@sarge12 wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:While I wouldn't necessarily say I "take pride" in having so many cards, I will certainly admit that I like to throw around that I have 45 credit cards (44 V/M/D/A, 1 store card). It's almost more self-deprecating; "can you believe I have so many cards?" along the lines of "can you believe I have so many Hawaiian shirts?". And it's fun to see the horrified reaction (particularly among Dave Ramsey fans). I also enjoy poking holes in the standard arguments against the practice: 1) Your credit score must be terrible (mine's in the 810-835 range), 2) it would be impossible for you to get a mortgage (just refi'd last month without a wrinkle), 3) it must be impossible to keep track of all those accounts (everything is set on autopay from a checking account I keep at a $10k balance, and mint.com allows me to monitor transactions on all of the cards at one glance), 4) you must pay a mint in interest and fees (every account is PIF on due date so I pay no interest, and I have only two cards I pay annual fees on; the Marriott which gives me a free hotel night worth more than the annual fee, and the USBank Travel which every year gives me more than enough bonus points to pay the "fee" with).
Chris.
Having that many makes me feel more comfortable that my 15 wont hurt my score so bad. If you have a house already, it's ok I guess. I know the only reason I have as many as I do is all these 200 dollar bonuses and such. Hard to say no to free money. I do have to ask though. Why did you get that many? Is it the rewards? Just please don't tell me you needed 6-2% rewards cards in case they nerf 5 of them all at the same time.
You are purposefully exaggerating my earlier comment, where I said I had had four 2% rewards cards, designed as built-in redundancy against nerfing -- not cool...if you don't like having multiple rewards cards as backups against nerfing that's fine, but c'mon now, can't we all just get along and simply agree to disagree? No need for hazing you know?
@sarge12 wrote:
@galahad15 wrote:
@sarge12 wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:While I wouldn't necessarily say I "take pride" in having so many cards, I will certainly admit that I like to throw around that I have 45 credit cards (44 V/M/D/A, 1 store card). It's almost more self-deprecating; "can you believe I have so many cards?" along the lines of "can you believe I have so many Hawaiian shirts?". And it's fun to see the horrified reaction (particularly among Dave Ramsey fans). I also enjoy poking holes in the standard arguments against the practice: 1) Your credit score must be terrible (mine's in the 810-835 range), 2) it would be impossible for you to get a mortgage (just refi'd last month without a wrinkle), 3) it must be impossible to keep track of all those accounts (everything is set on autopay from a checking account I keep at a $10k balance, and mint.com allows me to monitor transactions on all of the cards at one glance), 4) you must pay a mint in interest and fees (every account is PIF on due date so I pay no interest, and I have only two cards I pay annual fees on; the Marriott which gives me a free hotel night worth more than the annual fee, and the USBank Travel which every year gives me more than enough bonus points to pay the "fee" with).
Chris.
Having that many makes me feel more comfortable that my 15 wont hurt my score so bad. If you have a house already, it's ok I guess. I know the only reason I have as many as I do is all these 200 dollar bonuses and such. Hard to say no to free money. I do have to ask though. Why did you get that many? Is it the rewards? Just please don't tell me you needed 6-2% rewards cards in case they nerf 5 of them all at the same time.
You are purposefully exaggerating my earlier comment, where I said I had had four 2% rewards cards, designed as built-in redundancy against nerfing -- not cool...if you don't like having multiple rewards cards as backups against nerfing that's fine, but c'mon now, can't we all just get along and simply agree to disagree? No need for hazing you know?
I was only joking with you Chris, you do not need to explain crap to me, my opinions are just that.....opinions....
My name is not Chris, but thank you for the helpful clarification 
@galahad15 wrote:
@sarge12 wrote:
@galahad15 wrote:
@sarge12 wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:While I wouldn't necessarily say I "take pride" in having so many cards, I will certainly admit that I like to throw around that I have 45 credit cards (44 V/M/D/A, 1 store card). It's almost more self-deprecating; "can you believe I have so many cards?" along the lines of "can you believe I have so many Hawaiian shirts?". And it's fun to see the horrified reaction (particularly among Dave Ramsey fans). I also enjoy poking holes in the standard arguments against the practice: 1) Your credit score must be terrible (mine's in the 810-835 range), 2) it would be impossible for you to get a mortgage (just refi'd last month without a wrinkle), 3) it must be impossible to keep track of all those accounts (everything is set on autopay from a checking account I keep at a $10k balance, and mint.com allows me to monitor transactions on all of the cards at one glance), 4) you must pay a mint in interest and fees (every account is PIF on due date so I pay no interest, and I have only two cards I pay annual fees on; the Marriott which gives me a free hotel night worth more than the annual fee, and the USBank Travel which every year gives me more than enough bonus points to pay the "fee" with).
Chris.
Having that many makes me feel more comfortable that my 15 wont hurt my score so bad. If you have a house already, it's ok I guess. I know the only reason I have as many as I do is all these 200 dollar bonuses and such. Hard to say no to free money. I do have to ask though. Why did you get that many? Is it the rewards? Just please don't tell me you needed 6-2% rewards cards in case they nerf 5 of them all at the same time.
You are purposefully exaggerating my earlier comment, where I said I had had four 2% rewards cards, designed as built-in redundancy against nerfing -- not cool...if you don't like having multiple rewards cards as backups against nerfing that's fine, but c'mon now, can't we all just get along and simply agree to disagree? No need for hazing you know?
I was only joking with you Chris, you do not need to explain crap to me, my opinions are just that.....opinions....
My name is not Chris, but thank you for the helpful clarification
Galahad, I called you Chris...actually twice since I was editing the comment before I realized you were not the one with 45 cards. I do often exaggerate peoples comments but it is never meant to hurt someone. Some say I'm a smarta$$, and I guess I am, but I only mean it in fun. So, once again, no harm was meant.
@sarge12 wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:While I wouldn't necessarily say I "take pride" in having so many cards, I will certainly admit that I like to throw around that I have 45 credit cards (44 V/M/D/A, 1 store card). It's almost more self-deprecating; "can you believe I have so many cards?" along the lines of "can you believe I have so many Hawaiian shirts?". And it's fun to see the horrified reaction (particularly among Dave Ramsey fans). I also enjoy poking holes in the standard arguments against the practice: 1) Your credit score must be terrible (mine's in the 810-835 range), 2) it would be impossible for you to get a mortgage (just refi'd last month without a wrinkle), 3) it must be impossible to keep track of all those accounts (everything is set on autopay from a checking account I keep at a $10k balance, and mint.com allows me to monitor transactions on all of the cards at one glance), 4) you must pay a mint in interest and fees (every account is PIF on due date so I pay no interest, and I have only two cards I pay annual fees on; the Marriott which gives me a free hotel night worth more than the annual fee, and the USBank Travel which every year gives me more than enough bonus points to pay the "fee" with).
Chris.
Having that many makes me feel more comfortable that my 15 wont hurt my score so bad. If you have a house already, it's ok I guess. I know the only reason I have as many as I do is all these 200 dollar bonuses and such. Hard to say no to free money. I do have to ask though. Why did you get that many? Is it the rewards? Just please don't tell me you needed 6-2% rewards cards in case they nerf 5 of them all at the same time.
Well, you don't have to worry about offending me. I think it's rather hilarious that I have 45 cards! 
I did get most of the cards for their startup bonus. I have also been known to be attracted to a good rewards program for the long term, but that consideration is usually secondary to the startup bonus.
As for why I *keep* all 45 cards, well, that's mostly laziness. I just don't see any good reason to take the effort to cancel any of these cards, so the default is to keep them. Aside from that, I've also taken advantage of opportunities to pull a little used card out of the sock drawer and put, say $500 of charges on it to get a $25 statement credit. Issuers love to use these targeted promos in hopes it will bring their card to front-of-wallet. They sometimes particularly zero-in on cards that have been dormant for a while. So I'll take the bait and that card will start getting some use for general purchases, just until I hit the spending requirement, then it goes back into the sock drawer. I see it as all part of the game.
Chris.
@Anonymous wrote:
@sarge12 wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:While I wouldn't necessarily say I "take pride" in having so many cards, I will certainly admit that I like to throw around that I have 45 credit cards (44 V/M/D/A, 1 store card). It's almost more self-deprecating; "can you believe I have so many cards?" along the lines of "can you believe I have so many Hawaiian shirts?". And it's fun to see the horrified reaction (particularly among Dave Ramsey fans). I also enjoy poking holes in the standard arguments against the practice: 1) Your credit score must be terrible (mine's in the 810-835 range), 2) it would be impossible for you to get a mortgage (just refi'd last month without a wrinkle), 3) it must be impossible to keep track of all those accounts (everything is set on autopay from a checking account I keep at a $10k balance, and mint.com allows me to monitor transactions on all of the cards at one glance), 4) you must pay a mint in interest and fees (every account is PIF on due date so I pay no interest, and I have only two cards I pay annual fees on; the Marriott which gives me a free hotel night worth more than the annual fee, and the USBank Travel which every year gives me more than enough bonus points to pay the "fee" with).
Chris.
Having that many makes me feel more comfortable that my 15 wont hurt my score so bad. If you have a house already, it's ok I guess. I know the only reason I have as many as I do is all these 200 dollar bonuses and such. Hard to say no to free money. I do have to ask though. Why did you get that many? Is it the rewards? Just please don't tell me you needed 6-2% rewards cards in case they nerf 5 of them all at the same time.
Well, you don't have to worry about offending me. I think it's rather hilarious that I have 45 cards!
I did get most of the cards for their startup bonus. I have also been known to be attracted to a good rewards program for the long term, but that consideration is usually secondary to the startup bonus.
As for why I *keep* all 45 cards, well, that's mostly laziness. I just don't see any good reason to take the effort to cancel any of these cards, so the default is to keep them. Aside from that, I've also taken advantage of opportunities to pull a little used card out of the sock drawer and put, say $500 of charges on it to get a $25 statement credit. Issuers love to use these targeted promos in hopes it will bring their card to front-of-wallet. They sometimes particularly zero-in on cards that have been dormant for a while. So I'll take the bait and that card will start getting some use for general purchases, just until I hit the spending requirement, then it goes back into the sock drawer. I see it as all part of the game.
Chris.
Now if I had 45 cards, just once I would have to get 2 wallets with about 20 of those cc holders each. You know the ones where you can let them fall out in a long line. I'd go to a restraunt and time to pay have a 5ft line of credit cards from each hand...say pick one!! I can imagine the look on the waiter/waitress face.
