topic Re: My friend wanted me to ask the experts on here about his Chase application in Credit Card Applications

My friend wanted me to ask the experts on here about his Chase application

MikeyMagic — Mon, 30 Oct 2023 05:00:04 GMT

Hello everyone

My friend is also starting his credit journey and I tried to convince him to do a few secured cards but he isn't interested in that. He told me he has no credit history like me.

He told me that he applied tonight online for the Chase Freedom Flex when he really meant to apply for the Freedom Rise(which is I guess the card by Chase for people with no credit). He got an email telling him the application is under review and he'll get something in writing in 7-10 days. But he is adamant about reapplying now online for the Rise. He thinks since he wasn't even flatly rejected for the Flex, he is confident he would get approved for the Rise.

I told him he should wait until Monday morning and call Chase and explain it to them and see if he can convince them to change his preference to the Rise and that he made a mistake. My buddy doesn't think they will work with him like that but he doesn't obv know of course. He is just speculating.

What should I tell my friend? Apply tonight or tomorrow for the Rise or call Chase and see if they could approve him for the Rise instead of the Flex without him having to apply again and have Chase to another Hard Pull? Or tell him another suggestion?

Please let me know. I can't believe he did that but he told me he got confused. Does this even happen a lot?

Thanks to all

Re: My friend wanted me to ask the experts on here about his Chase application

Adkins — Mon, 30 Oct 2023 08:12:30 GMT

I would have him call Chase during business hours today, and explain the mistaken application. I don't expect Chase to move the current HP to the new application but nothing is certain until he asks. The 7-10 days notification can be a denial or a identification verification request.

Re: My friend wanted me to ask the experts on here about his Chase application

coldfusion — Mon, 30 Oct 2023 10:47:03 GMT

@Adkins wrote:
I would have him call Chase during business hours today, and explain the mistaken application. I don't expect Chase to move the current HP to the new application but nothing is certain until he asks. The 7-10 days notification can be a denial or a identification verification request.

^^^^^ this

In general isn't a good practice to apply for a card when you already have a different card application still under review with the same issuer either.

Re: My friend wanted me to ask the experts on here about his Chase application

MikeyMagic — Mon, 30 Oct 2023 13:51:16 GMT

@coldfusion wrote:
@Adkins wrote:
I would have him call Chase during business hours today, and explain the mistaken application. I don't expect Chase to move the current HP to the new application but nothing is certain until he asks. The 7-10 days notification can be a denial or a identification verification request.

^^^^^ this

In general isn't a good practice to apply for a card when you already have a different card application still under review with the same issuer either.

Well my friend just texted me and told me he decided to apply this morning for the Rise and got denied. Which is weird right? Because he is in a review 7-10 days for the Flex where he doesn't even qualify yet the Rise(the card he should qualify for) rejected him.

He called and spoke to someone in the reconsideration line he told me and said the guy is now sending the application to another department and he'll know the decision in 2 weeks. He's excited now but also worried.

I don't know anything about how this stuff works so I have no answers for him. Is that good? Bad? Does he have a better chance now?

Any thoughts would be appreciated so I can calm him down haha.

Thx

Re: My friend wanted me to ask the experts on here about his Chase application

coldfusion — Mon, 30 Oct 2023 16:21:32 GMT

This morning's denial isn't wierd - it's a coherent outcome given that no final decision has been made on yesterday's application.

In the grand scheme he did himself no favor by applying again this morning* but insofar as odds of approval for the Freedom Flex I don't think it would influence that decision one way or the other much if at all.

"2 weeks" usually means that the application is being reviewed by a more senior underwriter and more often than not it's reason to be hopeful. Your friend can also call 1-800-453-9719 and follow the Robolady instructions to get an automated update on their application status.

* by taking an additional inquiry on Experian, plus possibly one on either Transunion or Equifax, without a positive outcome.

Re: My friend wanted me to ask the experts on here about his Chase application

MikeyMagic — Mon, 30 Oct 2023 16:29:45 GMT

@coldfusion wrote:
This morning's denial isn't wierd - it's a coherent outcome given that no final decision has been made on yesterday's application.

In the grand scheme he did himself no favor by applying again this morning* but insofar as odds of approval for the Freedom Flex I don't think it would influence that decision one way or the other much if at all.

"2 weeks" usually means that the application is being reviewed by a more senior underwriter and more often than not it's reason to be hopeful. Your friend can also call 1-800-453-9719 and follow the Robolady instructions to get an automated update on their application status.

* by taking an additional inquiry on Experian, plus possibly one on either Transunion or Equifax, without a positive outcome.

This is unbelievable. My buddy just calls me all excited. He tells me he decided to call Chase's verification department and gets verified. Then he told me they put him on hold and gave him an approval for his Freedom Rise application with a $500 unsecured credit limit!!

I mean I am happy for him but what the heck is this? He applies for 2 Chase Cards(1 by mistake but still), you guys said that is not a good thing to do. He gets denied for the Rise Card, calls and ends up approved for $500 unsecured!! I'm jealous.

You guys think I should apply now too? I have the Discover It Secured Card for $500, the Amazon Secured for $200 and the Cap1 Platinum Card Unsecured for $300. I would love to get in with Chase but maybe with me having all these new cards they won't approve me.

He told me he doesn't want to do any Secured Cards and I told him he should. I guess he proved me wrong because I didn't think he would get approved for that Rise Card smh. And he turned a denial into an approval in hours too. Unreal.

Re: My friend wanted me to ask the experts on here about his Chase application

Rogue46 — Mon, 30 Oct 2023 18:59:24 GMT

@MikeyMagic

I don't see any reason why you shouldn't apply for the Rise card, After all it's target audience is folks that are just starting out so it seems to fit your profile perfectly

Worse case is the deny you and you get a HP, It's not the end of the world.

Re: My friend wanted me to ask the experts on here about his Chase application

NoMoreE46 — Mon, 30 Oct 2023 19:21:42 GMT

What is your #/24 status @MikeyMagic ? If you are under 5/24, check this to maybe improve your chances:

Buying into Chase's Freedom Rise card - myFICO® Forums - 6710634

@MikeyMagic wrote:
This is unbelievable. My buddy just calls me all excited. He tells me he decided to call Chase's verification department and gets verified. Then he told me they put him on hold and gave him an approval for his Freedom Rise application with a $500 unsecured credit limit!!

I mean I am happy for him but what the heck is this? He applies for 2 Chase Cards(1 by mistake but still), you guys said that is not a good thing to do. He gets denied for the Rise Card, calls and ends up approved for $500 unsecured!! I'm jealous.

You guys think I should apply now too? I have the Discover It Secured Card for $500, the Amazon Secured for $200 and the Cap1 Platinum Card Unsecured for $300. I would love to get in with Chase but maybe with me having all these new cards they won't approve me.

He told me he doesn't want to do any Secured Cards and I told him he should. I guess he proved me wrong because I didn't think he would get approved for that Rise Card smh. And he turned a denial into an approval in hours too. Unreal.

Re: My friend wanted me to ask the experts on here about his Chase application

MikeyMagic — Mon, 30 Oct 2023 20:23:25 GMT

@NoMoreE46 wrote:
What is your #/24 status @MikeyMagic ? If you are under 5/24, check this to maybe improve your chances:

Buying into Chase's Freedom Rise card - myFICO® Forums - 6710634

@MikeyMagic wrote:
This is unbelievable. My buddy just calls me all excited. He tells me he decided to call Chase's verification department and gets verified. Then he told me they put him on hold and gave him an approval for his Freedom Rise application with a $500 unsecured credit limit!!

I mean I am happy for him but what the heck is this? He applies for 2 Chase Cards(1 by mistake but still), you guys said that is not a good thing to do. He gets denied for the Rise Card, calls and ends up approved for $500 unsecured!! I'm jealous.

You guys think I should apply now too? I have the Discover It Secured Card for $500, the Amazon Secured for $200 and the Cap1 Platinum Card Unsecured for $300. I would love to get in with Chase but maybe with me having all these new cards they won't approve me.

He told me he doesn't want to do any Secured Cards and I told him he should. I guess he proved me wrong because I didn't think he would get approved for that Rise Card smh. And he turned a denial into an approval in hours too. Unreal.

So I have 3/24 and I just checked my Experian score and it was 596 which I don't understand. My TransUnion is 670. Experian said I had 5 hard pulls in the past 6 months and my credit utilization is 17%. And it dinged me for only having 1 month as my longest account.

That stupid Synchrony bank reported to this bureau to my 2 purchases even though I've had the Amazon Secured Card for 10 days when I bought the stuff smh. The balance is already paid off and it shows that on TransUnion but not Experian. I did apply for 2 cards before I understood what I was doing. Now I would do pre-qualifying so my credit score doesn't show hard pulls. But a couple months ago I didn't know. So 2 cards(I don't even remember which ones) rejected me and then I got 3 cards on my profile(2 Secured and 1 Cap1 Unsecured).

My worry is I read your link and it states that Chase wants this to be someone's first card. I already have 3. Plus my Experian score is shockingly bad compared to TransUnion and I read that Chase pulls from Experian.

Should I still apply? I always think of Chase with these high limits given out so it is weird to see my friend get only $500. But it's a way in with Chase right? I'd probably get the same limit if approved. Just worried I won't and do I need another card right now? I want to apply though lol.

What do you and others think?

Re: My friend wanted me to ask the experts on here about his Chase application

JoeRockhead — Mon, 30 Oct 2023 20:42:05 GMT

A $500 SL is pretty common for Chase especially where a thin file is concerned. Just my opinion but, I wouldn't apply for anything with Chase (or anyone else for the time being) until all your FICO 8 scores are north of 670. The closer you get to 700+, the better as they'll likely double pull you. You seem eager and anxious to move on to the next thing (we all have been there). Consider waiting until you have a bit more age and higher scores across the board (and preserve your 3/24). Chase is a great lender to be in with. If you are good to them, they can be generous.

Re: My friend wanted me to ask the experts on here about his Chase application

MikeyMagic — Mon, 30 Oct 2023 20:50:32 GMT

@JoeRockhead wrote:
A $500 SL is pretty common for Chase especially where a thin file is concerned. Just my opinion but, I wouldn't apply for anything with Chase (or anyone else for the time being) until all your FICO 8 scores are north of 670. The closer you get to 700+, the better as they'll likely double pull you. You seem eager and anxious to move on to the next thing (we all have been there). Consider waiting until you have a bit more age and higher scores across the board (and preserve your 3/24). Chase is a great lender to be in with. If you are good to them, they can be generous.

Yeah Chase seems to be the "upscale" brand that most everyone wants. Is it true if you can keep it real, if I did apply for the Rise and get approved with the same limit as my friend $500 - would that get me an opening with them to get better cards and limits down the road? I watched some youtube videos today after my friend got approved and people were saying it's the easiest way in with them and people who qualify should definitely apply.

The thing is, I feel like I am on the borderline to qualify. I have 3 cards and Chase wants it to be the person's 1st card. That's not set in stone but that's what they prefer. And my Experian # is 596 which is tentative I get it, but that can't look good to Chase. BUT I am new to credit which is what they want and have no derogatory marks on the report.

I am so torn but I kinda agree with you. But it would be cool to get in with Chase now and start with most likely the $500 limit my friend got. I still can't believe he applied for 2 cards within hours, got rejected for the Rise and was able to convince the people on the phone to take another look and approve him smh. Amazing. And he has no credit at all to boot.

Re: My friend wanted me to ask the experts on here about his Chase application

SouthJamaica — Mon, 30 Oct 2023 21:32:55 GMT

@MikeyMagic wrote:
Hello everyone

My friend is also starting his credit journey and I tried to convince him to do a few secured cards but he isn't interested in that. He told me he has no credit history like me.

He told me that he applied tonight online for the Chase Freedom Flex when he really meant to apply for the Freedom Rise(which is I guess the card by Chase for people with no credit). He got an email telling him the application is under review and he'll get something in writing in 7-10 days. But he is adamant about reapplying now online for the Rise. He thinks since he wasn't even flatly rejected for the Flex, he is confident he would get approved for the Rise.

I told him he should wait until Monday morning and call Chase and explain it to them and see if he can convince them to change his preference to the Rise and that he made a mistake. My buddy doesn't think they will work with him like that but he doesn't obv know of course. He is just speculating.

What should I tell my friend? Apply tonight or tomorrow for the Rise or call Chase and see if they could approve him for the Rise instead of the Flex without him having to apply again and have Chase to another Hard Pull? Or tell him another suggestion?

Please let me know. I can't believe he did that but he told me he got confused. Does this even happen a lot?

Thanks to all

What you told him is right. He should wait.

Re: My friend wanted me to ask the experts on here about his Chase application

MikeyMagic — Mon, 30 Oct 2023 21:48:17 GMT

@SouthJamaica wrote:
@MikeyMagic wrote:
Hello everyone

My friend is also starting his credit journey and I tried to convince him to do a few secured cards but he isn't interested in that. He told me he has no credit history like me.

He told me that he applied tonight online for the Chase Freedom Flex when he really meant to apply for the Freedom Rise(which is I guess the card by Chase for people with no credit). He got an email telling him the application is under review and he'll get something in writing in 7-10 days. But he is adamant about reapplying now online for the Rise. He thinks since he wasn't even flatly rejected for the Flex, he is confident he would get approved for the Rise.

I told him he should wait until Monday morning and call Chase and explain it to them and see if he can convince them to change his preference to the Rise and that he made a mistake. My buddy doesn't think they will work with him like that but he doesn't obv know of course. He is just speculating.

What should I tell my friend? Apply tonight or tomorrow for the Rise or call Chase and see if they could approve him for the Rise instead of the Flex without him having to apply again and have Chase to another Hard Pull? Or tell him another suggestion?

Please let me know. I can't believe he did that but he told me he got confused. Does this even happen a lot?

Thanks to all
What you told him is right. He should wait.

Yeah but i don't know if you read the whole thread but he didn't listen to me, applied a second time with Chase for the Rise, got another 7-10, called them and was told he was denied, spoke to recon who put his application back for review, he then called verification and got verified and then was told he would have to wait 1-2 more weeks to see if approved, he told me he asked for a supervisor in the fraud/verification dept, spoke to a supervisor who did more verification on him, then told my friend he would contact acquisitions to expedite a decision, kept my friend on hold for 15 minutes and then approved him for the Rise with a $500 CL lol.

It's amazing he did all that and ended up approved. He basically didn't want to listen to any suggestions I gave him from reading this forum and it worked out for him. Crazy.

Re: My friend wanted me to ask the experts on here about his Chase application

JoeRockhead — Mon, 30 Oct 2023 22:22:36 GMT

@MikeyMagic wrote:
@SouthJamaica wrote:
@MikeyMagic wrote:
Hello everyone

My friend is also starting his credit journey and I tried to convince him to do a few secured cards but he isn't interested in that. He told me he has no credit history like me.

He told me that he applied tonight online for the Chase Freedom Flex when he really meant to apply for the Freedom Rise(which is I guess the card by Chase for people with no credit). He got an email telling him the application is under review and he'll get something in writing in 7-10 days. But he is adamant about reapplying now online for the Rise. He thinks since he wasn't even flatly rejected for the Flex, he is confident he would get approved for the Rise.

I told him he should wait until Monday morning and call Chase and explain it to them and see if he can convince them to change his preference to the Rise and that he made a mistake. My buddy doesn't think they will work with him like that but he doesn't obv know of course. He is just speculating.

What should I tell my friend? Apply tonight or tomorrow for the Rise or call Chase and see if they could approve him for the Rise instead of the Flex without him having to apply again and have Chase to another Hard Pull? Or tell him another suggestion?

Please let me know. I can't believe he did that but he told me he got confused. Does this even happen a lot?

Thanks to all
What you told him is right. He should wait.
Yeah but i don't know if you read the whole thread but he didn't listen to me, applied a second time with Chase for the Rise, got another 7-10, called them and was told he was denied, spoke to recon who put his application back for review, he then called verification and got verified and then was told he would have to wait 1-2 more weeks to see if approved, he told me he asked for a supervisor in the fraud/verification dept, spoke to a supervisor who did more verification on him, then told my friend he would contact acquisitions to expedite a decision, kept my friend on hold for 15 minutes and then approved him for the Rise with a $500 CL lol.

It's amazing he did all that and ended up approved. He basically didn't want to listen to any suggestions I gave him from reading this forum and it worked out for him. Crazy.

You never did say what his scores were, did you? Good that he got an approval and didn't burn a HP for nothing. Waiting would have likely yielded him a higher SL... Anyone who's willing to take their shot, can do it any time... but, once being flagged for aggressive credit seeking comes into play, chances for approvals diminish, as do SLs... Be that as it may, it still doesn't seem to deter some people from pushing the envelope, continuing their journey to the brick wall they're inevitably going to run into at some point.

Will there be successes, yes... Will there be more toy limit SLs and denials (even for CLIs), also yes... A lot of people around here use the phrases "slow and steady wins the race", It's not a sprint, it's a marathon.

For most people, they'll get better approvals and grow bigger CLs if they can be more methodical and conservative in building their credit. Others, of course may have different ideas.

Re: My friend wanted me to ask the experts on here about his Chase application

MikeyMagic — Mon, 30 Oct 2023 22:42:12 GMT

@JoeRockhead wrote:
@MikeyMagic wrote:
@SouthJamaica wrote:
@MikeyMagic wrote:
Hello everyone

My friend is also starting his credit journey and I tried to convince him to do a few secured cards but he isn't interested in that. He told me he has no credit history like me.

He told me that he applied tonight online for the Chase Freedom Flex when he really meant to apply for the Freedom Rise(which is I guess the card by Chase for people with no credit). He got an email telling him the application is under review and he'll get something in writing in 7-10 days. But he is adamant about reapplying now online for the Rise. He thinks since he wasn't even flatly rejected for the Flex, he is confident he would get approved for the Rise.

I told him he should wait until Monday morning and call Chase and explain it to them and see if he can convince them to change his preference to the Rise and that he made a mistake. My buddy doesn't think they will work with him like that but he doesn't obv know of course. He is just speculating.

What should I tell my friend? Apply tonight or tomorrow for the Rise or call Chase and see if they could approve him for the Rise instead of the Flex without him having to apply again and have Chase to another Hard Pull? Or tell him another suggestion?

Please let me know. I can't believe he did that but he told me he got confused. Does this even happen a lot?

Thanks to all
What you told him is right. He should wait.
Yeah but i don't know if you read the whole thread but he didn't listen to me, applied a second time with Chase for the Rise, got another 7-10, called them and was told he was denied, spoke to recon who put his application back for review, he then called verification and got verified and then was told he would have to wait 1-2 more weeks to see if approved, he told me he asked for a supervisor in the fraud/verification dept, spoke to a supervisor who did more verification on him, then told my friend he would contact acquisitions to expedite a decision, kept my friend on hold for 15 minutes and then approved him for the Rise with a $500 CL lol.

It's amazing he did all that and ended up approved. He basically didn't want to listen to any suggestions I gave him from reading this forum and it worked out for him. Crazy.
You never did say what his scores were, did you? Good that he got an approval and didn't burn a HP for nothing. Waiting would have likely yielded him a higher SL... Anyone who's willing to take their shot, can do it any time... but, once being flagged for aggressive credit seeking comes into play, chances for approvals diminish, as do SLs... Be that as it may, it still doesn't seem to deter some people from pushing the envelope, continuing their journey to the brick wall they're inevitably going to run into at some point.

Will there be successes, yes... Will there be more toy limit SLs and denials (even for CLIs), also yes... A lot of people around here use the phrases "slow and steady wins the race", It's not a sprint, it's a marathon.

For most people, they'll get better approvals and grow bigger CLs if they can be more methodical and conservative in building their credit. Others, of course may have different ideas.

He told me he didn't have a score, he had no credit history. You make a lot of sense. I'll be honest, I'm in the very beginning like my friend so right now I would be okay getting approved for the Rise with a $500 CL. Thing is I don't know if I would be approved. If I do apply and get approved that would be it for me for at least a year. That would make it 4 cards - 2 Secured and 2 Unsecured with a total CL of $1500. Plenty for me to work with for a year while I make payments on time, maintain a 3-4% utilization and do the right things. And I'll be honest it would be cool to get in with Chase with this starter card and then down the road get some better ones.

I'll think about it but regardless whether I apply for this or not and whether I get approved for it or not - I'm done applying for anything for 1 year. Need to start building not applying anymore.

Re: My friend wanted me to ask the experts on here about his Chase application

NoMoreE46 — Tue, 31 Oct 2023 00:23:14 GMT

Be happy for your friend's approval while it may be prudent for you to garden at least 6 months @MikeyMagic.

In the meantime, maybe look into opening that Chase checking account (as noted earlier) to improve your odds whenever you apply...

Re: My friend wanted me to ask the experts on here about his Chase application

MikeyMagic — Tue, 31 Oct 2023 15:47:52 GMT

@NoMoreE46 wrote:
Be happy for your friend's approval while it may be prudent for you to garden at least 6 months @MikeyMagic.
In the meantime, maybe look into opening that Chase checking account (as noted earlier) to improve your odds whenever you apply...

So I went back and forth on whether I should apply for the Rise and I decided this morning to do it. The thing that put me over the top to apply was Cap1 restricting my account the other day. I still don't trust that they won't find some reason to close my account since my payment history obv spooked them. And I want the Rise in case that would happen. Plus obv it gets me in with Chase.

I opened a Chase checking account online this morning, applied and got 7-10 review. So I don't know if I should call recon or not. Nothing seems to go right for me these days with credit. I'm sad.

Re: My friend wanted me to ask the experts on here about his Chase application

JoeRockhead — Tue, 31 Oct 2023 16:03:35 GMT

@MikeyMagic wrote:
@NoMoreE46 wrote:
Be happy for your friend's approval while it may be prudent for you to garden at least 6 months @MikeyMagic.
In the meantime, maybe look into opening that Chase checking account (as noted earlier) to improve your odds whenever you apply...

So I went back and forth on whether I should apply for the Rise and I decided this morning to do it. The thing that put me over the top to apply was Cap1 restricting my account the other day. I still don't trust that they won't find some reason to close my account since my payment history obv spooked them. And I want the Rise in case that would happen. Plus obv it gets me in with Chase.

I opened a Chase checking account online this morning, applied and got 7-10 review. So I don't know if I should call recon or not. Nothing seems to go right for me these days with credit. I'm sad.

@MikeyMagic could be simply a ID or other verification issue. You can certainly call them to see if they need any other information or documents from you.

Re: My friend wanted me to ask the experts on here about his Chase application

MikeyMagic — Tue, 31 Oct 2023 16:15:03 GMT

@JoeRockhead wrote:
@MikeyMagic wrote:
@NoMoreE46 wrote:
Be happy for your friend's approval while it may be prudent for you to garden at least 6 months @MikeyMagic.
In the meantime, maybe look into opening that Chase checking account (as noted earlier) to improve your odds whenever you apply...

So I went back and forth on whether I should apply for the Rise and I decided this morning to do it. The thing that put me over the top to apply was Cap1 restricting my account the other day. I still don't trust that they won't find some reason to close my account since my payment history obv spooked them. And I want the Rise in case that would happen. Plus obv it gets me in with Chase.

I opened a Chase checking account online this morning, applied and got 7-10 review. So I don't know if I should call recon or not. Nothing seems to go right for me these days with credit. I'm sad.
@MikeyMagic could be simply a ID or other verification issue. You can certainly call them to see if they need any other information or documents from you.

I just did and I was rejected!! The guy told me I would receive a letter explaining so I asked to speak to recon and am on hold. My friend got rejected too and then got approved so I'm trying to hold onto that little hope. Again feel sad and depressed.

Re: My friend wanted me to ask the experts on here about his Chase application

Aim_High — Tue, 31 Oct 2023 18:19:06 GMT

@MikeyMagic wrote:
I just did and I was rejected!! The guy told me I would receive a letter explaining so I asked to speak to recon and am on hold. My friend got rejected too and then got approved so I'm trying to hold onto that little hope. Again feel sad and depressed.

You're holding on too tight and working it too hard, @MikeyMagic. Patience. I know that is hard, but it is the key to building a strong credit file. Again, remember the "It's a MARATHON, not a SPRINT" analogy. Here are some observations and advice.

STOP spending so much time watching YouTube Videos and trying to follow their advice. I'm not saying you'll never learn anything from them, but there are many so-called "experts" just out to make a buck who don't know what they are talking about. If you do hear advice on other websites, discuss it on My FICO before you act on it. We can help you sort it all out.

Yes, your friend didn't follow the guidance you got here. That doesn't make us wrong as much as it makes him lucky to break the odds. We give guidance about the most likely path to success. Your friend got a $500 unsecured limit. That is a marginal approval with Chase. That means it almost didn't happen. These limits under $1000 that you and your friend are getting are nicknamed "toy" limits in the community. They are sometimes a part of building a credit profile. But if you push it too hard, you'll continue to get toy limits or those denials. It's time to garden for an absolute minimum of six months; personally, I'd suggest no new accounts or hard pulls for one year. Use the cards you've got, try to build those limits if possible, and then eventually move on.

Yes, Chase is a great lender and considered possibly one of if not the most desirable, depending on who you ask. Personally, I rank them above AMEX but those two are often in the 1/2 positions with many of our established members, even if they prefer AMEX. They are more selective, though, than some lenders. You can come back to them in a couple of years after you've built your profile.

Comparing yourself to others (including your buddy) can be frustrating and confusing. Credit profiles can have many variations, and the other pieces of the puzzle includes things like income and debts as they relate to income (DTI.) All of that affects the underwriting process. We post a lot of data points on here to try to mitigate some of that but it's impossible to cover all the bases to mimic what a lender reviews.

You asked about the discrepancy between credit scores. Are both the Experian and the Trans Union both FICO scores and are they the same scoring model? There are a LOT of credit scoring models. You'll see Vantage scores (versus FICO) on sites like Credit Karma, but there are even Vantage 3.0 and Vantage 4.0 models. In FICO, besides the different credit bureaus (EX, TU, EQ), there are different models such as FICO Score 8, FICO Score 9, FICO BANKCARD Score 8, and even some older models still floating around. You have to compare apples-to-apples. Even with the same FICO model, it's not unusual to have wide variations between models. One prime example is how many inquiries are on that specific bureau. Also, seemingly small variations between the reports or changes in the way FICO calculates that model for THAT specific CRB can lead to differences. Based on where I live, my EX file often gets "beat up" when I've been applying for credit since it seems everyone pulls it here.