topic Re: Credit History Length Question in Credit Cards

Credit History Length Question

Beast26 — Sat, 27 Jun 2020 09:45:49 GMT

My revolving history with credit cards will reach the year mark on August 28, 2020. When I look at my credit history on Experian, or myfico my history always age a month in advanced. For example I started my revolving history in August 28, 2019. But every month on the 1st It automatically rounds up my history length by a month ahead. On August 1, 2020 my credit history will say it has reached 1 year even though it won't actually be at the year mark until the 28th of August.

I'm asking this technical question because I'm wondering if I could get a chase card on August 1st since technically the credit websites will round up my revolving history to 1 year old?

Re: Credit History Length Question

Anonymous — Sat, 27 Jun 2020 11:01:00 GMT

That's a bureau decision. Experian chooses to date an account by the first day of the month it is opened. If you open a card July 1, on August 1 it will reflect as a month old. If you open it July 31, on August 1 it will reflect as a month old. It's just how they do things.

As for whether you can play that angle toward an in with banks, maybe. Chase almost always double-pulls, using EQ as a secondary bureau, and especially on a young/thin profile, so if the year of history is important enough to them, your EQ timeline will undo the attempt.

Getting a card from Chase is usually a little more involved than just hitting that year mark. A lot will depend on your overall profile and which card you are trying to get.

Re: Credit History Length Question

Beast26 — Sat, 27 Jun 2020 13:05:48 GMT

From Chase I only have my eyes on the Amazon Prime Visa Signature. That's the only card I want from them.

Re: Credit History Length Question

patoot10 — Sat, 27 Jun 2020 13:33:57 GMT

I've seen a lot of people getting burned by the mythical "Start applying for your first chase card once you hit the 1 year mark", I would recommend dragging this application as long as you can.

Re: Credit History Length Question

Anonymous — Sat, 27 Jun 2020 14:46:50 GMT

Chase is very unlikely to be the first lender to give you the required $5000 CL for a Signature card. They usually let someone else do it first and see how you handle it. Just keep that in mind.

Re: Credit History Length Question

Beast26 — Sat, 27 Jun 2020 17:49:42 GMT

So about how long should I wait to apply for the Amazon visa? Right now I have 3 cards

Opensky $200

Quicksilver $500

Fingerhut card $500

My capital one will be eligible for CLI in September and I use it heavy.

I'll reach a year credit history in August

Re: Credit History Length Question

wasCB14 — Sat, 27 Jun 2020 18:12:53 GMT

Pulls may vary by geography. In 6 credit requests (5 applications and one CLI) in NY and CA I've gotten 6 EX HPs and 1 on TU. The TU was a NY CLI. But I know some others get EQ pulled.

I wouldn't challenge the idea of "one year". Wait a bit for a proper year.

YMMV though on how much history you need. I got a Freedom as my first credit of any kind, but I was a Chase checking/savings customer and the SL was only $600. I got a $7500 CSP at 14 months.

Re: Credit History Length Question

Beast26 — Sat, 27 Jun 2020 18:41:46 GMT

Did u get an auto CLI on your chase card?

Re: Credit History Length Question

wasCB14 — Sat, 27 Jun 2020 18:54:20 GMT

@Beast26 wrote:
Did u get an auto CLI on your chase card?

No. I took the TU/EX HP at around 8 or 9 months. I requested a new CL of $3000 and got a new CL of $2000, which matched the SL on my then ~4 month old Discover.

I've never gotten an auto CLI on any of my Chase cards, but I have gotten several additional cards without closing any or taking a CLD. My last one was a $20k CSR in 2018.

Re: Credit History Length Question

Beast26 — Sat, 27 Jun 2020 19:48:43 GMT

For a better starting line should I apply for the Amazon visa only after I've built a different card to a $5000+ credit line?

Re: Credit History Length Question

Kforce — Sat, 27 Jun 2020 21:37:46 GMT

@Beast26 wrote:
For a better starting line should I apply for the Amazon visa only after I've built a different card to a $5000+ credit line?

Yes

Re: Credit History Length Question

Beast26 — Sat, 27 Jun 2020 22:43:56 GMT

Ok I'll do that thanks!

Re: Credit History Length Question

AverageJoesCredit — Sat, 27 Jun 2020 22:59:06 GMT

You do not need to have a $5000 credit limit to get a Chase Amazon Prime Visa signature. All Chase Amazon Prime Visa are signature if you have Prime and are approved. Even $500 limits. When i was approved for mine i had a $1500 limit. Its not like normal signature cards.

Re: Credit History Length Question

Aim_High — Sun, 28 Jun 2020 01:40:35 GMT

@Beast26 wrote:
For a better starting line should I apply for the Amazon visa only after I've built a different card to a $5000+ credit line?

Many people in your situation are in a hurry to build a lot of credit lines and want higher limits. The truth is that if you get a handful of good credit lines, use them regularly and responsibly, and manage your overall credit well for a few years, you'll get much better limits with the big banks than if you apply too quickly with a thin file. My Fico Forums is littered with cases of members who pushed too hard-too fast and ended with lower limits or higher APRs. And those low limits like the $200 to $500 ones you have now will be used as the benchmark other lenders know you can handle. You could be stuck in low-limit hell.

The one-year mark with Chase is simply a minimum guideline but it depends on many profile factors. It would help us to help you if you added some verbage to your signature for us to know your profile better. What is your income? What is your total debts? Debt-to-income is a big concern for underwriters on more thin and unproven files. @wasCB14's experience may or may not be an appropriate guideline. For example, you don't know his credit factors, debts, or income at his time of approval for a CSP at 14 months credit history and a SL of $7.5K. In my opinion, that is not something everyone can expect. There is more to the story than meets the eye. On the other hand, even as a Chase banking customer, he only got $600 on his inital SL card with Chase. There are so many variables between us that we have to be careful about making comparisons and drawing expectations.

In other recent threads, you asked about PayPal Mastercard and Citi Double Cash. I think PayPal Mastercard would be your best bet right now if you want a better card. It gives you some better value than what you currently have and you stand a decent chance of approval, IMO. However, I'd wait awhile on Citi or Chase banks. They're in a different league than where you are now. If you got approved at all, you might be very disappointed at the terms. Sometimes, good things come to those who wait.

Re: Credit History Length Question

wasCB14 — Sun, 28 Jun 2020 01:58:43 GMT

@Aim_High wrote:
@Beast26 wrote:
For a better starting line should I apply for the Amazon visa only after I've built a different card to a $5000+ credit line?
Many people in your situation are in a hurry to build a lot of credit lines and want higher limits. The truth is that if you get a handful of good credit lines, use them regularly and responsibly, and manage your overall credit well for a few years, you'll get much better limits with the big banks than if you apply too quickly with a thin file. My Fico Forums is littered with cases of members who pushed too hard-too fast and ended with lower limits or higher APRs. And those low limits like the $200 to $500 ones you have now will be used as the benchmark other lenders know you can handle. You could be stuck in low-limit hell.

The one-year mark with Chase is simply a minimum guideline but it depends on many profile factors. It would help us to help you if you added some verbage to your signature for us to know your profile better. What is your income? What is your total debts? Debt-to-income is a big concern for underwriters on more thin and unproven files. @wasCB14's experience may or may not be an appropriate guideline. For example, you don't know his credit factors, debts, or income at his time of approval for a CSP at 14 months credit history and a SL of $7.5K. In my opinion, that is not something everyone can expect. There is more to the story than meets the eye. On the other hand, even as a Chase banking customer, he only got $600 on his inital SL card with Chase. There are so many variables between us that we have to be careful about making comparisons and drawing expectations.

In other recent threads, you asked about PayPal Mastercard and Citi Double Cash. I think PayPal Mastercard would be your best bet right now if you want a better card. It gives you some better value than what you currently have and you stand a decent chance of approval, IMO. However, I'd wait awhile on Citi or Chase banks. They're in a different league than where you are now. If you got approved at all, you might be very disappointed at the terms. Sometimes, good things come to those who wait.

No installment history, PIF, no baddies, highest CL was $6k on a 5-month old BCE. Also had a 5-month old $4.5k Sallie Mae. Chase checking/savings balances were maybe $10k. I don't recall the income I used on the app (it varies and I try to be conservative in case I have to prove it) but probably mid 5 figures. No special treatment for once having investments there (that didn't emerge until later).

No pandemic or massive spike in unemployment, either. Lender risk appetite is not constant.

Re: Credit History Length Question

Aim_High — Sun, 28 Jun 2020 02:35:25 GMT

@wasCB14 wrote:
@Aim_High wrote:
... What is your income? What is your total debts? Debt-to-income is a big concern for underwriters on more thin and unproven files. @wasCB14's experience may or may not be an appropriate guideline. For example, you don't know his credit factors, debts, or income at his time of approval for a CSP at 14 months credit history and a SL of $7.5K. In my opinion, that is not something everyone can expect. There is more to the story than meets the eye. On the other hand, even as a Chase banking customer, he only got $600 on his inital SL card with Chase. There are so many variables between us that we have to be careful about making comparisons and drawing expectations.
No installment history, PIF, no baddies, highest CL was $6k on a 5-month old BCE. Also had a 5-month old $4.5k Sallie Mae. Chase checking/savings balances were maybe $10k. I don't recall the income I used on the app (it varies and I try to be conservative in case I have to prove it) but probably mid 5 figures. No special treatment for once having investments there (that didn't emerge until later).

No pandemic or massive spike in unemployment, either. Lender risk appetite is not constant.

Thanks for adding some data points. I was mainly just trying to point out how profiles may differ widely but this may help. So it sounds like you had no student loans, auto loans, mortgage debt? Pretty good (national household average) income already, probably as a 20-something? And $10K or so in bank balances? Plus another credit card with $4.5K limit already. So, I see a lot of potential differences in profile, depending on @Beast26 's situation. And as you mention, current economic times put a whole different perspective on things.

Re: Credit History Length Question

folks19 — Sun, 28 Jun 2020 03:51:15 GMT

@Beast26 wrote:
My revolving history with credit cards will reach the year mark on August 28, 2020. When I look at my credit history on Experian, or myfico my history always age a month in advanced. For example I started my revolving history in August 28, 2019. But every month on the 1st It automatically rounds up my history length by a month ahead. On August 1, 2020 my credit history will say it has reached 1 year even though it won't actually be at the year mark until the 28th of August.

I'm asking this technical question because I'm wondering if I could get a chase card on August 1st since technically the credit websites will round up my revolving history to 1 year old?

Regarding applying for chase, I'll wait until the 28th because defferent issuers may consider your credit age defferently. One issuer may round everything up to the nearest month while another may not round. So you are better off waiting for your best chance!