@Anonymous wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:Yeah it is actually kind of wild that NFCU doesn't have prequals when PenFed will actually tell you the limit of a new account or what CLI you qualify for. It would be great if NFCU rolls out prequals and stops us from having to burn HPs like they're going out of style.
I think Navy sees hitting us with HPs as doing Gods work like exercising the Demons from our sinful ways... Or they could just be trying to mark their territory like Cap1...
I mean we all ask so we don't have anyone to blame except ourselves but that doesn't change the fact that PenFed targets the same military customers (they're actually stricter about gaining membership this way than NFCU) and thus would be considered the primary CU competitor for them.
It is always a trade off with CUs though. None of them are without their quirks that makes them unique.
Didnt realize PenFed was more strict than Navy for membership.
They only are if you're trying to take the military route instead of the paid route. Since I didn't serve, I wouldn't be eligible for membership without donating to their foundation. Families of those who served aren't included like they are with NFCU.
I didnt know that changed. I got into NFCU and PF the same way of family in the military. I knew NFCU dropped the paid way in awhile ago, but PF used to be direct family members to get access or paid to join thru donation.
@Anonymous wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:Yeah it is actually kind of wild that NFCU doesn't have prequals when PenFed will actually tell you the limit of a new account or what CLI you qualify for. It would be great if NFCU rolls out prequals and stops us from having to burn HPs like they're going out of style.
I think Navy sees hitting us with HPs as doing Gods work like exercising the Demons from our sinful ways... Or they could just be trying to mark their territory like Cap1...
I mean we all ask so we don't have anyone to blame except ourselves but that doesn't change the fact that PenFed targets the same military customers (they're actually stricter about gaining membership this way than NFCU) and thus would be considered the primary CU competitor for them.
It is always a trade off with CUs though. None of them are without their quirks that makes them unique.
Didnt realize PenFed was more strict than Navy for membership.
They only are if you're trying to take the military route instead of the paid route. Since I didn't serve, I wouldn't be eligible for membership without donating to their foundation. Families of those who served aren't included like they are with NFCU.
I didnt know that changed. I got into NFCU and PF the same way of family in the military. I knew NFCU dropped the paid way in awhile ago, but PF used to be direct family members to get access or paid to join thru donation.
I know when I tried to join last year, my grandfather's service wasn't enough. I didn't mention my dad's so that could have worked but it's my understanding it's spouses, brothers, and sisters. Of course this information isn't easy to find on PenFed's website and the form that mail to them just says if you're not active duty, honorably discharged or retired, they'll find a path to membership.
I have read of people getting in with no fee lately and I just read about an acquisition they had in January that saw them absorb an open eligibility nationwide charter but their CEO claimed they had no plans to use it so who knows what the deal is. I am not interested enough to find out lol.
@Anonymous wrote:
I was definitely nervous about getting a hp for a prequalify when he originally said I can be prequalified. Then when he went on to say do you give navy the permission to obtain your credit report........I was like O @@@@. Then the next line was do you understand this is not an application and if you have any offers yll need to submit an app. I was like ok let's do it, knowing I just got 2nd my statement from 1st cc from navy. Seems like I just ran across the right person at the right time otherwise I would be suspicious myself..........
You left us hanging... 
Anything good pop up? Your experience was different than mine. CSR told me I had to HP but that may have been because I dont have any credit products yet with them.
Either way when I first completed my membership I wanted to garden for a bit more but excitement got the better of me and I bonked on a MR app. Lady said lets go for a nRewards but I got gun shy at that point as it was going to be another HP anyway. I wanted to wait on the denial letter to see what it said before heading down that path. I feel I'm on the cusp of an unsecured if I garden for a couple more months. Only the letter will give me the proper insight if it pays to wait it out and let my profile catch up. My feeling is if I go secured immediately its 5-6 months before any review. I would be on the hook for the 13 month plan at worst and be bucketed as far as CLIs for the foreseeable at best. On the flip side if the letter doesnt point out anything too heavy, I'll wait it out and most likely get approved for the unsecured after a couple months which would give me access to 91/3 and a second card app on a better trajectory. In the meantime, I may app for a CLOC or grab a SSL to start building my internal score and add a TL while I wait it out.
@Anonymous wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:Yeah it is actually kind of wild that NFCU doesn't have prequals when PenFed will actually tell you the limit of a new account or what CLI you qualify for. It would be great if NFCU rolls out prequals and stops us from having to burn HPs like they're going out of style.
I think Navy sees hitting us with HPs as doing Gods work like exercising the Demons from our sinful ways... Or they could just be trying to mark their territory like Cap1...
I mean we all ask so we don't have anyone to blame except ourselves but that doesn't change the fact that PenFed targets the same military customers (they're actually stricter about gaining membership this way than NFCU) and thus would be considered the primary CU competitor for them.
It is always a trade off with CUs though. None of them are without their quirks that makes them unique.
Didnt realize PenFed was more strict than Navy for membership.
They only are if you're trying to take the military route instead of the paid route. Since I didn't serve, I wouldn't be eligible for membership without donating to their foundation. Families of those who served aren't included like they are with NFCU.
I didnt know that changed. I got into NFCU and PF the same way of family in the military. I knew NFCU dropped the paid way in awhile ago, but PF used to be direct family members to get access or paid to join thru donation.
I know when I tried to join last year, my grandfather's service wasn't enough. I didn't mention my dad's so that could have worked but it's my understanding it's spouses, brothers, and sisters. Of course this information isn't easy to find on PenFed's website and the form that mail to them just says if you're not active duty, honorably discharged or retired, they'll find a path to membership.
I have read of people getting in with no fee lately and I just read about an acquisition they had in January that saw them absorb an open eligibility nationwide charter but their CEO claimed they had no plans to use it so who knows what the deal is. I am not interested enough to find out lol.
I initially joined Penfed in 2016 by agreeing to donate to one of their organizations. However, they never charged or debited me the $15 fee. A year later my DH opened a membership simply by providing my name during the application process. Six months later DD joined by providing just DH's name while applying. NFCU, however, required DH to join using his military affiliation first and the rest of the family (children and grandchildren) all joined by supplying his Access number as the referring member. YMMV or maybe the process has changed for Penfed.
PenFed has dropped the donations. The only thing you have to pay for membership is the $5 deposit to the share and a HP to your credit report. I am fairly certain though that they treat you differently if you disclose your military service as some cards have higher rewards for that. Easier to get your account coded for the higher benefits if it says served in military next to your member id in the computer.
