2012 - Year in Review

[YahComb]

i started this year with 2 secured cards, 5 months old each. BOA secured at 600 and cap1 secured at 750.i apped for a bunch of crap in february and march, which netted me my first 1K lines, Paypal at 1K, amazon at 1.4K and Discover at 1K. was denied for dividend/freedom/bce at that point. in April i upped my deposit on both secured cards to 1200 each and got my Zync. that was my last card for the spring. in June paypal got cli'd to 2K, and BOA graduated early and pc'd to cash rewards. July i upped cash rewards from 1.2K to 3K cli.

August i closed my cap1 at 1 year old, then apped for Freedom and Sapphire(both approved) and Citi Forward(denied) same day. Sapphire got me my 1st 5K line,didn't get the citi because of inqs. September Amazon finally gave me a decent cli to 2k. in October got another paypal cli, to 4k, and on the last 2 days of the month wento from 3K to 6K on BOA and 1K to 3.5K on Discover. November i finally haggled the annual fee off my BOA card.

That should have been it for the year, but then US bank had to go and start phasing out online apps for the Cash+. I didn't think i'd be ready for that until spring of 2013, but without a branch in my area couldn't afford to see if the loopholes would stay open that long. So i figured i might end up stuck with the 1% cashrewards for 6 months but at least i'd have a way into the cash+ eventually and i applied a couple days into DEcember. I didn't ask them which card i was approved for, i wanted to let it be a surprise...so when i got the mail yesterday i was a little surprised to see i actually got the full blown Cash+. I know i was near the cutoff since i got probably the worst APR of all the people who posted about it on the various credit message boards, but i'm in! I don't know of any other posters that got it with a sub 700 score (they used a straight up classic equifax 04, matched my SW 696 score), though i know some got it with scores in 710-720 range.

anyways that is my year.

2013 looks to be pretty boring for me, except watching my score reach new heights as inquiries age and more of my accounts pass 1 year of age starting february. my next new trade line may be an auto loan in the later half. probably won't app again until 2014 for an AMEX revolver.

[maiden_girl]

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@YahComb wrote:

i started this year with 2 secured cards, 5 months old each. BOA secured at 600 and cap1 secured at 750.i apped for a bunch of crap in february and march, which netted me my first 1K lines, Paypal at 1K, amazon at 1.4K and Discover at 1K. was denied for dividend/freedom/bce at that point. in April i upped my deposit on both secured cards to 1200 each and got my Zync. that was my last card for the spring. in June paypal got cli'd to 2K, and BOA graduated early and pc'd to cash rewards. July i upped cash rewards from 1.2K to 3K cli.

August i closed my cap1 at 1 year old, then apped for Freedom and Sapphire(both approved) and Citi Forward(denied) same day. Sapphire got me my 1st 5K line,didn't get the citi because of inqs. September Amazon finally gave me a decent cli to 2k. in October got another paypal cli, to 4k, and on the last 2 days of the month wento from 3K to 6K on BOA and 1K to 3.5K on Discover. November i finally haggled the annual fee off my BOA card.

That should have been it for the year, but then US bank had to go and start phasing out online apps for the Cash+. I didn't think i'd be ready for that until spring of 2013, but without a branch in my area couldn't afford to see if the loopholes would stay open that long. So i figured i might end up stuck with the 1% cashrewards for 6 months but at least i'd have a way into the cash+ eventually and i applied a couple days into DEcember. I didn't ask them which card i was approved for, i wanted to let it be a surprise...so when i got the mail yesterday i was a little surprised to see i actually got the full blown Cash+. I know i was near the cutoff since i got probably the worst APR of all the people who posted about it on the various credit message boards, but i'm in! I don't know of any other posters that got it with a sub 700 score (they used a straight up classic equifax 04, matched my SW 696 score), though i know some got it with scores in 710-720 range.

anyways that is my year.

2013 looks to be pretty boring for me, except watching my score reach new heights as inquiries age and more of my accounts pass 1 year of age starting february. my next new trade line may be an auto loan in the later half. probably won't app again until 2014 for an AMEX revolver.

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When did they start phasing out the online app? I wanted to apply for it but I don't feel like going to the branch. Lol.

[patsfan1453]

2012 encompasses my entire credit history. In January I knew nothing about credit so of course the first thing I apped for was an amex green, DENIED, chase slate, DENIED. So I set my sights lower, Cap 1 Platinum, unsecured, Approved, 300 limit with steps. Pretty pumped. So I don't do anything until may when I get a 14k car loan from Chase using a first buyer program at 5.9 APR. 

So it gets interesting in october, I look at my Cap 1 and see my limit was increased to $500, I check my credit score and its a 720ish. Wow, I was floored. So I go on a crazy app spree, here are the results over the past month. 

Amex Blue, PC'd to BCE: Approved$1000 limit

Citi Foward: Approved 3k Limit

Citi Simplicity: Approved 1k Limit

Discover More: Approved 2k limit

Amex Green: Approved

Amazon Store Card: Approved 1300 limit

Denied: Chase Freedom, Slate, US Bank Cash+(Dumb) Cap1 Rewards or something like that. But oh well.

Went from 0 in credit lines to $9075 (got my cap 1 limit raised again to 750$). Very successful year, wish I had found this forum before I went on the app spree, also wish I had gone for the PRG instead of the Green. But hey, overall a very successful year, and to top it off I just got a raise to 42k and I turned 21 in August. 

[YahComb]

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@maiden_girl wrote:

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@YahComb wrote:

i started this year with 2 secured cards, 5 months old each. BOA secured at 600 and cap1 secured at 750.i apped for a bunch of crap in february and march, which netted me my first 1K lines, Paypal at 1K, amazon at 1.4K and Discover at 1K. was denied for dividend/freedom/bce at that point. in April i upped my deposit on both secured cards to 1200 each and got my Zync. that was my last card for the spring. in June paypal got cli'd to 2K, and BOA graduated early and pc'd to cash rewards. July i upped cash rewards from 1.2K to 3K cli.

August i closed my cap1 at 1 year old, then apped for Freedom and Sapphire(both approved) and Citi Forward(denied) same day. Sapphire got me my 1st 5K line,didn't get the citi because of inqs. September Amazon finally gave me a decent cli to 2k. in October got another paypal cli, to 4k, and on the last 2 days of the month wento from 3K to 6K on BOA and 1K to 3.5K on Discover. November i finally haggled the annual fee off my BOA card.

That should have been it for the year, but then US bank had to go and start phasing out online apps for the Cash+. I didn't think i'd be ready for that until spring of 2013, but without a branch in my area couldn't afford to see if the loopholes would stay open that long. So i figured i might end up stuck with the 1% cashrewards for 6 months but at least i'd have a way into the cash+ eventually and i applied a couple days into DEcember. I didn't ask them which card i was approved for, i wanted to let it be a surprise...so when i got the mail yesterday i was a little surprised to see i actually got the full blown Cash+. I know i was near the cutoff since i got probably the worst APR of all the people who posted about it on the various credit message boards, but i'm in! I don't know of any other posters that got it with a sub 700 score (they used a straight up classic equifax 04, matched my SW 696 score), though i know some got it with scores in 710-720 range.

anyways that is my year.

2013 looks to be pretty boring for me, except watching my score reach new heights as inquiries age and more of my accounts pass 1 year of age starting february. my next new trade line may be an auto loan in the later half. probably won't app again until 2014 for an AMEX revolver.

---

When did they start phasing out the online app? I wanted to apply for it but I don't feel like going to the branch. Lol.

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have you not been reading the forums the last couple months maybe?

sometime in november, people noticed the cash+ missing from the list of cards, but the webpage for the card was still there and had a link to the application. Eventually, that link was removed and the webpage stated you can apply by phone or in branch. However, application link was still working. And just recently, that link has gone dead-so there is no known way to app online anymore. supposedly you can still app by phone, but it doesn't say that on the webpage anymore, it says only in branch.

[maiden_girl]

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@YahComb wrote:

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@maiden_girl wrote:

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@YahComb wrote:

i started this year with 2 secured cards, 5 months old each. BOA secured at 600 and cap1 secured at 750.i apped for a bunch of crap in february and march, which netted me my first 1K lines, Paypal at 1K, amazon at 1.4K and Discover at 1K. was denied for dividend/freedom/bce at that point. in April i upped my deposit on both secured cards to 1200 each and got my Zync. that was my last card for the spring. in June paypal got cli'd to 2K, and BOA graduated early and pc'd to cash rewards. July i upped cash rewards from 1.2K to 3K cli.

August i closed my cap1 at 1 year old, then apped for Freedom and Sapphire(both approved) and Citi Forward(denied) same day. Sapphire got me my 1st 5K line,didn't get the citi because of inqs. September Amazon finally gave me a decent cli to 2k. in October got another paypal cli, to 4k, and on the last 2 days of the month wento from 3K to 6K on BOA and 1K to 3.5K on Discover. November i finally haggled the annual fee off my BOA card.

That should have been it for the year, but then US bank had to go and start phasing out online apps for the Cash+. I didn't think i'd be ready for that until spring of 2013, but without a branch in my area couldn't afford to see if the loopholes would stay open that long. So i figured i might end up stuck with the 1% cashrewards for 6 months but at least i'd have a way into the cash+ eventually and i applied a couple days into DEcember. I didn't ask them which card i was approved for, i wanted to let it be a surprise...so when i got the mail yesterday i was a little surprised to see i actually got the full blown Cash+. I know i was near the cutoff since i got probably the worst APR of all the people who posted about it on the various credit message boards, but i'm in! I don't know of any other posters that got it with a sub 700 score (they used a straight up classic equifax 04, matched my SW 696 score), though i know some got it with scores in 710-720 range.

anyways that is my year.

2013 looks to be pretty boring for me, except watching my score reach new heights as inquiries age and more of my accounts pass 1 year of age starting february. my next new trade line may be an auto loan in the later half. probably won't app again until 2014 for an AMEX revolver.

---

When did they start phasing out the online app? I wanted to apply for it but I don't feel like going to the branch. Lol.

---

have you not been reading the forums the last couple months maybe?

sometime in november, people noticed the cash+ missing from the list of cards, but the webpage for the card was still there and had a link to the application. Eventually, that link was removed and the webpage stated you can apply by phone or in branch. However, application link was still working. And just recently, that link has gone dead-so there is no known way to app online anymore. supposedly you can still app by phone, but it doesn't say that on the webpage anymore, it says only in branch.

---

I haven't been on the forums in the last couple of months...

[BearsAndTurtlesRtheBest]

Ight! So in 2013 I will graduate from HS!! #class of 2k13!!! Get a job, and hopefully my credit has already begun since my mom added me to her credit card as an AU which required my ssn #, and hopefully next year is better than this year because honestly this year was crappy! Hope everyone from the forums has a great new year! And that we keep improving our credit for it is VERY important. Wish you ALL the very best and to keep up the great job you guys are doing in helping people like me to gain more knowledge in credit. Seriously this is a AWESOME WEBSITE!! 

[Cdnewmanpac]

I will leave the credit repair parts out. Starting point: 1st Prem secured 450, WF secured 1000. Started reading these forums and learned:

1. Cap 1 has a preselection site- went there, offered no hassle rewards, apped, accepted. 750cl, 1250 with credit steps.

2. Recon! Flushed with confidence from cap1, I responded to an offer for a SW airlines rapid rewards card- the denial laughter could be heard for miles (644 ex). But I learned about recon here and gave them a call. Explained my bad 2006, approved! 5k limit, visa signature, 50k bonus miles with no spend.

3. USAA open to enlisted (not the case when I was discharged): Joined due to info on this board, saved a ton on insurance, applied for Rewards WMC, Approved! 7k limit with 685 EQ.

4. Learned about lower requirements for Zync and benefits of building history with Amex: Applied and instant approved. NPSL, have made purchases >11k without issue. Lots of compliments from waitstaff.

5. Learned about the value of having an installment loan on CRA for improved credit mix: applied for USAA personal loan, approved 8k, 11% interest. FICO bumped 10 points.

6. Learned about value of Discover card for cash back (and customer service): responded to mailed offer, approved, 3k limit, 0 apr x 15 mos.

7. Learned about Amex soft pull if denied for current cardmembers: apped for HHonors Surpass. Surprisingly, I was approved with 674 ex, 1k limit, 60k points with 3k spend.

8. Learned about backdating: after many calls and attempts, both amex cards backdated to 1988!

9. Learned about amex 61 day 3x cli- asked for 3k on surpass oct 1, approved!

10. Learned value of high limits for utilization purposes: asked USAA for CLI, approved to 13k!

11. Learned about Cap1 exec office- emailed, had some nice conversations, bumped cl to 5k, waived af forever, added 1.5% rewards for all spending.

12. Arrived yesterday at decision to apply for my original goal cards: Amex TE and CSP. Using knowledge gained here, I applied in store for Costco card, but while on phone with Chase for CSP app (so each wouldn't see the other's inquiry). Amex instant approval for 5k. CSP declined, but recon took about 20 seconds. Approved, 5k limit, 40k bonus points with 3k spend, AF waived for first year.

13. Learned about combining limits on chase cards- plan to do this when CSP arrives- shift 5k from SWRR to CSP, then close SWRR before AF date.

Take home lessons: Always, always, always be polite and humble. The answer to "should I recon xxx?" is ALWAYS yes. If you don't get what you need from CS, wait a few days and try again (backdating, especially). Get cards that help you maximize the value of your money, not just cards that help your score.

Best of luck to all. It's been a good year.

[anthill927]

I will leave the credit repair parts out. Starting point: 1st Prem secured 450, WF secured 1000. Started reading these forums and learned:

1. Cap 1 has a preselection site- went there, offered no hassle rewards, apped, accepted. 750cl, 1250 with credit steps.

2. Recon! Flushed with confidence from cap1, I responded to an offer for a SW airlines rapid rewards card- the denial laughter could be heard for miles (644 ex). But I learned about recon here and gave them a call. Explained my bad 2006, approved! 5k limit, visa signature, 50k bonus miles with no spend.

3. USAA open to enlisted (not the case when I was discharged): Joined due to info on this board, saved a ton on insurance, applied for Rewards WMC, Approved! 7k limit with 685 EQ.

4. Learned about lower requirements for Zync and benefits of building history with Amex: Applied and instant approved. NPSL, have made purchases >11k without issue. Lots of compliments from waitstaff.

5. Learned about the value of having an installment loan on CRA for improved credit mix: applied for USAA personal loan, approved 8k, 11% interest. FICO bumped 10 points.

6. Learned about value of Discover card for cash back (and customer service): responded to mailed offer, approved, 3k limit, 0 apr x 15 mos.

7. Learned about Amex soft pull if denied for current cardmembers: apped for HHonors Surpass. Surprisingly, I was approved with 674 ex, 1k limit, 60k points with 3k spend.

8. Learned about backdating: after many calls and attempts, both amex cards backdated to 1988!

9. Learned about amex 61 day 3x cli- asked for 3k on surpass oct 1, approved!

10. Learned value of high limits for utilization purposes: asked USAA for CLI, approved to 13k!

11. Learned about Cap1 exec office- emailed, had some nice conversations, bumped cl to 5k, waived af forever, added 1.5% rewards for all spending.

12. Arrived yesterday at decision to apply for my original goal cards: Amex TE and CSP. Using knowledge gained here, I applied in store for Costco card, but while on phone with Chase for CSP app (so each wouldn't see the other's inquiry). Amex instant approval for 5k. CSP declined, but recon took about 20 seconds. Approved, 5k limit, 40k bonus points with 3k spend, AF waived for first year.

13. Learned about combining limits on chase cards- plan to do this when CSP arrives- shift 5k from SWRR to CSP, then close SWRR before AF date.

Take home lessons: Always, always, always be polite and humble. The answer to "should I recon xxx?" is ALWAYS yes. If you don't get what you need from CS, wait a few days and try again (backdating, especially). Get cards that help you maximize the value of your money, not just cards that help your score.

Best of luck to all. It's been a good year.

WOW, your story was amazing and best one I read so far!!! I was moved. lol so whats ur score and all of your cards now? and what are your goals for 2013?

[sccredit]

2011-

Capital One $300

Capital One $750

Cap One Biz $750

Merrick Bank $1,900

Orchard Bank $700

WFDS Auto Loan @10% Interest

2012-

Southwest RR Signature $10,500

Capital One Biz $10,000

Discover $10,000

DCU $10,000

Citi TY $8,000

Comenity Smile Generation $7,500

Care Credit $7,800

Citi Hilton HHonors Sig $7,000

USAA Rewards MC $4,000

USAA Rewards Amex $4,000

Chase Freedom $2,500

CU Auto Loan 2.8%

Mortgage $309,000 3.5%

[Cdnewmanpac]

Cards are the ones in signature plus csp and Amex true earnings Costco. I don't have a recent experian fico, but credit sesame is 715 and plus is 712. Eq fico 716. Tu credit karma 697, vantage 939. But more negatives on ex than either of the others. Tu has zero inq, eq has 3, ex had 4, now 6. Goal for 2013 is to grow limits on Amex, close zync and southwest. That's it. No more cards, loans, etc.