I am trading in my palladium spade (just 1 month shy of platinum) for the tried and true seedling! That said, it was a good, profitable month. I gave AMEX the month off. How many more AMEX cards can I obtain?! Turns out they like offering me new, relatively small SLs, but as for the CLIs, especially the unicorn 3X (which I have yet to obtain) not so much. As I write this, I have SEVERAL pre-approved cards in my AMEX profile, sheesh... In any event, I want to thank the members of this forum for the invaluable help and advice.
Coming into July 2019, my DPs prior to app spree:
Scores – current in sig below, prior to spree
AAoA – 4.25 yrs (4 yrs / 3 mos)
Utilization: EQ = 7%, TU = 7%, EX = 7%
Inqs - 12 months (before spree): EQ = 3, TU = 4, EX = 1
Inqs – 24 months (before spree): EQ = 9, TU = 6 , EX = 7
Existing Tradeline Activity (CLIs):
CapOne QS CLI: 1.8X increase, from $2,500 to $4,500 (requested $5,000) – Online immediate approval, SP.
CapOne Venture One CLI: 1.85X increase, from $3,500 to $6,500 (requested $7,000) – Online immediate approval, SP.
UBER CLI: 10X increase, from $500 SL to $5,000 (requested 5,000). You already know this did not come without drama... Online app was pended (no HP!), called 866-205-5973 from the BACKDOOR NUMBERS post to recon, resulting in HP (5th App, pulled TU only) literally while I was on the phone with the rep. I was given a heads’ up that she would have to take a HP to recon, and requested my approval to do so. I agreed. I knew I only had one TU pull in this entire spree nonsense :-) I saw the alert on my Transunion TrueIdentity light up with an e-mail almost immediately. Anyway, she was super pleasant, and very complimentary of the progress/improvement in my credit management over the past 5+ years. Was really a pleasant conversation, as she asked to confirm items from my app, such as my income, as well as my job, my title, how long I’d been there, and a question about one item on my credit history - a loan I'd taken out in 2018 (in perfect standing) as I was prepping my house for sale. This ultimately resulting in an approval to the requested limit. PS – I was ALMOST tempted to follow with “…well, since you’re in the giving mood, I'd like to request another $5K..”, but saner heads prevailed and I did not follow my greed in that instance! However, they still have a long way to go to make up for that crappy SL :-) Next on my radar is US Bank when I come out of the garden in 2050...
New Tradeline Activity in July (in the sequence which I applied):
1st App – KIA Motor Finance: (Honorable mention only, as I know auto loans are captured separately in the forum) Planned purchase of 2 new car loans for my 2 college ‘kiddies’, first time app’ing for captive financing vs bank or credit union, but taking advantage of July financing and rebate incentives. Both approved, approx. $20K each. Pulled all CBs.
2nd App – Citi: Pre-qualified on their site for DC and Simplicity (also received “pre-selected” mailers). Approved for $14,400. Pulled EQ, EX. Super stoked to be in the Citi family.
3rd App – Discover: Pre-qualified on their site for my choice of cards (also received pre-qualified mailers). Selected Discover.it cash back. Approved for $4,000. Pulled EQ, EX. Happy to be in the Disco family.
4th App – Wells Fargo Platinum: Probably the card I wanted the most (I’m sure you’ll ask, as I am in retrospect, why I didn’t apply for this first – but there’s a reason – read on). Existing banking relationship, received pre-qualified mailers almost bi-weekly for the past year, was waiting for the right time to pull the trigger. Applied online, app was pended. However, this was an unforced error on my part. I only app’d to WF at this time, at this point in the sequence, because: a) my scores will take a sizable hit once all these new trades report, not to mention the closing of the previous 2 auto loans that I traded for the 2 new KIAs; and b) of faulty intel on my part; that WF “only” pulled TU in GA. Turns out, as many of you already (and now me) know, they pull EX. That, atop the 5,000 other EX inquiries from this spree, was enough to send them packing… Called 800-567-9521 to recon, was told app was declined due to (not surprisingly) too many recent inquiries. The rep on the phone – also super nice and informative – could not reverse the decision unless I had some new, different, or contravening information, which of course I did not have.
In all, I am pleased, and continue to be stoked to be a member of this forum. Breaking out my rake and gloves…updating my sig soon.
Peace and love –
Soup
