@Twotimesacharm wrote:
@Aim_HighSo much good info!
Without getting too far off the Navy topic, my current TU and EX scores are between 725-730, AAoA is 9.5yrs, 0/24 inquires, and DTI 36% (a little on the high side). I was thinking of apping for maybe 2 more cards (possibly Chase and one other), and I'm thinking about a Home Depot card. I just don't want it to affect my NFCU app. I've worked hard over the last few months to increase my internal score and they are most important to me, so if appong for 2 more will possibly cause them to revoke an approval, or decrease the initial CL, its not worth it to me.
Those are helpful details, @Twotimesacharm. Your profile looks very good based on those parameters (regardless of the AZEO) but I did have an important question. Is that DTI 36% all credit cards or does it include a mortgage, auto loan, student loan, and/or personal loan? If it's all credit card, did you calculate it with those other debts? If the 36% includes other debt, what is your utilization rate on credit cards alone? Running 36% total DTI is probably fine if you have installment loan debts included. If it's credit card only, that's a higher risk category for underwriting purposes, and 36% could be concerning to some lenders. Ideally, I'd get my reported credit card utilization into that magic window of 1% to 8% before applying for new cards if possible. (You want to show some usage, but as high as 8.9% is one of the calculated "break points" for FICO scoring. You want to be no higher than 8.9%. Plus, higher debt load starts to impact odds of approval or better SLs.)
I think the Chase card and NFCU card would be fine to either app together (either same day or within 30 days or so.) Unless you need that Home Depot card, I'd hold off on that one. In general store cards are probably easier to be approved after the dust settles from your more important apps. Do those two together and then come back in three to six months on the Home Depot. With your profile and 0/24 status, one more card application with Chase shouldn't raise any alarms. And giving it a little time for the Home Depot would also be in your favor. After that, I would probably go back to the garden for 12 months with three new cards reporting after HD posts.
@Twotimesacharm wrote:That 36% includes my mortgage (2200/mo), my home improvement loan with NFCU (518/mo), which has been paid half down since 2021, and all CCs. I have no other obligations besides standard monthly expenditures (electric, water, cable, etc...)
Thanks for clarifying, @Twotimesacharm. That is reasonable. As mentioned before, if you don't do AZEO before applying, at least have reporting card utilization in the 1% to 8% range. Looking forward to hearing about your successes!
I just received an instant CLI of $8,000 on my Amex More Rewards card. It went from $6,500 to $14,500. This is my first time getting an instant CLI, and it's also the biggest one I've ever gotten. Previously, it always had to go through manual review. This card started as a secured card with a $200 limit 
