topic AMEX Optima in Rebuilding Your Credit

AMEX Optima

Ilinferno — Tue, 28 Sep 2021 21:08:33 GMT

Things went sideways for me in 2016 and I ended up with all of my credit cards in collections and subsequently charged off. After a few years of ignoring my credit score I figured that it was time to get back in the game and rebuild. A few days later I magically receive an email from AMEX offering the Optima Card after paying off my balance. I owed about 2200 from the Gold Card I had so the limit offered was 600. I paid off the balance the 20th of this month so should be getting the application in a week or two and will update then.

My Grandfather is a veteran so I am hoping to get a Navy Fed membership shortly and get a secured card with them to grow my history while I wait for the negative items to fall off my report and rebuild. I am looking forward to getting back into the AMEX family and back on the right track.

Re: AMEX Optima

FireMedic1 — Tue, 28 Sep 2021 21:17:14 GMT

Welcome @Ilinferno Thats how you do it. Nice job getting back in with AMEX and joining NFCU will be even better.

Re: AMEX Optima

ThetoriParadox — Tue, 28 Sep 2021 21:36:47 GMT

Great job! I just did the same last year, Got my optima, and joined NFCU, just barely switching all my accounts over though. Good luck!

Re: AMEX Optima

dacv01 — Tue, 12 Oct 2021 18:05:41 GMT

Good work and congrats on Optima! Use it well and be patient, once the 12 months are up and scores are good Amex will welcome you back to their eco system

Re: AMEX Optima

Ilinferno — Wed, 13 Oct 2021 20:33:30 GMT

Thanks! I got the hard pull notification from Experian a few days ago so I'm hoping to get the card in the mail within a week or so! The application doesn't show up in the check application status webpage but not sure if it will for the Optima or not.

Re: AMEX Optima

GrandBay — Thu, 14 Oct 2021 17:52:49 GMT

@Ilinferno

you have to be patient w/Optima

its not a standard AMX card

and many of their employees do not know much about it

it will not go live or show up anywhere until you receive and confirm it.

Re: AMEX Optima

Ilinferno — Thu, 14 Oct 2021 17:59:46 GMT

@GrandBay

Ok perfect that makes sense, thanks for the heads up!

Re: AMEX Optima

kboxer — Thu, 14 Oct 2021 21:47:37 GMT

Congrats on the Optima and getting in with NFCU! It can be a lengthy road back but that time flies by.

Re: AMEX Optima

Ilinferno — Mon, 18 Oct 2021 23:23:55 GMT

Update: Just got the card in the mail. It took a little under a month from payment in full to getting the card so not too bad considering some of the posts I have seen here regarding the Optima. Now the year long clock starts ticking lol.

Re: AMEX Optima

GrandBay — Tue, 19 Oct 2021 23:12:22 GMT

@Ilinferno

my experience w/NFCU nRewards (secured card) is as follows:

opened card with $500 deposit

90 days later nfcu bumped my CL up to $800 without additional funds

180 days after opening they bumped CL to $2,000

PC to the cashRewards Card (waiting for it to be delivered)

and returned the initial $500 deposit