topic Re: Garden Club Thread - September 2016 in Credit Cards

Garden Club Thread - September 2016

darwin_wins — Thu, 01 Sep 2016 04:05:06 GMT

Welcome,

Garden Club Members!

Welcome all new GCers, returning GCers and old timers to our little island of "No Credit Applications".

What is gardening? Quite simply, it involves refraining from applying for new credit or seeking CLIs that require hard pulls. Soft pulls CLIs, however, are not only acceptable, but are encouraged. The idea is to allow one's current trade lines to grow and mature, waiting for inquiries to age or fall off, and possibly waiting for "baddies" to be removed/age off. During this time, one tends to one's current accounts and watches their AAoA grow and the new credit ding fade. Here we socialize, commiserate and support each other while waiting for baddies to fall off, new accounts and/or inq's age or just want a place to hang out to get away from the hustle and bustle of credit card talk.

So, if you're at the stage of your credit journey where you're ready to enter the garden, please come and join us. You may pick up your complimentary watering can and garden gloves by the front door -- you can even choose your favorite color! We're proud to offer a well appointed clubhouse. There is a snack table set up. You'll always find camaraderie available here as you work towards your gardening goals.

Help yourself to our drinks and appetizers. Flat-breads, sliders, pizza, buffalo wings, grilled zucchini, kale salads, pecan and apple pie Ala mode. There's also a nice selection of cold beers. Once again, please feel free to bring anything you'd like to add to the festivities. And, in the corner diagonally across from the front door, there is a fully stocked bar, along with a wide selection of soft drinks. If needed, there are some anti-itch medications stocked in our supply cabinet near the door -- Lanacaine, Benadryl, etc. If you need to place your reports in the deep freeze, we also have a freezer, located next to the bar, so go ahead and throw your reports in!

So come on in and make yourself comfortable. Make a gardening plan and commit to sticking with it! Are you planning to wait six months before applying for additional credit? A year? Until the last of your baddies drop off? Whatever your goal, we're here to support you. If you feel the "app-itch" coming on, let us know and we'll try to help you through it.

Now, if you happen to leave the garden prematurely, that's your decision and we respect that. You are always welcome to come back, pick up your gardening tools and start over again. But please, celebrate any approvals and the discussion of which credit card to app for on another thread. While we are happy with members’ success stories, we really do want to keep this threads focus and tone to be consistent with gardening efforts. You are certainly welcome to celebrate SP CLIs in this thread, as they do not involve inq's or apps for new credit.

GARDEN CLUB CHALLENGE AND RECOGNITIONS:
Garden Club Challenge: Pick a firm date for staying in the garden and post it in your siggy!
Garden Club recognition levels: To qualify, your reports must contain:
No new tradelines of any type on one's accounts (this includes any backdated account, as they are STILL new "seedlings").
No HPs for anything that would allow for the possibility of a new tradeline being issued or increasing the CL of an existing tradeline.

*The Garden Club community recognizes that certain inquiries are necessary for factors beyond those listed above. Therefore, Hard Pulls/Inquiries for the following bona fide reasons are exempt but not limited to: Opening checking/savings accounts (so long as no line of credit is being opened in addition to these accounts), Employment Applications, Apartment Rentals, Utilities and other such services. These are not considered to be applications for credit per se. Also, for those who are seeking a new mortgage or refinancing an existing one, we understand that your lender will pull your CRs multiple times before closing. For those GC'ers, the first hp will set your clock, not the subsequent pulls. However, if you are simply rate shopping, then the normal hp rules apply.

You will be able to add the following to your siggy if you have been abiding by the above for the following time periods...

Less than 1 month - seedling
1 month - bronze spade
3 months - silver spade
6 months - gold spade
9 months - palladium spade
12 months - platinum spade
15 months - ruby spade
18 months - emerald spade
21 months - sapphire spade
24 months or more - diamond spade

Please note: recognition levels reset once you add an account or incur a HP. We recognize that there may be very good reasons for "leaving the garden," and we respect whatever thoughtful decisions members make. As stated previously, members are always welcome to come back, grab their gloves and start gardening once more.

To ensure that your graphic comes out properly on your siggy, please be certain that it has been added as the very first line of code.

Seedling:

<img src="http://ficoforums.myfico.com/t5/image/serverpage/image-id/2760iB9166C1A493A3CBC" title="Seedling Garden Club Member" border="0" width="50" height="67" align="right">

Bronze:

<img src="http://i.imgur.com/LEYWe.png" border="0" title="Bronze Garden Club Member" width="40" height="40" align="right">

SIlver:

<img src="http://i.imgur.com/Gfc4B.png" border="0" title="Silver Garden Club Member" width="40" height="40" align="right">

Gold:

<img src="http://i.imgur.com/24xvV.png" border="0" title="Gold Garden Club Member" width="40" height="40" align="right">

Palladium:

<img src="http://ficoforums.myfico.com/t5/image/serverpage/image-id/5761iE36E284CEECEA414" title="Palladium Garden Club Member" border="0" width="40" height="40" align="right">

Platinum:

<img src="http://i.imgur.com/vVRv5.png" border="0" alt="" title="Platinum Garden Club Member" width="120" height="80" align="right" />

Ruby:

<img src="http://ficoforums.myfico.com/t5/image/serverpage/image-id/5625i09098E9833D7A4B2" border="0" title="Ruby Garden Club Member" width="40" height="40" align="right">

Emerald:

<img src="http://ficoforums.myfico.com/t5/image/serverpage/image-id/5623i698C4BF1F9D77284" border="0" width="40" title="Emerald Garden Club Member" height="40" align="right">

Sapphire:

<img src="http://ficoforums.myfico.com/t5/image/serverpage/image-id/5627iA714E0C3C98AD3FD" border="0" width="40" title="Sapphire Garden Club Member" height="40" align="right">

Diamond:

<img src="http://i.imgur.com/40nIa.png" border="0" alt="" title="Diamond Garden Club Member" width="40" height="40" align="right" />

So, please feel free to come on in and share your gardening progress. If you're new or returning, what are your goals? If you've been here for a while, how are things going? Let's all mingle, and support each other in our respective gardening efforts!

Just a reminder, if you are new to the forum, you may not be able to add your seedling to your profile. Send any mod a PM and we'll add it for you You can also use the "Report Inappropriate Content" function on the post to notify a Moderator, but indicate that you need __________ spade. (seedling, bronze, etc.)

Re: Garden Club Thread - September 2016

darwin_wins — Thu, 01 Sep 2016 04:06:05 GMT

September has begun so I am one month away from 1 year of gardening and one day away from asking EQ EE.

Re: Garden Club Thread - September 2016

Xistaben2 — Thu, 01 Sep 2016 04:10:56 GMT

Checking in for September. Been app free since CSR release.

Re: Garden Club Thread - September 2016

Anonymous — Thu, 01 Sep 2016 04:15:29 GMT

Hey everyone!! Lets get September off to a good start! Pretty soon the leaves will be changing and pumpkin spice will be everywhere!

Re: Garden Club Thread - September 2016

Anonymous — Thu, 01 Sep 2016 04:16:34 GMT

Checking in. I've been app free since July and just sitting back while my cards grow. My aim is to stay in garden till 2019. Happy gardening everyone!

Re: Garden Club Thread - September 2016

sarge12 — Thu, 01 Sep 2016 05:07:20 GMT

Checking in, last hp 8/11 cli...Last card activated 8/8 Why do I feel like an addict coming to a support group. Shooting for 850 across the board!

Re: Garden Club Thread - September 2016

Discover2016 — Thu, 01 Sep 2016 04:33:56 GMT

Looking forward to this month! September will be exciting since 5 inquiries will pass the one year mark, literally like one every week! That will leave only 1 inquiry left that is less than a year old, that one will pass the 1 year mark this coming February. My AAoA will also pass the one year mark this month.

Re: Garden Club Thread - September 2016

Anonymous — Thu, 01 Sep 2016 05:22:03 GMT

Hello, fellow gardeners!

August went by fast as expected, and since my last app was 7/27/16, I have added my first-ever, official, bronze spade! I was going to wait to update on the 1st of the month, but I just couldn't wait, especially when I saw the September thread up tonight.

On 7/27/16, the date of my last app, my scores were EQ 657, TU 603, EX 665

Today, after one month in the garden, my scores are EQ 668, TU 624, EX 674

Gardening totally works....and, whether it be score bumps, soft pull CLIs, UTI going down, or baddies falling off, I hope everyone sees great gains in September!

Re: Garden Club Thread - September 2016

Vegas4Play — Thu, 01 Sep 2016 05:36:57 GMT

Hello Garden Clubbers!!!! may we all stick to our guns. I know for me it has been rough but I am determined. September is here and I will have 2 inquires turn one year old, and next month all of them will be one year old. I plan to stay in the garden until 2017

Re: Garden Club Thread - September 2016

Anonymous — Thu, 01 Sep 2016 05:36:03 GMT

Hi all. Glad to have September here

Re: Garden Club Thread - September 2016

Anonymous — Thu, 01 Sep 2016 05:36:37 GMT

I can't believe it's September already! I guess I better come to terms with turning another older now.

Re: Garden Club Thread - September 2016

Legen_dary — Thu, 01 Sep 2016 06:01:00 GMT

Getting in early on this month's thread! I'm five months in the garden now. There are two cards I really want, but I will hold out for my AAoA to increase a bit. It's under 3 years right now

Re: Garden Club Thread - September 2016

Anonymous — Thu, 01 Sep 2016 06:11:26 GMT

Happy September everyone !! This will be my first full month in the garden and I have to say, I'm very excited to see everyone's progress. Last app was 8/29 but I'm going to use the 1st as my real start date to have a good reference each month. It's probably time to put that seedling in my siggy. Looking forward to that diamond spade. Cheers to a great month everyone.

Re: Garden Club Thread - September 2016

Anonymous — Thu, 01 Sep 2016 06:20:34 GMT

Hey Garden Club!

I promise I'm really going to stay in the Garden this time!!! Have to update some stats, but yesterday I did my final app (smh smh smh) for a Visa Signature card from my credit union to replace the secured card I have with them. I asked for $15,000 and should get an answer today from my loan officer there.

Soft Pulls & Auto CLIS ....Last 30 days were great got about $17,000 in Soft Pull / Auto Credit Line Increases!

Happy Gardening. Looking forward to somce serious point gains hope everyone has a great month!

Re: Garden Club Thread - September 2016

Rebuilding69 — Thu, 01 Sep 2016 07:27:45 GMT

Another month! It's getting easier to just say no now.

Re: Garden Club Thread - September 2016

CJ7 — Thu, 01 Sep 2016 07:53:08 GMT

Just saw my first 800 with a fresh score pull at 12:01am! A Cap1 triple pull just aged to a year a few days ago,

and I paid all accounts down to $1. Discover is lagging on EQ, so I'm pretty sure that's the 2 points I need for 800 there as well.

This gardening thing is easy

Re: Garden Club Thread - September 2016

Anonymous — Thu, 01 Sep 2016 08:05:15 GMT

@CJ7 wrote:
Just saw my first 800 with a fresh score pull at 12:01am! A Cap1 triple pull just aged to a year a few days ago,
and I paid all accounts down to $1. Discover is lagging on EQ, so I'm pretty sure that's the 2 points I need for 800 there as well.
This gardening thing is easy

Congratulations, CJ7! That first 800 score is what I hope to have in the next six months. Congratulations to you!

Most of my inquiries are a year old so are not counting and I just paid down my accounts to around 1%. Can't wait to see the difference in my scores in the next few weeks. Happy gardening everyone and happy September!

Re: Garden Club Thread - September 2016

Anonymous — Thu, 01 Sep 2016 08:06:04 GMT

CJ7 congrats on the awesome accomplishment !!! That is amazing to see

Re: Garden Club Thread - September 2016

Anonymous — Thu, 01 Sep 2016 08:07:14 GMT

Congrats to you as well Musiclover !!! Keep up the great work everyone. September is going to be an awesome month.

Re: Garden Club Thread - September 2016

elim — Thu, 01 Sep 2016 08:55:54 GMT

Checking in, Get a silver spade this week. :]

GL all