Revelate wrote:
JenniferinFL wrote:Well, I finally did the smart thing for me and gave myself a set-in-stone date to app again, added it to my signature. All I'm going to let myself app for then is Discover More student and one other card, leaning towards Barclay Barnes and Noble or some other Barclay product. I wish there was a chance in heck of me getting my own Amex charge then, but I doubt it. Nothing bad on my record now since the bankruptcy, but, I've heard bankruptcy is a no go.
Of course, only app'ing then if nothing else has popped up on my credit report and my balances are in check..
Take the no-BK thing with a grain of salt:
1) nobody's credit report is identical to another.
2) Lenders underwriting changes all the time, and EVERY lender is looking for more customers now. Much like the mortgage industry where everyone who wants a refi pretty much has one, so they're going to lower the standards on home purchases if they actually want to continue lending.
3) Barclay = TU, Discover = EQ (mostly, almost guarunteed for you in FL), you can afford the additional Amex inquiry on 11/5 with the other two since it'll land on EX.
I think you're selling yourself short and doing yourself a disservice if you think you want an Amex any time in the future; an inquiry with Amex is not wasted: even if denied, you're better off being in their system than not being in their system because they're absolutely going to go trawling through their prior applications if they decide to expand their customer pool more... and since all lenders seem to be putting money back into the field, *especially* on credit/charge cards, I think you're missing out on a good opportunity if you don't add an Amex application on that 11/5 date too. Even if you don't get approved, so what? I saw an interesting screen name on Youtube the other day: QuittersTry, which when I think about it, likely means that you can't quit if you didn't try in the first place... which is vastly better than not trying something at all. You may not be approved, but you'll never know unless you try in the first case, and it's a one year penalty on the inquiry, and small damage at that... it's how I can so easily justify my Hail Mary Zync application even though I suspect I'll get denied: if I get approved, it's in all ways better for my future FICO performance, and if not, well I'll take the shot again in 2013.
FWIW I think you're doing an absolutely fantastic thing setting a date on things... it is so much easier to stick with a plan if you know there's a definite endpoint: waiting "for my credit to get to X" is too fungable because of the variability of the FICO algorithm for individual consumers. That's something I should do though I'm pretty certain my Amex app is somewhere around 12/30ish, thank you profusely for suggesting that!
Edit (again): PS - your scores are borderline Zyncish already depending on your profile, in another 6 months you may even be in a much better position.
I haven't had anything negative since my bankruptcy, so, hopefully that will help. The other weakness in my file is income. I'm a full time student, I work very part time only approaching full time in the summer. Generally I've been putting between $10-$15,000 as income on my apps, so that doens't help either. Wish I could still put down household income! 
I may try Amex Zync at the same time. I've checked their site a couple times for preapprovals and no luck so far.. Experian only has two inquiries on it now for me anyhow, by then it won't have any.
The score simulator here says I should hit 700 if all my balances report $0. All of my new cards reported a balance last month, they're just getting ready to report again and all should be at $0 except my Cap One. I may give it a try, nothing to lose really at that point I guess.
Starting Score: 615 EQ (03-15-2012) 600 TU (03-21-2012 Barclays app) USAA Fako 598 Vantage 639 (03-15-2012) Transrisk 616 (03-15-2012) Ch.7 discharged 5/2009
JenniferinFL wrote:Well, I finally did the smart thing for me and gave myself a set-in-stone date to app again, added it to my signature. All I'm going to let myself app for then is Discover More student and one other card, leaning towards Barclay Barnes and Noble or some other Barclay product. I wish there was a chance in heck of me getting my own Amex charge then, but I doubt it. Nothing bad on my record now since the bankruptcy, but, I've heard bankruptcy is a no go.
Of course, only app'ing then if nothing else has popped up on my credit report and my balances are in check..
Good for you! That was a smart move.
Starting Scores for 2013: EQ 723, TU 735, EX Credit Sesame 751
Current Scores: EQ 748, TU 741 (06/01/2013), EX 743 (06/13/2013)
Goal Score: 740+ FICO scores
Take the FICO Fitness Challenge Silver Spade Garden Club Member - Last App: 03/04/2013 - No apps until Fall 2013
Cards: Cap1 Venture 6.4k, Cap1 NHCR MC 750, BankAmericard 1-2-3 Visa Signature - UCF Alumni Association 5k, Discover 4k, Citi Diamond Preferred MC 7.55k, Wells Fargo Rewards Visa 7k, Chase Freedom 5k, Chase Ink 7.5k, Amex Green NPSL, Dillard's Amex 7.5k, JC Penney 5.7k, Kay Jeweler's 5.1k
KesMoosa wrote:Hey fellow Gardeners:
I have the cards in my Sig. I am planning on running most of my charges through zync and use Chase and Discover for Large and bonus category purchases as I willl be getting the gold charge card next year to upgrade the to full MR points. What does everyone think?
Sounds like a good plan to me. The more you use the Zync and pay it off promptly after the statement cuts, the more Amex will increase your internal limit, so it should grow nicely for you. In the meantime, you'll be racking up MR points that you can convert over when you're ready for the Gold. Using the Chase and Discover for bonus categories makes sense, as the cashback on those can add up quickly.
Starting Scores for 2013: EQ 723, TU 735, EX Credit Sesame 751
Current Scores: EQ 748, TU 741 (06/01/2013), EX 743 (06/13/2013)
Goal Score: 740+ FICO scores
Take the FICO Fitness Challenge Silver Spade Garden Club Member - Last App: 03/04/2013 - No apps until Fall 2013
Cards: Cap1 Venture 6.4k, Cap1 NHCR MC 750, BankAmericard 1-2-3 Visa Signature - UCF Alumni Association 5k, Discover 4k, Citi Diamond Preferred MC 7.55k, Wells Fargo Rewards Visa 7k, Chase Freedom 5k, Chase Ink 7.5k, Amex Green NPSL, Dillard's Amex 7.5k, JC Penney 5.7k, Kay Jeweler's 5.1k
Here's to gardening until June 11th, when I step out for an FHA streamline refi...
Starting Score: 08/29/2011 TU 671 EQ 674Current Score (myFico + Amex): April 2013 TU 754 EQ 694 EX 694
Wallet: NFCU Visa Sig 25k, Amex Lowes 22k, NavCheck 15k, Amex PRG, Amex Zync, Discover It 13.5k, Amazon Visa 5k
Silver Spade Garden Club Member: App Free since 1/1/13. No more apps til 2014
MyFICO Fitness Goal: 800s Club!
Take the myFICO Fitness Challenge
LS2982 wrote:
Lambo23 wrote:I was bad and stepped out of my garden to apply for amex zync. Approved with the $200 hard limit, but still very happy! Back to gardening for a good year!
(we have to keep any approvals out in the open forum so we dont disturb our itchy garden members in here)
I didn't even realize that I was basically bringing alcohol to an AA meeting! 
Lambo23 wrote:
LS2982 wrote:
Lambo23 wrote:I was bad and stepped out of my garden to apply for amex zync. Approved with the $200 hard limit, but still very happy! Back to gardening for a good year!
(we have to keep any approvals out in the open forum so we dont disturb our itchy garden members in here)
I didn't even realize that I was basically bringing alcohol to an AA meeting!
Yeah, or a big mac to Weight Watchers.. lol
myFICO is the consumer division of FICO. Since its introduction 20 years ago, the FICO® Score has become a global standard for measuring credit risk in the banking, mortgage, credit card, auto and retail industries. 90 of the top 100 largest U.S. financial institutions use the FICO Score to make consumer credit decisions.
>> About myFICO
