UPDATE: I want an AmEx that I'm not pre-qual'ed for; thoughts? advice?

[Anonymous]

and why is your AAoA so low? i am 24 as of today...

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:
and why is your AAoA so low? i am 24 as of today...

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First off - HAPPY BIRTHDAY! if that is what you're implying.

I am 28 in less than one month. 

I didn't realize the importance of credit until my boyf and I had the marriage + buy a house "american dream" talk. And then I was like... uh, well, sh*t. I had two charged off loans (under $100 each) that were from 6 years ago but they were improperly placed in collections and have been removed... thereby reducing my age of credit until I actively started seeking it - which was November 14, 2014 exactly. So I am trying to build from nothing. I went from 471 to 736 in 6 mos tho, so I can't complain. I see you have the freedom - and I am SO JEALOUS. I recently app'd for the freedom but was denied via recon b/c of a less than 12 mo history. I KNEW they were sticklers for that crap; don't know why I applied. 

At 24 though, you ain't doin' so bad... tell me your tips.

[Anonymous]

yeah today is my birthday. did you just start credit accounts late, stop using credit for a few years or are you positive your AAoA is correct? (no disrespect intended, pure curiosity )

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:
yeah today is my birthday. did you just start credit accounts late, stop using credit for a few years or are you positive yourAAoA is correct? (no disrespect intended, pure curiosity )

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Well hell, shouldn't you be off doing shots in some strip club?! (happy birthday again!)

I stopped utilizing credit after some major issues came up in 2009 immediately after taking out two relatively small signature loans. I had to let the loans be charged off and that kept me from credit for a long while. I didn't start app'ing for cards unitl Nov 2014...simply because I didn't need credit and it wasn't on my radar. I am pretty positive my AAoA is accurate. But I'm here now! And loving it. What prompted you to start when you did?

[Anonymous]

lol i don't do that stuff. i am far passed that stage....

and my mom told me (in 2009) when i was 18 to build it immediately so i obeyed ha. got a $300 secured card and a $1k cd-secured loan. then after about 6 months i was told i could have my $300 back and after another 6 months they raised it to $500. hasn't moved since though lmfao. then in november 2011 i applied for the chase freedom in the branch (never stepped foot in chase prior) and got approved for $1,500 on the spot. then in june or july of 2012 i got a wells fargo card for $3k and kinda just kept going from there. my credit has gone wild crazy in between 2009-2015. went from nothing to 714 to 560 after a divorce back to 670 or so now. ugh.

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:
lol i don't do that stuff. i am far passed that stage....

and my mom told me (in 2009) when i was 18 to build it immediately so i obeyed ha. got a $300 secured card and a $1k cd-secured loan. then after about 6 months i was told i could have my $300 back and after another 6 months they raised it to $500. hasn't moved since though lmfao. then in november 2011 i applied for the chase freedom in the branch (never stepped foot in chase prior) and got approved for $1,500 on the spot. then in june or july of 2012 i got a wells fargo card for $3k and kinda just kept going from there. my credit has gone wild crazy in between 2009-2015. went from nothing to 714 to 560 after a divorce back to 670 or so now. ugh.

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It seems my first response didn't post so I will try again.

My parents were very anti credit. They wracked up a bunch of debt before I was born and managed to knock it down to 1-2 cards by the time I moved out. They've never been okay with adding me as an AU - first time that happened was last week with my boyf. 

Divorced before 24? Must be rough! Sorry to hear it. But you know what they say about  young people and marriage and all that crap...... so surely Mrs./Mr. right is out there for ya somewhere.

What was your first secured card?

[Anonymous]

EDIT: I totally believe a secured loan is the way of the future for people rebuilding or starting from little! Did wonders for me.

[Anonymous]

it was a credit union called capitol credit union. elan financial services handles the cards now

i am male lol

[Anonymous]

what cards do you have

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:
what cards do you have

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I started with Discover IT secured - I initially app'd for discover IT student but was countered with secured ( I had a freaking 471 TU!!!l.. and didn't know it!) So Discover IT Secured $200 - I just increased that to $300 and will probably make it $1000 before my 1 yr mark is up - so it unsecures with a 1k limit

Barclay $250 rewards mastercard - had to go through recon. Lady said "she didnt see much" on my credit file but they could give me a starter limit.

Cap one QS (was a Journey six weeks ago) $300 - had to go through EO to get Journey approval, just went through chat to get QS w/ no AF approval/upgrade

AMEX BCE $1500 - first instant approval I ever saw, score was 720 EX at this point

Bank of America 123 Americard Rewards $500 - recon. 

@$1000 Macys - started @ 600, increased @ 60 days -instant approval but required verification

comenity cards....x5 (yay, shopping card trick!)

@Anonymous just today I was approved for a credit union credit card @ 2500 and a line of credit @ $1000... yay!

Scores from upper 600s to 736.

seriously froze my reports today, haha. need to garden for a year!

Are your current cards the ones in your sig?