clark_d_shark, thanks so much for that advice. Honestly, the only traveling I do is in the car, not much with flying. So cashback bonuses really seem to be more logical to me early on. Maybe the situation will change to where I get to do more traveling further away down the road. I've really been eyeing the cashback though and any bonuses that come with a card like credits or cash for using it.
(ACHIEVED!)
@Anonymous wrote:
If there is any chance you are on Amex blacklist, those pre-quals will mean nothing. I recently had them appear for me but denied when app'd. But....if you are on the blacklist a denial won't result in a HP (big bonus!)
How can I find out if I'm on their blacklist or not? Anything that will be a heads up?
@Anonymous wrote:@Anonymous are welcome @dsotm76, If Cashback will be of more use to you, then AMEX BCE and Discover IT (with their cash back match) would be the two target cards that you should aim for. I think with your current score of EX695 you may get an approval for the AMEX BCE, but again YMMV, If you're utilization is still above 30%, i'd say, try your best to wait until that percentage has gone down to at least 10% or even lower, and you probably will get a better start with them in terms of limit. Discover majority of the time will pull EQ, so if, they're in your radar, just follow the suggestion I gave you about CCT to get all three of your CRA Fico 8 scores. I wish you luck and I'm sure you will decide on a card that will best fit your long term goals.
First off, Happy Thanksgiving!
I took your suggestion about CCTdotcom and the following information is enlightening:
FICO® Score 8 powered by Experian - 726
FICO® Score 8 powered by Transunion - 737
FICO® Score 8 powered by Equifax - 738
Those are definitely quite a bit above the FAKO CK score of 660 that they say TU and EQ are showing and with the same information. Makes me feel a lot better. What's helping is no missed payments, revolving credit, and not seeking credit (which I am, but just not applying yet). Hurting is the age of accounts (2 years is the oldest), credit usage of 52% (another credit line would decrease that and if Sync [Sony] would report more often), and my auto loan which still has 3 years.
With my pre-quals, the APR (which I intend to always pay in full and have an emergency stash in case something happens) seems to be a bit high. Discover is saying 21.99, C1 is 18.99, and Amex BCE is 17.99. I'm guessing that's because of the credit usage being high?
Honestly, I'd like to bite the bullet and get a card now and then apply for one more in April after everything is paid off outside of the auto loan and inquiries drop off from buying a car. I'm leary of C1 because they do a hard pull from all three, from what I've read. Discover and Amex are my preferred, but I'm just very gunshy still from the last time I tried to get a card.
I genuinely appreciate all of the help!
@Anonymous wrote:don't worry the only way you will be on that is if you have ever burned them in the past
Thanks! I've never had an Amex, so I guess that means I'm safe there. But darn it, there goes Nordstrom since I bankrupted them in my very early 20's. :-(
Question about QS, C1 does an HP from all three agencies, right?