topic Re: Garden Club Meeting - August 2012 in Credit Cards

Garden Club Meeting - August 2012

Anonymous — Fri, 03 Aug 2012 19:10:24 GMT

Greetings, fellow credit gardeners! The summer is rolling along and we're ready to start a new month. And so, I hereby convene the August meeting of the myFICO Garden Club.

For those who are new to the concept of gardening, 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 TLs to grow and mature, waiting for inqs to age or fall off, and possibly waiting for "baddies" to be removed or age off. During this time, one tends to one's current accounts and watches their AAoA grow and the new credit ding fade.

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. We have a full featured gass grill, so burgers, hot dogs, and kebobs are available for your dining pleasure! We continue our summer menu with fresh corn on the cob, and we're adding a mixed seafood platter -- steamed little neck clams, steamed crab legs, a chilled shrimp ring with cocktail sauce, and mini crab cakes and conch fritters with remoulade sauce for dipping! There's iced tea, lemonade and sodas, and if you like, a variety of ice cold beers. We'll continue chilling out this summer with a variety of frozen ice cream treats and gelatos, as well as slices of cold, fresh watermelon. And as always, we have a selection of mini-quiches, as Relevate really likes them. Please feel free to bring and add any items that you'd like. And, in the corner diagonally across from the front door, there is a fully stocked bar. If needed, there are some anti-itch medications stocked in our supply cabinet near the door -- Lanacaine, Benedryl, 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!

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 on another thread. While we are happy with members’ success stories, we really do want to keep this thread’s focus and tone to be consistent with gardening efforts. You are certainly welcome to celebrate soft CLIs on this thread, though, as they do not involve inqs 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 backdated Amex accounts, 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.

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

1 month - bronze spade

3 months - silver spade

6 months - gold spade

12 months - platinum 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.

I'd like to express my appreciation to DaveSignal for coming up with some spade graphics that you can embed in your siggy in order to display your status. Thanks, DS -- great job!!!

Bronze:

SIlver:

line to put at top of sig:

Gold:

line to put at top of sig:

Platinum:

line to put at top of sig:

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

Diamond:

line to put at top of sig:

So, how's everyone's garden doing this month? Please feel free to mix and mingle, and share your gardening goals as well as your progress on the journey.

Re: Garden Club Meeting - August 2012

Anonymous — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 03:53:41 GMT

I´m reporting to the monthly meeting here. I went on an app spree last month and got 9/9 cards. I am currently gardening till August 2013 and hoping the day my SSN meets an app comes when expected. I am unsure of whether or not I am going to be able to reach my score goals in this time frame but I will certainly do my best to keep my util low and keep using only what I need.

1st month newbie recruit here.

Re: Garden Club Meeting - August 2012

visorboy1974 — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 03:55:32 GMT

No apps since December 2011.

Current stable is:

UIECU UIAA Rewards Visa $24.2K

PSECU PSL/Visa $20K

Alliant Platinum Rewards Visa $17K

Barclaycard Rewards Platinum MC $10K

Nordstrom Visa Signature $8K

State Farm Platinum Rewards Visa $3K

Dell Preferred $3K

Macy's Red Card $2.5K

Re: Garden Club Meeting - August 2012

CreditChampion — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 03:59:58 GMT

Still in the Garden prob will go for PennFed and Fidelity Amex, and perhaps Amex BCE next year

Re: Garden Club Meeting - August 2012

Anonymous — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 04:03:46 GMT

Still hanging in there, holding onto my gold spade. As I mentioned last month, I had a CA and CO age off my reports. I'm just waiting for the last CO to fall off my reports this month, and then I'll be CO/CA free! It's been a long wait, but it feels so good to see light at the end of the tunnel. I'm feeling optimistic that this fall I'll be in good shape to app for the cards that I would like to add to my wallet. After then it will be back to the garden, to let the aging process start over once again!

(ETA) Current view of my garden:

Cap1 Visa Platinum - 6400 CL

Cap1 NHCR MC - 750 CL

Dillard's Amex - 4200 CL

JC Penney - 2300 CL

Kay Jewelers - 5100 CL

Amex Green - NPSL

Re: Garden Club Meeting - August 2012

BrokaToe — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 04:26:05 GMT

Woo-Hoo, can't believe it's another month of Gardening already! Keep up the good work everyone. I'm bringing some Roasted jalapenos stuffed with cream cheese and wrapped in bacon!

Re: Garden Club Meeting - August 2012

TNTransplant — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 04:42:54 GMT

Hey Everyone,

I’ve resumed gardening with a vengeance now, as my PenFed auto refinance was approved and I also got hit with the (expected, but not happy about it) inquiry for my last student loan. Hopefully the rest of the year will be kind to me score wise – would love to hit my year end goal of 720 scores.

Can’t wait until 8/19 to pick up my bronze spade.

Re: Garden Club Meeting - August 2012

injustifiiable — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 04:48:23 GMT

Hello all...still here.

I have the itch to app for Discover after seeing what score bump I can get with reported UTIL down. I'm trying to get one card above $500...$1,000 would be better of course. My EQ score is 668 right now...seems like I could get a nice boost if UTIL gets under 30%...

I also plan on asking for a CLI on my Household card since it'll be six months old...

Re: Garden Club Meeting - August 2012

Smug — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 08:57:31 GMT

Well closed a few cards kohls is closed but still shows and 9K in CLI are not showing yet.

Re: Garden Club Meeting - August 2012

Smug — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 08:58:25 GMT

Weeding my garden, only the healthiest plants survive!

Re: Garden Club Meeting - August 2012

DaveSignal — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 11:13:12 GMT

I have just started my garden, but am excited to grow here. I don't think it should be too hard to avoid new apps as I will be in another country for a few years. I am glad people like the spades, they look great!

Re: Garden Club Meeting - August 2012

gettnthere — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 11:35:31 GMT

i just joined the garden as well and have been pulling weeds left and right but i like being in the garden seriously, as fun and addicting as App'ing for cards is, the garden can be just as good. i like watching my current cards grow and my AAoA rise! i just got to maintain some self-control and refrain from app'ing (its not as easy as ya think it is) lol

Re: Garden Club Meeting - August 2012

LS2982 — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 12:15:54 GMT

Approaching a month in the garden and getting a bronze spade!!

Oh, and you guys would be proud of me, I almost went in on a Kays account but didn't, thinking about my garden and my fellow myFICO'ers opinions!

Hands are firmly in the soil!

Re: Garden Club Meeting - August 2012

Anonymous — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 12:47:33 GMT

I just pulled my EQ scores and report from myFICO, and...drumroll.... the final CO is GONE!!!!! And, after months of my EQ score refusing to budge, it finally jumped by 42 points!!! And, although the CO is stil showing on TU, I received a 10 point boost as well. So, I reached my FICO Fitness goal of getting in the 700s! I'm so happy this morning I'm beside myself!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Re: Garden Club Meeting - August 2012

LS2982 — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 12:49:19 GMT

CONGRATS TINU!!!!

I'd do the HAPPY DANCE pic for you but I'm posting from the cell phone

Re: Garden Club Meeting - August 2012

Anonymous — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 12:51:27 GMT

It's been a tough month! Almost bit and went for Amex BCE, but decided to keep gardening. Now in extreme paydown mode! Pesky hospital bill is finally paid off next month as well! Perhaps in Jan I'll go for BCE as a reward. Should be gettin my bronze spade in a few weeks!

Re: Garden Club Meeting - August 2012

Anonymous — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 12:52:08 GMT

@LS2982 wrote:
CONGRATS TINU!!!!

I'd do the HAPPY DANCE pic for you but I'm posting from the cell phone

Thanks, LS! Believe me, I'm doing my happy dance right here!!! This has been a long road to rebuilding, and this is a wonderful milestone!

Re: Garden Club Meeting - August 2012

tcbofade — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 13:00:34 GMT

Yay u, Tinu!!

Re: Garden Club Meeting - August 2012

RockinRay — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 13:14:43 GMT

In here - need nothing. May weed a bit more...

Grats Tinu! Long time comng!

Re: Garden Club Meeting - August 2012

Anonymous — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 13:21:27 GMT

I'm newly gardening....it's a teeny balcony-sized garden (2 secured cards) but until January 2013 it's what I have to work with. I figure until then, I take good care of my little guys, and focus on my CR baddies.

I'll be over here mixing up some blender drinks