When I got my Platinum Visa last December, my SL was $5000. In June I will have had it 6 months. From information for others on the forum, I know that if I request a CLI, it will be a hard pull; the problem for me, is that since it is EQ, I have too many inquiries due to purchasing a new vehicle last summer, so I will probably forsake trying to get an increase from them and focus more on BCE and ED as they pull EX and I have less inquiries. I'm like you in that I don't really understand how USAA works. I joined to get a auto loan, but their rate was not as competitive as the rate I got from BBVA (but took a hit with inquires from the dealer), but was pre-approved for the card and at the time, it was only my second CC. I was big on paying cash for everything except for auto loans and needed to improve my credit score. I went from 583 to 685 in less than a year, so although I don't expect any higher limit from USAA, it and Capital One have helped my score. What have they said when they denied the CLI? I know that if I tried, the biggest red flag for me would be 4 new accounts (Venture One, BBVA Amex, BCE, and ED), but like I said, I can't afford to burn an inquiry when I don't feel that my odds are good right now. The only other card I would want is Discover, but been turned down for inquiries, so trying to garden for next 14 months when major amount of inquires fall off.
