover, but I did request CLi with HP twice that first year accepting a HP. I use my HP's strategically, not wanting to have too many on each credit report at any one time, yet I feel that not using HPs is also a waste.
With Chase I waited to apply until I had a card with $5000 limits and my scores were as good as I could get them at the time, because getting a CLI with Chase is very unlikely unless you have a very low limit and are willing to burn more HPs. I do have the Chase Disney card, but mainly for the sign up bonus and to combine the limit into another Chase card one of these days. AARP was going to be my restaurant card, but I seem to be collecting 3% restaurant cards these days, so it too will probably be combined to get a high limit on my Freedom card eventually.
With Barclay I used HP's for CLI requests at 6 month intervals, which never worked. I then called backdoor numbers and asked if a SP CLI ws available on my cards, and was quite successful with that for a while. And I occasionally combine cards with Barclay.
With FNBO I called every 4 months to see if a SP CLI was available, since using the online request results in a HP. I was able to get a combined $36k+ over 2 cards that way. Then when one co-branded card was being closed/replaced by FNBO, I called and got the 2 card limits combined. 6 months later I called and accepted a HP and requested a $50K limit, and after proof of income requests and such, that was granted. So I'm satisfied with that.
With Citi (closed by me before annual fee was due) and Synchrony, I called as soon as I received the cards and asked for a very large CLI right away.
With US Bank I asked for $1500 CLI per card every 6 months. Eventually I used a HP for a large request on one card. I appear to be at my credit limit based on income with them now.
With Bank of America, I did ask for a CLI once via HP. But that was probably a mistake, as I want multiple BBR cards from them, and not one high limit card. So my approach with them has changed.
With BBVA Compass, I requested a HP CLI after a year, and it was denied. Probably because I dont use that card. That card is probably going to be closed eventually, so its not important to me, I only requested a CLI for curiosity sake, and because I felt my credit report could take a HP at the time without affecting any of my plans.
With Target credit card, I received a CLI after 4 months with about $50 total usage over that time period. Sometimes you just get lucky. I do update my income every year, hoping that might trigger a review and a CLI, but since I dont spend much on the card I don't expect an increase.
With NFCU I received a $24K limit, so trying for a SP CLI is rather pointless since I hear they only go to $25k via that route. So I'm using the card frequently, waiting 6+ months, and will use a HP to request the maximum. Eventually I want a $50k limit on this card. And no, I have no real reason for needing such a high limit.
So, I'm a believer in knowing which creditors have a method for SP CLI, and then IF those creditors have a card you can use, you can incorporate that into your set of cards. Otherwise, use HPs strategically for either new cards and Signup bonuses, and after that for strategic CLI's. Getting a large number of cards with low limits is bad, since you will have to spend so many HPs and so much tme trying to increase them, that its better to start with a few cards that can grow, and work on growing them and showing creditors that you can handle high limits, and simultaneously growing your FICO score, and THEN start getting cards that will start with higher limits, etc.