Edited: AmEx app STILL pending? APPROVED

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:

I can honestly say I have never seen someone app that many times! Holy crap! I have 2 Amex and am perfectly happy at the moment, I know you say you're stubborn, but why such a strong need for the Platinum card? That's some crazy HP's!

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It's a long journey and personal accomplishment for me.

2005: where it all went downhill. 

     1)Filed for Ch13. Collections, tax liens (still showing on TU and EQ. Has been removed from EX).

     2)Lost all my cards - Discover, 2 AmEx (Platinum & Delta SkyMIles), MBNA (when it existed), Sony Card.

2005-2014:

     1) No credit cards. Happy to pay everything in cash and not worry about payment dues, etc. 

     2) Can't even rent a car. Credit history sucks. No car rental will take a debit card. 

Feb 2015: Life changing event. I travel internationally 2-3 x/yr for leisure. Account got hacked, WF froze all my accounts 1 week before I leave for Iceland. I had to pick up a generic card on my way to the airport. Carrying cash is not fun but had not choice. My banker made me open a credit card as a back up. Well, credit was so bad only thing he can get me is a secured card. My 1st in 10 yrs, the WF Platinum Secured. 

May 2015: Asked for auto loan rate. No deal. History still sucked. Banker said, you have to use your card to get your history built. I shoved that thing at the back I had to get a replacement. 

Sept 2015: 1st Premier and Credit One came along. Still hated having to keep up with it.

April 2016: Bored during a staff meeting, I was clicking on my phone and the AmEx Delta Platinum came on. And the rest is history. Thank god for auto pay and a few apps on my phone that keeps up with payment dues, etc. I didn't realize there are these rewards points, miles, etc to travel for almost free. I said, I'm jumping on that. They never existed back in the late 90's and early 2000's. I didn't think I'd get the 40K bonus point since I had the Platinum before. With the Business Platinum, I have 80K to use. 

The Platinum, it's just a personal goal for myself that I have reached that point of financial stability in my life where I used to be before I made the wrong decisions and I felt the consequences of it for a decade. It may sound shallow, I'm not at all gauging my financial status with the credit cards I have. It's just one of the things I wanted to get back. Otherwise, no car payments for now, mortgage is half way through, no kids to send to school. Maybe I'm prepping for retirement. Who knows? haha. 

I have no HP for 10 years. Maybe it's time to crawl back in that hole. Just read that Marriott and Starwood are merging. Not even gonna try that Starwood Preferred since I just got the Ritz Carlton rewards. Thanks to those who even took time to read this. 

[Anonymous]

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@YellowBanana wrote:

GTC471 thank you for sharing that, I really appreciate it. I have been feeling so bad for app spree that I literally started crying because I thought I have seriously messed up with all these inquries but I see that your scores are still high even with the hard pulls, whew What is the age of your credit? 

I applied for two American Express Cards, just found I got approved for the second one. Mine had been stuck on "in progress" since 08/29 and I recieved the approved email this morning.

I applied for the Walmart card, go approved. 

and last buy not least my Second Navy Federal Card.

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Yeah, somehow, when I didn't let anything report with a balance, my scores would either drop or stay where it is.  So, for 2 cycles now, I am letting just 2 cards report a balance and it boosted my scored. It even went up when it reported an inquiry. I think letting a balance show demonstrates how you manage your finances. And I keep my util ratio at 2%. 

Length of credit history: 1 yr and 7 months.

Average age of credit: 6 months. 

The tax liens what won't drop off till 2018 from Equifax and TransUnion are what's keeping my scores lower on thsoe 2 bureaus. Experian score is getting major boost now that the tax lien fell off from there. 

I only have 1 retail card, the Home Depot card. Somehow retail card are classified differently than bank issued credit cards. 

[austinguy907]

That's a great story for the kids that are just getting started and need an eye opener on how things work.  The BK is the hardest thing to get over and beyond.  Some have different feelings as a result of filing and dealing with it.  Being stripped of all of your credit hurts the ego and ease of moving around financially like the rest of the crowd.  I got mine disharged 2/2006 so, I can relate to some of your past as well.  It's a journey for sure putting things back together once you recover from having to make the decision to file and get things discharged.  There's that lull for some that lasts years and others just days around here.  Free points for travel is one perk and stability is even better.  

Doesn't it feel good to setup autopay and kind of forget about it?

[Anonymous]

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@YellowBanana wrote:

GTC471 thank you for sharing that, I really appreciate it. I have been feeling so bad for app spree that I literally started crying because I thought I have seriously messed up with all these inquries but I see that your scores are still high even with the hard pulls, whew What is the age of your credit? 

I applied for two American Express Cards, just found I got approved for the second one. Mine had been stuck on "in progress" since 08/29 and I recieved the approved email this morning.

I applied for the Walmart card, go approved. 

and last buy not least my Second Navy Federal Card.

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Here's my FICO 8 for today. Hope this helps you feel better.

[Anonymous]

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@austinguy907 wrote:

That's a great story for the kids that are just getting started and need an eye opener on how things work.  The BK is the hardest thing to get over and beyond.  Some have different feelings as a result of filing and dealing with it.  Being stripped of all of your credit hurts the ego and ease of moving around financially like the rest of the crowd.  I got mine disharged 2/2006 so, I can relate to some of your past as well.  It's a journey for sure putting things back together once you recover from having to make the decision to file and get things discharged.  There's that lull for some that lasts years and others just days around here.  Free points for travel is one perk and stability is even better.  

Doesn't it feel good to setup autopay and kind of forget about it?

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Having to go through a personal financial crisis is something no one can really get a full grasp of understanding until you experience it yourself. I hope my posts will make someone have a little bit of an idea whats it like. I took mine for granted then. And suffered the consequences. There are so much perks and benefits out there nowadays that it hurts a little when you can't qualify for them. So, one by one, every credit line I have opened feels a little bit of personal redemption. Besides the denials I showed, there were multiple phone calls made to the reconsideration line to no avail. The sigh of relief when I finally got the approval for the Platinum Card was very satisfying, nonetheless. And the benefits offered with the premium cards is worth every penny of that high AF.

I wish we had those autopay and phone apps back then. It takes 90% of the headache keeping up with multiple cards.

[Anonymous]

Wow!!! That's definitely an amazing story... thanks for sharing. I've never filed for bankruptcy but I def can relate to having bad credit and it absolutely sucks. Not being able to take advantage of the perks and benefits of credit cards really sucks. I look back and all I can think about is all of the free $$ and points I've given away all of these years. 

I hope you post your updated scores once your BK falls off all three bureaus. Congrats on your rebuild... keep up the good work.

[RaiseMyScoreASAP]

I feel the same way about getting the AMEX Preferred Rewards Gold. It was a culmination of lots of work to get to the point where AMEX would take me back after 25 years. This doesn't count for anything, but having an AMEX card that says I am a member since 1987 is important to me. It reminds me of how far I have come an yet at the same time a reminder that I have to respect it or it can go away.

[YellowBanana]

GTC471 you did a great job rebuilding and yes that dooes make me feel better. It is good to know that scores will pick back up once my credit starts to age. 

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Wow!!! That's definitely an amazing story... thanks for sharing. I've never filed for bankruptcy but I def can relate to having bad credit and it absolutely sucks. Not being able to take advantage of the perks and benefits of credit cards really sucks. I look back and all I can think about is all of the free $$ and points I've given away all of these years. 

I hope you post your updated scores once your BK falls off all three bureaus. Congrats on your rebuild... keep up the good work.

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Yeah, all the years I couldn't qualify for anyting stings each time. Like they say, you learn from experience. Lessons learned the hard way. Like we all believe in our youth, we're really not invisible. It's a nice gratifying feeling that we can avail premium perks and benefits.

[Anonymous]

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@RaiseMyScoreASAP wrote:

I feel the same way about getting the AMEX Preferred Rewards Gold. It was a culmination of lots of work to get to the point where AMEX would take me back after 25 years. This doesn't count for anything, but having an AMEX card that says I am a member since 1987 is important to me. It reminds me of how far I have come an yet at the same time a reminder that I have to respect it or it can go away.

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Yes, I lost AmEx for 10 years and they still recognize me at a member since 1996. It may not count for anything anymore, but it feels good when you call customer support and they say, "Thanks for being a customer with American Express for 20 years".