topic Re: Tell me about voluntary CLDs with Citi in Credit Cards

Tell me about voluntary CLDs with Citi

Curious_George2 — Fri, 20 Nov 2020 03:43:28 GMT

I have a Citi card with a CL of $9,290. The non-roundness of that number bothers my OCD side. Will there be any adverse side-effects if I ask them to decrease it to $9,000?

I know they do HP for reallocating limits between cards, but they aren't crazy enough to do them for CLDs are they?

Would this ice me out from CLI for 6 months? Longer?

Those are the only possibilities I can think of, but maybe there are others. I would love to hear from anyone with experience.

Re: Tell me about voluntary CLDs with Citi

Anonymous — Fri, 20 Nov 2020 03:52:39 GMT

Strange that you have an odd number in the tens place value on your limit. Not sure I've ever seen that. Odd hundreds all the time, but not tens unless a CLD already happened or something. How did yours end up like that?

I don't think a self-initiated CLD of a couple hundred bucks to ease your limit-related OCD would be a big deal. I personally would probably time it with a CLI however... like wait until your next CLI opportunity and after pulling the trigger if they raise you to $10,xxx or $11,xxx immediately call them up and make the change at that time. This way the new CL reports as your rounded off value and there would be no history on your CR of a CLD.

Re: Tell me about voluntary CLDs with Citi

BetterMoves — Fri, 20 Nov 2020 04:16:34 GMT

I do not think it would be an issue either. They may also raise it $10.

Re: Tell me about voluntary CLDs with Citi

wasCB14 — Fri, 20 Nov 2020 04:23:13 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
Strange that you have an odd number in the tens place value on your limit. Not sure I've ever seen that. Odd hundreds all the time, but not tens unless a CLD already happened or something. How did yours end up like that?

I don't think a self-initiated CLD of a couple hundred bucks to ease your limit-related OCD would be a big deal. I personally would probably time it with a CLI however... like wait until your next CLI opportunity and after pulling the trigger if they raise you to $10,xxx or $11,xxx immediately call them up and make the change at that time. This way the new CL reports as your rounded off value and there would be no history on your CR of a CLD.

I had a Brooks Brothers card that started as $1,260 and went to $1,560. Citi left it at that when they took over the program from GE.

Re: Tell me about voluntary CLDs with Citi

wasCB14 — Fri, 20 Nov 2020 04:28:27 GMT

No one can really guarantee you that the CLD won't attract the attention...and closer scrutiny...of other lenders.

I'd only bother to request a CLD if you wanted a new account and were at risk of being denied for having too much existing credit with Citi.

Re: Tell me about voluntary CLDs with Citi

Curious_George2 — Fri, 20 Nov 2020 04:52:16 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
Strange that you have an odd number in the tens place value on your limit. Not sure I've ever seen that. Odd hundreds all the time, but not tens unless a CLD already happened or something. How did yours end up like that?

I don't think a self-initiated CLD of a couple hundred bucks to ease your limit-related OCD would be a big deal. I personally would probably time it with a CLI however... like wait until your next CLI opportunity and after pulling the trigger if they raise you to $10,xxx or $11,xxx immediately call them up and make the change at that time. This way the new CL reports as your rounded off value and there would be no history on your CR of a CLD.

As for how I got here: balance chasing several years ago following a mortage default. Not quite as glamours as a Brooks Brothers account.

I love your suggestion for when & how to do it. I'm going to follow your advice. Thank you!

@wasCB14: I appreciate your concern about CR ripple effects, but if I use BrutalBodyShots's technique, there's no way other creditors could know there'd been a CLD, is there?

Re: Tell me about voluntary CLDs with Citi

Anonymous — Fri, 20 Nov 2020 06:47:22 GMT

Nope, no way they'd see it as they would only see your CL increase from one cycle to the next.

Re: Tell me about voluntary CLDs with Citi

AverageJoesCredit — Fri, 20 Nov 2020 11:47:32 GMT

@wasCB14 wrote:
No one can really guarantee you that the CLD won't attract the attention...and closer scrutiny...of other lenders.

I'd only bother to request a CLD if you wanted a new account and were at risk of being denied for having too much existing credit with Citi.

I was recently CLD by Home Depot/ Citi and the aftereffects were / are horrendous.....no clds, 1 increase and a Penfed card.

Re: Tell me about voluntary CLDs with Citi

AverageJoesCredit — Fri, 20 Nov 2020 11:49:26 GMT

@Curious_George2 wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
Strange that you have an odd number in the tens place value on your limit. Not sure I've ever seen that. Odd hundreds all the time, but not tens unless a CLD already happened or something. How did yours end up like that?

I don't think a self-initiated CLD of a couple hundred bucks to ease your limit-related OCD would be a big deal. I personally would probably time it with a CLI however... like wait until your next CLI opportunity and after pulling the trigger if they raise you to $10,xxx or $11,xxx immediately call them up and make the change at that time. This way the new CL reports as your rounded off value and there would be no history on your CR of a CLD.
As for how I got here: balance chasing several years ago following a mortage default. Not quite as glamours as a Brooks Brothers account.

I love your suggestion for when & how to do it. I'm going to follow your advice. Thank you!

@wasCB14: I appreciate your concern about CR ripple effects, but if I use BrutalBodyShots's technique, there's no way other creditors could know there'd been a CLD, is there?

Yes, if they sp your report and notice a decrease in available credit. Doesnt seem illogical for lenders to have algorithms that search such data

Re: Tell me about voluntary CLDs with Citi

Anonymous — Fri, 20 Nov 2020 13:43:15 GMT

@AverageJoesCredit wrote:
Yes, if they sp your report and notice a decrease in available credit. Doesnt seem illogical for lenders to have algorithms that search such data

If anyone were to SP his report (or HP, doesn't matter) they would see the last reported limit on that account. Using the suggestion I gave above, no lender would ever see the CLD. Example: His limit/reported limit in November is $9200. After his statement cuts for this month and the account reports ($9200 limit) he goes for a CLI and get's one to $11,200. He immediately calls them up and says they can keep the $200, as he only wants a CLI to $11,000. Next month his December statement cuts and the credit limit that his his CR is $11,000. Any looks at the credit report at any time would show a $9200 limit increasing to a $11,000 limit from one month to the next, so no visible self-initiated CLD.

I should add that the OP should implement this tactic just after the account reports for a cycle.

Re: Tell me about voluntary CLDs with Citi

Gunnerboy — Fri, 20 Nov 2020 14:09:28 GMT

The last CLI Sound Credit Union gave me bumped my limit to $19,125. It bugged me so much I SD'd it for four years. I won't CLD it nor would I waste an HP for an increase. I'm used to it now and use it every few months.

Re: Tell me about voluntary CLDs with Citi

Anonymous — Fri, 20 Nov 2020 14:58:39 GMT

As someone with a child with real OCD (which is seriously ife-impacting) my advice is one of:

1) if you really have OCD, then this is probably the least of your issues

2) If you don't, please stop using it as meaning "a mildly annoying issue" I'm sure we would see more complaints if I said something like "It really gives me breast cancer when I receive a notification for a card I no longer have"

Re: Tell me about voluntary CLDs with Citi

Curious_George2 — Fri, 20 Nov 2020 15:55:33 GMT

I'm sorry. I hadn't thought about that as hurtful phrasing. I will do better going forward.

Re: Tell me about voluntary CLDs with Citi

FinStar — Fri, 20 Nov 2020 16:55:17 GMT

@Curious_George2 wrote:
I have a Citi card with a CL of $9,290. The non-roundness of that number bothers my OCD side. Will there be any adverse side-effects if I ask them to decrease it to $9,000?

I know they do HP for reallocating limits between cards, but they aren't crazy enough to do them for CLDs are they?

Would this ice me out from CLI for 6 months? Longer?

Those are the only possibilities I can think of, but maybe there are others. I would love to hear from anyone with experience.

I have yet to experience any adverse effects from any voluntary CLD with any issuer, especially Citi. My voluntary CLDs weren't due or tied to a psychological or emotional stance, though. Simply a strategy to acquire other products once a certain threshold or ceiling was reached at a point in time.

The voluntary CLD action should not "ice" your account from potential or future CLIs all things considered for your profile. Though, keep in mind the current economic environment and lenders (including Citi) tightening the reins a bit for a variety of accountholders.

Re: Tell me about voluntary CLDs with Citi

Curious_George2 — Tue, 05 Jan 2021 19:43:14 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
@AverageJoesCredit wrote:
Yes, if they sp your report and notice a decrease in available credit. Doesnt seem illogical for lenders to have algorithms that search such data
If anyone were to SP his report (or HP, doesn't matter) they would see the last reported limit on that account. Using the suggestion I gave above, no lender would ever see the CLD. Example: His limit/reported limit in November is $9200. After his statement cuts for this month and the account reports ($9200 limit) he goes for a CLI and get's one to $11,200. He immediately calls them up and says they can keep the $200, as he only wants a CLI to $11,000. Next month his December statement cuts and the credit limit that his his CR is $11,000. Any looks at the credit report at any time would show a $9200 limit increasing to a $11,000 limit from one month to the next, so no visible self-initiated CLD.

I should add that the OP should implement this tactic just after the account reports for a cycle.

Update: I followed BBS's advice. I'm about halfway through my statement cycle now. I requested a CLI today and they gave me $1500, bringing my CL up to $10,790. I immediately called in and requested a CLD down to $10,500. They granted that request and the new, round(er) limit showed up in the mobile app immediately.

The rep specifically warned me that doing the CLD would make me ineligible for a CLI for six months. That's irrelevant in my particular situation, but it might matter to someone else.

Thanks for the good advice, BBS and everyone else!

Re: Tell me about voluntary CLDs with Citi

SweetCreditObsession — Fri, 15 Jan 2021 04:57:56 GMT

Congratulations, @Curious_George2 and thank you for that CLD data point.