Advice on building credit while being student

[Anonymous]

I've lurked this forum for a lot of time now and i've picked a few things along the way that has helped me. I started my journey with the credit "game" on may 2017 with my first secured card (US BANK - 300$) if I had known better I should've gone with another credit union but mistakes happen, I've loved everything that has to do with credit and i find it very interesting and actually fun (weird for a 20 yo,or so i've been told, lol). I looked around for my first credit card on may but i got denied several times which I did not know fully what inquiries were (my fault for no looking things up first). I am currently in college and have a few loans that don't require payment till I graduate ~10,000$. Currently looking for a job while I study but I haven't found anything yet, my goal is to reach low ~700+ with the best time possible. I don't have much debt aside of the student loan and a camera I had to buy for college that I'm paying and plan to pay it off. 

My cards are:

US BANK secured- 300$ Spending Limit - Balance 50$ will be paid off and leave like 5-10$ on statement

Amazon Store Prime(synchrony)- 700$ Spending Limit- Balance 300$ always paying more than min

Discover It- 500$ Spendind limit (I almost jumped around since this was the card I always wanted) hasn't arrived yet nor has been posted to my report but this one will never carry a balance. 

Those balances were before I learned that utilization was a big deal, a rookie mistake. 

TransUnion has me at ~657 via usbank free fico

Experian ~662 via app

Equifax ~650 via experian app

I have a lot of HP from the days I didn't knew they were precious, what are my best options to rise a few points every month?

I've learned a lot from reading here but I'd like some advice directed to my situation personally. 

1. Do I apply for more cards even though I have a few pulls?

2. I hear Discover "checks your file" every 90 days or so for CLI without HP, true?

3. Any other advice, I'm all ears, I truly love playing with my scores and finances. 

Thanks in advance 

[Anonymous]

1) Congrats 👏👏
On where you are so far, I've got a 19 & 21 going through the same period.

* So far so good, you "get" utilization
You're doing GREAT

The aging/length of credit will happen as it happens...
You'll be 25, dare I say 30 before you know

The utilization isn't a deal because
a) You understand that you control it, which is ALL I care about...you understand that if/when your debt is high your score is suppressed = Not the time to app for the car loan
b) Now that you 'know' the game you've 'got' it for Life
Most times right now in school you're not applying for ish so ...no need to over stress ( you don't want to die of interest cost but a few months of paying down a debt doesn't kill a score indefinitely, as long as you get that, we're good)

IMO
#1 = NO you've got 3 revolving TLs, scores growing in the mid 600's
Adding additional CCs doesn't DO anything particularly helpful...allow those HPs to age out of significant importance ( you've got nothing but TIME anyway kid😉)

Remember, the ideal #of revolvers is 3 you're there👍

#2 Yes Discover ( and many lenders do what's called AR ( account review) some every other month, others like Disco every quarter, others every six months)

However, you can request a CLI from Disco via the Luv button online and they will either evaluate the request as a SP or they will ASK if it's ok to HP, just say No to the HP...it's no biggie, if they ask for a HP I just click cancel the request no harm no foul ( don't be alarmed even with the cancelled request they'll send out the AA letter, cause their overly CYAing themselves regarding notices required by law don't free I used to get get them every month I requested and pulled the app it's no big deal) just FYI you can CLI with Disco via your request or their action

#3
The ONLY other credit item you could consider IMO is adding an installment TL to complete the ideal profile of 3 revolving + 1 installer thus showing multiple TLs managed + credit variety/mix

Again not required but since you're all ears and gong ho to play the Chess game.

I LOVE the SSL for young folks because it Geminis both credit building and building savings at the same time

The SSL allows for the de facto act of 'saving' 💰 to build credit ... I love the fact that the exercise of "paying" into a loan can result in both positive credit building and at the end the builder has say $500 or $1000 in savings, an amount more than half American adults can't produce within the next 48 hours if they had to ( yet my college student ( with good credit) just saved it AS he/she built credit = Sexy )

I'm sure you already know how to add a SSL or credit builder loan, as you've been on thus forum awhile that is the only thing else you can do IMO other than let TINE and the Sun do what they do.

I'm EXCITED for you, I know as you leave college you'll have an above 700 Thick matured unstoppable profile not much else to do now except let the calendar roll and stay 'good'

Best of Luck

Btw get the longest SSL term you can get 4-5 years to benefit from an open managed TL as long as possible, in conjunction with the revolvers + the longer it's open the further away the 10 year post closing countdown takes you
That is a one year loan will stay on as positive juice for 10 years once closed for a total of 11 years bet positive whereas a 4 year loan = 4 years open + 10 closed gives you 14 positive time on you profile for the same loan, so the benefits of keeping it open as long as possible are worth it, all things considered.✌