@Anonymous wrote:Long time lurker, first time posting. I have rebuilding and am need of direction. My dream cards are Hilton Ascend and a Target card. I was recently prequalified for a BCE AMEX, so I app'd and was denied for a low FICO. I was hoping that this would get my foot in the door, for the Ascend. I called and they suggested to apply again in 30 days. The customer service rep said that my profile was young, which I get. My sixth QS1 statement hadn't even posted yet. Target denied me three months ago. My scores were a bit lower, so I get that too. I am just getting app shy. I would like another card or two and then head into the garden for a year. Discover has only prequal'd me for IT secured. Does anyone have any suggestions on the next card? PS. My stats: My FICO 8 scores are okay-ish: 663EQ, 671TU and 674EX. My only open accounts are a QS1 that is 7 months old, a Cap1 Plat that is three months old. I have no late payment history and my uti is always 6-7%. Each credit report has four hard pulls in the last 12 months. I do have two collections: PRA $725 (three more years) and LVNV $545 (21 more months).
I think you should wait a while, and you should work on getting rid of the negatives. E.g., send the bureaus 'verification' letters, which sometimes cause them to drop off.
The passage of time, without new applications, will in and of itself increase your scores.
Your dream cards are not out of reach, so you might as well apply for them when you do apply, rather than load yourself up with cards you don't really want. Every inquiry, and every new account, brings your scores down further.
Ok my .02cents.
1. Pretty sure Amex is eluded to/looking for 6+ months of history on the Cap One card
2. Working on those baddies and PIF preferably PFD would help your score and have better outcomes for CLs and opening new cards. Even if they are just paid off esp with Newer Fico scoring
3. The other thing you need is time. Pretty sure you can get the Amex you want in 30 days but your better off waiting perhaps for the baddies and at least 90 more days. Your other cards are not out of reach but I’d wait until next year and some of your repair to app further
-j
1. Pretty sure Amex is eluded to/looking for 6+ months of history on the Cap One card
2. Working on those baddies and PIF preferably PFD would help your score and have better outcomes for CLs and opening new cards. Even if they are just paid off esp with Newer Fico scoring
3. The other thing you need is time. Pretty sure you can get the Amex you want in 30 days but your better off waiting perhaps for the baddies and at least 90 more days. Your other cards are not out of reach but I’d wait until next year and some of your repair to app further
-j
Welcome, @Anonymous. 
It looks like your first two cards got you immediate score improvements. That isn't going to last forever. If card #3 doesn't cause a short-term ding to your score, card #4 definitely will.
New accounts add an inquiry, lower your AoYA (age of youngest account), and lower your AAoA (average age of accounts). Your first two cards added to your "credit mix" and offset the dings. That isn't going to last forever.
I'd try again in three to six months, depending on your scores at that time. In three months, your youngest card will be six months old; in six months, your oldest card will be a year old. An Experian score of 680 is a nice spot to apply.
Gardening for a year before a mortgage application is a good idea. There's a nice score bump when your AoYA becomes a year old. And all of your inquiries will have become unscorable.
@Anonymous wrote:Thank y'all for all the advice. I definately have a game plan for LVNV. PRA is not a bear that I want to poke. When I had my first child, the VA refered me out for care and the hospital charged me, instead of the VA. I had something like 15 collections. I have been able to clear them all off. These two are personal debt, and the collections agencies are proving to be extremely difficult. If any of the goals that I have would use the FICO 9, I would just pay them. But from what I can see, I need to do what supports: 5, 4, 2 and 8. It sounds like the best coarse of action is no action for now. Thank y'all so much <3
If you have the ability to pay them off, that's what you should be doing.