2018 Credit Card New Year Resolutions!

[ChessChik47]

My 2018 goals are to:
- Maintain my current credit cards (good standing, use “normally”, pay no interest)
- Stay in the garden (no credit card apps or HP CLI)
- Only if necessary obtain a low interest car loan or lease option. I’m hoping my car will hold out for another 2 years, but I’m not sure.
- Strategically use my points and cash back rewards

Best of luck to everyone!! Happy New Year!

[Anonymous]

I’m with them☝️☝️☝️☝️. I hoard points and cash back.  Maybe I’ll cash out this summer on a cruise to PR. I need some mofongo. 

[Adkins]

Great thread, AJC!!

1. January, ask for a CLI at NFCU; if no go app for new card - CLI March 2018; didn't apply for another card

2. Garden until June 2018 - no SPs even until then (close certain cards at that point)

3. Join PenFed in July, app for card

4. App for Uber card August  December (let inquires age some more)

5. Garden until January  June 2019

6. Work to reduce overall debt, and concentrate on PIF each & every month

I'd like to get all my scores above 700, and closer to 725 by the end of 2018. 

[MrDisco99]

I'm not quite done apping but I definitely will keep a much lower profile than I did last year.  That's a pretty easy goal.  Aiming for 5 new accounts max.

Also I've racked up over $700 in AF due over the course of next year.  I need to reduce that by via downgrades or grovelling for waivers/retention offers... hopefully by maybe half.

Don't spend extra dollars to earn pennies. Don't fall into the debt trap. Don't pay interest.

And lastly try to stop thinking and planning so much and actually enjoy our big vacation in October.

[expatCanuck]

Went on an ill-advised spree this month -- 4 successful apps (3 last week, plus, earlier this month, the successful recon of a September app) after 7 years of standing pat.

So ...

1) No INQs in 2018.

2) AZEO no later than the end of February 2018.

3) Pursue and obtain the CSP bonus, keeping in mind resolution #2 (the card should arrive in the coming week)

4) Actually make use of the CSP bonus.

5) FICO Score 8s over 750 across the board by the end of Q2 2018.

6) Obtain a lower APR (currently 25.99%) on my BoA MC World Rewards card (my lowest non-intro APRs are 11.99)

7) Just for kicks, see whether I can get my Citizens Bank MC APR (16.99) lower as well

Bonus marks if I can get BoA to correctly report the High Balance amount that it currently reports ($16,480 on a card w/ a $10K limit? -- I don't think so).

Double bonus marks if I can get any line under 10 to 10, if for no other reason than it makes utilization easier to calculate in my head.

Probably also a good idea to freeze my reports ... . [Edited - done.]

The best to all for 2018.

[Anonymous]

1) Aim to increase my AMEX BCP from $9k to $20k.

2) Keep increasing Discover. Go from $2.6k to hopefully ~$5k (or $10k would be awesome).

3) Keep pushing the CLI's on CapOne. Only have 2 CLI's for the year, but hope to hit the $3k mark ($1.35k now).

4) Apply for a Chase card sometime after March (Freedom or CSP)

5) Let inquiries drop off, and AAoA build

6) Bring scores from ~740 to ~780.

[Anonymous]

My goals: Barclays AAdvantage by April. EQ & EX will be clean by July, so hopefully PenFed will give me qtrly CLI offer and maybe Amex will take me off blacklist. Otherwise truly need to learn to garden!

Goals for DH: get Uber, RBFCU 2% and NFCU Amex (going to shoot for all of these in early Jan). If successful off to the garden he goes until mid year when EX & EQ will be clean & can hopefully get Amex BCP and maybe a PenFed qtrly CLI or New card offer.

[UncleB]

Finishing up 2017 I was able to get the last of my 'goal' cards, so I expect 2018 to be much quieter on the credit front.

Like a few others have mentioned I'm basically done with CLIs as well, with a couple of notable exceptions.  I will probably try one more time on my Citi Diamond Preferred and maybe once or twice more on a couple of Capital One cards, but otherwise I'm done.  After a point it makes no sense to keep pushing for 'more', especially for someone like me with modest means and spend habits.

If something new were to come out I might give it a look, but I have all my categories covered and with the USAA Limitless to catch any general spend I'm in a good place.  I plan to concentrate on paying down a couple of 0% balances and basically just sit tight for a while.

The 'fine tuning' I have planned is to get my Diamond Preferred PC'ed to a Dividend (if Citi is agreeable) and have Chase move some of my IHG credit line to my Amazon Visa.  I also plan to have my Venture WEMC PC'ed to a Quicksilver WEMC (I'll ask for a PC to a Savor, but I don't expect them to be able/willing to do it).

I also might let Care Credit go... with all the other options I have available I don't see any reason to keep the extra exposure with Synchrony when it's not likely to be used.

Side note:  I just realized that this time next year I'll be approaching 2/24.  While there aren't any 5/24 cards I'm currently interested in it's nice to know that in around a year I'll have the option (that is, if I don't pick up anything new in 2018).

[odd_dog]

Hi Joey!!  Hope your 2018 "credit wishes" come true! Me....I want to get rid of cards, and total exposure, BUT I have been trimming down all of 2017 SO if I am cutting cards in '18 it's "gunna hurt", maybe down grade some of my more expensive travel cards - don't know yet BUT would like to consolidate all my savings accounts too. Maybe some of the credit cards, since I have many from the same bank. We will see what happens!!

[Anonymous]

New Years resolution for credit.

1) no more credit inquiries or seek new credit

2) close 5 cards not using

3) save $500 each month from discretionary spending( party $$) that I would charge on my cards and instead put that money in a rainy day fund