@EasyMark That's definitely an unusual data point, and thanks for taking the time to document it so thoroughly.
Based on everything you shared, I don't think the denial says much about your wife's creditworthiness. An 800+ FICO, very low utilization, decades of spotless history, high income, and substantial assets would generally make for an exceptionally strong profile.
My guess is that this comes down to Aven's underwriting model rather than traditional credit risk. If their algorithm heavily relies on recent mortgage payment history as a prerequisite for the unsecured Rewards card, then someone who has owned a home outright for decades may actually fall outside of the profile it was designed to approve. That's obviously frustrating, especially since owning a home free and clear is generally a financial positive, not a negative.
The "too many inquiries" reason despite having none in the last 12 months is also puzzling. That almost sounds like either an automated coding issue or an overly broad reason code that doesn't accurately reflect what happened.
I do give Aven credit for having someone call you back, but it's disappointing that the reconsideration didn't produce a more meaningful review or explanation. Hopefully your experience helps others understand the unusual, non-traditional credit profile underwriting of this unsecured Aven card.
