@M_Smart007 wrote:@Aim_High, I have a suggestion
Think SUB when it returns ... "Patience Young Grasshopper"
@Anonymous, Is right you know
Yes he is, @M_Smart007! 
To reuse a meme I used on My Fico for another member a long time ago ...
The Flagship is on my list but not sure it will be next, total card or next card with NFCU. The card they declined me for was More Rewards AMEX so I may go for that one on card 2, wait for the FSR for card 3 as I originally planned. We'll see, I have time to think about the possibilities.
@Citylights18 wrote:What is going to help your overall earning the most?
You really have to do your dilligence with any of these programs and think about what your spend would look like if you had the card. When the AF hits in your current portfolio too is something I'd strategize about. I realized tonight that I don't have to pay an AF until 6/21 on any of my cards until then so it gives me time to decide.
On the limits, you may be getting push back because you have a TCL of 538k. I'm not far from that and am starting pick up rejections or reduced limits over it.
Thanks for the feedback @Citylights18. I'm not one to pick up AF-cards casually, so I'm pretty careful about my selections. I usually don't app an AF card just for the SUB with plans to cancel it. Good advice, though, about looking at the overall picture with how any card fits into my current lineup and rewards by visualizing the usage.
I've wondered about the high TCL also and think it might be a factor in my denials or lowered credit SLs. On the other hand, some of our other members who have much more TCL than either of us have posted that for most lenders, it isn't much of a bar to credit limits. There are some smaller banks or credit unions I've heard that are more sensitive to TCL. But when I've posted that about Navy FCU, it was said that Navy is not sensitive to that per se, as much as they are to DTI. I also think the high TCL factor is often relative to income and debts. While I make a very healthy income, there are certainly many on the forums who make more. Very high incomes may make their profiles more resilient to adding high lines of credit, but that's just my guess. I've wondered if, at some point, I'll be pushed into doing some pruning of cards to lower my TCL and make better approvals more likely for the cards I plan to regularly use. On some of my cards, I have a lot of high limits that are unlikely to ever see much utilization. Some of my cards get only token spend.
@Citylights18 wrote:
Another route might be to go with something like the Hilton Aspire where I could feed my Membership Rewards from Rakuten and Green into Hilton when there are 1:3 transfer bonuses. Loaded card with the $250 airline credit, $250 resort credit, Diamond status, weekend night award, priority pass, $100 on property credit.
Be careful with the Hilton Aspire airline credit. That credit is for airline incidental fees on a single chosen airline. It is not a general airline travel credit. AFAIK it works the same as the Amex Platinum airline credit.
@Citylights18 wrote:For my TCL a full 170k of it is actually in the form of PLOC and not CC. 73k with Chase and 77k with NFCU is nice for what their programs give you. NASA Federal I have 30k card functions like PLOC (i.e. no cash advance fees). That is 350k right there that is off limits for a trim.
My chopping block candidates are some of the accounts that are bringing down my AoA. Discover I've had for 18 months and don't tap the 5% categories with it much. CFU I've had for 18 months and don't like the limit I have on that one. AMEX Green I'm getting a fair amount of tangible value out of it with Uber Eats and some of the offers but seems duplicative with the Chase Ecosystem.
Since I have a Rewards+ and I like that as my short game strategy, the Citi Prestige might be the way to go with the 5x dine and travel, the 4th night free and the ability to get 10% points back on redemptions so dine/travel is like a 5.5% and use that as a secondary travel travel option instead of the AMEX Green. You get the 4th night free instead of the 10th night like you do with Hotels.com.
Or am I better off just upgrading to the CSR where I can get a 33% when I go to purchase hotels, upgrade to 10k Lyft and bigger credits for all of the promotions than what I am getting on my CSP. Keep the Rewards+ points around to top off Jet Blue. You don't get the same level of dining earn with the CSR as what you do with the Prestige but its the same as the 4th night free on redemptions. Then I could also cancel my AAA since the CSR comes with a similar service. AAA isn't due until March so no point in making the upgrade prior to that.
Another route might be to go with something like the Hilton Aspire where I could feed my Membership Rewards from Rakuten and Green into Hilton when there are 1:3 transfer bonuses. Loaded card with the $250 airline credit, $250 resort credit, Diamond status, weekend night award, priority pass, $100 on property credit.
So a spend breakdown then:
Restaurants: AMEX Green 3x (9x Hilton w/ transfer bonus)
Transit: AMEX Green (9x Hilton w/ transfer bonus)
Flights: Hilton Aspire 7x (tap the $250 travel credit)
Hotels: Hilton 14x or Hyatt 9x
Grocery: Rewards+ 2x (2.5x+ w/ round ups/redemptions)
Gas: Rewards+ 2x (2.5x+ w/ round ups/redemptions)
Rideshare: Chase Sapphire 5x (Lyft bonus)
Bonus: Chase Freedom 5x (feed the points into Hyatt)
Bills/Utilities: Chase Freedom (prepay a year 5x when the category is available)
Non-Category: Chase Hyatt 1x (15k for a second free night)
Or I could take my 15,000 point upgrade offer from Green to Gold, upgrade the CSP to CSR instead
Restaurants: AMEX Gold 4x (12x Hilton w/ transfer bonus)
Transit: Chase Sapphire Reserve 3x
Flights: Chase Sapphire Reserve 3x
Hotels: Hyatt 9x or Chase Travel Portal
Grocery: AMEX Gold 4x
Gas: Rewards+ 2x (2.5x+ w/ round ups/redemptions)
Rideshare: Chase Sapphire Reserve 10x (Lyft bonus)
Bonus: Chase Freedom 5x (feed the points into Hyatt)
Bills/Utilities: Chase Freedom (prepay a year 5x when the category is available)
Non-Category: Chase Hyatt 1x (15k for a second free night)
AF is $250 Gold + $550 CSR for $800 (but $500 after travel credit). Aspire/Green/CSP combo is $695. Prestige/CSP combo is $580 (but $340 after travel credit). I would cancel AAA ($156) if I went with the CSR. It starts to get to be a wash.
My plan of action then I think should be to upgrade from Green/CSP in the spring with the CSR before AAA fee hits (4/1) and Green fee hits (6/1). I really don't like to pay big AFs around the holidays when you're already spending extra during that time of year. Better to knock back the AFs in the spring after the tax return comes in. This way also I can enhance my earning rates without having to open any new cards.
Oh my, @Citylights18. So many options and cards I'm not that familiar with.
This looks like a topic for our resident travel card expert.
Paging @K-in-Boston! 
@kdm31091 wrote:In general a lot of the cards out there are fairly similar (flat % back, tiered categories, cash back/points)...so it's just about finding what works for your spend and adds enough incremental value. You seem to have hit a point, like many, where you have covered most of your major bases of spend. A dollar spent can only be spent once on a category. You can only spread so far with your rewards before it's just too much dilution.
All that said the Cash+ I would definitely wait until you are 1/12 or even 0/12 to avoid wasting the inquiry, but does that card add enough incremental value above your baseline of 3% anyway?
Thanks for the feedback, @kdm31091. My main reason for posting was to get feedback on whether the community thought I should garden awhile longer with those new accounts and inquiries, regardless of the card. And how long they would garden if they were me. But yes, the actual card someone plans to app for plays into the decision.
For awhile, trying to get with US Bank and the Cash+ and/or Altitude Reserve was high on my priorities. Over time, the appeal has diminshed for several reasons, mainly in the context of geography and the cards I already carry. Since there are no physical branches in my area, they aren't an easy bank for me to break in with by setting up new accounts. In fact, I tried to set up banking accounts online and I was rejected due to my location! The idea of the adding the Cash + was most appealing for the utilities I could claim at 5% on my home. Since I first set eyes on the Cash+, I've added the AOD 3% and of course, that's a game changer for anyone's cash back profile. I'd get a marginal 2% at best and probably wouldn't max out the cap of $2K per quarter. In total, it's probably worth less than $100 for me annually compared to AOD. The other Cash+ categories are either 1) pretty well covered for me or 2) have such a low spend for me or 3) are areas where my spending is highly variable month-over-month. Combined, it's hard to see a huge value. Now, in two year or so, if I've got all the other cards and categories filled that I can imagine and if I'm 0/12, I might just apply for it anyway! But over time, it's slipped on my wish list.
Another reason I wanted the Cash+ is that I thought the Altitude Reserve was a good card I could get value from. With it being a "relationship card," and not being able to set up banking, the credit card route through the Cash Plus seemed a good option. (I believe I did read of one of our members, though, who was able to deposit investment funds which helped him to open an out-of-area checking account and I believe an Altitude Reserve soon thereafter.) But the AOD card changed that too since one of the appeals of AR is 3% cash back on mobile wallet. Meanwhile, AOD gives me 3% back on everything, regardless. I think I'm better off focusing on my very similar Chase Sapphire Reserve for the travel portion of the AR. I've got a lot of credit with Chase, they are in my geographic area, and I've even set up some banking with them. (I'm in the process of earning a $600 SUB on new checking and savings account right now.)
So yes, if I did want to wait for the Cash+, gardening until 0/12 is probably best. Otherwise, I don't think any other bank is quite as strict as USB when it comes to new accounts in 12 months. I'll probably just sit on the sidelines until the spring and then slowly pick a few apps back up slowly as the other ones continue to age away.
