Well, I'm in the garden now...

[Jishosan]

For all the wonderful work I've done in the past year to raise my credit score, the big negative that's dragged me down was the lack of credit that had been extended to me.

I decided to bit the bullet and grab a few cards, and managed to get approved. Here is where I started:

Capital One Platinum: $3,000

Orchard Bank: $300

I called and applied for CLI on these cards. Orchard bank gave me a small one (the customary $100), and Capital One put a recommendation for increase in their system for the next review cycle. I'm not "eligible for a customer requested increase" it seems.

I applied for a few card: Chase Southwest Rapid Rewards (Approved), Best Buy Mastercard (Denied, denied on recon), Capital One Venture (Denied, no recon yet), Barclays Apple VIsa (Approved), and Chase Freedom (Denied, Approved on Recon).  So, where does that leave me?

Chase SW Rewards: $5500

Capital One: $3000

Barclays Card: $2000

Chase Freedom: $2000

Orchard Bank: $400

From $3300 credit extended to me to $12,900. I think that's pretty good work. I've set up a schedule to make requests every 4-6 months for CLI, and have been moving my standard monthly expenses to the cards and paying them off to get a good rotation of usage. Hopefully, after my 2 year gardening period, both my credit score and my available credit will be worlds apart from where I started.

[Razeus]

Sounds like a great app spree day! Congrats!  Not a bad line up at all. But I'd totally put the Orchard Bank card out to pasture.  

[irving_magik]

Congrats on the approval and welcome to the garden. I'm app free since January, but I'm actually just wating till November to jump out for my own app spree...

[tinuviel]

Congratulations on a nice round of approvals! Feel free to come join us in the Garden Club thread; you'll find a lot of other folks sitting back and enjoying the garden.

[CruzImperial]

Congratulations!!

It's always nice to increase the total CL available. Very nice rounds indeed >)

[Jishosan]

Thanks, all! Got my piece of paper from Capital One, so I called to recon. They couldn't overturn the decision, but once again made a note on my account recommending that I get a CLI on my next review. That doesn't guarantee it by any means, but I'm told it helps. I could care less about getting MORE cards (though I have a WHOLE lot of Visa, and not much anything else), just want to increase the overall CL number.

I'll be working the cards on a 6 month increase request rotation and, with any luck, double my available credit by the time my gardening is over. 

[nicholasyud]

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@Jishosan wrote:

For all the wonderful work I've done in the past year to raise my credit score, the big negative that's dragged me down was the lack of credit that had been extended to me.

I decided to bit the bullet and grab a few cards, and managed to get approved. Here is where I started:

Capital One Platinum: $3,000

Orchard Bank: $300

I called and applied for CLI on these cards. Orchard bank gave me a small one (the customary $100), and Capital One put a recommendation for increase in their system for the next review cycle. I'm not "eligible for a customer requested increase" it seems.

I applied for a few card: Chase Southwest Rapid Rewards (Approved), Best Buy Mastercard (Denied, denied on recon), Capital One Venture (Denied, no recon yet), Barclays Apple VIsa (Approved), and Chase Freedom (Denied, Approved on Recon).  So, where does that leave me?

Chase SW Rewards: $5500

Capital One: $3000

Barclays Card: $2000

Chase Freedom: $2000

Orchard Bank: $400

From $3300 credit extended to me to $12,900. I think that's pretty good work. I've set up a schedule to make requests every 4-6 months for CLI, and have been moving my standard monthly expenses to the cards and paying them off to get a good rotation of usage. Hopefully, after my 2 year gardening period, both my credit score and my available credit will be worlds apart from where I started.

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1. How did you get 3000 dollars on cap plantimum ?

2. How did your credit score jumb more than 100 points after 2 3 weeks ?

3, Did you apply it all in one day ?

thats very good work....I would love to get like 10000 in credit but right now only 1400 on 3 cards ;-(

[Jishosan]

I got my Capital One Platinum card in 2006, and it was the first CC I ever had. I have a high household income, and had no credit history. They approved me for 3k, but it's never gone up since then. Mostly, because I've carried a VERY high UTIL balance on it since I got it. 

My score actually jumped 100 points in a year, from July 2011, to July 2012. Mostly that was paying off a car loan last December, plus working out some deals to pay back credit accounts in exchange for letting reporting lapse, so the items are removed from my credit report. 

I applied for all of them in the same week. I got all but 2 of them, but one I had to recon to get. 

My credit score has actually dropped by about 10 points, between the CC inquiries and the inquiries for my new vehicle. I'm cooling my jets now, figuring that i took a temporary hit, but in 2 years, after increases, responsible usage, and on-time payment for both installment and revolving credit accounts, my credit score will look better than ever. 

[SportBike4Life]

grats on all of your approvals!