topic Re: Need Upcoming Spree Advice in Credit Cards

Need Upcoming Spree Advice

Skywalker — Sun, 15 Mar 2026 14:38:04 GMT

Hello all, I've been on a bit of a spree this year already and still have a lot to do this year, and would like some advice and feedback on my current plans.

-This year I've got the NFCU CashRewards in January, an NFCU personal loan in February, and a USAA credit card in March. This puts me at 2/24.

-I'm planning on getting the NFCU MoreRewards in April, Amex Gold and Platinum in May, Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant in June/July, and the Amex Blue Business Preferred in October/November

I've consistantly been on the limb about adding the Chase Freedom Unlimited to this lineup but only because I have the CFF and CSR already. I plan on making Amex my future main wallet but in the back of my head I always wonder if Chase could be a competitive wallet for me if the CFU gets refreshed. I'm already going to be running pretty hot and I am banking considerably on Amex being generous with softpulls following the Gold, and if I did try to add the CFU in it would pushback me getting into Amex by a bit when I'm interested in starting my relationship sooner than later to take advantage of some of the card credits/benefits.

How reliable can I bank on Amex doing soft pulls after the Gold (assuming I get it).?

Is it worth persuing the CFU so that I have a full chase wallet as a backup in case it ever gets refreshed?

Details: I don't pay AFs so those are a non-factor for feedback. At the moment FICO is sitting around 650s/670s and Vantage Scores 670s/680s and that's without the USAA card reporting yet. My NCR is also due for a CLI around the time I'll be applying for the MoreRewards. I should be ~5% UTL when I apply for the NMR and hopefully 0-1% UTL when I start going for Amex. Was in the 580s for FICO in January. My main negatives are late payments varying between 1-3/2025 and an inccorrectly reporting late payment for 7/25 that I'm trying to get off my Credit Report and considering filing with the CFPB. (Made quite a few mistakes when student loans kicked back in and I didn't have auto-pay set up).

Thanks!

Re: Need Upcoming Spree Advice

ptatohed — Sun, 15 Mar 2026 09:14:41 GMT

How are AFs not an issue? Military? If so, thank you for your country!

Re: Need Upcoming Spree Advice

ElvisCaprice — Sun, 15 Mar 2026 09:02:38 GMT

Your shooting for the moon, why not, go for it. But I got to say, even a perfect thick mature profile would have a hard time pulling off what you hope you can do. I would be surprised if you could even get one more CC until minimum 6 months after the last new CC, with your profile. Let the preapps dictate what you can do. Of course no risk on the AMEX apps.

Re: Need Upcoming Spree Advice

Skywalker — Mon, 16 Mar 2026 03:04:55 GMT

@ptatohed wrote:
How are AFs not an issue? Military? If so, thank you for your country!

Yea, military! This career choice has been a great decision in getting my finances under control and rebuilding, its opened up many opportunities for me.

Re: Need Upcoming Spree Advice

Skywalker — Mon, 16 Mar 2026 03:13:24 GMT

@ElvisCaprice wrote:
Your shooting for the moon, why not, go for it.

I'm definitely being aggressive, but so far it's been fruitful, the new credit lines + loan dropped my UTL like crazy giving me that 100 point FICO increase. I'm hoping that by the end of this year as UTL stays low and I go AZEO as well as with lates aging I can break past 720 score. The USAA card may have been an impulsive mistake even if the extra 8k is good, I'm hoping it doesn't come back to bite me. The NFCU cards are necessary since they'll be my short term wallet set up and long term CL backbone.

If I can accomplish getting these cards this year it'll pretty much encompass all the cards I want, since I don't churn and the rest would be brand cards. I've intentionally put my Amex desires for after the other cards since I known the preapps will save me from unnecessary hard inquiries. Do you think Amex will still be sensitive to the # of new account openings? I thought I've heard once you get one card with them, the rest are quite a bit more attainable.

Also your thoughts on if its worth it to try for the CFU in hopes of a later refresh? Tbh even if it refreshes, I don't think it would switch me away from Amex and I don't spend enough money for it to be worth splitting points between ecosystems, but I would also be locked out of Chase likely until 2029/2030 ot my pace.

Re: Need Upcoming Spree Advice

crystal626 — Mon, 16 Mar 2026 03:18:53 GMT

That is a lot of AMEX in a short time. I would think they would put you in pop up jail and deny bonuses.

Re: Need Upcoming Spree Advice

Skywalker — Mon, 16 Mar 2026 04:17:11 GMT

@crystal626 wrote:
That is a lot of AMEX in a short time. I would think they would put you in pop up jail and deny bonuses.

Honestly not too worried about that, at my spending it's extremely unlikely I'd be able to organically hit the amount needed to get the bonuses anyways. It's unfortunate because I'm losing a lot of value, but I don't see myself spending in a way that would get me the bonuses for at least another two years.

My current game plan is:

-Pay off all revolving debt

-Pay off installment debt and 5% into retirement

-Build 3-6 month emergency fund and start pouring money into retirement and investments to catch up in life.

All in all I won't have too much free spend that I'd be able to use, at the moment I maybe free spend $500 a month if that. Getting the cards sooner than later to start using their benefits will provide me more real and usable value than waiting a few years anyways too.

Re: Need Upcoming Spree Advice

ElvisCaprice — Mon, 16 Mar 2026 06:29:07 GMT

@Skywalker wrote:
@ElvisCaprice wrote:
Your shooting for the moon, why not, go for it.
I'm definitely being aggressive, but so far it's been fruitful, the new credit lines + loan dropped my UTL like crazy giving me that 100 point FICO increase. I'm hoping that by the end of this year as UTL stays low and I go AZEO as well as with lates aging I can break past 720 score. The USAA card may have been an impulsive mistake even if the extra 8k is good, I'm hoping it doesn't come back to bite me. The NFCU cards are necessary since they'll be my short term wallet set up and long term CL backbone.

If I can accomplish getting these cards this year it'll pretty much encompass all the cards I want, since I don't churn and the rest would be brand cards. I've intentionally put my Amex desires for after the other cards since I known the preapps will save me from unnecessary hard inquiries. Do you think Amex will still be sensitive to the # of new account openings? I thought I've heard once you get one card with them, the rest are quite a bit more attainable.

Also your thoughts on if its worth it to try for the CFU in hopes of a later refresh? Tbh even if it refreshes, I don't think it would switch me away from Amex and I don't spend enough money for it to be worth splitting points between ecosystems, but I would also be locked out of Chase likely until 2029/2030 ot my pace.

I'm surprised you gotten as far as you have, with your profile. All the issuers are sensitive to new account, hard pull velocity. Some more than others. Use the preapps as much as possible, for soft pulls to see where you stand. Time and good data are what is needed (gardening). If you get a hard pull denial, stop. Do some more gardening. Yes, you may want to shoot for Chase first before going over 5/24. But only if preapproved. I'm not a big Chase fan. I don't find their CC's the best match for my spend. So, can't help you with advice on their product updates. Amex gives soft pulls if denied on app. Amex is also not the best match for my spend. I think you will find it much more difficult to qualify/open a new CC from this point forward, without more time and good data.

Re: Need Upcoming Spree Advice

ptatohed — Mon, 16 Mar 2026 06:59:14 GMT

@Skywalker wrote:
@ptatohed wrote:
How are AFs not an issue? Military? If so, thank you for your country!
Yea, military! This career choice has been a great decision in getting my finances under control and rebuilding, its opened up many opportunities for me.

Well, thank you again for your service for our country. I was much too big of a wussy to enter the military. My brother was Army, so I am very proud of him!

Re: Need Upcoming Spree Advice

bs1234 — Mon, 16 Mar 2026 16:41:30 GMT

@Skywalker wrote:
@crystal626 wrote:
That is a lot of AMEX in a short time. I would think they would put you in pop up jail and deny bonuses.
Honestly not too worried about that, at my spending it's extremely unlikely I'd be able to organically hit the amount needed to get the bonuses anyways.

All in all I won't have too much free spend that I'd be able to use, at the moment I maybe free spend $500 a month if that. Getting the cards sooner than later to start using their benefits will provide me more real and usable value than waiting a few years anyways too.

I would just double check that for at least say the Platinum. Not having to worry about AF is great and makes the decision to get it easier, but not getting the sign-up bonus is a big hit.

Re: Need Upcoming Spree Advice

crystal626 — Mon, 16 Mar 2026 17:59:19 GMT

@Skywalker wrote:
@crystal626 wrote:
That is a lot of AMEX in a short time. I would think they would put you in pop up jail and deny bonuses.
Honestly not too worried about that, at my spending it's extremely unlikely I'd be able to organically hit the amount needed to get the bonuses anyways. It's unfortunate because I'm losing a lot of value, but I don't see myself spending in a way that would get me the bonuses for at least another two years.

My current game plan is:
-Pay off all revolving debt
-Pay off installment debt and 5% into retirement
-Build 3-6 month emergency fund and start pouring money into retirement and investments to catch up in life.

All in all I won't have too much free spend that I'd be able to use, at the moment I maybe free spend $500 a month if that. Getting the cards sooner than later to start using their benefits will provide me more real and usable value than waiting a few years anyways too.

Are you sure that throwing away the bonuses long term is the best way to go? The bonuses are incredibly valuable. You would have to spend a lot on these cards to make up the loss of the bonuses.

Re: Need Upcoming Spree Advice

DeeBee78 — Tue, 17 Mar 2026 08:09:44 GMT

Throwing away Amex sign up bonuses just to get the card in your wallet is very short sighted. It's better to wait for a large upcoming purchase and apply when you need it.

And you're planning to be 5/24 before you even try to get with Chase? That's a waste of an inquiry.

Re: Need Upcoming Spree Advice

Skywalker — Tue, 17 Mar 2026 21:01:12 GMT

@bs1234 wrote:
I would just double check that for at least say the Platinum. Not having to worry about AF is great and makes the decision to get it easier, but not getting the sign-up bonus is a big hit.

Chase, Amex, Capital One, and Citi all waive annual fees for military (and maybe a few more). This is a voluntary interpretation of the law by them, subject to their discretion to continue doing so though.

Re: Need Upcoming Spree Advice

Skywalker — Tue, 17 Mar 2026 21:04:25 GMT

@crystal626 wrote:
Are you sure that throwing away the bonuses long term is the best way to go? The bonuses are incredibly valuable. You would have to spend a lot on these cards to make up the loss of the bonuses.

Like I said I don't see myself having the money to spend to hit bonuses for several years, and because I'm in the military and already have a good car there's nothing significant that I could see that would warrant large spend. Marriage I don't see happening soon, and my contract is long enough that my future earnings as a civilian don't warrant consideration either.

Amex cards don't even make much sense with my earn/spend for at least 3 years I think, so I'm just getting them to use their benefits while I use my NFCU cashback cards primarily.

Re: Need Upcoming Spree Advice

Skywalker — Tue, 17 Mar 2026 22:20:24 GMT

@DeeBee78 wrote:
Throwing away Amex sign up bonuses just to get the card in your wallet is very short sighted. It's better to wait for a large upcoming purchase and apply when you need it.

And you're planning to be 5/24 before you even try to get with Chase? That's a waste of an inquiry.

I'm "throwing away" the bonuses because the spend targets are unrealistic for me to hit without spending on things I don't need, and at that spending A LOT on things I don't need. I would need to double my monthly spend for several months. My spend patterns are also unlikely to change for quite some time. AMEX will likely be my long term final wallet but by getting the cards now the credits can provide real and immediate usage that otherwise I wouldn't have access to. Being that I don't pay AFs it's not an attempt to claw value back from the card, it is pure upside for me.

I'm weighing more heavily the benefits to me now of using the credits now than I am the potential value of waiting 2-3 years to be able to have a chance at hitting the welcome bonuses, as well as the benefit of diversifying and improving my credit now.

As for Chase I'm currently 2/24, I was asking if I should try to get the CFU (it would be my 4/24) in hopes of a later product refreshes that makes the card better. I already have the CFF and CSR and don't really care much to get any other products so I'm not wasting an inquiry, I'd just be knowingly moving on from Chase and locking myself out for a while if I choose to keep my current plan.

Re: Need Upcoming Spree Advice

just1morecard — Wed, 18 Mar 2026 01:24:34 GMT

AMEX doesn't care about velocity, so you could potentially go for all four AMEX cards in the same day, if you'd like. You're only limited (to my knowledge) by AMEX to no more than 2 of their credit cards in 90 days. The two charge cards (Gold and Platinum) don't count towards this and are almost always soft pulls. One or both of the credit cards (Marriott Brilliant and BCP) COULD be hard pulls, but it's a good chance they'll be soft pulls as well.

If you ultimately decide to go for the CFU, make sure that's the first card of your spree. This would be the rule for any spree containing a Chase credit card, honestly.

You can absolutely space them out exactly as you described (keeping Chase first no matter what), but the months-long spacing is not a requirement. One reason to wait on the spree completely would be if you're able to improve your scores to ~720 or better, but I know that's not always possible. That would greatly improve your approval odds (especially with Chase) along with starting limits.

Good luck and thank you for your service!

Re: Need Upcoming Spree Advice

FicoMike0 — Wed, 18 Mar 2026 02:20:13 GMT

I hate to see you miss the bonuses to.

I agree, some have way too high spend.

For any that might be close, some use this,

https://www.doctorofcredit.com/does-funding-a-bank-account-with-a-credit-card-count-as-a-purchase-or-cash-advance/

Here's a specific example,

https://www.doctorofcredit.com/ks-mo-ar-ok-ne-equity-bank-400-checking-bonus/

Notice, Can fund up to $2,500 with a credit card

Re: Need Upcoming Spree Advice

ptatohed — Wed, 18 Mar 2026 04:32:40 GMT

@FicoMike0 wrote:
I hate to see you miss the bonuses to.
I agree, some have way too high spend.
For any that might be close, some use this,
https://www.doctorofcredit.com/does-funding-a-bank-account-with-a-credit-card-count-as-a-purchase-or-cash-advance/
Here's a specific example,
https://www.doctorofcredit.com/ks-mo-ar-ok-ne-equity-bank-400-checking-bonus/
Notice, Can fund up to $2,500 with a credit card

Yup, and sometimes you can prepay some bills. My water company allows overpayment. Or buy Visa gift cards. Or.....

Re: Need Upcoming Spree Advice

ElvisCaprice — Wed, 18 Mar 2026 05:06:22 GMT

Beware, it's tough to MS an AMEX. Visa, MC, no problem.