Still faithfully in the Garden.
Not feeling as perky and upbeat as I was before about my credit, i dont know why. I think since i've gotten what I really wanted i'm not as interested anymore..
My new promotion is very stressful with the amount of work so that may play a part, and all my hard work getting the util. down is starting to wither away day by day with balances reporting. I'm not liking that at all.Guess im in a credit funk 
Eh.......I can say for the first time since I started my rebuilding journey 3/15/2011 I feel complete. No need for any other apps. My focus for the next 11 months is watch my EQ INQ's and "seeking credit" ding go bye bye! Same for EX INQ's. Hoping to be somewhere near 720 by 3/13.
My hands and feet are firmly planted in the soil! 
LS2982 wrote:Still faithfully in the Garden.
Not feeling as perky and upbeat as I was before about my credit, i dont know why. I think since i've gotten what I really wanted i'm not as interested anymore..
My new promotion is very stressful with the amount of work so that may play a part, and all my hard work getting the util. down is starting to wither away day by day with balances reporting. I'm not liking that at all.Guess im in a credit funk
Eh.......I can say for the first time since I started my rebuilding journey 3/15/2011 I feel complete. No need for any other apps. My focus for the next 11 months is watch my EQ INQ's and "seeking credit" ding go bye bye! Same for EX INQ's. Hoping to be somewhere near 720 by 3/13.
My hands and feet are firmly planted in the soil!
The soil is a good place for them to be planted.
LS2982 wrote:Still faithfully in the Garden.
Not feeling as perky and upbeat as I was before about my credit, i dont know why. I think since i've gotten what I really wanted i'm not as interested anymore..
My new promotion is very stressful with the amount of work so that may play a part, and all my hard work getting the util. down is starting to wither away day by day with balances reporting. I'm not liking that at all.Guess im in a credit funk
Eh.......I can say for the first time since I started my rebuilding journey 3/15/2011 I feel complete. No need for any other apps. My focus for the next 11 months is watch my EQ INQ's and "seeking credit" ding go bye bye! Same for EX INQ's. Hoping to be somewhere near 720 by 3/13.
My hands and feet are firmly planted in the soil!
Mine too... when the number of inq surpasses the number of folded socks In your sock drawer.... it's time to step away from the happy appy button!
Starting Score: 08/29/2011 TU 671 EQ 674Current Score (myFico + Amex): April 2013 TU 754 EQ 694 EX 694
Wallet: NFCU Visa Sig 25k, Amex Lowes 22k, NavCheck 15k, Amex PRG, Amex Zync, Discover It 13.5k, Amazon Visa 5k
Silver Spade Garden Club Member: App Free since 1/1/13. No more apps til 2014
MyFICO Fitness Goal: 800s Club!
Take the myFICO Fitness Challenge
I had been in "garden mode" since December 2010 (opened a Bill Me Later account). I was saving my next app for a new car loan this summer. However, I gave in to temptation about 3 weeks ago when I app'd for an Amex BCE. I kept reading posts on the MyFICO forums about how it is a soft pull for existing Amex cardmembers (been a cardmember for 23 years) if you are denied. I figured it was worth the risk.
I got denied (boo hoo!). But at least I got my EX FICO score out of it (698 as of 3/3/12 according to the denial letter, although my app was on 3/23/12). I have a few 30-day lates, 1 from Feb 2010 and 2 from 2005 that will drop off my reports this summer. No other derogs, but util is pretty high. Last fall we had close to $30K in credit card debt and now we're down to roughly $14K - and should have it all paid off in the next 5 or 6 months.
Anyway, today in the mail I received a letter from AMEX and it reads:
"We recently reviewed your American Express accounts, and based on your good standing, we are pleased to provide you with the option to extend payment over time on eligible charges of $100 or more you make with your American Express Card. Keep in mind that your total Pay Over Time outstanding balance may not exceed $35,000, unless we notify you of a different amount.
When your bill arrives, simply select which eligible charges you want to pay over time. Then, go online to www.americanexpress.com/selectandpay or call us to transfer these charges to the Pay Over Time portion of your Card account."
There's a couple more small paragraphs in the letter and then they closed the letter with "We are pleased to welcome you back. I hope you will find that this feature is a great way to enjoy more freedom whenever you use the American Express Card."
Welcome me back?? I've had two AMEX cards for the past 23 years (Gold and Optima)....I never left and have always had my AMEX accounts in good standing (never late, etc.) and I don't carry a balance on either of them. About 20 years ago, I did use the Sign & Travel feature to purchase airline tickets and carried that balance for about 3 months and then paid it off. Only used the Sign & Travel feature that one time.
They didn't want to give me a BCE, and yet now they tell me I can carry a balance on my Gold card, up to $35,000? Gotta love Amex's bizarre way of doing things!
Oh, one other thing - received an email from Bill Me Later last week - they increased my credit limit from $2250 to $2850! I didn't even have to ask. Love that Bill Me Later - use that for 0% interest for 6-months and nothing reports on my CRs.
I guess I can't complain too much - still no new inquiries! 
I saw Frugal’s long-term plan and several others, and just thought I would formalize and share my gardening plan in writing – it helps to actually visualize long-term goals, and also provides accountability.
- My current plan is to keep paying down my CC utilization while not apping for any new credit in 2012. I am praying that I can get this all paid off by the end of the year.
- In January, 2013 I want to apply for an AMEX charge, and maybe also one of their revolvers at the same time (hoping to get lucky and get 2 cards with only one HP). The reason for the AMEX is the backdating to 2006 when I had a gold card. Current AAoA is 5 years on EX and would be around 6 years by that time, so that would help a bit and definitely not hurt. I would still have 6 inquiries showing on Experian, but none within the past year – is this feasible?
- No additional apps from that point on until I buy a house in 2014. This would allow me to have only one inquiry showing over the previous 2 years, and hopefully have a credit score in the mid-700s.
- Maybe try for a CLI on my Citi Diamond Preferred in August ‘12 (open for one year at that point), but only if it is a SP. Definitely a call-in on that one.
- Speaking of SPs, continue to work on getting everything I can from GE (Amazon, PayPal, and Walmart) with regular CLI requests every 4 months.
- Oops, forgot one… I may try for the PenFed Platinum Rewards card around the middle of 2013 if my scores are high enough. One of those inquiries I wasted in 2011 was actually a good one – joined PenFed at that time.
Thoughts/Concerns? Sound like a good plan?
CribDuchess wrote:I had been in "garden mode" since December 2010 (opened a Bill Me Later account). I was saving my next app for a new car loan this summer. However, I gave in to temptation about 3 weeks ago when I app'd for an Amex BCE. I kept reading posts on the MyFICO forums about how it is a soft pull for existing Amex cardmembers (been a cardmember for 23 years) if you are denied. I figured it was worth the risk.
I got denied (boo hoo!). But at least I got my EX FICO score out of it (698 as of 3/3/12 according to the denial letter, although my app was on 3/23/12). I have a few 30-day lates, 1 from Feb 2010 and 2 from 2005 that will drop off my reports this summer. No other derogs, but util is pretty high. Last fall we had close to $30K in credit card debt and now we're down to roughly $14K - and should have it all paid off in the next 5 or 6 months.
Anyway, today in the mail I received a letter from AMEX and it reads:
"We recently reviewed your American Express accounts, and based on your good standing, we are pleased to provide you with the option to extend payment over time on eligible charges of $100 or more you make with your American Express Card. Keep in mind that your total Pay Over Time outstanding balance may not exceed $35,000, unless we notify you of a different amount.
When your bill arrives, simply select which eligible charges you want to pay over time. Then, go online to www.americanexpress.com/selectandpay or call us to transfer these charges to the Pay Over Time portion of your Card account."
There's a couple more small paragraphs in the letter and then they closed the letter with "We are pleased to welcome you back. I hope you will find that this feature is a great way to enjoy more freedom whenever you use the American Express Card."
Welcome me back?? I've had two AMEX cards for the past 23 years (Gold and Optima)....I never left and have always had my AMEX accounts in good standing (never late, etc.) and I don't carry a balance on either of them. About 20 years ago, I did use the Sign & Travel feature to purchase airline tickets and carried that balance for about 3 months and then paid it off. Only used the Sign & Travel feature that one time.
They didn't want to give me a BCE, and yet now they tell me I can carry a balance on my Gold card, up to $35,000? Gotta love Amex's bizarre way of doing things!
Oh, one other thing - received an email from Bill Me Later last week - they increased my credit limit from $2250 to $2850! I didn't even have to ask. Love that Bill Me Later - use that for 0% interest for 6-months and nothing reports on my CRs.
I guess I can't complain too much - still no new inquiries!
Gotta luv Amex!
I didn't know that the 'Bill Me Later' didn't show up on CR's. I may have to....Nope! I'm not apping. Back to my garden I go.
TNTransplant wrote:I saw Frugal’s long-term plan and several others, and just thought I would formalize and share my gardening plan in writing – it helps to actually visualize long-term goals, and also provides accountability.
- My current plan is to keep paying down my CC utilization while not apping for any new credit in 2012. I am praying that I can get this all paid off by the end of the year.
- In January, 2013 I want to apply for an AMEX charge, and maybe also one of their revolvers at the same time (hoping to get lucky and get 2 cards with only one HP). The reason for the AMEX is the backdating to 2006 when I had a gold card. Current AAoA is 5 years on EX and would be around 6 years by that time, so that would help a bit and definitely not hurt. I would still have 6 inquiries showing on Experian, but none within the past year – is this feasible?
- No additional apps from that point on until I buy a house in 2014. This would allow me to have only one inquiry showing over the previous 2 years, and hopefully have a credit score in the mid-700s.
- Maybe try for a CLI on my Citi Diamond Preferred in August ‘12 (open for one year at that point), but only if it is a SP. Definitely a call-in on that one.
- Speaking of SPs, continue to work on getting everything I can from GE (Amazon, PayPal, and Walmart) with regular CLI requests every 4 months.
- Oops, forgot one… I may try for the PenFed Platinum Rewards card around the middle of 2013 if my scores are high enough. One of those inquiries I wasted in 2011 was actually a good one – joined PenFed at that time.
Thoughts/Concerns? Sound like a good plan?
Sounds good to me!
webhopper wrote:
beachbum33 wrote:Still here after 3 weeks
Need to get my average age up and inquires down, I keep telling myself that, it helps!!!
Have been app free for 30 days... I like the ideas that others have posted about making a plan to app, so that you're not just sort of waiting around telling yourself not to app. I like the idea of making a plan that you want to app for such and such on such and such date. Seems like that would be better than having a sort of nebulous goal of not apping.
I think setting a long term goal is a good idea, I'm just sorta in the middle though. Had to BK late in 2009, thus the large amount of inquiries to rebuild, have a car loan and several cc's and really don't need anything til June of 2015 when my kid will need a car, followed by assistance with tuition loans the year after that. Basically I need to garden, save, and continue to be up to date with each payment which I have been since my bk!
