topic Re: BCE, Can't decide if now is the time. in Credit Card Approvals

BCE, Can't decide if now is the time.

Anonymous — Sun, 25 Jan 2015 14:53:21 GMT

I would like to apply for a BCE. Ideally not needed until april when 5% on groceries is over on my freedom, but my average age of accounts in 2 years right now because freedom hasn't reported yet which I just opened on the 12th. I have been reading on here for a few weeks. I have used the search to read old threads on this topic but I can not decide my strategy,

I do not have much credit. I have spent the last 15 years fixing 2 years of bad behavior in college and have been gun shy in reestablishing. I have a mortgage opened in 2011, a completed car loan, am AU on a CSP (17000 limit) and the my own new not yet reporting freedom which has a 1500 limit. I have pretty good scores according to myfico (eq 747, tu 755, ex 769), pretty good creditseasame fako (ex 782) and not great scores according to fako CK new model (tu 671 and eq 676). No baddies on recent reports. I had a utility bill in collections in the fall that I paid in full and it is not showing up at all on reports as of last week. car loan shows completed never late and mortgage shows 66 on time payments out of 66 and a large reduction in principle from extra payments.

I was thinking I was waiting until the freedom reported for a while so that I have something of my own reporting, but it is going to bring down my average age of accounts.

I have 3 hp on ex, 2 are from september and January and 1 is from 7/13. I have one on TU from September and two, I think, on EQ (though I am not sure from what or when, I pulled this report last week but didn't print it as it was all good news).

I made about $30000 last year with a career change mid year and expect to make about $35000 this year though I work in commision sales so no exact science in figuring this out in advance.

I mostly am planning on using both the freedom and the BCE if I get it on my everyday purchases, groceries , gas, household... We do $500+ on groceries and about $60 on gas a month.

I do not travel very much and when I do I usually fly jetblue, the amex jetblue card doesn't look like as good of a deal for my spending habits. I would rather pay $200 for tickets than loose the extra cash back on my most common purchases.

Should I wait until March or April or longer to app or should I do it before the new card reports and changes aaoa and shows new accounts?

Re: BCE, Can't decide if now is the time.

Anonymous — Sun, 25 Jan 2015 17:32:53 GMT

Based on the info you provided, I think you would have no trouble getting an instant approval now.

Re: BCE, Can't decide if now is the time.

coffeegal — Sun, 25 Jan 2015 18:26:02 GMT

Based on what you've shared, I say go for it. I was instantly approved for the BCE last week with the scores in my signature and one collection, which has since fallen off.

Re: BCE, Can't decide if now is the time.

Anonymous — Sun, 25 Jan 2015 18:30:32 GMT

Agree with above, but sallie mae might do you better in terms of rewards.

Re: BCE, Can't decide if now is the time.

Anonymous — Sun, 25 Jan 2015 19:35:43 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
I would like to apply for a BCE. Ideally not needed until april when 5% on groceries is over on my freedom, but my average age of accounts in 2 years right now because freedom hasn't reported yet which I just opened on the 12th. I have been reading on here for a few weeks. I have used the search to read old threads on this topic but I can not decide my strategy,

I do not have much credit. I have spent the last 15 years fixing 2 years of bad behavior in college and have been gun shy in reestablishing. I have a mortgage opened in 2011, a completed car loan, am AU on a CSP (17000 limit) and the my own new not yet reporting freedom which has a 1500 limit. I have pretty good scores according to myfico (eq 747, tu 755, ex 769), pretty good creditseasame fako (ex 782) and not great scores according to fako CK new model (tu 671 and eq 676). No baddies on recent reports. I had a utility bill in collections in the fall that I paid in full and it is not showing up at all on reports as of last week. car loan shows completed never late and mortgage shows 66 on time payments out of 66 and a large reduction in principle from extra payments.

I was thinking I was waiting until the freedom reported for a while so that I have something of my own reporting, but it is going to bring down my average age of accounts.

I have 3 hp on ex, 2 are from september and January and 1 is from 7/13. I have one on TU from September and two, I think, on EQ (though I am not sure from what or when, I pulled this report last week but didn't print it as it was all good news).

I made about $30000 last year with a career change mid year and expect to make about $35000 this year though I work in commision sales so no exact science in figuring this out in advance.

I mostly am planning on using both the freedom and the BCE if I get it on my everyday purchases, groceries , gas, household... We do $500+ on groceries and about $60 on gas a month.

I do not travel very much and when I do I usually fly jetblue, the amex jetblue card doesn't look like as good of a deal for my spending habits. I would rather pay $200 for tickets than loose the extra cash back on my most common purchases.

Should I wait until March or April or longer to app or should I do it before the new card reports and changes aaoa and shows new accounts?

Keep us posted!

Re: BCE, Can't decide if now is the time.

Anonymous — Sun, 25 Jan 2015 22:45:18 GMT

Thank you for giving me the courage to do this now.

I applied when I got home from work a few minutes ago, it got stuck on blue spinning wheel thing for a while but while it was doing that i got an approval email. I did not get anything with credit limit or apr from them after the spinning wheel went away it just offered to log me onto my account. I signed in on the site and found out $2000, still don't know apr after 0%bonus. gonna go change my signature line. I guess we will see how this affects my scores in a day or two.

Re: BCE, Can't decide if now is the time.

coffeegal — Sun, 25 Jan 2015 22:51:16 GMT

Congrats!!!

Re: BCE, Can't decide if now is the time.

Anonymous — Mon, 26 Jan 2015 01:08:27 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
Thank you for giving me the courage to do this now.

I applied when I got home from work a few minutes ago, it got stuck on blue spinning wheel thing for a while but while it was doing that i got an approval email. I did not get anything with credit limit or apr from them after the spinning wheel went away it just offered to log me onto my account. I signed in on the site and found out $2000, still don't know apr after 0%bonus. gonna go change my signature line. I guess we will see how this affects my scores in a day or two.

@Anonymous,

Congrats..

Re: BCE, Can't decide if now is the time.

Anonymous — Mon, 26 Jan 2015 01:18:41 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
Thank you for giving me the courage to do this now.

I applied when I got home from work a few minutes ago, it got stuck on blue spinning wheel thing for a while but while it was doing that i got an approval email. I did not get anything with credit limit or apr from them after the spinning wheel went away it just offered to log me onto my account. I signed in on the site and found out $2000, still don't know apr after 0%bonus. gonna go change my signature line. I guess we will see how this affects my scores in a day or two.

Congratulations on your approval for your Amex BCE! Continue Success in The World of Credit Cards!

Re: BCE, Can't decide if now is the time.

Anonymous — Mon, 26 Jan 2015 02:05:16 GMT

Rock on!

Re: BCE, Can't decide if now is the time.

alvon123 — Mon, 26 Jan 2015 10:31:39 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
Thank you for giving me the courage to do this now.

I applied when I got home from work a few minutes ago, it got stuck on blue spinning wheel thing for a while but while it was doing that i got an approval email. I did not get anything with credit limit or apr from them after the spinning wheel went away it just offered to log me onto my account. I signed in on the site and found out $2000, still don't know apr after 0%bonus. gonna go change my signature line. I guess we will see how this affects my scores in a day or two.

congrats

Re: BCE, Can't decide if now is the time.

Anonymous — Mon, 26 Jan 2015 13:07:40 GMT

How long will it take to see how the HP is affecting my score. It hasnt allerted yet on CK or on myfico. My scores are so far unchanged. I realize it has only been like 14 hours.

Re: BCE, Can't decide if now is the time.

Anonymous — Mon, 26 Jan 2015 18:09:40 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
Thank you for giving me the courage to do this now.

I applied when I got home from work a few minutes ago, it got stuck on blue spinning wheel thing for a while but while it was doing that i got an approval email. I did not get anything with credit limit or apr from them after the spinning wheel went away it just offered to log me onto my account. I signed in on the site and found out $2000, still don't know apr after 0%bonus. gonna go change my signature line. I guess we will see how this affects my scores in a day or two.

I used the CHAT feature while I was logged in and found out my apr and they even gave me an exact date of when my 0% would end.

Re: BCE, Can't decide if now is the time.

Anonymous — Mon, 26 Jan 2015 18:10:47 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
How long will it take to see how the HP is affecting my score. It hasnt allerted yet on CK or on myfico. My scores are so far unchanged. I realize it has only been like 14 hours.

The HP would be for EX. Nothing CK would know.

Re: BCE, Can't decide if now is the time.

Anonymous — Mon, 26 Jan 2015 23:28:28 GMT

So my ex score drop was 15pts. leaving me at 754. Myfico didn't update until this evening.

Re: BCE, Can't decide if now is the time.

Anonymous — Mon, 26 Jan 2015 23:52:00 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
So my ex score drop was 15pts. leaving me at 754. Myfico didn't update until this evening.

That's because your file is thin. As time goes on and it thickens up, you won't see that much of a drop from a single inquiry.

Re: BCE, Can't decide if now is the time.

Anonymous — Mon, 02 Feb 2015 01:15:49 GMT

So at the urging of my mother who uses her travel rewards cards to travel all the time I apped for the Barclay USAir wmc on friday. She was pushing it because for the cost of the AF I could get my airline tickets for a much needed vacation (that I always say I can't afford, which isnt true per se, its just that if I miss work I dont make any money since I work for commission). She also pushed my brother (who is in grad school and doesnt have a job but does have some investment income and will be on paid internship all summer) to get it and he did call recon and got it approved. I know I just got two other cards in January (my BCE that this thread is about came yesterday), and I got the 7-10 day message on the Barclays app. I decided to app, not because she was pushing me though she has a point (and she has had this card for as long as I can remember), but because while they had the large bonus for one purchase and AF AND before the card is no longer available because of the merger with American that I would try for it.

I havent tried recon as it is a weekend and they (people i should talk to) probably arent at work and also I work weekends so I wasn't home to deal with it. I have checked the status it is still being processed.

I did find out (and apparently hadnt noticed before)that despite my current mortgage and now paid off car loan being reported in my married name TU had my only known name as my maiden name on my report and they will not fix it through online dispute I will need to mail them a copy of my DL and marriage certificate. They also had my mothers address as my current address which I have since fixed. I hope this doesn't cause a problem with this app, so far it is the only report they have pulled.

edited for punctuation

Re: BCE, Can't decide if now is the time.

gdale6 — Mon, 02 Feb 2015 02:18:05 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
So at the urging of my mother who uses her travel rewards cards to travel all the time I apped for the Barclay USAir wmc on friday. She was pushing it because for the cost of the AF I could get my airline tickets for a much needed vacation (that I always say I can't afford, which isnt true per se, its just that if I miss work I dont make any money since I work for commission). She also pushed my brother (who is in grad school and doesnt have a job but does have some investment income and will be on paid internship all summer) to get it and he did call recon and got it approved. I know I just got two other cards in January (my BCE that this thread is about came yesterday), and I got the 7-10 day message on the Barclays app. I decided to app, not because she was pushing me though she has a point (and she has had this card for as long as I can remember), but because while they had the large bonus for one purchase and AF AND before the card is no longer available because of the merger with American that I would try for it.

I havent tried recon as it is a weekend and they (people i should talk to) probably arent at work and also I work weekends so I wasn't home to deal with it. I have checked the status it is still being processed.

I did find out (and apparently hadnt noticed before)that despite my current mortgage and now paid off car loan being reported in my married name TU had my only known name as my maiden name on my report and they will not fix it through online dispute I will need to mail them a copy of my DL and marriage certificate. They also had my mothers address as my current address which I have since fixed. I hope this doesn't cause a problem with this app, so far it is the only report they have pulled.

edited for punctuation

If you dont have the approval by tomorrow morning just give them a call, they are one of the easiest to recon with IMO, be prepared to answer questions, good luck

Re: BCE, Can't decide if now is the time.

Anonymous — Wed, 04 Feb 2015 02:49:36 GMT

They did not approve and I decided not to recon. I have no revolving accounts showing on my TU report yet. Several closed accounts and my AU account that show on my other reports are missing from the TU report. I do not need the card, I was just dreaming of a vacation and being prodded by my mother. I am very happy with the two cards I got in January.